I replaced my Subaru wagon with a jeep cherokee. The subaru was
a great car and carried three dogs, but didn't leave much room for
equipment. The jeep worked well with one dog and equipment, but the
inside mounted spare tire took up too much space and then I had a wreck.
When I replaced the jeep, I tried mini vans, but really wanted 4wd, even
though Rod has an Explorer. I bought and love a Toyota Highlander.
It is suitable for 2 dogs, (1 med. sized dog in crate) and stuff for
road trips. Have not tried a lrg crate, but think it would fit -be sure to measure.
If I also needed a grooming table, I would swap vehicles with Rod and use his Explorer. It would hold 3 berners, folded crates, etc.
The only little hitches with the Highlander: 1) back door lifts, but window
doesn't open. I didn't even test that - and wish I had, since I carried one
kayak in the back of my jeep, with the window open. I also could open
the window at trials, but with the door still locked, & no one could open a
crate and let dogs out. 2) the folded back seat doesn't fit snug against the
front seats and since Indie isn't crated, the gap was a problem.
We fashioned a board with supports to fill the gap. It also allows for storage underneath - where I can keep things secure from dogs.
If we didn't have the Explorer, that would be my first choice, for space and other conveniences, but I wanted something smaller, and the Highlander fits the bill. It handles very much like the Subaru wagon I had: very responsive.
Have fun looking for your dogmobile.
Jill and gang
