The initial generation of the xB was styled after a Japanese model. The second generation was introduced in 2008 and was geared more for the American consumer - a little bit bigger and with a little more power. You can read more about the xB in a previous review we did a few months ago.

The xA only lasted one generation with one body style - a 4 door hatchback.  After the 2004 model introduction, the 2006 did receive a bit of a facelift in its last year of production, but it was essentially the same vehicle with slightly different features.  Unfortunately, we at CarGoDogs.com did not get a chance to measure and review the vehicle before it was discontinued.  It is unlikely that it would fit a large number of big dogs, but we'd love to hear from anyone who uses one for their dog travels.

Onward for Scion... In 2005, Scion came out with a more traditional vehicle, the tC coupe.  It was stylish, yet affordable with many optional features.  The tC seats 5 and has a versatile hatchback trunk but it is not generally what one would use as a dogmobile. You could probably use the fold-down back seat feature to utilize the area for dogs, but it surely would take some ingenuity to customize the space for safe travel.

The removal of the xA made way for the newest model in the Scion lineup: The xD.  Introduced in 2008, this entry level vehicle is typical of all Scions with many standard features including a remote keyless entry, air-conditioning, cruise control, airbags, etc. There are oodles of extras to be had either from Scion or other aftermarket companies.  Unfortunately, they're mostly for cosmetics and less for functionality and none of them helps with traveling with our pets.

When we visited the Scion dealership, we were able to look closely at a 2009 xD. The xD has a maximum cargo capacity of 36 cubic feet.  It is bigger than the 26 cu.ft. cargo space of the 2009 Toyota Yaris but this is pretty small compared to the cavernous 2009 Honda Fit at 57 cu.ft, the 2009 Toyota Matrix at 48 cu.ft or the new Kia Soul at 53 cu.ft.  However, the price is also a bit less, with prices starting from $14,650. The xD's standard safety features include antilock brakes, front and full side curtain airbags.  The xD also received an Edmund's award as one of the Top Consumer Rated vehicles in 2008 & 2009, scoring 9.3 on a scale of 1 to 10, so consumers are really enjoying this vehicle.

Some of the positive features of the xD are 60/40 rear seats, a cargo area that folds flat, cargo tie-downs and rear windows that open which would be helpful for ventilation if one were to crate dogs in the car.  Note that there is about a 3" lip at the rear cargo area, so crate doors would need to be elevated above that point to open.  (The Honda Fit also has a "lip" in the cargo area.)

As a dog car, it seems one could make an xD work for small dogs but it probably wouldn't be a first choice for those with medium to large dogs. The Kia Soul, Honda Fit or Toyota Matrix might be better options simply due to the larger cargo space.

According to Reuters, the car will come with a built-in water bowl, fan, and a ramp, as well as easy-wash seat covers.  Sounds lovely, but all of these things can easily be accomodated in any car, so this sounds a little like a gimmick to me.  My definition of a good dog car includes things that can't easily be changed about a car, such as the ability to house large crates, and good ventilation.  The Honda Element already has those things, so the rest is just icing on the crate. 

The Honda web site lists the Dog Friendly Element as a concept car coming in Fall 2009.

In the meantime, if you'd like to have a ramp, dog seatbelt, fan or easy wash seat covers, visit the CarGoDogs Store.  That kind of stuff is out there for cars of just about any size or shape.

See also the CarGoDogs review of the Honda Element.

Sponsored by Toyota, you'll have to watch a commercial before getting to the meat of the matter.  Except, well, there's not much meat there, just a few short segments about relatively obvious options, such as cargo barriers and seat covers.  Seat covers?  Jeesh.  Tell us something we don't know! 

I was very taken with this vehicle when I started to car shop around 2006.  The price was reasonable and being from the Toyota family, there was an image of quality and reliability.  It was a hit with the younger set, it's target market, partly due to the ability to customize each vehicle with a myriad of accessories. 

Consumer Reports has this summary of the 2008 remodeled xB: "The redesigned xB is wider and longer. The new 2.4-liter four-cylinder has more power, but worse fuel economy. The ride has improved and handling is responsive. The gauges are still centered on the dash. The rear seat is enormous and the cargo area is large. Visibility is impaired by low windows and thick roof pillars. Curtain air bags and ESC are standard." 

Road test results were good, the vehicle is reported to have good reliability and consumers are very fond of their vehicles.  So, there are a few compromises, but all around, the xB appears to be a good option when looking for your next dogmobile. You won't be able to fit as much as the medium or large size SUV's but as a compact SUV, it's about the best in its class.  For the economical price and functional extras, one can't complain too loudly.

These days people aren't talking much about large vehicles; the buzz is all about the Honda Fit-type cars and just about anything else that gets better than 30 mpg.  But let's face it, dog people often travel with more dogs than will fit in a Fit.  Sometimes you just have to have more room to get you and your pack from point A to point B.

Enter the Ford Flex.  The Flex doesn't look like any other car out there. It's somewhat reminiscent of an oversize station wagon, and certainly doesn't look like an SUV or a mini-van.  Could it be there's a vehicle out there that doesn't have the social stigma of a minivan, but with a better carbon footprint (relatively speaking) than an Expedition or Navigator?

Since the Flex will be directly compared with both the SUVs and minivans, we wanted to give you two viewpoints.  Kim is more of an SUV-type and wouldn't be caught dead in a mini-van.  I'm a mini-van kind of gal.  I'm a practical person, and I've never worried too much about "image" when it comes to choosing my ride.  So will the desires and needs of both sides of the fence culminate in the Ford Flex? 

