Toyota Matrix? Vibe? Chevy HHR?

[Keechak]

Originally Posted by stardogs

Oh wow that's awesome! Are the 36" crates regular width (24") or SUV-style (21")?

they are regular 24 width

[stardogs]

Wow!

(adds the Matrix to the Four Paw Drive "to review asap" list)

[Keechak]

I give my sincerest apologies, they are NOT 36inch crates, they are 30inch. I had thought they were the same as my own 36 inches but I was mistaken. Still a good car to add to the review site! You can haul a max of two 70 pound dogs and one 40 pound dog.

[stardogs]

If your friend would be up for it, I'd love to have an owner review of it - details on guest reviews are on the blog.

[release the hounds]

I have no idea how large my crates are, they are relatively large. They carry GSD's with plenty of room to stand and turn around. I can fit one of those in my wife's VIBE and it just squeezes in height wise, but plenty of room on sides and deep when the seats are down. IT's a vari kennel. I never really played around with any configurations to see how or what else I could fit in. I always use a minivan to transport the dogs when i'm taking more than one.

But I can say, i like driving the car and as a commuter its a nice ride and the MPG's are nice too, we average mid to upper 30's with town and hwy miles..

My mom recently got a matrix because she liked my wife's vibe so much.

[FG167]

Originally Posted by Keechak

I give my sincerest apologies, they are NOT 36inch crates, they are 30inch. I had thought they were the same as my own 36 inches but I was mistaken. Still a good car to add to the review site! You can haul a max of two 70 pound dogs and one 40 pound dog.

Hmm....I am thinking I could fit a 30" and a 24" where the two 30" crates are and then a sideways 36" where the little front one is? I need one 70 lb dog, one 45 lb dog and one 21 lb dog to fit in their respective crates. I should still be ok, right?

[stardogs]

If the Matrix is like most hatchbacks, you'll have a hard time fitting a 36" in the back because of the slope. An SUV style one miiiight work. It would still probably fit better to put the 36" on the back seat area (esp since you need to use the end door vs. a side door) and then put the smaller crates side by side in the cargo area (perpendicular to the 36").

[Beanie]

You could check into a Chevy Malibu Maxx too - hatchback/wagon style. There is a slope in the back on that one too though, but it might be bigger to begin with. I think the Malibu comes in a 4 cyl too so might be able to get some better mileage out of it than if you got the V6 version. Not positive though.

I would just find a dealership nearby that has whatever you're looking at, go with your crates, and see if they fit, LOL. I'm planning on doing that when it's time for me to get a new vehicle haha.