Question of the Day: Which Car is Best for Dog Owners?
We love dogs. And as most true dog lovers can attest, life is greatly enhanced by taking a pet along with you as often as possible. So we thought we’d ask, which vehicle do you think is the best for hauling around man’s best friend? Would you choose a roomy SUV? A nice breezy convertible? Give us your choice for best pet car, in comments.
Comments
chartguy
My late wife trained and showed Rottweilers for twenty years. If you travel to out-of-town shows, you need to have dog crates. The wire ones are better than the plastic ones in vehicles. They allow more airflow, and don't waste space between crates with the "rim" around the plastic crates. Crates are like seat belts for dogs, and they protect them in emergency maneuvers or accidents. A dog loose in a vehicle is like a human riding without a seat belt. He may survive an accident, but the odds are much worse.
We never tried to travel with more than three dogs at a time, and we could fit three crates in a Ford Bronco. For most, that wouldn't be a good choice, but it was great for us.
Suburbans were a very popular choice, but with gas prices rising, they are becoming much less common at shows. I've seen more smaller vans lately, but didn't notice the models.
Here in Colorado, if the dog isn't large, a Subaru Legacy Wagon (often an Outback) is a popular choice. Most of the smaller SUVs are NOT a good choice for hauling dogs. You need enough room between the two wheel wells to put a pair of crates side-by-side. The track on an S-10, or MDX is simply too narrow to do that. I suppose they'd work for one dog.
A powerful air conditioner is critical for summer travel with dogs, as is a light color of paint.
Generally, I would opt for a vehicle with a tailgate over one with swing-out rear doors. With a tailgate, you can position a "slant-front" crate at the very rear of the vehicle. A tailgate also makes getting dogs in and out of the vehicle much easier than swing-out rear doors. They can jump onto the tailgate, and then enter the crate.
Anyway, that's what worked for us.
If somebody told me I had to buy something today, to show two dogs, I'd see if I could find two crates that would fit in a Nissan Xterra. One lengthwise at the rear, and one crosswise across the folded-down rear seats. If I could make that work, it would be a good choice.
Bruce Duguay
I would have to say that the best dog car I have ever driven is a Volvo XC70 or if you live in a warmer climate, a V70.
Eric
Honda Element ... hands down.
94 Taurus owner
Don't know don't care.
Andy
For the owner... definately the honda element... for a dog... a car with comfortable chairs, and power windows.... with pinch protection of course
Jubietta
With big dogs, any truck/SUV equipped with a Twistep loading platform. The step installs in the hitch receiver and rotates under the spare/bed for travel. When needed, it twists out (and then extends if you have a tailgate) to give a good platform between the tailgate and the ground. A must have when the dog weighs nearly as much as me. Good for preventing shoulder and hip injuries as well as ripped claws that catch the edge of the tailgate on the way up.
Jeff
My A4 Avant is lhe first vehicle in 13 years that suited my dog (Black Lab). She lays down in half the wagon section and we don't hear from her again in the 2 1/2 hour drive to the cottage.
bmwloco
'73 VW Thing. Dogs figure it out quick. Low and warm is good.
They wait when you park. If they make mistakes, you hose it out.
Bill
any Audi Avant, and both my black chow and Australian Shepard, both marvelous Dogs are deceased, they seemed to enjoy the ride in the VW Quantum just fine 3 hour trip to Roseberg to go camping, of course when they saw the gear going in and on the car they knew they were going for a two week break, with squirrel chasing, laying in water, eating marshmellows, sht, I miss those two
Tom McIntyre
My Checker Marathon.
Roomy, yet not a truck.
VMMVMMM
Not being a pet person, nor understanding pet people, I would say any sedan with a trunk would be good.
Robert S.
i think i remember some magazine rated the Ford Freestyle/Taurus X as the best for pet owners.....seems reasonable, it's a fairly roomy vehicle for pets.
