Anyhow here are a few pictures from the show.

My Next Dog Car

Lexus LFA

It might get a little cramped in this bad boy with three two oversized dogs.  Also, the price may be a little steep at $350,000 and Lexus is hand picking the people who will be allowed to purchase one of the only 500 cars going into production.  I guess I might have to pass up on the Lexus LFA as my next dog car.

Fiskar Karma

I know what you’re saying…you need a four door car for those dogs of yours.  I hear ya, we’ve also been talking about going green and getting an eco-friendly dog car…something that gets good gas mileage and has minimal impact on the environment.  I give you the Fiskar Karma…What say you?

The Karma uses plugin technology along with solar panels to power it’s engine.  It can go up to 50 miles before burning any fuel…and it has 4 doors…perfect for dogs? no?

Okay, maybe this is a little over the top as well and I’m not even sure how much it would cost for this dog car.

Dog Friendly Honda Element

Yep, we did talk about the dog friendly Honda Element just before we visited the LA Auto Show and much to our excitement Honda impressed us with their new upgrade to the boxy SUV car minivan wagon.

That’s me in the front seat of the Dog Friendly Honda Element.  You can kind of see the rubber mat with bone shaped notches.  Also, the seat covers had doggy designs as well.  You can’t see it in this picture, but there were also climbing latches in the back seat to tether your dog’s leash to the floor.

Me again with baby going up the dog ramp.  I’m not sure if it’s a standard sized crate, but it fits nice an snug in the rear storage are of the Honda Element.  You can also see the dog ramp in this picture.

Here are a few other accessories included with this Dog Friendly package.  There was also a list on display of all the additional upgrades included with the dog friendly model of the Honda Element.

Dog Friendly Honda Element Accessories

• Rear Car Kennel
• Pet Bed
• Stowable Ramp
• Dog Pattern Seat Covers
• All Season Dog Bone Floor Mats
• Spill Resistant Water Bowl
• Electric Fan
• Tote Bag
• Dog Friendly Emblems
• A Leash, Collar, and Dog Tag
• Dispensor Bag

All of this for an additional $995 on top of the regular price for the Honda Element EX.  It’s nice to see that Honda is thinking about us dog owners.  However, I still have two glaring issues that keep me from purchasing a Honda Element.

1. First, the fuel economy is not good on this car.  EPA City/Highway driving: 19/24mpg.  That’s just not cutting it.
2. Second, the clamshell doors.  As I’ve mentioned before my RX-8 had the clamshell/suicide doors and they drove me nuts trying to get people and dogs in and out of the back seat.  A car as large as the Element could very easily have regular doors.

So now I sit back and wait for Honda to redesign the Honda Element.  Hopefully they will bring the fuel economy up or possibly add a hybrid version to the lineup and remove those awful clamshell doors.

I also looked around for the dog friendly Toyota Venza, but Toyota did not bring any of the dog friendly accessories to the LA Auto Show.

What kind of dog car do you own?  I’d love to hear about it and perhaps you can convince me to trash the old CRV for a new dog friendly vehicle.

Post from: Puppy Training

My Next Dog Car? The Dog Friendly Honda Element?

Related posts:

1. “Dog Friendly” Dog Car – Honda Element
2. Dog-Friendly Toyota Venza

Dog-Friendly Toyota Venza

So what is it that we hope to see at the LA Auto show?  Well, the Toyota Venza was designed with the dog owner in mind.  Toyota is offering pet accessories for the Venza.  Here’s a list from Suite 101:

• Waterproof hammock style seat covers
• Pet ramps for easy access via the rear hatch
• A booster seat pet restraint system, complete with adjustable harness
• A zipline for the rear seat, with matching harness pet restraint system to allow for movement while keeping pets restrained during an accident
• A dog leash tether to keep dogs from jumping out of the car or into the driver’s area
• An adjustable pet barrier to keep pets in the back seat or rear cargo area

I’m glad that Toyota has decided to keep the dog owner in mind when designing their latest vehicles.  Even if they do not have the Venza pet accessories on display at the LA Autoshow I’ll have to take a closer look at the car to see if it meets my needs.  Who knows?  The Toyota Venza may be my next Dog Car!

