pet connection

I’ve always been a big Honda fan. The first car I ever bought was a Civic and I owned several other models since then. And of course, the Honda Element is DogCar of the Year, so what’s not to like about that?

So it was with great anticipation that I was looking forward to the arrival of the 2008 Honda CR-V to test. Another great Honda to explore — what a treat!

But my enthusiasm was quickly tempered when I saw the curvy look of the CR-V’s rear end. In the model’s redesign of the 2007, the Honda creative types sliced a good portion of the rear roof back, making the last foot or so of cargo space unusable for dog crates. The only way to properly position large crates is to remove and store the second row seats, leaving the rear area open for cargo.

For DogCar use, it’s best to have the crates in the rear, facing toward the tailgate to allow easy entry and exit, keeping as much dirt and mud as possible on the outside of vehicle. So the middle row just doesn’t cut it.

Driving the CR-V is fun for sure. It’s a nice, safe and very capable vehicle — clearly another one of Honda’s stellar products. But as a DogCar, it’s missing the critical component: a boxy rear-end.

You see, with DogCars, it’s definitely hip to be square.

Read the full review here.