Hi! We are looking to buy a car soon (probably certified used, but POSSIBLY new.) Just wondering, what kinds of cars do you all have to deliver your cakes? What are the best features that you couldn't live without, and what features do you hate? Would you recommend a minivan, small SUV, or what, and WHAT MAKES AND MODELS? Any of your expert advice would be so much appreciated!
THANKS!!

p.s. factor in that I have a 1 1/2 year old, and we want to have more children in the future....

Hi! I deliver all my cakes in a Suburban. It has the third seat which is nice for the kids. I find lots of space in the back...and the cakes ride good...even the big wedding cakes!
traci

I drive a Saturn Vue which has plenty of room for a growing family and plenty of room in the back for even the largest cakes. It drives a lot like a car and isn't as "bouncy" as some of the other SUVs I test drove. I've had mine for about 6 months and so far, it still rides very smooth. I've even been backed into and rear-ended and you wouldn't even know it...the material they use bounces right back! The back cargo area even has this thing that pops up to hold groceries (or cakes) to keep things from sliding around. I thought when I bought the car that it was a dumb feature, but I use it pretty much every time I get groceries and anytime I make smaller cakes. Did I mention it's much more affordable than most of the SUVs out there? Have fun shopping!!

I used to have a blazer that was wonderful for delivering. Then we traded in for a chevy sliverado, it has a back seat that folds up and gives me plenty of room for wedding deliveries (mind you i don't do more then one wedding at a time) I like the fact that the truck has ac vents in the back seat and tinted windows so i end up with little icing issues.

For everyday sheet cakes and other small cakes i deliver in my honda accord.

Neither of these vechiles are really good for small children in car seats, but i don't have those problems any more.

I have to agree the Saturn Vue is very nice. I have a Durango and the ride very rough. My daughter has a Vue and I use it for cakes very chance I get.

I research tons of SUV's when we brought the Vue for our daughter. It was her college graduation gift. It is very affordable and built very nice. Saturn has the zero financing several times during the year, so look for the deals.

Good Luck with the car search.
Karen

I have a Dodge mini-van. The cakes travel great. I'm looking at buying a SUV in the next year or so. I want a Chevy Trail Blazer or a the next version up... for the life of me I can't remember what it's called! Anyway... I have back problems so I want something higher so I don't have to lift the cakes. I can just slid them out.

As long as you use the shelf liners your cakes should travel good~

I split deliveries between my mini-van and Honda element. Both have plenty of room in the back. In our Odyssey (sp?) you can fold the third row down and I use the headrests to block the cakes from sliding around. Both are Hondas and have been great so far.

I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It has a good ride and plenty of room.Not to mention the A/C vents and tinted windows in the rear,believe it or not it does make a difference.

I deliver my cakes in my Ford Taurus stationwagon, I love how much space I have in the back, with the option of folding down the back seat for a LOT more room (although I've never needed it).

Good luck finding the right car!

I have a Ford Expedition and I love it for delivering cakes. Plenty of room in the back, AC and tinted windows in the back, it is high up so it is easy to get things in and out, third row back seat tilts forward and lifts up very, very easy for a large room, flat area to spread out.

Good Luck!

bj

Ford Windstar, Sportstar or any mini-van. Especially great for wedding cakes, lots of floor room, easy to get to cakes, just some rubber shelf mat and you are good to go. Haha, we are on our 4th. Basically any wagon or van-type where you don't have to put your cakes in the trunk.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I haven't made a delivery, yet , but it will be in my Jeep Grand Cherokee.

I wanted to recomend, even if you have factory tinted windows, to invest in after market tinting. We had "limo" tint put over the factory tint and it keeps the Jeep really cool. It didn't turn out reflective at all, just really really dark! I love it.

I use my Honday Odyssey to deliver cakes. It is really nice having deep trunk space plus the third seat folds down into the trunk to give a flat surface. The newer models are much nicer too. Plenty of room for kids, I have three that travel everywhere with me, so when I have to deliver cakes, there is room for all.

Lisa

What car NOT to use: a Ford Mustang lol! Lesson learned: always borrow my neighbors SUV or minivan when transporting.

I use my 4door Ford F-150. IT's GREAT it's high enough you don't have to do a bunch of bending. I have tinted widow it's got enough room in the back for 3 car seats or 3 large adults. If you are delivering a Large cake and you have your child with you, all you have do do is lay the one side of the back down that is the 3/4 side and pop your child in the car seat on the other side and Deliver away! I love my truck it's a great family/delivery vehicle. Although for the most part now I don't do much delivering...most of my clients come to my house now.