As you all know I’ve had my eye out for the perfect dog car for the past 2 years.  My tastes have adjusted over that time and not only am I looking for a great dog car, but one that is eco-friendly too.  Unfortunately, larger cars such as the Venza don’t usually get great gas mileage while green cars that get good gas mileage are often on the small side for me and my two large dogs.  Is there a happy medium?  If you’ve already found the perfect eco-friendly dog car I’d love to hear about it in the comments section below.

Post from: Puppy Training

Dog-Friendly Toyota Venza

Related posts:

1. “Dog Friendly” Dog Car – Honda Element
2. Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 – Sylish, Rugged SUV For You And Your Dog
3. Nissan Xterra 2008 – A Dog Car For Outdoor Recreation

Earlier this year I heard about the Dog Friendly version of the Honda Element.  I heard that they had the dog friendly Honda Element on display at the Orange County Pet Expo last April.  Unfortunately, I did not see the Element at the OC pet expo.  However, I have been thinking about it from time to time.

This past weekend we visited the Orange County Auto Show at the Anaheim Convention Center.  I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the new Dog Friendly Honda Element.  Once again I was met by disappointment.  They had the Honda Element SC, but it did not have any dog friendly upgrades.

Dog Friendly Honda Element

Today I received an email from a friend from the Car and Driver blog titled: Honda Element Adds “Dog Friendly” Package.  I was happy to finally receive some definitive information on perhaps my future dog car!  November 16th, 2009 is the release date and it’s listed on Car and Driver as a canine convenience package.  Here are the details:

• There is a special kennel made of seatbelt like webbing that fits conveniently in the hatch.
• There is also a soft floor in the back to keep your pooch nice and comfortable.
• There is a special ramp in the back to allow your dog to walk rather than jump into the vehicle.
• Dog designs on the rubber car mats, seat fabric, and exterior of the car.

The price tacks an additional $995 on top of the regular price of the Honda Element.

The Honda Element and I

I had already heard that the Honda Element was a great dog car.  If you read the dog cars blog then you’ll know they give the Honda Element their highest marks even writing “best dog car, ever!”  The Honda Element has received all these great dog car reviews and now to add on top of that the “Dog Friendly” package?  How could I go wrong?

I actually test drove this car about two years ago and I’m sorry to say I wasn’t extremely impressed.  I loved the plastic floors and the roomy interior.  The boxy shape makes it easy to accomodate even the largest kennels.  However, that boxy shape may be part of it’s downfall (in my mind).

First of all, I’d like a car that gets good gas mileage afterall we’re trying to be eco-friendly and the Honda Element is not the greenest of vehicles (gas mileage is somewhere in the low 20′s).  this is perhaps partially due to that boxy design that gives it such a spatious interior.  Second, I’m not a big fan of the suicide doors (doors swinging the opposite direction).  The car appears to be large enough to accomadate regular doors.  In my experience it is much more difficult to load and unload dogs, people, large items with suicide doors.

We are trying to raise Stetson and Linus as green dogs or eco dogs.  Our latest goal is to work on our eco dog training.  You might be wondering what exactly is eco dog training?  Well, we like to think of eco dog training as a slight modification on regular dog training.  We’d like people to make eco-friendly choices when it comes to dog training, dog food, dog products, dog cars, or even when choosing your next dog.

The Dog Friendly Honda Element’s poor gas mileage is the main reason why we will not choose it as our next dog car.  Our goal’s have changed over the years and as EcoDogs we hope to find a dog car that also does less harm to the environment.

How about you?  Have you found the perfect dog car yet?  Is it an eco-friendly dog car?

Post from: Puppy Training

“Dog Friendly” Dog Car – Honda Element

No related posts.

While I was not thrilled with any one part of the Nissan Xterra there weren’t too many negatives either. I enjoyed the on pavement driving as it was probably the smoothest ride out of the three cars I have test drove to date. Other than that it was a very average vehicle to me.

One thing I have noticed just from general observation is that all of the Xterra’s come with the luggage rack on top. This is an option on many other vehicles. The rack also includes a small storage spot above the driver and passenger seats that includes a lock. I took a look at this little storage area and must say you won’t be getting a whole lot in there (I think it was recommended that you could store your wetsuit in the tiny compartment).

As far as the looks and design…again just average to me. When my buddy and I went to test drive this car he mentioned he didn’t want to influence my decision, but he thinks this is one of the ugliest SUV’s on the market and also thought the inside was very cheap. He called it just simply “A low end SUV!”

