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Subject |
Cellospieler
Registered User
(8/10/00 3:11:13 pm)
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Cars,
trucks and cello friendly SUVs
I am searching for a new car (or a
used one) and would like some input. What cars fit a big cello case
easily. Are trucks with a "3rd door" good for cellists? What about 4
door sedans? What do other's drive that fits a cello in the back
seat without the "cram" factor? you know, rearranging the case,
tilting it here and there so one can close the door. Also, any cars
or type to avoid?
Curently, i drive an Infiniti J30, but the
back seat just barely fits the length of my cello and I have one of
those big curvy Standard American cases. Any thoughts?
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Bobbie
Registered
User
(8/10/00 3:44:30 pm)
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Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
I have a Subaru Forester and the
case fits in just about every possible location- front seat standing
up, back seat standing up or lying down, cargo space crosswise or
with the seats folded down, sticking through into the passenger
space (seats fold independently and it easily holds two cellos this
way.) I have a Winter hard case which might be smaller, so I'd
suggest whatever car you look at, take the cello case and try it
out.
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jekerry
Registered User
(8/10/00 3:49:07 pm)
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Toyota
Corrolla
I just got a toyota corrolla and
love it (it gets great gas milage). My cello fits across the back
seat or in the trunk. I don't have a hard case, so I don't know if
that would make the difference!
Jane
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mcello
Registered User
(8/10/00 4:07:49 pm)
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Re:
Toyota Corrolla
I have a Ford Escort wagon that
works great. I can lay down either of the back seats and slide my
cello in easily. It gets great mileage, (this is good as we live
about 30 miles from the city where I play most of my gigs) but I
heard a rumor that Ford is discontinuing them....but I think any
wagon that you can lay down the back seat works well. Personally, I
just want a car that is easy to get my cello in and out of, and one
that runs well. I don't want to have to worry that it is going to
break down on the road!
Good luck in your search!
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KDS
Registered User
(8/10/00 4:43:12 pm)
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Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
My Dodge Stratus is great. My cello
fits in the front seat, the back seat crosswise or upright, plus the
back seat folds down and you can fit two celli in the trunk this
way. My case is like yours. The old ('90) Mercury Topaz used to fit
my cello in the trunk, but the new Ford cars' trunks are too narrow.
My Dodge has been great to drive, and I've put close to
12,000 miles on it this year already driving to teach and
perform.
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sarah
schenkman
Registered User
(8/10/00 5:22:41 pm)
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cars
You can fit a whole string quartet
with instruments in a Toyota Camry. Cello fits in back seat or in
trunk in pretty much any cello case.
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Laura
Wichers
Registered
User
(8/10/00 5:28:27 pm)
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Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
I know Weber cases fit in Olds
Eighty-eights, Olds Cutlass, and Olds Alero (can you tell we're Olds
people?).
The only thing I'd be terribly concerned with is
the 2dr vs. 4dr issue. If you plan on putting your cello across the
back seat but have a 2dr car, it will be
cumbersome.
-Laura
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Kent
McDonald 
Registered User
(8/10/00 5:34:02 pm)
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4
cellos and cellists fit in a 94 Ford Explorer
It has Firestone ATX tires too!! We
tried it at a recent Cello festival in Brian Head.
Kent
Mc
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Eric
Benning
Registered
User
(8/10/00 5:54:22 pm)
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Putting
instruments in trunks.
Just an aside to this topic. Please
don't put your instruments in trunks of cars or SUVs if you can at
all help it. The trunks are designed as "Crumple Zones" to help
absorb impacts, even low speed impacts, in order to buffer the
occupants. In other words, the trunk is designed to be a big shock
absorber for you, so if you want your instrument to be part of that
system.....
Best regards,
Eric Benning
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RonH
Registered User
(8/10/00 6:09:33 pm)
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Watch
Out for Trunks
On long trips, do not place the
cello in the trunk of the car. The trunk builds up heat that can
damage the cello. Also, get a mylar blanket (they come in small
packets at camping/outdoor stores). Place it over the cello case in
the car and it will reflect the sun, which otherwise would also heat
up the cello and possibly do damage.
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Steve
Drake
Registered
User
(8/10/00 6:17:03 pm)
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Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
My favorite has always been a volvo
740 I had for many years. You could get the cello in anywhere easily
in that one. My volvo 850 was almost as good, but the cello wouldn't
fit in the trunk, but I hardly ever did that anyway. Dodge intrepids
are great - gigantic trunks and back seats. Right now I've got an
old honda accord which is really lousy for the cello - it doesn't
really fit well anywhere, but at least it's paid for!
How
about a chrysler pt cruiser?
My MP3's
My Cello
Homepage
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42
Registered User
(8/10/00 6:26:08 pm)
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Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
I once got 5 cellos in my chevy
corsica..... 1 in the front passenger seat, 2 in the back seat, and
2(the least expensive two that is) in the trunk. My father has a
Toyota 4runner, and surprisingly enough, a cello case will NOT fit
across the back seat without being propped up at an angle. the back
is also not wide enough, or long enough, so even back there my cello
is cramped. so, anyways I have no excuse to borrow the truck for
cello transportation because it actually fits better in my car 
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MaryK
Registered
User
(8/10/00 7:26:10 pm)
 |
Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
I put my cello (Weber case) in the
front seat of my '96 VW GTI. Works just fine. I love that
car...
MaryK
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matthias24
Registered
User
(8/10/00 10:28:16 pm)
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Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
I drive a two-door Olds Calais. It's
falling apart, but my cello fits comfortably in the back seat. never
tried putting it in the passenger seat. Probably because the
passenger-side outside door handle is broken, and you have to open
it from the inside. just too much trouble.  Yep, the
two-door is definitely a hassle when it comes to putting the cello
in, but i'd rather drive a two-door than a four-door.
