Best cars for dog owners

By Ané Theron

These days, many prospective car buyers are more interested in whether their car will be dog-friendly instead of child-friendly - especially unencumbered couples or newlyweds who are joined only by their dogs on their adventures.

In order for your car to stay odour and fuzz-free, we’d recommend a car with leather seats, a large luggage compartment, and a rubber mat for the boot, or a partition / cargo barrier to keep your dogs from jumping into the cabin (if you'd prefer not to have them there), which will protect them if you had to brake suddenly.

Needless to say, it’s usually the SUVs or crossover-type cars that offer these features an optional extra, but check with your dealership just to be sure. But there’s no need to buy an SUV just because you want to take your pooches with you; there is a whole host of doggie-car products available online, to make the back seat of your car (or any car, really), more suited to canine use - without the need to flatten any seats.

www.loot.co.za offers protective car seat hammocks in a variety of colours - especially handy if you like to take your dogs to the beach. Rubber mats for the boot are also available online or at automotive / outdoor /camping shops such as Outdoor Warehouse.

Here is a selection of different types of cars that adventurous dog owners will love, in no specific order:

Toyota Rush (from R299 900)

Toyota SA took the seven-seater Rush and omitted the third row of seats to create a five-seater with a cavernous boot for South Africans - and it is perfect for dogs! With high ground clearance, striking looks and priced at only R299 900 for the 1.5-litre 5-speed manual, this 'baby Fortuner' is just the thing for outdoorsy, dog-loving families. Also consider the Honda BR-V and CR-V.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (from R569 995)

The Pajero Sport truly impressed us with its sophisticated new engine, gearbox, and how capable and practical it is - and there's space for days! If the third row is not in use, there's a mammoth boot available for your dogs.

Nissan X-Trail (from R376 500)

The X-Trail has an airy cabin and a nice large boot with the option of a rubber mat in the rear as well as a cargo barrier, plus the 1.6-litre diesel engine is super frugal. The X-Trail is now also available in seven-seater guise, but this space can be occupied by man's best friend instead of holiday luggage.

Honda Jazz Sport (from R312 900)

Chad Lückhoff says “the boot in the Jazz Sport comes in at a respectable 359 litres with the rear seats in use, but drop the back seats and, thanks to the Magic Seat system, you're left with an 889 litre total load capacity and a flat floor at your disposal.” Perfect for your fur-babies! It costs R312 900 and has enough storage binnacles and safety equipment (never mind its rock-solid reliability reputation) to please you and your dogs for many years to come.

BMW X3 (from R577 904)

For the discerning dog-owner, the new X3 is just the ticket. Not the most inexpensive way to transport your dogs, but rest assured that the spacious new X3 is good in every other respect too - with a brilliant new semi-autonomous system for a stress-free journey.

If money is no object, the bigger X5 is an even better pooch-mobile. Also consider the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fé.

Tiguan Allspace (from R463 400)

Thanks to its great flexibility, the new long-wheel base Tiguan Allspace can be configured in a variety of ways. There’s a 230 litre boot behind the third row. Fold the third row seats flat and the boot space increases to 700 litres; fold the second row flat and you have 1,775 litres of boot space. The cargo space length is then 1,921 mm – enough space even for a pair of lively Great Danes.

The new VW Touareg, it's big brother, is also a highly practical looker, if you have money at your disposal. We can also recommend the Toyota Prado.

Renault Sandero Stepway (from R201 900)

Another little winner for dogs and humans alike. The Stepway is ultra-light on fuel, has standard satnav (on Dynamique models), pothole-resistant flex-wheels, and you can spec leather seats for 10k. The boot isn't very big, so if you don't have any other human passengers to transport, this is where your doggie hammock will come in handy to protect the rear seats. The Stepway is an all-round winner in my books - stability and traction control are standard features. 

Need something slightly bigger (yet still reasonably compact) to transport the whole family, as well as Rex and Rover? We can highly recommend the Renault Duster - it offers great value. The 4x2 Dusters also have a slightly larger luggage compartment than the 4x4. 

Isuzu KB 250D-Teq Double Cab X-Rider (from 416 000)

Once you've got a canopy on the back, is there a more fun and spacious way for a dog to travel? Throw a couple of doggie beds in there and it becomes an animal RV, or  'recreational vehicle'. The X-Rider makes for a stylish, macho picture too, to match the sparky attitude of your favourite canine(s) in the back. Reasonably priced too.

If you need more torque and towing capacity and don't care much for shifting gears, the more powerful Isuzu KB300 D-Teq Double Cab 4x4 LX Auto costs R594 500.

Suzuki Jimny (from R263 900)

Apart from having enough space for surfboards once you’ve flattened those back seats, your doggies will be very comfortable indeed. Once your canine crew is on board, feel free to venture to places where bigger SUVs fear to tread! The 1.3-litre Jimny is as cute as it is capable. From R263 900 new, but why not opt for a used one? https://www.autotrader.co.za/used-cars/suzuki/jimny A new Jimny will also be launching soon, and its look is quite a big improvement over the current one.

Also consider the Suzuki Vitara.

Volvo XC60 (from 667 000)

This newly-launched, stylish SUV is the ultimate dog-mobile. With all the kit available to keep your four-legged friend safe and comfy in the spacious boot, as well as all-wheel drive and Volvo’s super-duper semi-autonomous Pilot Assist system, you may never want to drive another car. The Volvo XC60 is specced to the hilt and worth every penny.

The V90 Cross Country has even more space in the rear, and is my favourite station wagon of all time. Also consider the massive Volvo XC90.