The American Veterinary Medical Association tells us that more than one third of United States households have a dog, and slightly more than half of those households have more than one. If you own a dog or two, you probably know how much they love cruising around in the car, unless the trip happens to be to one of the members of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Unfortunately, not all vehicles are built to be dog-friendly, so it’s important to focus on a few key points when choosing a car or truck for you and your pooch. Our biggest concerns here are ease of cleanup and ease of access for your dogs, especially as they get older and may require assistance.
One additional note on dog-friendly cars: The safety of your pet in your car is a growing concern. Not only is an untethered dog more likely to be killed or injured in the event of a crash, but a loose dog flying around in your passenger cabin is also a danger to all the vehicle occupants. The The Center for Pet Safety has a list of crash-test certified dog harnesses, travel carriers, and travel crates that can help reduce deaths and injuries for our canine friends.
With all of this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 10 pet-friendly new-car models that should meet the varied needs of Rat Terriers to Rottweilers and everything in between.
The Best Cars for Dogs in 2023
- Honda CR-V
- Hyundai Santa Cruz
- Jeep Wrangler
- Kia Carnival
- Land Rover Discovery Sport
- Nissan Versa
- Subaru Outback
- Tesla Model Y
- Toyota Corolla Crosss
- Volvo V60 Recharge
Honda CR-V
Best for: Dog lovers who want what is arguably the best compact crossover vehicle on the market
The spacious and efficient Honda CR-V is well-known for offering a lot of utility for pet lovers and as a family car in general, and after a full 2023 redesign, it's even better than before.
With the fold-flat rear seats down, the CR-V provides 76.5 cubic feet of cargo area for a furry friend to spread out and get comfortable, while the relatively low cargo floor aids with entry into the vehicle. You won’t find an air-conditioning system dedicated to second-row passengers (of any species), though there are rear vents that deliver temperature-controlled air to the back seat from up front. There’s also an available hybrid model that will keep your fuel costs lower than a conventional internal combustion engine.
For the purely gas-powered CR-V, only the top EX-L trim is equipped with leather seating, which is easier to clean than cloth. The CR-V Hybrid, however, has leather in both Sport-L and Sport Touring trims. An available power liftgate for the rear hatch may prove handy when trying to help larger dogs in particular into the vehicle. Accessories such as a plastic cargo liner and seat-back protector can be purchased directly from Honda dealers.
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Best for: Dog owners who occasionally need the capability of a pickup truck
The Santa Cruz isn’t getting the attention that the Ford Maverick is, mostly because it doesn’t offer the 38 mpg combined that the Maverick gets from its hybrid drivetrain. But the Santa Cruz’s fuel economy is still pretty good compared to other trucks, and it offers open cargo space for occasional runs to the dump and Home Depot, in a size that still tucks inside a garage. Try that with your modern-day F-150.
The rear seating configuration was made for dogs. First, the floor is a lot lower than it would be in a full-size truck, so even if your dog is on the elderly side, it’s easier for them to get in and out. And the rear seat folds up to reveal a nearly flat floor that’s almost perfectly dog-sized. Pop a WeatherTech floor liner back there, and we’re sure they’ll love it.
Jeep Wrangler
Best for: Off-road enthusiasts and those who want their dog to enjoy the journey as much as the destination
We’re bucking the common advice here and opting for the two-door Jeep Wrangler instead of the more spacious Wrangler Unlimited when thinking about the best cars for dogs. Part of the reason for that is that the two-door is much more affordable, saving five grand versus the Wrangler Unlimited. That’s a lot of dog accessories.
Also remember, not everyone has a large dog. Some of us have Pomeranians or Chihuahuas who need nothing more than a comfortable seat to curl up on. Or, maybe you have a larger older dog that simply looks forward to morning trips to the coffee shop with his tongue waving in the fresh air–and what better way to do that than removing the top half of the Wrangler’s door? Adding to the appeal, the Wrangler is one of the most heavily represented vehicles in the dog accessories aftermarket, so there’s plenty to offer in terms of nets, harnesses, ramps and the like.
Kia Carnival
Best for: Active families who seldom leave their dog(s) at home
Oh, the minivan. The body style so reviled it launched an entire segment of “crossover SUVs” that are basically just minivans with less utility and room for fewer passengers and their cargo. For years, the minivan segment (think Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica) has essentially been calcified, but in the last few years there have been exciting—yes, exciting—new entries to the segment, including the Kia Carnival.
It used to be known as the Sedona, but then, for the 2022 model year, the Carnival came to town. We loved it. It brought luxury car interior and exterior design to this fusty segment, and we were shocked when people actually crossed a busy parking lot to ask what it was. For pet lovers, the cargo room is great. It offers best-in-class cargo capacity. Where Kia loses its edge a bit is with accessories. There are exactly five, and only one—the plastic cargo tray—is helpful to dog owners. For things like pet barriers and the like, you’ll have to look to the aftermarket, though the Carnival has plenty of room to add whatever you need.
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Best for: Buyers who want to pamper their dog and SUV with some custom accessories
Land Rover is one of the few brands on this list that offers a selection of pet-specific accessories for models such as the Discovery Sport, an SUV that provides dog owners plenty of space and a flat cargo area.
