When choosing a car, you have to take into consideration who might be inside with you as a passenger. If your passenger is also man's best friend, our readers think one of these ten cars might do the trick.
10.) Mazdaspeed 3
I know what you're thinking. Bullshit, right? Not according to MS3 and Greyhound owner POD:
I have a retired racing Greyhound that is 30” at the withers.
He fits in the back of the hatch with the seats up with no difficulties. He can even stand fully if he wants too. His acutramone sits in the back seat, and the driver and passenger are separated from dog breath and slobber, and Rex gets to look out the hatch and both passenger windows. Everybody wins. Plus I get to drive a very fun car (but not fast when the dog is along).
I do think the slope of the hatch on the Speed3 is slightly better than the ST for dogs, especially the larger breeds, gives a bit more space. Plus I can get 36-37 mpg highway in the Speed3 (although I’ve read the Focus ST gets similar).
Suggested By:POD, Photo Credit: Grant.C
9.) BMW M Coupe
Bob Wills's clown shoe will never be clean again:
The guy I bought my M Coupe from had purchased it because his wife wanted a car they could take with their golden retriever. 10 years later and I still have faint scratches on the rear bumper cover, along with the random dog hair inside. Apparently the retriever loved it as he was able to curl up in the rear cargo area, be right by owners, and only had to lift his head to have great visibility all around.
Suggested By: Bob Wills is King, Photo Credit: Bob Wills is Kin
8.) Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
On the one hand, you don't want to see dogs dirtying your Cadillac. On the other, the CTS-V is a wagon. It works. Joe_Limon knows how:
When the dog is in, fold the door/seat back up and they will be comfortable and not prone to jumping in your lap while driving.
Suggested By: Joe_Limon , Photo Credit: Jalopnik
7.) Mazda Miata
Dogs love open air speed. So, obvious answer is Miata. Say hi to mehugtree's friend:
Setting out on a 2,500 mile road trip with my boy, Ollie.
Suggested By: mehugtree , Photo Credit: mehugtree
6.) Honda Element
While Chairman Kaga says the Fit does the job just fine, nothing is easier to clean than the back of an Element. And there's more:
Honda's $995 Dog Friendly package consists of the following:
- A custom-fitted, soft-sided crate with a built-in, spill-resistant water bowl
- An electric cooling fan mounted in the cargo bay
- A portable ramp to give dogs access to the crate
- Dog-patterned rear seat covers
- Dog bone-patterned heavy-duty floormats
- A swag bag with accessories like a collar, leash, poop-bag dispenser and ID tag
- Prerequisite exterior vehicle badges for the tailgate and front fenders declaring you a dog lover
Suggested By: unhcampus, Photo Credit: stevelyon
5.) Ford Bronco
Dogs love SUVs, especially the Bronco. ReverendDexter explains why:
The biggest thing for me as a multi-dog owner is the rear window that rolls down into the tailgate. That gives you good air access in the back without having to have it completely open (as opposed to the hatchback and/or swing-open window on most SUVs/wagons). It's big enough even with the back seat up for a proper size dog (read 100 lbs+) to lie down comfortably. They're functional off-roaders, so you can take your awesome dog to awesome dog places, and make use of not-really-parking spots to keep them in the shade. Oh, and the top comes off (though that's a bit of work with a later model like I have pictured).
Suggested By: ReverendDexter, Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
4.) Toyota Land Cruiser
For dogs who prefer a different window setup, this old Toyota is the solution. Here's what some real people like Sportwagons had to say:
Dogs love the sliding rear window on the F(Z)J80!
Suggested By:Sportwagons, haulin' stuff and haulin' balls , Photo Credit: Sportwagons
3.) Volvo 740
A Volvo wagon is for the whole family, including pets. BigNSlow sums it up:
Business in the front, doggy in the back...way back, separated by a whole row of seats and a partition.
reverberocket totally agrees:
Yes - My dog agrees, the last gen RWD Volvo wagon is a dog's dream. Low beltline means lots of glass to look out at the world. Fold the back seat down, and you have a nice platform for sticking your nose out the window, which thankfully roll down far enough to make the face-in-the-wind posture effortless. Most of 'em are upholstered in leather, which is easier to clean. They're just perfectly scaled for all but the biggest dogs.
Suggested By: BigNSlow, Photo Credit: FotoSleuth
2.) Honda Vamos Hobio L Turbo Travel Dog
With slobber resistant fabric lining. No, it's not coming Stateside.
Suggested By: Pessimippopotamus, Photo Credit: Honda
1.) Winton Motor Carriage
This, hands down, is the best. Why? A Winton Motor Carriage was the first car to drive across the United States, and it carried a bulldog named 'Bud' along the way. Here's Bud himself, looking as comfortable as ever.
Suggested By: Fish, Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
Top Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
The Ten Best Cars For Dog Owners