So lets get to the numbers and what the dogs thought:

Nissan Xterra 2008 Specifications

Does It Stack Up? Dog And Human Criteria Lists

Criteria for the dogs:

• Seats that fold flat or easily removable – hopefully fits a crate or two - From what I recall the rear seats did fold flat – YAY! but the rear seat bottom had to be folded up in order for you to get the seat flat.
• Plenty of usable cargo space relative to the size of the vehicle with wide, square backs, and little rear slope to make most of cargo area. - The cargo space is nice as it is in all of these mid-size SUV’s. Again, I did not bring the crates and nor will I until I’m making my final choices on these vehicles.
• Dog friendly interior – Even the best dog can have accidents in the car. - The Xterra I was driving was a four wheel drive. Our salesperson said they rarely got the 4X4′s and said they usually were sold immediately (probably just a sales tactic). Anyways, I noticed the interior of this vehicle was not quite as dog friendly as the Wrangler or FJ. The seats seemed durable and the rear of the car was plastic and I noticed rubber floor mats, but I could see the carpeted floors being a bit of a hassle to clean.
• Door & window locks – Dogs are smart and some can open a car door. - Doors and window locks are standard on this baby.
  
• All-wheel or four-wheel drive and high ground clearance – for camping or going to the mountains with your best friend (I’m talking about your dog of course). - As I mentioned earlier our salesperson told us that the 4X4 are more difficult to come by, but the Xterra does come in 2 or 4 wheel drive.

Criteria for the humans:

• Price Range: Under 30K - Once again the base model comes in pretty low at just under 22K. That fits well under my price range.
• Curb Appeal – Hopefully the car is not hard on the eyes. - I think this is just an average looking car and wouldn’t give it high or low ratings. My friend thinks it’s hideous.
  
• Fuel Economy -Unfortunately SUV’s get worse gas mileage. - 16/20mpg’s! Better than the FJ, but still nothing to write home about.
• Reliability – If you’re car is not working what good is it? - I looked up a couple reviews on past Xterra reliability ratings and found that the vehicle for the most part had minimal problems when it came to maintenance
• Retains Value – Cars are terrible investments, but we want it to retain some of it’s value. - The KBB projected resale value of the 07 model is below average. Here’s a link to the page I was looking at: Nissan Xterra.
• Extras – Any miscellaneous extra goodies the car may have. - The luggage rack with the extra storage space is an added bonus.
• Car in the City – Smooth ride? Does it have power? Handle Well? - While many reviews mentioned that the Xterra had “…a truck like ride and handling” I thought it was a smoother ride than some of the other SUV’s I test drove. I think I’d be completely comfortable with this car in the city. The power of the vehicle was just fine as I floored it several times off the line to see what it could do and it didn’t disappoint.

Advantages – The Things I Like

The things I like about this vehicle are:

• I thought – nice handling.
• Price – it’s at the lower end for price.
• Rear seats fold flat .
• Luggage rack and extra storage spaces.

Disadvantages – The Things I Don’t Like

Some things I didn’t like in test drive and read on the internet:

• Average to ugly (my friend would say) looks.
• Carpeted floors aren’t durable a la FJ Cruiser and Jeep Wrangler.
• Fuel Economy – It’s and SUV for god’s sakes!
• Just seems like an average all around car to me. Nothing is jumping out at me telling me. As Donkey from Shrek would say it’s not saying “Pick Me! Pick Me!”

Conclusions

As I’ve mentioned over and over in this article , this vehicle is just not blowing me away. The only added bonuses I see are the included luggage rack and the additional storage spaces included with said luggage rack. Other than that I liked the car, but did not love it. As a dog car it falls short on being the first of the three SUV’s without durable floors. I envision the carpets getting dirty and having difficulty cleaning compared to the plastic floors in the FJ and the pull out carpet in the Wrangler.

I am just a regular consumer just like everyone else and don’t get to thoroughly test drive these vehicles. I review information already on the internet and couple that with my own test drive and opinions. Hopefully this review helps you make your decision, but I’d highly recommend you do additional research on some of the other great auto review websites like Edmunds, Yahoo Autos, or DogCars.com.

I still have my eye out for the perfect dog car. Three reviews down and many more to go. If you’re interested take a look at my reviews of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and the Toyota FJ Cruiser.

If you liked this article check out my first article on the Perfect Dog Car.

