After we brought Vandal home, we decided we needed a better PTS (puppy transportation system), as the back seat of a car, with a harness, had many drawbacks, not least of which was the mud/hair/slobber etc left in the back seat, making human passengers quite unhappy.
We, too, liked the look of the Highlander and the quality of the Toyota name. The drawback of the Highlander was its high price ($36,000 Cdn to start), and the very high step up into the rear cargo compartment, where Vandal would be. In an earlier Berner-L someone provided a link to a website where they have steps that swing out from under the rear bumper, but I cannot remember the site. We settled on the RAV4 for four reasons: 1. a much lower price - $27,000 Cdn. for a nicely equipped model 2. a swing out rear entry with a much lower step. Vandal can easily jump up, and the step down is not so great as to be jarring on his 8 month old bones - it's about the same as the rear seat of a normal four-door car. The swing out door (hinge on the side) makes it easier to make sure he doesn't jump out as you back away to let a larger door open or close if it swings up. 3. They are larger than the "old" RAV4. Leaving the back seats in, we placed a cage barrier for added security, and Vandal still has plenty of room to turn around in. It's about the same size as a large crate. For longer trips, we will roll up or remove the rear seats and his crate will fit. 4. It comes in a lovely Dark Green colour. We're very happy with the RAV. We went with cloth because Vandal will only ever ride in the rear section, so mud is not an issue. The dealer included a "Rear cargo liner" made of vinyl, but it provided no traction whatsoever, and poor Vandal was sliding all over the place when we accelerated, braked or cornered, regardless of how gently we drove. He is quit happy with the carpeted footing, and an occasional vacuuming up when the mud is dry is sufficient. We will use the cargo liner when our cargo is not canine. Mike, Deanna and Vandal.