~ aaron ~
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phesketh
Registered User
(8/11/00 1:40:09 am)
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Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
Ok ... just last february I went
shopping for an new car/SUV ... and I raised alot of salesmens
eyebrows ... I took along my empty hard case ... and wouldn't
even test drive the car unless the
cello case fit nicely ... so
Fits on the back seat of 1996-1998 chevy cavalier (many many
rentals)
the back seat of a 93 civic was a bit short for the hard
case (had to be on its side
and angled) ... the 1999 seemed
better but I wasn't willing to slam the door (note
that for both
of these cars the back seat moved down to allow access to the
trunk
the cello fits great that way ... put it in from the back
seat not the trunk though).
fits in a 1999 corrolla
doesn't
fit in a 1999 rav 4 unless you put down the back seats and load it
from
the back (on an angle)
does fit in a Kia sportage (with
back seats up ... forgot to try the back seat
of that one ...
but it is wider than the next car so it probably fits ... note
that
the 1999 Kia sportage sales brochure featured the
testimonial of a cellist)
does fit in a 1999 Suzuki Vitara (or
Grand vitara) in the back with the back seat
down or across the
back seats ... (a bit of an angle required with the hard
case).
Did fit in the back of a hyundai elantra ...
your
milage may vary
worst case ... if you have a hard case it
also fits quite nicely diagonally accross the
back of a 1990
suzuki sidekick convertable but you do have to move the
passenger
seat way up ... (this was my old car in toronto) ...
the other person I saw with a
sidekick (actually a tracker) and
a cello had a passenger and the top 5-6" of
the cello were
hanging out the back of the truck (beside the tire).
If you
don't have a hard case to tote around ... take a tape measure
..
close the back door of the car and measure from the most
encroaching part of the
door to the most encroaching part of the
other door ... if it is bigger than your
case you should be ok.
Paula (who now has a 1999 suzuki vitara)
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JanJan
Registered
User
(8/11/00 7:24:27 am)
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Re:
Anybody have a VW Beetle?
Wonder if they fit. It took a while,
but the new Beetle has grown on me, and I'm considering it for my
next car (which won't be for some time).
For now I have an
Escort sedan, and Emma fits nicely in the passenger's seat (she
likes to see where she's going). But when I have to, she also lies
down in the back seat in her hard case.
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Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
(8/11/00 10:02:12 am)
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Re:
Toyota Corrolla
I bought a cello bag two years ago,
just so I could fit the cello across the back seat of my 1983
Corolla wagon (when my wife had the minivan --or when I had some
cello carrying to do at my destination and didn't want to haul the
weight of a big box).
But just this January I bought a new
(Asian made, for my new Chinese cello) light-weight, fiberglass case
(moderate cost ~$350) with wheels, that just barely fits across the
Corolla back seat as well. The best of all possible
worlds!
Andy
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KDS
Registered User
(8/11/00 3:46:01 pm)
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Dodge
caravans
Anybody have a newer Dodge caravan
with two sliding doors? My parents have a '95 with only one sliding
door. The cello fits perfectly in that space next to the sliding
door. I'm wondering if there's that much room in the new ones with 2
sliding doors. Any comments would be great, as that will probably be
my next car after the Stratus, since I will have a baby along with a
cello to cart around come December, and I want more
children.
To alleviate some concern that I seem to have
started with my last post on this topic, please don't berate me for
putting my cello in the trunk. I almost never do that, especially
with the heat in Utah at this time of year, and certainly don't
recommend it to you. But I remember a memorable few months having to
take a bass player to orchestra rehearsal with me and the bass
claimed the back seat with the neck out the window. The cello had no
other place to go but the trunk. I will never do that again.
(Chauffeur bassists, that is!) Now that summer is over, I have no
more occasion to take anyone else and their cello in my car. Thank
goodness. The back seat is my favorite place for mine, then I don't
worry about air bags either. They really are like our babies aren't
they?!
I have now declared that none of my children will play
the string bass or the harp. One of my cello students actually has a
brother and sister who play bass and harp respectively and they can
actually fit all 3 instruments in their Chevy Astro van along with
Mom's violin!
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Cellospieler
Registered User
(8/11/00 5:31:38 pm)
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Re:
Cars, trucks and cello friendly SUVs
Thanks for all the feedback!! The
new car is a Ford Explorer!!! Goodbye Infiniti J30!!
What a
great group of people here--this really helped. Thanks agasin,
Corey
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Betsy
C 
Registered
User
(8/14/00 4:52:31 am)
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Question for Ron
Ron, I actually went a purchased
that mylar blanket this weekend. The label says: "Reflects heat back
to body", so I am a little worried about using it. Hopefully, I
bought the right thing! It feels like mylar (no description on the
label) and it looks like a shiny, aluminum type of color. Will it
actually keep heat/sun away from the cello if you place it over the
cello? Please elaborate a little. I dropped my cello off at my
luthier last week and it was a lot warmer that I liked it to be
after being in my trunk with the A.C. cranked up to high. I pick my
cello up this week and would like to not have that happen again!
Thanks.
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RonH
Registered User
(8/14/00 11:57:19 am)
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Mylar
Blanket
Sounds like the right one to me.
It's primary use is in camping - when someone is injured and they
need protection in the cold. The mylar doesn't create heat, it just
helps the body from losing heat. However, it also will reflect sun
and likewise can be used for this purpose. It's meant to be used
with the cello in the car, not the trunk. I've used it on several
long trips without any adverse results.
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Topic Commands (Moderator only)
8/14/00 6:50:21 pm