I have 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs and highly suggest a Pontiac Vibe- 08 or earlier, the 09 is smaller. The engine, drivetrain, frame, etc are all Toyota- same as the Matrix. I have an 08 and my parents have 2 now (05 and 08) and between the 3 of us, we all get about 31-38 mpg. When you flip down the back seat, it's all plastic with tie-downs like a pickup- perfect for dog crates and I've seen people rig it up for pickup type bike storage (see the Generation Vibe web forum). Has a factory roof rack, though I use a Thule Clip-On rack on the hatch for my bikes. The great thing is you get Toyota reliability at American car prices. Good luck!