I currently have a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan....great for large wedding cakes. I have to remove seats and everything sits level. I hope to purchase a new Chrysler mini van in the future...they have to seats that fold down into the floorboard and you can store stuff under the area where the seat folds down into when the seat is up. I've actually taken my largest cake boards with me to see how they will sit on the floorboard with the seats folded down. Did great! Boy, did the salesman think I was weird....basing a car purchase on whether a board will sit level! Oh well, guess that's the world of cake decorating!

I have a 2004 Toyota Sequoia and I love it! I know it is something to consider as ours was a $45K vehicle. But it is a business expense. We have 3 rows of seats, rear air and the back seats come out and the 2nd row flips up, so PLENTY of room. Rides smooth as silk. Tons of air vents and rear tinted windows. I HIGHLY reccomend this vehicle.

Several years ago I delivered mine in a Chevy Lumina, then a Dodge mini-van. Then I got a Honda Accord and have delivered several cakes in it as it has a large trunk. However, I prefer not putting them in a trunk like Squirrley said but it will work if it is not a huge cake. I now have a Hyundai Santa Fe and I love it. Very reasonbly price for a brand new one and lots of room. I see Hyundai has a new one the Tucson, and all but the drivers seat folds flat, and they are a little cheaper than the Santa Fe. We have a couple friends who have Santa Fe's and they love them too!! When we get a new vehicle we plan on getting another Santa Fe, we have had it for 2 years and it works great for cake delivery, and I do make quite a few wedding cakes to deliver.

Happy vehicle shopping!!

~Luraleigh~

Several years ago I delivered mine in a Chevy Lumina, then a Dodge mini-van. Then I got a Honda Accord and have delivered several cakes in it as it has a large trunk. However, I prefer not putting them in a trunk like Squirrley said but it will work if it is not a huge cake. I now have a Hyundai Santa Fe and I love it. Very reasonbly price for a brand new one and lots of room. I see Hyundai has a new one the Tucson, and all but the drivers seat folds flat, and they are a little cheaper than the Santa Fe. We have a couple friends who have Santa Fe's and they love them too!! When we get a new vehicle we plan on getting another Santa Fe, we have had it for 2 years and it works great for cake delivery, and I do make quite a few wedding cakes to deliver.

Happy vehicle shopping!!

~Luraleigh~

we have a ford explorer there pretty good and we also have a dodge ram truck..its awesome and both have lots of room..

I have a Chevrolet Malibu... I take everything out of the trunk (basket that I have w/coolant, tire sealant, etc) and I use roll the shelf liner (rubber kind)... I have put so many cakes in the truck of this car lol ... the heart shape cake in my photos that has 3 side heart shape cakes on each side, all fit in my trunk.. the center cake was not assembled until I got to the church .. so that was nine separate cakes

I have a Chrysler Concorde, but it has a pass thru so the trunk can be just as air conditioned as the passenger area of the car - I use that feature even when I bring groceries home! It really helps a lot! It is a large trunk too, but if I had a wedding cake to carry I would probably try to borrow my friend's van.

I have a Honda Element and I love it! I put down a non slip mat (from the dollar store) and put the cake on top and it works great! I even delivered a fully assembled 3 tiered cake down back roads with it with no problem (knock on wood). It is a four seater with lots of floor space in the back and in the back seat area and both back seats can be taken out for larger orders (like my 23 centerpiece wedding cakes.

Good luck!
Debbie

I have a Nissan X-terra. Lots of room in the back for all my deliveries. . .
I also use little bricks, covered in foil to add weight around my cakes so the boxes don't shift while I'm driving. Each foil wrapped brick has a long peice of velcro and once I place them around the cake velcro side on my carpet, those suckers don't move and inch

I have a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT, and while you would think this would be a horrible car to deliver cakes in, it has actually turned out to be wonderful. It's solid black 2-door with limo tinted windows. The back seat folds forward in two pieces, so I can have all the room I need, plus here in East Texas (the heat and humidity capital af the nation) you gotta have a good ac in your car. The seats folding helps circulate air to the cake. I've never had a problem transporting any cake. In fact, I bought this car in January and haven't had a problem yet.