Let me know what you think about this car. Do you own a Toyota FJ Cruiser?

Post from: Puppy Training

Nissan Xterra 2008 – A Dog Car For Outdoor Recreation

Related posts:

1. Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 – Sylish, Rugged SUV For You And Your Dog
2. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2008 – Dog Car For The Off-Roading Outdoorsmen

I must say our salesperson at Chrysler Jeep was excellent and new every aspect of this car. There’s an optional hardtop (yep with the top down this baby is a convertible). All four doors are removable and the front windshield folds down (take a look at the picture at the bottom of the page for windshield down look). The interior carpet is removable with drainage holes on the bottom floors allow you to hose out the inside of the vehicle.

I happen to think that this one of the best looking SUV’s on the market. Of course that’s just personal opinion. A couple great things I did notice about this vehicle are:

• The style of the Wrangler almost never changes. If you compare this car to the same car made 20 years ago the style is very similar. I’m not sure you can say that about any other car/SUV.
• It’s the only convertible SUV (maybe on the market) on my test list.
• The rugged interior and drainage holes really suit an outdoor lifestyle and in my situation dog friendly lifestyle.
• Historically the Jeep Wrangler has a great resale value.

So, let’s get down to the nitty gritt details on this SUV!

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2008 Specifications

Does It Stack Up? Dog And Human Criteria Lists

Criteria for the dogs:

• Seats that fold flat or easily removable – hopefully fits a crate or two - Once again I did not bring a tape measure or crate to test the backseat of the car. I did notice that the seats did not fold totally flat, but cargo space with the seats down appeared to be adequate (before purchasing I will re-evaluate and bring my crates for a full test of the back seat on this vehicle).
• Plenty of usable cargo space relative to the size of the vehicle with wide, square backs, and little rear slope to make most of cargo area. - If you take a look at the picture of this vehicle with the hardtop it almost defines the meaning of a square back. Needless to say there is a lot of cargo space in this vehicle for a mid-size SUV.
• Dog friendly interior – Even the best dog can have accidents in the car. - I already knew this car was built for the outdoors, but before I took it for a test drive I noticed cloth carpets in all the pictures (I preferred the plastic floors you see in the Honda Element and Toyota FJ Cruiser). Fortunately the carpet interior is very easy to remove and there are drainage holes in the floor for hosing out the interior if needed. Our salesperson also mentioned that the Sahara model came with water resistant seats. We test drove the Unlimited X 4X4 with base model seats which also appeared to be very durable.
• Door & window locks – Dogs are smart and some can open a car door. - Door and window locks are an option on the Wrangler. I believe the hardcore Wrangler followers prefer the non-mechanical workings of manual windows and manual door locks.
• All-wheel or four-wheel drive and high ground clearance – for camping or going to the mountains with your best friend (I’m talking about your dog of course). - You can opt for either the 4X2 or the 4X4
  

Criteria for the humans:

• Price Range: Under 30K - One of the better values out of the cars on my list. The base model 4X2 comes in just under 21K, but you can go all out and get the Rubicon which will run you over 30K. Again, like the FJ Cruiser I’d probably find middle ground opting for some, but not all the options.
• Curb Appeal – Hopefully the car is not hard on the eyes. - Okay, so out of all the vehicles on my list I think this one has the most curb appeal. Not everyone will like it’s look, but I give it a 10!
• Fuel Economy -Unfortunately SUV’s get worse gas mileage. - 16/21 mpg’s for the 4X2 and probably slightly worse for the 4X4. This is a couple mpg’s better than the FJ Cruiser, but still when looking at SUV’s unless it’s a hybrid gas mileage is going to suffer.
• Reliability – If you’re car is not working what good is it? - This is the sore spot for the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. While I’ve heard glowing reviews from friends who own jeep wranglers I’ve also come across several comments on the internet to the opposite. Unfortunately, Jeep does not have the best reputation for reliability. To make things worse I took a look at the consumer reports review of the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and it got below average reviews for reliability.
• Retains Value – Cars are terrible investments, but we want it to retain some of it’s value. - I was pleasantly surprised in this category. The Jeep Wrangler ranks relatively high when it comes to resale often times appearing inside the top 10 of some lists. Check out the Vehix.com website.
• Extras – Any miscellaneous extra goodies the car may have. - Removable doors, fold down front windshield, removable carpets, drainage holes in the floors, and a convertible.
• Car in the City – Smooth ride? Does it have power? Handle Well? - This SUV is renowned for it’s off-road talents, but also has a reputation as a rough ride in the city. I came in with these expectations, but was again surprised by the way this vehicle handled in the city. I drove the automatic version of the car which felt a little under-powered, but I thought it was adequate. There was very little noise with the soft top up. While it didn’t feel as nice and smooth as some of the other SUV’s I felt like it was just smooth enough and just rugged enough for my liking. The soccer mom may not enjoy this car because of it’s less than luxurious ride and the outdoor enthusiast may think that Chrysler Jeep refined the car to much for their liking. However, as my dog car I thought it was just right.
  