Suzuki DL650K6
None
A dog cage on the rear is the best option for dog travel
Wes
K-9 units seem to get the star treatment (as they should) and most of those are Ford Explorers.
southern
"Not being a pet person, nor understanding pet people, I would say any sedan with a trunk would be good."
Here's a project for VMMVMMM....
put your wife and a dog into your trunk. Leave them there until tomorrow.
Open the trunk.
See which one is happy to see you.
That one will be your best friend.
mg5904
Every college student should at least have the opportunity to drive a FJ40 in the summer with your best dog buddy belted in next to you. After that, A Scooby wagon with rear cage divider.
Suzuki DL650K6 brings up a great point about pooch (and driver) safety.
Ducati Minor
My 1973 Ford Pinto station wagon.
Also good for teenagers, too.
Redshark
a Saab 9-5 with the window switches in the cxenter counsol. that way the dog, or cat, can open and close any window all by him/her self. what pet loose in the vehicle's cockpit wouldn't want that?
VMMVMMM
Good perspective, southern, that cracked me up. I think I still choose my wife over a dog, though.
K5 Blazer
1992-1993 chevy Full sized blazers are the best, with plenty of room in the very rear for the dog to stretch out, and a full sized seat in the rear in case the dog wants to get up and sit and look out the big back windows. and when need be, a comfy captain chair up front for the dog to stick his head out the window.
Paul In Jersey
Somebody else's Maybach.
The Vanishing Boy
-> I would say is the Honda Element, its washable floor is effective for washing out all their mess that they generate.
-> Second would go to the unexpected, the Honda Fit. Why? Simple, the 'Magic Seats' are the pefect tool for both small and big dogs, set it up to tall-mode and you're set. And its low loading point make those Chihuahua's leap in ease.
Richard H
The best thing we have found was a Pick Up. We put on a cab cover with the side windows that are on struts and open up. We then added a platform across the top of the bed and put the crates on there. The doors opened out so we could just get the dogs out as needed. At a show, we just left the window up, the dogs got plenty of air. It also helpe the the truck and cap were white.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than any fit or element. And best of all. It was an American Truck!
Fritz
A CR-V. We put our English Setter in the "wayback" and she is happy for any duration trip we want to take. The problem is that with our growing family, there isn't enough luggage space for the dog to spread out and bags for us. Fortunately 99% of our trips are 100 miles to grandma's house and over night. Only around Christmas does it get difficult - moving all the presents, the kids and the dog.
Last year we just drove both of our cars (other car is a VW Cabrio). Dog and Santa's gifts went with me in the Cabrio and the kids and the other gifts and luggage went in the CR-V. I had to work some of Christmas Eve so it fit our schedule better.
Best of all, even driving both cars we got a combined 15 mpg. Better than driving some big American POS SUV that gets 15 mpg all year long.
We;re working towards two small cars (Astra and Mini) for daily drivers with a VW Eurovan on standby for out of town trips.
gomini
Mini Cooper of course!
Back seats tip forward easily, and a Square bed from Costco fits perfectly. Small Well in back holds dog food and water. Not too high for the dogs to jump in either. Finally, when humans decide they need to ride, you just fold dog bed in half (it fills the "trunk space")and set seats up (presto chango)!
It is basically a crate with wheels and a driver's seat. Plus when you put Two Old English Sheepdogs in the back you eliminate that nasty dog flying around the car problem.
I have pictures.
Jim
Almost any station wagon
1 lower bumper height than suvs easier for dogs to load up when they age and start getting arthritis.
2 With seats folded our little 325i wagon is perfect for our standard poodle and golden retriever.
Spirited driving can be had along with the utility with that car.
3 If we lived in snowier climes, I'd have to consider a Subaru
M.L.
-> I have a WRX wagon, and I haul dogs once in a blue moon. But I found out that my wagon is a little bit cramp for medium to large dogs when I fold down the rear seats, and with cloth carpet and seats, bad idea.
-> If I like a pickup a Toyota Tacoma with an Access CAb is also a good idea,
Post new comment