What do you drive?
- Thread starter Jadex
- Start date
A Dodge Grand Caravan, I just got it a few months ago and I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Other than my husband I never have human passengers, so the 2nd and 3rd row seats live stowed.
If I have to I can fit 3 crates (one 36" and two 42" OR two 36" and one 42") and all my mushing gear including the scooter comfortably.
I am usually only transporting 1-2 dogs at a time, so I have two 42" and my mushing gear pretty much living in it all the time and I swap out if I need to.
If I have to I can fit 3 crates (one 36" and two 42" OR two 36" and one 42") and all my mushing gear including the scooter comfortably.
I am usually only transporting 1-2 dogs at a time, so I have two 42" and my mushing gear pretty much living in it all the time and I swap out if I need to.
We have a Mazda 3 hatchback. Although I don't think multiple crates would fit unless they were small (36"), my dogs ride loose so it isn't a big deal. We can tote both dogs, all of our luggage, and pack boxes of things and have plenty of room. I also like it because I can force the dogs to ride in the "trunk" if we have more than two people in the car and everybody has plenty of space.
Right now we have two cars (a kia and buick), but I LOVE the Buick Enclave and we will be getting one as our next car. If we didn't get the Enclave it would probably be a Honda CRV. The Enclave seems to have more space in the "trunk" area, but the CRV gets slightly better gas mileage.
The thing about Buicks though... in my experience they're just rock solid cars. My wife's family has had them for years with no issues. Ours has 191,000 miles on it and has only had to have the belts changed and the brakes redone. Something like $700 worth of work.
The thing about Buicks though... in my experience they're just rock solid cars. My wife's family has had them for years with no issues. Ours has 191,000 miles on it and has only had to have the belts changed and the brakes redone. Something like $700 worth of work.
I have a Honda Pilot and I LOVE it (I'm on my second one, and the only reason I got rid of the first was because it wasn't 4WD since we bought it in TX). I permanently folded down the back row of seats and have 2 vari-kennels (32" length) there. I'm not sure how much more I could fit if I folded down the middle seat, as I generally only need those two crates. I also need my middle seat as is since I drive around with my cello frequently. That being said, we have done plenty of road trips with a smaller (I think 28" long) vari kennel in that middle seat (so all 3 dogs have been in crates) surrounded by luggage and have had plenty of room.
I have a '99 Ford Explorer. It gets pretty good mileage for something of its size and year, runs very well and is very rationally constructed for lack of a better way to put it. Easy to work on at home if necessary, which I find isn't true of a lot of newer vehicles. I only need it for the one dog but could probably fit three Indy-sized dogs + two passengers.
I'm happy with it so far but I got it as a post-divorce emergency spite sale for $600 and could easily resell it for at least twice that if I decided to, so of course I can't complain.
I'm happy with it so far but I got it as a post-divorce emergency spite sale for $600 and could easily resell it for at least twice that if I decided to, so of course I can't complain.
Last edited:
previously a chrysler t&C, stow and go for is awesome. now a honda Ody and i like the van much better overall, but really miss the stow and go seats and the back hatch narrows at the top just enough that I can't easily put my 2 crates in from the back, I have to take out the middle row of seats to put one in, then put the seats back.
The Pilot could work as it's similar to the Ody, but we always use the middle row of seats too for a child and passengers besides my wife and I. The Highlander could work, 4runner wouldn't at least last time i looked. Neither would the MDX. Have not checked out the Acadia at all, so I guess I don't know if it would work or not.
The Pilot could work as it's similar to the Ody, but we always use the middle row of seats too for a child and passengers besides my wife and I. The Highlander could work, 4runner wouldn't at least last time i looked. Neither would the MDX. Have not checked out the Acadia at all, so I guess I don't know if it would work or not.
I have a 2014 Ford Escape, and I love it. Never thought I'd say that about a Ford, but it is a more comfortable drive than my Rav 4 was, and SO much quieter.
I've messed around with a lot of crate arrangements, but currently have a Variocage (Double X-Large) in the cargo area. I took the divider out so the two dogs share the space, although they were also fine with each having half. If I'm willing to loose my middle seat, I can get one more good sized crate in that way, or two of "my dog" size crates (30", I think?) as long as they have side doors. Definitely less cargo area behind the back seat than my Rav 4 had, but the middle seats fold perfectly flat, which the Toyota didn't.
I've messed around with a lot of crate arrangements, but currently have a Variocage (Double X-Large) in the cargo area. I took the divider out so the two dogs share the space, although they were also fine with each having half. If I'm willing to loose my middle seat, I can get one more good sized crate in that way, or two of "my dog" size crates (30", I think?) as long as they have side doors. Definitely less cargo area behind the back seat than my Rav 4 had, but the middle seats fold perfectly flat, which the Toyota didn't.
I have a 2005 Honda Accord. I love the car for everything it is (nice leather interior, awesomely smooth manual transmission, tinted windows that came with it and actually keep it cooler in the summer). But it's a terrible dog car. Mine ride loose (or tethered) in the back seat. At least the trunk is big. I can just fit Hazel's puppy crate in the back seat (30") but it's way too small for Watson.
DH has a 2015 Toyota Tacoma. He wants to turn it into a dog mobile by getting a cap for the back and squeezing some crates in there. I think I would still have the dogs travel in the rear seat though, and just pop them in the crates when we arrive at class or dog shows or whatever. It has an outlet for a fan and we could put a cooling tarp thing on top. Gas mileage is pretty terrible though since we got the full sized engine.
I'm thinking of the Honda HRV for my next car in a couple years. I haven't gone to look at it, but my MIL just bought one and hopefully I can check hers out. It's bigger than the Fit and smaller than the CRV, plus the seats fold flat. I don't like driving big cars/trucks, so I think it might be a really nice compromise of smaller car+dog functionality.
DH has a 2015 Toyota Tacoma. He wants to turn it into a dog mobile by getting a cap for the back and squeezing some crates in there. I think I would still have the dogs travel in the rear seat though, and just pop them in the crates when we arrive at class or dog shows or whatever. It has an outlet for a fan and we could put a cooling tarp thing on top. Gas mileage is pretty terrible though since we got the full sized engine.
I'm thinking of the Honda HRV for my next car in a couple years. I haven't gone to look at it, but my MIL just bought one and hopefully I can check hers out. It's bigger than the Fit and smaller than the CRV, plus the seats fold flat. I don't like driving big cars/trucks, so I think it might be a really nice compromise of smaller car+dog functionality.
I have a Nissan Titan. It works great for 2 large dogs, 1 passenger, no crates (well, not for the dogs to ride in during the drive) and lots of cargo space. Not so great for more than 2 dogs. I could cap the back and put dogs back there but I'd want them in crates, and I still can only fit 1 large crate probably (unless I had custom crates made that were narrower or somehow accommodated the wheel wells). I probably need a new vehicle if I want to go up to 3 active dogs... but the only thing I can see working is a van... and I'll be damned if I'm going to drive a freaking mini van like a soccer mom.... 
I'll be damned if I'm going to drive a freaking mini van like a soccer mom....
But I will be danged if I do not prefer the van for groceries, and my god the amount of dog stuff and dogs you can now carry. I turned off all the interior lights so I can fully open up both sliders and the back and the dogs get all the breeze or shade as I need it. The rear windows are tinted, the danes can stand up and move around, and as they get older it is easy to load them. And I can pack a bushel of terriers in there. I can drive from Atlanta to Kentucky and still have a quarter of a tank of gas. And you can plaster it with dog stickers so they KNOW it is not full of humans.
I still have my trucks and I keep my self respect in them.