Good dog cars?

[farrellcollie]

I have a volkswagen passat wagon that I bought for the dogs (65 lb collie and 45+ collie mix) - at the time I was looking, the back was larger than the subaru which was my second choice.

[wavedancer]

Another Passat Wagon here. I keep the rear seats folded down most of the time because there is usually a dog, a bike, or kayaking gear in it! I got some vinyl carpet protector runners and cut them to shape to protect the carpeted cargo area and the back of the seats. Makes it easy to sweep out the sand and dirt. I also have a yoga sticky mat on top so sweet Ebby doesn't slide around when she is in the back.

Ebby is a twelve-year-old lab mix and sometimes has trouble jumping into the back now. I guess I will be looking at ramp options soon!

[anakiwa]

Just to plug the Subaru Forrester one more time- this summer I managed to transport:
3 people
3 bicycles
1 dog
all inside the car
(though truth be told it was a 30 lb dog and was sitting on the lap of one of the people).

Only downside of the Subaru (or any higher SUV type vehicle) is that if the dog is old or injured it will need help getting in (my dog recently had knee surgery and needs a significant boost to get into the car).

[snapdragen]

Another dog and subaru lover here. My Forester is currently decorated in nose prints from Chloe's trip to the beauty parlor.

[xeney]

We have three dogs (40, 80, and 80 pounds), and we looked at the Forrester, the RAV4, and the Honda CRV. We settled on the RAV4 partly because it got the best gas mileage of the three, and partly because it was the best choice for our dogs. We take the two rear seats out (or fold them up) and there is plenty of space for all three dogs in the back. One of our dogs has hip dysplasia, and the RAV4 has a low entry point at the rear that is really easy for him to use.

We have also put bikes in the back many times, although we usually use a rack that attaches to the spare tire. (We got a roof rack when we bought the car, but the drag gives us terrible gas mileage so we don't use it much ... plus we have to remove it in order to haul our canoe.)

Ours is the 2002 model, and I know the current model is pretty different. But we love ours. The rear seats are out of it most of the time, though, because we use it more for cargo/dogs than for hauling extra passengers.

[Sheesh]

Thanks for all the suggestions! We're going to check out a few dealers tomorrow to see what they have on the lot. I think we may have it narrowed down to a Jeep Liberty or a Rav4. It will be Tuesday before we can actually do anything (once we know for sure the status on the Saturn), but it certainly helps to start looking now.

[eclectic]

so many choices!

When I was out looking I too wanted a dog friendly/bike friendly vehicle. Mainly DOG HAIR friendly! I was seriously looking at the Toyota Matrix or the Pontiac Vibe (virtually the same car just different labels) as a smaller car. It has a totally uncarpeted interior and comes in AWD.

I test drove a honda element and if I lived near a beach or the mountains it would have been my choice but for here not necessary - Also totally uncarpeted.

I ended up w/ a Honda CRV which I love and I just put the back seats down and layed an old sheet over all.

I really like the new RAV 4's (I didn't like the older styles - the CRV was much nicer and roomier) My aunt has a Rav 4 and 2 BIG dogs, she is 6 feet tall herself and finds it comfortable

Good luck and let us know what you decide

[Tuckervill]

+1 for the Forester or Legacy Outback, even though I ended up not buying one after my Beetle got totaled. I got a '07 Honda Element, because my 6'7" tall hubby couldn't fit in the Subarus. (I really wanted a Honda Fit, but it turns out the Beetle is the only small car he CAN fit into.)

He doesn't really fit in the Element, either, because of the funky shelf on the passenger side at his knee level, but it's tolerable. For long trips he can sit in the back. With the dogs!

But I look longingly at the Foresters as they drive by me sometimes, and then I snap to my senses and feel grateful I have a such a fine husband, who would have bought a Subaru anyway, if that's what I had really wanted.

Karen

[KnottedYet]

My 6'7" uncle is as much a Subi nut as I am. (well, MORE of a Subi nut, truth be told) I don't know how on earth he manages to fit in the Subis, but he does it somehow.

Seems like a Forester would have a lot more "tall person" room than a Legacy, but I've never seen my uncle in a Forester.

He hauls dogs in his Subi wagons, too.