Ben Madilynn
To those of us with dogs, taking our furry friends on a road trip can be fun for canine and human alike. Having a dog along makes frequent breaks from the road a necessity, and most pups enjoy the plethora of smells that come through a car’s open window. But traveling with a dog means hair on the upholstery and carpeting that can be difficult to clean. And though airbags and seat belts are designed to keep people safe, they’re not designed with pets in mind. In the summer months, leaving your dog in the car for even a few minutes can be dangerous, as the glass and sunlight work together to raise the interior temperature of your car.
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Fortunately for dogs and their people, a handful of automakers have designed their vehicles with pets in mind, equipping them with helpful features that make traveling with a dog safer and more convenient for you both. Based on those features, we’ve selected a few of the most dog-friendly cars available today.
The Tesla Model Y has Dog Mode and a large cargo area
Tesla’s electric cars include a variety of useful features, including a Dog Mode that was introduced in 2019. It allows owners to leave their pooches in a climate-controlled car while a message on the touchscreen alerts well-meaning passersby that the dogs are safe and comfortable. Owners can also monitor their pets via the onboard camera and Tesla smartphone app, and Dog Mode can be used to cool the car in hot weather or warm it in the winter. It can’t be activated, however, if the battery is at 20% or below.
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Dog Mode is activated via the climate controls on the touchscreen and turns off as soon as you start driving again. Dog Mode may not be completely reliable, though. When it first rolled out, one owner reported that Dog Mode shut off when the fan was in manual mode, although X (formerly Twitter) CEO Elon Musk responded quickly to his concern.
@elonmusk @Tesla warning about dog mode…
It’s hot as all hell in Seattle. Today I used dog mode and luckily I kept the app open, to my horror the car was 85 degrees and climbing!
Dog mode only works if in auto, if you manually set the fan and leave the AC turns off.
— Rahul Sood 🏴☠️ (@rahulsood) July 31, 2019
This past summer, a software update caused malfunctions in Tesla’s three automated climate control modes: Dog, Camp, and Keep Climate On. So, for now, it’s best to leave a human in your Tesla with your dogs to make sure they are at a safe temperature at all times. Although Dog Mode is available on all Tesla models, owners of larger dogs will probably favor the Model Y for its generous cargo area and wide hatchback opening.
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Rivian offers a similar feature to Dog Mode
Rivian understands that not all pet people are dog people and developed its pet safety software accordingly. It’s similar to Tesla’s Dog Mode, with interior climate control and a corresponding message on the touchscreen, but Rivian brands its feature as Pet Comfort and markets the software on its website with photos of a dog, a cat, and a juvenile rooster. Pet Comfort is available on the R1S electric SUV and R1T electric pickup truck and operates in much the same way as Tesla’s Dog Mode.
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When activated, the cabin motion sensor is disabled along with automatic software updates, and the set temperature is shown on the display screen. The vehicle owner gets low battery and temperature alerts via the Rivian smartphone app. Pet Comfort keeps working until the battery is fully drained, but for your pet’s protection, you can’t enable Pet Comfort if the available range of the vehicle is below 50 miles. So, make sure your Rivian is sufficiently charged before you run into the grocery store for more Scooby Snacks.
The Jeep Wrangler is a dog’s best friend
Dogs love Jeep Wranglers, and Wranglers love dogs. The doorless, topless configuration is ideal for a tethered, curious pooch with an active nose, and the Wrangler has an interior that can be hosed out to clean it of dog hair and mud tracked in via those four paws. The Wrangler is also capable of getting you to the most remote beaches, mountain trails, and dog parks, ensuring you and your pup have plenty of outdoor time together. If you want enough cargo space behind the rear seats for a dog crate, opt for a four-door model like the one shown above.
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The 2024 Wrangler will make its human happy too, with an array of engine options that include the Rubicon’s 392-cubic-inch V8 and the 4xe’s plug-in hybrid drive system. You can still get a Wrangler for as little as $31,995, which leaves you plenty of cash left over for adoption fees and gas money.
The Subaru Outback is dog-friendly on multiple levels
Subarus are as well known for their ruggedness as Jeeps, and the brand has a loyal following among its owners. The Subaru line’s dog-friendliness includes easy-clean upholstery, rubberized cargo mats, and a low rear deck on the Outback wagon. All nine trim levels of the 2025 Outback offer a generous 32.6 cubic feet of cargo space with the back seats up and a massive allocation of 75.6 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. That’s enough to fit a couple of large dog crates or Great Danes with some room to spare.
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Subaru actively markets its cars to dog owners (and dogs) with a series of commercials featuring a family of golden retrievers using the tagline, “Dog tested. Dog approved.” The company’s dog-friendliness, however, goes well beyond its vehicles.
Subaru has also shown its commitment to dog-friendliness by donating over $38 million to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and the organization’s website credits Subaru’s contribution to helping more than 134,000 animals. During the month of October, Subaru arranges pet adoption events with local animal rescue organizations and the ASPCA.
The Volvo V60 is surprisingly dog-friendly
Volvo has a more refined reputation than Jeep or Subaru, but its V60 wagon is a pretty good dog hauler. It comes standard with a power rear liftgate to make loading and unloading your pup easier on both of you. There’s a cabin air purifier for when bath time is imminent, and a dog harness to keep you both safe when the car is in motion.
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The padded polyester harness comes in four sizes and fits dogs from under 15 kilograms (about 33 pounds) to up to 60 kilograms (just over 132 pounds). It can be easily attached and detached from the rear seat belt strap, so you can use it to walk your pup when you arrive at your destination.
SlashGear’s Steven Ewing reviewed the 2023 V60 Cross Country and found it to be a fine overall performer, noting that “Volvo has always knocked it out of the park when it comes to its cars’ cabins, and the V60 Cross Country is no exception.”
