10 Best Cars Gone to the Dogs

Traveling with the family dog in the car is great. But some carmakers make it easier and safer than other manufacturers to travel with an animal.

A blanket in the back of a station wagon can still work with a calm dog. But it’s not really safe if a driver is forced to stop suddenly.

And arguably the bigger the dog, the more difficult it is to accommodate the family pet on a vacation or just on a trio the veterinarian or the local park.

Fortunately for all parties involved, an increasing number of carmakers understand. It’s a good thing, too. About 47 percent of households in the United States own at least one pet, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Here are 10 vehicles well-suited to animals, including a synopsis of TheWeeklyDriver.com’s two favorites:

Honda Element The Element is no longer manufactured, but as a used car is a good bet for owners with dogs. With the rear seats deployed, there’ amble room in the cargo compartment for a relatively large dog carrier. With the seats folded, any size dog can ride in comfort.

Tie-downs for harnesses are a good thing, and for occasions when the family pet has as accident, the Element’s no-frills interior treatment is exceptionally easy to clean. Honda also once promoted the Element’s “Dog Friendly Package.” The $995 option included a custom-fitted, soft-sided crate with a built-in, spill-resistant water bowl; an electric cooling fan mounted in the cargo compartment, a portable ramp, rear seat covers, heavy-duty floormats and a an accessory bag with a collar, leash, poop-bag dispenser, and an ID tag.

Mazda5 Sliding doors provide easy access for humans and thus for dogs, too. The extra wide opening The doors not only have wide opening, they can be locked into place. Even if you’re parked on a hill, you (and your dog) won’t have to worry about what sometimes called the “guillotine effect.”

Many SUVs suited for Dogs

The Mazda5 has 44 cubic feet of roaming room with the the rear seats down. The climate control system features vents in the second row, and you can set the temperature back there independently of the front seats.

Here’s the complete list vehicles whose makers had with dogs and other animals in mind:

Ford Flex GMC Acadia Honda Element Honda Fit Jeep Liberty Kia Soul Mazda5 Subaru Forester Toyota Venza Volvo XC70

My blog post was written as part of my collaboration with eBay.