Cindy: I had to laugh when I read Dan Neil's rave review of the Ford Flex. When talking about the 83 cubic feet of cargo space he said "it's a pity children aren't cube-shaped."  Our dogs may not be cube-shaped, the the crates we carry them in certainly are, so I figured that boded well for the dog-worthiness of the Flex. Still I can fit two 400 crates behind the second row seats of our Toyota Sienna.  How does the Flex compare?

First stop is the width between the wheel wells, typically the narrowest part of the cargo space in any vehicle.  The Flex measures 40.5".  Say what???  There won't be any 400 crates sitting side by side in that space. Heck, the smallest minivan on the market, the Mazda5, measures the exact same between the wheel wells.  What's that about?   So I'll call it closer to an SUV than a minivan in terms of usable space, since it won't accommodate two side by side crates wider than 20". 

Kim: I know a minivan probably has more cargo space than an SUV, but there is just something so un-sexy about that "Soccer Mom" image. SUV's have a "cool" persona in my mind, and bring out that bit of rebel in all of us with the thought that one could go off-roading if one really wanted to. (Ok, it'll never happen, but it's the idea that counts!) 

Now the Flex is definitely sexy. There are so many cool options and features available with a Flex that one feels a sense of luxury in a utility vehicle. And the cube-shape? Way cool. Still, the 40.5" dimension between the wheel wells is a bit of a bummer. Even the special SUV crates are 21" wide so two won't fit side-by-side. There is ample height to add a riser and fortunately the seats fold flat, but one would need to srategically plan the space. In my mind, if there is a will there is a way and if I were interested in purchasing the Flex, I'd do what I could to fully utilize that cargo space and not let it be a deal-breaker.

Cindy:  My next concern would be safety.  SUV's might be sexy, but they also can struggle to stay upright.  However, in this area, the Ford Flex seems more mini-van-like   Not only did the Ford Flex earn five-star frontal- and side-impact crashworthiness ratings, the highest possible scores, in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests, it also scored four-star rollover ratings for both the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions.    

So, let's compare and contrast.  The Toyota Sienna gets a 4-star rollover rating with a 15-16% chance of rollover in a single vehicle crash, and the Ford Flex also gets a 4-star rating with a 16% chance of rollover.  A Ford Explorer, on the other hand has a 23% chance of rollover in a single vehicle crash, and a 3 star rating.  Where it really counts, it looks like the Flex is closer to a mini-van than an SUV.

Kim: I agree that a minivan is probably safer than an SUV, especially the smaller utes like my Mariner.  I'm very careful about not overloading the roof rack and making it even more top-heavy. It is good to know that the Flex has good safety ratings. The standard Reverse Sensing System is also helpful if windows are blocked by crates or gear. I've appreciated having it in my vehicle. The mileage of the Flex is pretty good for a medium-sized SUV (17/24) but I'm spoiled with a hybrid, so it's all relative.

Cindy:  I wish there were a few more ventilation options.  We were quite excited about the "Vista Roof" option, which consists of four skylights covering all three rows of passenger seating.  It's not that we think the dogs want the sun shining on them...but rather, we thought the skylights give us one more way to increase airflow in a closed car.  Unfortunately, only the moonroof over the first row opens.  At least they all come with sun shades!  There's no rear opening window in the hatch, which is a darn shame, and similar to many mini-vans, only the windows at the front and second row seats open.

Kim: I know!!  The flip-up window in the rear of several other Ford SUV's is such a helpful feature, I'm surprised the Flex doesn't offer it. Or at the very least, have the whole Vista Roof open. It's almost a deal-breaker for me, since I end up doing so much crating in the car. Heck, even the Honda Element has a rear moonroof that opens, even if it is only offered as a manual operation. At least the Flex has tinted privacy glass towards the back of the vehicle, which would help a bit with hotter temperatures. There are also several outlet points so one could plug in fans for more ventilation.

I don't know why car manufacturers don't just ask US what we want in a vehicle!? Don't they know that the dog-owning public offers a huge marketing opportunity? True, for most of us, vehicle purchases are few and far between, but all the more reason to give us what we desire and woo us from the competition. 

Cindy: The car manufacturers must assume that since a vehicle is well air conditioned, there's no need for ventilation when it's standing still. But for those of us with dogs, it's a BIG deal if we can't keep the car cool when we need to leave our dogs inside. 

As Kim has already mentioned, tricked out, the Ford Flex can seem downright luxurious.  Among the available options is the refrigerated console.  (Forget the cold drinks.  Since our dogs eat a raw diet, I'm imagining filling it with chicken.)  The many storage spaces could definitely com in handy, too.  Then there's the navigation system, the audio system and the DVD entertainment system.  Okay, so those items aren't dog-related, but the people need to enjoy the ride as well!

Kim: I was able to test drive the Flex and I liked it very much.  I think it is a good possibility as a dog car and as an everyday vehicle for those who really need the room. But I'm still left feeling that a few key features are just a tad lacking to say it's a true dog car. Give me the flip up window in the rear hatch, more width between the wheel wells and a Vista Roof that fully opens. Oh, and let's not forget the keypad entry. That little feature is one of my absolute favorites and has saved me many times with dogs in and out of the vehicle!

Cindy: So there you have it. We both really liked the Flex. But if I was in the market for a new car, I'd probably stick with a minivan, though I can't say I wouldn't be tempted! But judging from Kim's reaction, if you're an SUV-lover who wants a bit better gas mileage, the Flex might be the car for you.