Advantages – The Things I Like

The things I like about this vehicle are:

• Great looks.
  
• Low Price – Just under 21K.
• Durable Interior.
• Removable Carpets with drainage holes.
• Removable doors and fold down front windshield.

Disadvantages – The Things I Don’t Like

Some things I didn’t like in test drive and read on the internet:

• Jeep’s reputation of less than stellar reliability with their cars.
• Fuel Economy at 16/21 MPG’s not as bad as the FJ Cruiser, but not good either.
• Seats don’t fold totally flat.
• Ho-Hum control panel.
• City driving is a little rough.

Conclusions

This is a great vehicle and only two things stop me from immediately declaring it the winner. First, is the awful gas mileage. At 16/21 Miles Per Gallon I’ll be gassing this baby up on a regular basis. And second, the below average reliability rating Jeep and specifically the 2007 Wrangler received from Consumer Reports.

I am just a regular consumer just like everyone else and don’t get to thoroughly test drive these vehicles. I review information already on the internet and couple that with my own test drive and opinions. Hopefully this review helps you make your decision, but I’d highly recommend you do additional research on some of the other great auto review websites like Edmunds, Yahoo Autos, or DogCars.com and take this car for a test drive of your own.

Two cars down and many more to go. I have the review of the Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 already posted. I hope you enjoyed this article and please feel free to post any comments about this vehicle in the comment section below.

If you liked this article check out my first article on the Perfect Dog Car.

What do you think about the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2008? Do you own this vehicle?

Post from: Puppy Training

Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2008 – Dog Car For The Off-Roading Outdoorsmen

Related posts:

1. Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 – Sylish, Rugged SUV For You And Your Dog
2. Finding The Perfect Dog Car

The FJ Cruiser is a fairly new vehicle going on sale in 2006 as a 2007 model. This is a compact SUV with retro-styling reminiscent of the Toyota FJ40 Land Cruisers of the 1960′s. The one thing our salesperson did mention were the color upgrades for 2008.

• BRICK – A deep red color.
• SANDSTORM- Beige…looks like the color of poop, but reminds me of the old school Land Cruisers. My college buddy had an old Land Cruiser that was poop color.
• ICEBERG – Off White or kind of a milky white color.

Cars that were mentioned as competitors to the FJ Cruiser were the Nissan Xterra, Hummer H3, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Suzuki Grand Vitara, and the Dodge Nitro. I will at the very least take a glance if not test drive all of these vehicles.

As far as looks go on this vehicle…I happen to like the way the FJ Cruiser looks. Although this is personal preference and I have heard the complete opposite from others. I guess it’s somewhat of a love hate look.

Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 Specifications

Does It Stack Up? Dog And Human Criteria Lists

Criteria for the dogs:

• Seats that fold flat or easily removable – hopefully fits a crate or two - Unfortunately I did not bring a crate or tape measure. The seats did not fold totally flat and I’ve read other reviews that said that because they did not fold flat there was not enough space to fit a crate on top of the seats.
• Plenty of usable cargo space relative to the size of the vehicle with wide, square backs, and little rear slope to make most of cargo area. - The rear of the car is square with decent cargo space, but again it appears that two large crates would not fit in the rear of this vehicle.
• Dog friendly interior – Even the best dog can have accidents in the car. - I knew this was meant to be a rugged, outdoorsy type vehicle, but I was pleasantly surprised by the interior. Some have mentioned that the materials feel cheap compared to other Toyota vehicles (I think people are used to more of a luxury interior). The seat material feels very durable and as our salesperson pointed out also waterproof. The rubber floors and plastic side panels felt equally durable and seemed perfect for me and my dogs.
• Door & window locks – Dogs are smart and some can open a car door. - This is fairly standard on most cars and was so on the FJ Cruiser (actually I’m not sure the suicide door windows on the back of the FJ open at all – I read a comment saying that they do not roll down)
• All-wheel or four-wheel drive and high ground clearance – for camping or going to the mountains with your best friend (I’m talking about your dog of course). - You can purchase the Toyota FJ Cruiser with 4WD. The car I test drove was a 4WD.

