pet connection

Our DogCars.com site started for a single reason: I wanted to buy a new vehicle.  I started reviewing new vans, wagons and SUVs from a dog-lover’s point of view, posting the reviews into this blog.

Before too long, we had a lot of reviews and no real way for people to find them. So we started our DogCars.com Web site. Two years ago, we thought it would be fun to celebrate our top cars in a variety of categories, so we started the DogCars.com Best In Show DogCar of the Year award, choosing the Honda Element as our first winner and the Dodge Grand Caravan as our second.

And we kept reviewing as many vehicles as we could get our hands on, although Kim and Keith do most of the driving and writing now.

We got a lot of attention for our efforts, and sparked some change. Car-makers realized that they were missing a part of the market with special needs, and started to pitch to pet-owners. Honda, Toyota and Volvo did more than pitch: They put together special features into some of their models to appeal to dog-owners.

We’re pretty proud of those accomplisments, and of helping people find out more about how to travel with their dogs in safety and comfort.

A few weeks ago, the folks at Autobytel.com asked us to partner with them to suggest the top vehicles for dog-lovers, for their MyRide.com Web site. Keith pulled all the information together from the reviews Kim and I wrote, and from Dr. Becker’s advice on safe and comfortable travel, and the team at  MyRide.com did the rest.

Here’s the article. We’re pretty happy with how it turned out.

And no, I still haven’t been able to decide on a new car. But I’m going to have to, soon, because my 1998 Plymouth Voyager isn’t going to hang on forever!

The new “Cash For Clunkers” program is creating quite a stir in auto dealerships across the nation, as many people realize that incentives like this don’t come around very often in the auto industry.

The “Cash for Clunkers” program, initiated by the federal government as a part of the stimulus packages for the auto folks, allows customers to trade in their current gas-guzzling vehicle and get credit for buying or leasing a new one that gets better mileage.

Of course there are several caveats to the plan –  such as your car must be no older the 25 years old, and it must get less than 18 mpg in fuel economy. But if you do qualify, the deal is pretty attractive: You get a credit (sorry, despite its name, no cash is provided) toward the trade-in value of your clunker for a new vehicle that gets four mpg ($3,500 credit) or 10 mpg ($4,500) better than your beast.

The program is funded by a $1 billion federal grant, and when it’s gone, so is the deal. That’s why many DogCar owners are wagging their tails. Because lots of us have been driving gas-guzzlers just to accommodate our canine crates and barriers. Now we can take a good look at what’s out there in the new car market and see what DogCars would fit those “Cash for Clunkers” guidelines.

Over on our sister site DogCars.com, reviewer Kim Campbell-Thornton just offered up a critique of the 2009 Mazda5, which she says “looks like a minivan that shrank in the wash.”

The Mazda5 gets up to 22/27 mpg in city/highway driving, which certainly is an improvement over the 12 mpg that old minivan in your driveway is getting. And the Mazda5’s price starts at just over $18,000 (although Kim tested the Grand Touring edition that sells for $23,425).

OK, it may be efficient and economical, but is it DogCar worthy? We’ll let you track the answer to that over on DogCars.com.

But here’s a hint: They don’t call it the Mazda5 for nothing.

Update 4: Click on the image to jump over to “Good Morning America” and view the segment:

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Not really a surprise consider that we also run DogCars.com — thanks to Kim and Keith! — we have a more than passing interest in getting people to take their pets with them when they hit the road, and do it safely.

Seems everyone’s pretty interested in that now, especially car companies, who have figured out that pet-lovers are worth chasing. Point of fact: We caught Honda completely unaware in 2007 when we named their Element the first DogCars.com Best In Show DogCar of the Year.

Didn’t take them long to see the opportunity, though, and they’ve  recently released a special Element with a package of dog-friendly options. Toyota jumped on it, too, aiming the Venza at dog-lovers.

Toyota and Honda: You’re welcome!

It’s not just the car companies, though: The after-market accessory folks are hot on the trail of canine travelers, too.

Our Dr. Marty Becker broke  it all down this morning, with a “Good Morning America” segment on dog-friendly cars and all the latest in canine travel accessories. Check it out!

While some other automakers are grabbing all the headlines with their financial issues, Mazda has quietly been busy producing vehicles for drivers who like to hit the road with their beloved four-legged family members.

Recently, DogCars.com reviewer Kim Campbell-Thornton was given the opportunity to test drive two of Mazda’s newest models: The 2010 Mazda 3i and 2009 Mazda 6 Grand Touring editions. While neither of the sedans proved to be entirely dog friendly for large breeds or multiple dog families, they each sported similar qualities that gave Kim a reason to smile.

Mazda calls it “Zoom Zoom Zoom.”

Check out Kim’s insightful reviews on these two Mazda models — along with many others — on DogCars.com.

In an effort to keep the dog-loving world up to date with how today’s vehicles rate as potential canine carriers, the reviewers at our DogCars.com Web site have been busy testing some of today’s top automotive products with an eye toward how they meet the needs of our four-legged family members.

Most recently, we tested a trio of new Toyota models: the all-new Venza, redesigned RAV4 and the fourth generation 4Runner.

The Venza was introduced earlier this year as a true DogCar because Toyota is offering a host of accessories that are designed to keep your pups safe and comfortable while traveling in the crossover wagon. Popular pet products manufacturers Kurgo and Solvit have signed on to outfit the Venza with harnesses, booster seats, barriers and even a ramp that can all be ordered and installed through the dealer.

While the RAV4 and the 4Runner are veterans in the Toyota lineup, each has gone through a series of redesigns that make them better now than ever before for dog-loving travelers.

For complete reviews of these and many other vehicles from a dog-owner’s perspective, visit DogCars.com.