Posted on 05/05/2008 12:05:34 PM PDT by Graybeard58
For dog owners who are in the market to buy a car that fits well with their dog, the Honda Element has earned the Best of Show honor.
Dogcars.com recently announced the Top 10 "Dog Cars" of 2007. The selected vehicles were rated on how well they accommodate four-legged friends in terms of safety, space and ease of entry and exit. In addition to the Honda Element, the Suzuki Forenza and Land Rover Range Rover round out the top 3 picks of the litter.
Eric Reese, general sales manager of Schaller Auto of New Britain, said many car buyers consider their pet's comfort when shopping for a new vehicle. The Mitsubishi Outlander, he noted, is their top-selling car. He estimated that 80 percent of those who have purchased the car recently, are dog owners. The Outlander was also named to the dogcars.com list.
In a society where people regard their pets as family members, it's not surprising a Web site has been forged that rates the top cars for dog owners.
Alicia Wright, of the Connecticut Humane Society, has two dogs and they may as well be her children. But she's not in the market for a new car, so although the dogcars.com list is interesting, it's not all that useful to her.
Instead, Wright, like so many others from around the state, has simply adapted her current vehicle to accommodate her pups. She offers some tips for the 65 percent of car buyers who want to take Fido to the dog park, the pet store or just for a ride up the street.
"Pets love you, they depend on you, so it's up to you to keep them as safe as possible," she said.
Most importantly, she said, do not leave dogs in the car unattended.
"In the summer, your car acts as a heater and in the winter it acts as a refrigerator," she said.
She said canines can get heat stroke or even die if left in a hot car with the windows rolled up. But, she noted, it's not safe to leave dogs in a car with windows down either, as animals can squeeze through them or accidentally roll them down and get out. Wright encourages drivers to use child safety locks on doors and windows when traveling with a dog.
Also very important, she said, is never to travel with a dog in the back of a pickup truck.
"That's a very, very bad idea," she said, as the rays from the sun on the truck bed can burn tender paw pads, flying debris can get into the dog's eyes, and animals can get ejected from the truck during quick stops or accidents.
Instead, owners should let the dog sit in the cab, she said; or if they are put in the truck bed, at least make sure the animal is inside a secured crate and that the tailgate is shut.
As for safety gear, Wright recommends a safety harness, or more commonly, a doggie seat belt. She said this will prevent the hound from jumping into the driver's lap and will also keep it secure in an accident situation. The harness goes around the dog's body and clips to the seat belt.
Ilona Sirman, of Bethlehem, was shopping for a safety harness in Waterbury recently. She drives a BMW and takes Daisy, her 5-month-old yellow Lab, just about everywhere with her.
"We just squeeze everyone in," Sirman said.
Everyone meaning her husband, three kids, herself and, of course, Daisy. Daisy sits on the floor of the passenger seat between Sirman's feet and always travels with a water and food dish.
For smaller dogs, like Maryann Carrarino's cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle mix) Kara, a seat belt might not be the best solution. Carrarino, of Watertown, is thinking of getting a booster seat instead.
Wright said booster seats work the same as child seats and add extra protection for smaller, fragile dogs.
Metal and fabric barriers are also available, which keep the dogs from jumping into the front seat. Wright said, however, that if the driver slams on the brakes, the dog can still travel through the back windshield.
Tim Berardi, sales manager of Jim Juliani Motors in Prospect, said roughly one out of every 10 customers who visits his dealership is seeking a vehicle that will accommodate a dog.
"Sometimes, they're looking at an SUV or a wagon that they can fit a cage in the rear area," he said.
Berardi said wagons are better for big dogs than SUVs because they're easier for dogs to get in and out of, and there's more room.
"In an SUV, there's not a lot of room for a 50-pound dog," Berardi said. "But in a wagon there is, without even putting the seats down." He pointed out that an SUV is made to seat five to seven passengers, which takes away room for the critters.