Criteria for the humans:

• Price Range: Under 30K - The base model comes in under $23,000 (not including the destination charge) and of course you can get the super high end FJ Cruiser for over $30,000. I would probably find middle ground and get some, but not all of the upgrades.
• Curb Appeal – Hopefully the car is not hard on the eyes. - I happen to like the way this vehicle looks and even though I’ve heard the spectrum of answers on this vehicles looks I do hear more positives then negatives on the curb appeal category.
• Fuel Economy -Unfortunately SUV’s get worse gas mileage. - 15/18mpg’s might be the worst of all the SUV’s I plan on test driving. The other major negative is the FJ Cruiser requires premium gas…UGGHH!!!
• Reliability – If you’re car is not working what good is it? - It’s only been on the market for a couple years, but Toyota in general is know for their reliability.
  
• Retains Value – Cars are terrible investments, but we want it to retain some of it’s value. - Again I’m going with the it’s a toyota and historically Toyota’s are pretty good at retaining value on average.
• Extras – Any miscellaneous extra goodies the car may have. - This car has suicide doors. Basically the rear doors are smaller and swing the opposite direction of regular car doors.
• Car in the City – Smooth ride? Does it have power? Handle Well? - the city drive was fairly smooth, but the steering felt a little squirrelly. The car had decent power and would be able to adequately pass and merge onto the freeway. The City driving handling was just okay, but I’m sure offroading is where this vehicle excels. It’s also difficult to see out the back with blind spots in the rear.
  

Advantages – The Things I Like

The things I like about this vehicle are:

• Handles decently in the city for an SUV.
• Price – at under 23K base is well under my 30K limit.
• Rugged, stylish, retro looks.
• Nice power and acceleration.
• Durable rubber floors, plastic panels, and waterproof seats .

Disadvantages – The Things I Don’t Like

Some things I didn’t like in test drive and read on the internet:

• Car alarm sets itself after 45 seconds. If you’re dogs are left in the car alone they will most likely set the alarm off.
• Suicide Doors – My RX-8 had suicides and they are difficult to get in and out of. – the main problem I had with the suicides is when you’re parked in a compact spot with a car next to you it is very difficult to open the suicide because you also have to have the front door open nice and wide.
• Fuel Economy – 15/18MPG’s is awful and to make matters worse you have to use premium gas!
• Seats don’t fold flat – this makes it difficult to have two crates in the vehicle.
• Difficult to see with blind spots.

Conclusions

Overall I really enjoyed driving this SUV. It comes with some really nice pluses, but some huge minuses. As I said before I really, really like the interior of this vehicle which would be very easy to clean. The major downsides for me are the awful fuel economy/premium gas and the suicide doors.

I am just a regular consumer just like everyone else and don’t get to thoroughly test drive these vehicles. I review information already on the internet and couple that with my own test drive and opinions. Hopefully this review helps you make your decision, but I’d highly recommend you do additional research on some of the other great auto review websites like Edmunds, Yahoo Autos, or DogCars.com.

There are many more cars to review and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully at the end of all my reviews I will eventually find the perfect dog car.

If you liked this article check out my first article on the Perfect Dog Car.

Let me know what you think about this car. Do you own a Toyota FJ Cruiser?

Post from: Puppy Training

Toyota FJ Cruiser 2008 – Sylish, Rugged SUV For You And Your Dog

No related posts.

“Surveys show about half of all car-buyers consider the comfort of the family dog when buying a new car – and 65 percent take their pets on errands,” says Dr. Becker, the New York Times best-selling author and co-author with Gina Spadafori of the new bowWOW!: Curiously Compelling Facts, True Tales, and Trivia Even Your Dog Won’t Know.

