Going With, Not To, the Dogs
AAA has released a list of the best car for dogs. (Photo by Josh Condon.)Man's best friend can turn into man's biggest annoyance if you spend a lot of time in the wrong car with your dog. Try driving cross-country with a hyperactive Australian cattle dog like mine, pictured, if you don't believe me. Yes, our canine companions have their own needs, and some cars deal with four-legged passengers better than others.
With 45 million American households home to one or more dogs, and with many owners regularly taking their pet for a ride, having the right transportation for the task can save you some headaches. In that spirit, AAA has released its list of vehicles best-suited to keeping your dog safe, comfortable and happy. Check out its list after the jump.
Luxury
Volvo XC60: A natural fit for the travels-with-dogs lifestyle, the XC60 offers heavy-duty rubber mats and a pet barrier that fastens between the rear seats to keep the dogs in the back, where they belong.
BMW 3-Series Sports Wagon: BMW likes one-upping the competition, so one available pet barrier for this sporty, roomy ride keeps the canines out of the front seat and divides the area so that dogs prone to rough play, or those who don't get along, are kept separate.
Active
Subaru Forester: A stable ride is a plus for dogs, which are notoriously ill-at-ease with hard corners and general in-car balance. Being lower to the ground than many SUVs and CUVs makes it easier for dogs to enter and exit, and the 68 cubic feet of cargo room is practically a doggie hotel.
Hyundai Santa Fe: Obviously, the interior room is great -- made even better by the recent cut of third-row seats and, subsequently, larger cargo room. Pet-specific add-ons are readily available as aftermarket items.
Kids, dogs and everything else
Honda Element: We probably don't need to go past the fact that you can hose down the roomy interior if the need arises, but the Element goes so far as to offer a complete package for pet owners, including heavy-duty seat covers, a ramp to load and unload older dogs and a soft-sided kennel that can be secured to the vehicle.
Toyota Venza: The Venza, like the Element, has both plenty of interior room and its own pet package, including a pet restraint system, waterproof seat covers and a ramp for older animals.
Efficient and fun
Mazda3 5-Door: Besides being fun to drive, the 5-door Mazda has large access points from both the tailgate and rear doors, making loading and unloading easy. Larger breeds, however, may feel a bit cramped.
MINI Clubman: The Clubman doesn't exactly live up to the MINI moniker sizewise, which is a good thing for your dog, and this "MINI-meets-the-countryside" model is great for small to midsize breeds, especially considering that kennels can be secured with standard tie-down points in the rear.
Green
Ford Escape Hybrid: The boxed-off cargo area is perfect for dogs of all sizes (something Ford actually promotes in the vehicle literature) and the battery pack is sealed, meaning even the most mischievous mutt can't do any harm.
Economical
Kia Soul: Bigger on the inside than it seems -- though big breeds probably need a larger car -- and pet-specific aftermarket components such as thicker mats and pet-resistant seat covers are easy to come by.
Nissan Cube: Excellent interior room made more excellent with the back seats down, accommodating even large breeds -- though for the dog's sake, you may want to pad that back cargo area, as it doesn't lie flush.
[Source: AAA]
---------- Post added at 10:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 AM ----------
I have an Escape right now, but it's honestly not nearly big enough for Boris. It will soon be growing up into an Explorer (as soon as the factory gets going on assembly :waiting2
, and being I had the Explorer before getting this Escape, I can say that the Explorer is "much" more dog friendly in all regards.
How satisfied are you with your vehicle from a dogs perspective?
AAA has released a list of the best car for dogs. (Photo by Josh Condon.)Man's best friend can turn into man's biggest annoyance if you spend a lot of time in the wrong car with your dog. Try driving cross-country with a hyperactive Australian cattle dog like mine, pictured, if you don't believe me. Yes, our canine companions have their own needs, and some cars deal with four-legged passengers better than others.
With 45 million American households home to one or more dogs, and with many owners regularly taking their pet for a ride, having the right transportation for the task can save you some headaches. In that spirit, AAA has released its list of vehicles best-suited to keeping your dog safe, comfortable and happy. Check out its list after the jump.
Luxury
Volvo XC60: A natural fit for the travels-with-dogs lifestyle, the XC60 offers heavy-duty rubber mats and a pet barrier that fastens between the rear seats to keep the dogs in the back, where they belong.
BMW 3-Series Sports Wagon: BMW likes one-upping the competition, so one available pet barrier for this sporty, roomy ride keeps the canines out of the front seat and divides the area so that dogs prone to rough play, or those who don't get along, are kept separate.
Active
Subaru Forester: A stable ride is a plus for dogs, which are notoriously ill-at-ease with hard corners and general in-car balance. Being lower to the ground than many SUVs and CUVs makes it easier for dogs to enter and exit, and the 68 cubic feet of cargo room is practically a doggie hotel.
Hyundai Santa Fe: Obviously, the interior room is great -- made even better by the recent cut of third-row seats and, subsequently, larger cargo room. Pet-specific add-ons are readily available as aftermarket items.
Kids, dogs and everything else
Honda Element: We probably don't need to go past the fact that you can hose down the roomy interior if the need arises, but the Element goes so far as to offer a complete package for pet owners, including heavy-duty seat covers, a ramp to load and unload older dogs and a soft-sided kennel that can be secured to the vehicle.
Toyota Venza: The Venza, like the Element, has both plenty of interior room and its own pet package, including a pet restraint system, waterproof seat covers and a ramp for older animals.
Efficient and fun
Mazda3 5-Door: Besides being fun to drive, the 5-door Mazda has large access points from both the tailgate and rear doors, making loading and unloading easy. Larger breeds, however, may feel a bit cramped.
MINI Clubman: The Clubman doesn't exactly live up to the MINI moniker sizewise, which is a good thing for your dog, and this "MINI-meets-the-countryside" model is great for small to midsize breeds, especially considering that kennels can be secured with standard tie-down points in the rear.
Green
Ford Escape Hybrid: The boxed-off cargo area is perfect for dogs of all sizes (something Ford actually promotes in the vehicle literature) and the battery pack is sealed, meaning even the most mischievous mutt can't do any harm.
Economical
Kia Soul: Bigger on the inside than it seems -- though big breeds probably need a larger car -- and pet-specific aftermarket components such as thicker mats and pet-resistant seat covers are easy to come by.
Nissan Cube: Excellent interior room made more excellent with the back seats down, accommodating even large breeds -- though for the dog's sake, you may want to pad that back cargo area, as it doesn't lie flush.
[Source: AAA]
---------- Post added at 10:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:30 AM ----------
I have an Escape right now, but it's honestly not nearly big enough for Boris. It will soon be growing up into an Explorer (as soon as the factory gets going on assembly :waiting2
, and being I had the Explorer before getting this Escape, I can say that the Explorer is "much" more dog friendly in all regards.How satisfied are you with your vehicle from a dogs perspective?
