Green Prius is surprisingly dog friendly
By Keith Turner
December 10, 2009
![2010_Prius[1]highres](http://www.petconnection.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/2010_Prius1highres.JPG)
It’s probably just a coincidence that in the same week that global leaders are convening in Copenhagen for the world climate summit, Kim Campbell Thornton, auto reviewer for PetConnection littermate DogCars.com, has completed a week’s test ride in one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles on the market: the 2010 Toyota Prius.
Up to this point, the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius hadn’t been seriously considered as a potential DogCar because its design didn’t fit the typical layout that we look for in a canine carrier. Most DogCars, we surmised, need to have rear portions that are squared-off – not sloping – in order to adequately handle canine crates and dog beds. So the Prius’ long, sloping hatchback was quickly ruled out as a possible DogCar contender because it appears to take away valuable crate space.
However, during her weeklong test drive of the newly redesigned, 2010 Prius, Kim came away pleasantly surprised at the deceptively spacious interior of the highly-popular, four-door hatchback sedan.
I had my doubts about the Prius as a dog car, but like the magical Weasley tent in the Harry Potter series, it has a more spacious interior than its compact appearance suggests.
Kim put the Prius through the test and while she isn’t ready to claim it as the perfect DogCar, she did find it to be more canine friendly than its main hybrid competition, the Honda Insight.
And best of all, she liked not going to the gas station as often as other DogCars. The Prius averages around 50 mpg in both city and highway driving. It is also classified as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) and, according to Toyota, the Prius:
“. . . is built using processes that reduce emissions in every stage of the vehicle lifecycle, from production and driving, through to eventual disposal and dismantling years down the road.”
That’s news that would even please the Copenhagen crowd.
Read Kim’s full review of the Prius here, and the rest of our vehicle reviews at DogCars.com.
A 2010 Prius rates 4 paws as a dog car while the VW Jetta Sportwagen gets only 3 paws? I would reverse these ratings.
I’m sure the 2010 Prius will suffice as a dog car for some dog owners and is worthy of consideration.
We looked at the Prius and ruled it out as a suitable dog car for our needs because it doesn’t have room for a large dog crate. We bought a Jetta Sportwagen diesel instead, which is a better dog car IMHO. Not quite 50 mpg like a Prius, but 42 mpg (what we have averaged for the past 3000 miles) isn’t anything to sneeze at.
I told the sales guy that I’ll be back if Toyota makes a wagon version of the Prius.
Comment by LauraS — December 10, 2009 @ 1:47 pm
Meanwhile, I’m waiting for a hybrid version of the Element.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 2:05 pm
Weasley? Please.
Tardis.
Comment by Dr. Tony Johnson — December 10, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
A former teammate returned from active duty in Iraq and bought a Prius. He was Making A Point.
It was totally unsatisfactory as a dog car — simply could not accommodate a single large crate in any configuration. Pretty crummy on general cargo handling, too.
I’ve stayed away from hybrids because they do not offer an advantage for the long-distance highway driving that puts most of the miles on my vehicles.
My beloved Toyota van, Emo, was called The Tardis by the team. I’m w/ Dr. Tony on this.
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 10, 2009 @ 2:17 pm
TARDIS!
I should have known!
:::whistling the “Dr Who” theme::::
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 10, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
Keith says he has a friend with two large dogs who drives with them all over NorCal, so go figure. A lot of it depends on what your needs are as a dog owner. For me, it was good for running them around town, but I wouldn’t take it on a road trip.
Comment by Kim Thornton — December 10, 2009 @ 2:40 pm
Oh great. Thanks, Gina. Now I’ve got the Dr. Who theme stuck in my head.
Comment by David S. Greene — December 10, 2009 @ 4:28 pm
When does Dr. Who start up again?
Comment by Kim Thornton — December 10, 2009 @ 6:56 pm
Saturday the 19th — the last of the Tennant installments!
Comment by H. Houlahan — December 10, 2009 @ 7:16 pm
Yes, a hybrid Element.
Comment by Martha M. — December 10, 2009 @ 7:25 pm