Among the add-ons are a spill-resistant water bowl, a folding ramp that allows your dog to comfortably exit the vehicle, and a quilted cargo liner that can be easily washed and extended over the rear bumper to avoid scratches from paws. Those are nice features, but what is most interesting to us is the $495 portable rinse system, which includes two minutes' worth of pressurized water delivered through a hose and nozzle. If you’ve ever seen the amount of sand that can get caked onto a dog after just a few hours at the beach, you can appreciate the value of this portable pet shower.
Nissan Versa
Best for: Dog owners on a budget
Owning a dog can be very expensive. Even if you’re going to adopt a rescue, there’s typically a fee involved, plus routine and unexpected vet bills, food and medications, dog crates, grooming and the occasional kennel stay, and plenty of toys and treats. Thankfully, you don’t need to spend a small fortune to buy a car that’s suitable for both of you.
The Nissan Versa is a front-wheel-drive (FWD) compact car with a sensible ride height for easy canine access, and it’s priced below $20,000-well below, if you opt for the manual transmission. Stretch payments out over five or six years, and you just may find yourself spending more on your dog each month than on your car.
Nissan offers the Versa in three trim levels. At this price point, leather seats are nowhere to be found, and the 60/40 split fold-down rear seats are not offered on the base S trim. But, the trade-off for the petite 15 cubic feet of cargo space is an average of 40 mpg on the highway, so your co-pilot may need a bathroom break before it’s time to stop for gas.
Subaru Outback
Best for: Dog owners who want a practical adventure rig
In this list, almost all of the entries have been for any trim in the model lineup, but in this one, we’re specifically calling out the Outback Wilderness. Yes, it’s $10,000 more expensive than the base trim, but we’d argue that it’s worth it, and we’d also remind you that you can get all of the things we love about this trim while saving about $4,000 if you opt for the Forester Wilderness.
Leather is nice, but Subaru’s StarTex neoprene-type upholstery made partly of recycled materials is not only designed for easy cleanup, but is also a vegan alternative for animal lovers and others who are opposed to leather on principle. StarTex is available on both the Outback Onyx Edition and Outback Wilderness trim levels, but you don’t get the added ground clearance of the Wilderness on the Onyx Edition.
Also worthy of note here is Subaru’s Share the Love campaign. During this sales promotion, the company donates $250 on a buyer’s behalf to one of a select group of charities. Among them is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), but Subaru is also a major funder of the Center for Pet Safety, which performs the crash-testing on harnesses and crates we mentioned in the introduction.
Tesla Model Y
Best for: Tech-savvy dog owners who want a versatile electric vehicle
The Telsa Model Y is another compact crossover that makes our list due in part to many of the attributes we’ve already discussed. These include a spacious area for dogs, standard leatherette seats that are relatively easy to clean, and rear vents designed to keep occupants comfortable.
We’d suggest avoiding the available white upholstery for obvious reasons, but you’ll certainly want to check out the Model Y’s Dog Mode. This technology uses the vehicle’s climate control system to maintain a preset interior temperature even after the driver has turned off the engine and exited, an important safety feature if you expect that your dog will sometimes have to wait in the car. A message on the infotainment screen alerts passersby that the owner will be back soon and shows the temperature setting. Users can monitor the system with an app, which also alerts them if there’s a malfunction that requires a quick return to the vehicle.
Toyota Corolla Cross
Best for: Dog owners with an eye on resale value
The newest model to make the list, the Toyota Corolla Cross was introduced for the 2022 model year, and it got a hybrid variant starting in 2023. It brings a youthful spirit to the crowded compact SUV segment, with an available two-tone paint job and a color palette reminiscent of the Kia Soul’s.
City dwellers, who represent a not-insignificant portion of the Corolla Cross’s target audience, will know all too well that even the smallest and calmest dog can be considered a damage liability. Many apartment buildings don’t allow them at all, and landlords who do often charge an extra fee, anticipating floor and baseboard scratches or worse. Whether you’re concerned about protecting your dog in your vehicle or your vehicle from your dog, Toyota’s got you covered: Of the whopping 63 accessories available to order straight from the manufacturer with a new Corolla Cross, 23 are explicitly designed for dogs. There’s a ramp to help your dog enter and exit the vehicle, a tool to help clean up pet hair, interior door guards, and even a 50-piece dog first aid kit.
Volvo V60 Recharge
Best for: Dog owners who prefer the size and style of a wagon
There aren’t many station wagons left on the planet. Volvo makes one of the best in the V60 Recharge, a plug-in hybrid that offers 41 miles of range from the electric motor’s “Pure” mode, plus the ability to go anywhere on the gas engine.
This roomy—if rather expensive—family wagon is ideal for carrying canines, especially for those drivers who don’t need a third row and don’t want the bulk of a large SUV. Standard leather seats should be easy to clean, while standard all-wheel drive (AWD) will help you reach your destination safely.
Beyond those basic essentials for dog duty, the V60 can be fitted with related accessories purchased directly from Volvo. Among them are a seatbelt harness, a combination rear gate and integrated crate, and a carrying case to use for small dogs once you’ve reached your destination. With every purchase of one of these items, Volvo donates $10 to The Petfinder Foundation, an online searchable database of adoptable animals.
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