The top 10 best cars for dogs and dog owners

Plenty of cars have no problem keeping people safe and comfy on long journeys – but what about motors that do the same for the family pet? Thankfully, there is a suite of options available in the UK for dog-owning drivers, complete with large boot openings, low load lips and an array of storage options to make it easier for your pooch to come with you on road trips. Keep reading for our guide on the best dog-friendly cars on sale right now.

1.) Skoda Superb Estate

The Skoda Superb Estate truly lives up to its name when it comes to canine carrying. Its huge 660-litre boot means even the biggest dog breeds shouldn’t be left wanting for space, and the large opening and low load lip means mutts shouldn’t have an issue jumping in and out. Plus, the boot has handy touches that make it even more versatile, such as a pair of side cubbies you can store smaller items like dog leads in.

All that boot space hasn’t come at the expense of passenger room either, as there’s plenty of leg and headroom in the front and back seats. The Skoda Superb Estate’s soft suspension makes it very comfy over bumps, too, though it also means there’s quite a bit of body lean when cornering, so it’s best not to be too aggressive with the steering when you have Fido in the back.

2.) Peugeot Rifter

While the van-derived Peugeot Rifter isn’t exactly the most desirable car on the roads, it’s right up there as one of the best for dog owners. With a huge 775-litre boot, its massive opening and the lack of any load lip whatsoever, it’s perfect for owners of massive mutts, and the abundance of storage spots means there’s plenty of space for your assortment of dog walking paraphernalia, too.

If there’s a fly in the Peugeot Rifter’s ointment, it’s that it can’t quite hide its commercial vehicle origins when you’re out on the open road: the Peugeot’s boxy shape means there’s lots of wind noise at motorway speeds, and (even though it leans quite a bit in the corners) the Rifter’s ride can be quite bumpy when you drive over rougher surfaces or potholes.

3.) Ford Focus Estate

The Ford Focus Estate is proof you don’t need a massive car in order to keep your dogs comfy on road trips. While its boot isn’t the largest in this lineup, it’s still pretty big at 608 litres, and the adjustable boot floor means you can sacrifice a small amount of cargo capacity to completely remove the boot’s load lip and to have somewhere to store the car’s parcel shelf.

Being a Ford Focus, it’s also a fun car to drive; striking a great balance between being agile and responsive, and comfy and cosseting. However, if the Ford Focus Estate is the car for you, we reckon you should avoid the less powerful engine options, as they don’t quite have enough punch to get the car up to speed when it’s fully loaded.

4.) Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

If you’d prefer your pooch to be ferried about in something more premium and upmarket, you can do worse than consider a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate. With its 640-litre boot, there’s no worries whatsoever when ensuring your canine companion is comfortable on long journeys. The completely flat load bay means getting your dogs in and out is nice and straightforward, and it’s made even easier on models fitted with the air suspension system that can lower the E-Class’ ride height.

The car’s comfy ride, the pulling power of the engines and the smooth automatic gearbox make the E-Class Estate a relaxing car to drive, too, though the less potent diesels do admittedly take a while to get the Mercedes up to speed when it’s loaded with gear.

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5.) Land Rover Discovery Sport

With all seven seats in place, the Land Rover Discovery Sport has really poor credentials as a dog-friendly car. However, it becomes much more impressive once you fold the two tiny rear chairs down: in this configuration, the load bay swells from 157 litres to a massive 754 litres, and the Land Rover’s large boot opening, flat load area and boxy dimensions make it even more adept as a canine carrier.

While there aren’t any additional storage spots, the Discovery Sport’s boot can be further optimised for your dog with an array of pet accessories. These range from quilted floor liners and luggage partitions that stop your pooch from leaping into the passenger cabin, to access ramps and even a portable shower you can use to wash your pet after it’s had a few adventures through muddy puddles.

6.) Toyota Corolla Touring Sports

When it comes to carrying your pets about in an eco-friendly way, there are worse ways to do it than in the new Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. While it isn’t as spacious as some similarly-sized estates, the Toyota’s 581-litre boot is still plenty big for carrying dogs about — which is impressive when you consider the hybrid-only Corolla’s battery packs are mounted underneath the boot floor.

Disappointingly, there aren’t many additional storage spots in the boot you can stow smaller dog items in, though the Touring Sports’ boot does have one handy feature: its adjustable floor is reversible and has a rubber lining on its second side, which is easier to wipe down and keep clean than the carpeted surface on the other side.

7.) BMW 5 Series Touring

If the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate mentioned above doesn’t quite tick the right premium pooch-hauling boxes for you, one alternative you can consider is the BMW 5 Series Touring. Like the Merc, the BMW is comfy and lavishly trimmed inside, making it a great long-distance car, and the boxy shape of the 5 Series Touring’s 570-litre boot means even larger dogs shouldn’t feel uncomfortable in the back.

The flat load bay that’s flush with the low load lip is an added bonus, and all cars come with a retractable luggage net that means you don’t need to install a partition accessory to keep your dog out of the passenger cabin. The car’s smooth ride helps keep your pet comfy on long journeys, too, though the stiffer suspension on M Sport models means this spec of 5 Series Touring is a bit bumpier over rougher roads than cars with the standard suspension.

8.) Skoda Fabia Estate

The Skoda Fabia Estate may be based on a supermini hatchback, but that doesn’t mean it’s no good at carrying dogs about. Thanks to its 530-litre boot, not only is the Skoda one of the most spacious estates of its size, but it also has a boot capacity that rivals many cars from the class above. And, while there is a bit of a load lip to contend with, it isn’t big enough to make it tricky for dogs to get in and out, and it is redeemed by the pair of side storage units you can put your dog walking kit in. The Skoda’s soft suspension means your dog shouldn’t get car sick in the back of the Fabia Estate, though it’s worth mentioning larger bumps can unsettle the car a bit and the available engines aren’t what you’d call powerful (even the most potent option only has 110hp to play with).

9.) Volvo V60

Volvo has a long history of making spacious estate cars, so it’s perhaps no surprise the Swedish brand has made it onto this list with its V60 model. While not the most spacious estate it makes (that accolade belongs to its range-topping V90) the Volvo V60 nevertheless has a pretty cavernous 529-litre boot, and it’s a handily versatile space thanks to its boxy dimensions, low floor and the completely flat load area that means dogs of most shapes and sizes shouldn’t have too much difficulty jumping in and out of the Volvo.

All Volvo V60s also come as standard with a 12v power socket in the boot, which you can use to power a small hoover that can suck up all the dog hairs that will inevitably smother the inside of the Volvo’s cargo bay.

10.) Audi RS4 Avant

Powerful cars don’t tend to be the best dog-friendly vehicles, though the Audi RS4 Avant is proof you can have performance and practicality in the same package. When you’re not making the most of the car’s 450hp twin-turbo V6 and permanent all-wheel drive system on a race track or a twisty road, the Audi RS4 Avant is a pleasant car to pootle about in. Better still, the boot is more than accommodating enough for your furry friend to join you: the 505-litre boot is one of the biggest you’ll find in any performance estate of this size, and is made even more usable by the wide boot opening and the lack of any load lip. Of course, being a sporty model, the Audi RS4 Avant can be a bit bumpy and jittery over rougher roads, and you do pay a literal price for the high-performance hardware fitted to the Audi RS4 Avant.