“We’re glad to see car-makers address the comfort and safety of our dogs on the road because people don’t want to leave their pets — or should we say ‘four-legged family members’ – behind. More than a quarter even sometimes take pets to work,” he said.– DogCars.com

I guess considering my dogs before buying a new car is not really strange after all. Right now I’m borrowing my mother’s 2000 CRV until I make my purchase. The CRV is a little small, but adequate for toting my two boys (the 2000 CRV is much smaller than todays CRV), but not quite what I want in my perfect Dog Car.
Let the journey begin!

The Passengers

There are only three in this family. Myself, Linus, and Stetson. I’m not a big guy only 5 foot 8 inches and about 170 pounds so most cars will probably fit me. Linus is a 3 year old Australian Shepherd mix (looks an awful lot like a skinny black Lab) and weighs about 55 pounds. Stetson is a 1 year old purebred Black Labrador Retriever and currently weighs about 65 pounds (he probably won’t grow much bigger in height, but will probably pack on another 10 pounds as he matures).

When Stetson joined the family about a year ago I new that eventually my RX-8 sports car would no longer cut it. Even though I could fit both dogs in the car it was a tight fit and the leather seats really didn’t appreciate Linus and Stetson’s claws.

So, here we are, in the market for a car, SUV, or truck that will fit one average sized adult and two medium/large dogs.

The Perfect Dog Car Criteria

Criteria for the dogs:

• Seats that fold flat or easily removable – hopefully fits a crate or two.
• Plenty of usable cargo space relative to the size of the vehicle with wide, square backs, and little rear slope to make most of cargo area.
• Dog friendly interior – Even the best dog can have accidents in the car.
• Door & window locks – Dogs are smart and some can open a car door.
• All-wheel or four-wheel drive and high ground clearance – for camping or going to the mountains with your best friend (I’m talking about your dog of course).

Criteria for the humans:

• Price Range: Under 30K
• Curb Appeal – Hopefully the car is not hard on the eyes.
• Fuel Economy -Unfortunately SUV’s get worse gas mileage.
• Reliability – If you’re car is not working what good is it?
• Retains Value – Cars are terrible investments, but we want it to retain some of it’s value.
• Extras – Any miscellaneous extra goodies the car may have.
• Car in the City – Smooth ride? Does it have power? Handle Well?

The Perfect Dog Car Candidates

My choices and initial impressions

• Honda Element – Interior seemingly built for dogs, but UGLY.
• Jeep Wrangler Unlimited – Four door offers plenty of room, rugged interior, and classic looks. Reliability is questioned and poor fuel economy. – This link will take you straight to my review of the Wrangler Ulimited!
• Scion xB – It’s probably considered a sedan, but has decent interior space for a smaller car.
• Toyota FJ Cruiser – Great off road vehicle like the Wrangler with more interior comfort. Poor fuel economy. – This link will take you straight to my review of the FJ Cruiser!
• Mazda CX-7 – Nice refined look, but interior might be small.
• Nissan Xterra – SUV built for the outdoors. Poor fuel economy.
• Jeep Commander – Nice size can seat up to 7. High price and poor fuel economy is a deterrent.
• Toyota Tacoma – Only truck in the line up. Truck bed gives you many options, but small cabin space.
• Hyundai Santa Fe – Great value with a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. Nothing stands out on this car.
• Ford Escape Hybrid – Fuel Economy is great, but interior might be small.
• Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid – Fuel economy is great, but interior might be small.
• Toyota Highlander Hybrid – Nice large vehicle (seats 7), but price is out of my range.
  
• Mercury Mariner Hybrid – Fuel economy is great and supposedly has some nice tech gadgets on the inside, but interior might be small.
  
• Toyota Prius Hybrid – #1 on fuel economy, but probably has the smallest interior. Can I even fit a crate in this thing?

I may add more to this list as time moves on, but these are the candidates so far. Of course, I’m probably leaning more towards few of the cars on the list, but I’m going to try to be objective and test drive each car keeping in mind both my comfort with the vehicle and my dogs comfort.

By the way, a great resource on dog cars can be found on the http://www.dogcars.com website. This is a site devoted to exactly what I’m researching. By the way I fused some of my criteria with some of the criteria listed on the dog cars website.

What do you think? I’m sure there are plenty of you out there who at least consider your dogs interests when purchasing the perfect dog car!

Post from: Puppy Training

Finding The Perfect Dog Car

Related posts:

1. Lessons From Marley & Me Part 1 – The Perfect Dog and Buying Puppies