pet connection

The Ford Explorer may be an overlooked old warrior in an age of increasing interest in more fuel-efficient vehicles. But when it comes to hauling people, gear and a pair of large dogs in comfort and style, it still has a lot to offer.

The Eddie Bauer Edition Explorer I test-drove was as deluxe as they come, with a sticker price to match: $43,000. But unless your dogs insist on watching “101 Dalmatians” on the high-end model’s second-row DVD player, you can find Explorer models starting under $30,000.

I put the Explorer to the ultimate dogmobile test: Two days at dog shows and a day of field training. This meant nearly 400 miles of hauling two retrievers and our competition gear on the highway, down country roads and across a few hundred acres of ranch land. The Explorer took it all comfortably in stride, whether in overdrive or four-wheel drive.

The cargo area was versatile, with seats that folded into assorted configurations to accommodate two dog crates and all the gear that goes with any kind of dog sport. Perfectly positioned cargo anchors allowed me to tie down the crates for added safety.

The Explorer also has one of my favorite dog-friendly features: a split rear door with a glass panel that flips up separately. This feature is essential for keeping the cargo area well-ventilated on cool days when it’s safe to leave the dogs in the vehicle for a while.

Struggling Ford is betting the farm on its more fuel-efficient vehicles, including its smaller SUV, the Ford Escape. I drove the Escape’s hybrid-drive cousin, the Mercury Mariner. And although I loved the fuel economy (and that two-piece rear door), I didn’t think it stacked up well for hauling dogs. The cargo space was too narrow for crates, and the rear seats were awkward to configure.

While a large SUV has never made much sense for a single-occupancy commuting, these vehicles still have a place. Like others in its class, the Explorer truly comes into its own when the terrain is variable and the load is a big one that must be moved in comfort.

Remember: I don’t get into reviewing things you can easily find elsewhere: Reliability information, fuel economy, features that don’t apply to dogs (my joke on the DVD player notwithstanding). I’m just looking at them as dogmobiles.

Next up: The Honda Element! This week I’m driving: The Suzuki Grand Vitara.