Been hauling my 17' Lund aluminumb canoe around sine 1995 in my Corolla.
Engine is only 1.6 l so the mileage really drops off on the highway. Only
problem might be 3 people and all gear. Two people no problem. Went away
camping on French River for 3 days with two large people and a canoe FULL of
gear. It all fit.
I have a good set of Crappy Tire racks (Frontier)

The paddles won't fit in the trunk but I stuff them in between the two front
seats along the console. Most of my road trips are to lakes/rivers less than
2 hours away. Forget about rough roads though. The Corolla is low.
Cheers
John
Alan Bal jeu a bal wrote in message
news
I've been looking at buying a new compact car, but I want to make sure
it's
not a mistake. I will want to carry my 16' canoe on top, and be able to
put
the paddles, a friend or two, life jackets, and backpacks inside, (and the
roof rack when it's not carrying my boat). Will there be enough space in
a
Jetta/Civic/Corolla/Protege to do this?

After I've got everything packed, I'll need to drive it down the freeway
to
distant lakes and rivers. And since the temp will probably be 35 degrees
celcius (105F), I'll have to turn on the A/C. Might this be a strain on
the
car's engine?

I'll probably only go on an extended trip once or twice a year, so that's
not my main concern in purchasing. However, I will do lots of local trips
with the vehicle too.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's happily using their compact, or if
anyone
found it just didn't work.

Alan