Gina Spadafori, Chief Reviewer of dogcars.com, said that 10 vehicles were selected as the Top Dog Cars for 2007. The team, she said, looked for cars that have flat, fold-down seats, child-safe windows, plenty of cargo space and are easy for pets to load in and out of.
Here are all the winners:
Best Overall: Honda Element
5 door, $23,110, 22/27 mpg
"The easy-to-clean Element is a near-perfect DogCar with just the right canine chemistry."
Best Overall Value: Suzuki Forenza
5 door, $16,000, 20 mpg
"In our test drive we put everything we could think of into it — including a cat tree and pair of bouncy retrievers — and still had room for groceries."
Best Luxury SUV: Land Rover Range Rover
5 door, $72,000, 13/19 mpg
"With lots of room for dogs and all their gear, the Range Rover can go anywhere with style and 71 cubic feet of well-designed cargo space."
Best Mid-Sized SUV: Volkswagen Touareg
4 door, $34,000, 14/16 mpg
Volvo XC90 (tie)
5 door, $46,500, 17/22 mpg
"Both the Touareg and the XC90 offer good cargo space for dogs and a superb ride for the two-leggers."
Best Small-Sized SUV: Mitsubishi Outlander
5 door, $29,000, 18/23 mpg
"Ample, well-designed dog space, fun and comfortable to drive with lots of features, the Outlander is the surprise pick of the litter, especially for the value-minded."
Best Sporty Car: Mazda Speed3
4 door, $22,975, 18/26 mpg
"The Mazda Speed3 turns up the heat in this category, with all the zoom-zoom you could ever dream of, especially in a four-door hatchback with room for Rover."
Best Pickup Truck: Ford F-150
4 door, $44,945, 14/18 mpg
"Channel your inner cowboy or cowgirl with a truck that can do it all and clean up real pretty for driving into town."
Best Minivan: Dodge Grand Caravan
4 door, $27,775, 18/25 mpg
"Credit the comfortable, versatile interior and the fantastic Stow 'n Go seats."
Best Hatchback: Honda Fit Sport
4 door, $16,500, 37 mpg
"Airbags all around help to even the playing field when you're on the road with lumbering beasts that could crush you like a bug."
SIDEBAR: (if needed)
Safety tips:
Make sure pet vaccinations/ID tag current
Keep dog in carrier or use pet seat belt
Bring dog food from home
Bring water and a nonspill-spill dish
Bring cleanup bags
Keep dog on leash outside of car
Never leave dog in car alone
Have child-safe windows
— Tips from Gina Spadafori, of dogcars.com
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Doggy ping.
We bought both of our Honda Odysseys specifically because of our Golden Retrievers.
We like the way the middle seat folded up.
Must have a sturdy and non-slick platform for Rover to hang out the window. (I not talking about my lap)
Somebody had to do it.
My Collie/St. Bernard, Sharpei/Shepherd and German Shepherd say the dogs that ride in those vehicles are a bunch of metro-wusses...nothing beats their very own 4 door GMC truck! And yes, I said their very own, we only use it when we take them to the store and the vet. Hey..it’s paid for and still runs great with over 150,000 miles on it, so we kept it for a backup vehicle.
We recently shopped for a car. Looked at the Honda Element. I imagine the dogs would be comfortable, but for people (at least imddle aged people like us) it’s bare bones. Ended up with a CR-V, but we don’t use that to carry the dogs in. Our dogs ride in the back of our 4-Runner when we’re taking them to the beach or on an outing. We’ve heard no complaints from them, thus far!
My favorite is any kind of convertible.
Our Cadillac Escalade works just fine for our two dogs.
My dog likes to get up there in the driver’s seat while I am in the store and blow the horn until I return.
“Don’t make me go back there!”
"doin' 85 in a 30...you're in a heap o' trouble now, boy"
I opted for a Navigator for my Akita because the 2nd & 3rd seats fold down.This gives her plenty of room to stretch out.
A Mini?
ping
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