I am looking at buying a new car, like a small SUV. I am comparing some features such as low clearance for dogs to jump in and out of easily, fitting multiple crates or have a large enough area for a barrier-ed off area, but a small enough SUV to have better gas mileage than a van. I love my old Caravan, but the gas mileage is a deal-breaker.
I like the Subaru Forester but there are too many windows for Southern California life, too much sun.
I would like sliding doors, but don't know of any mini-SUVs that have that.
Any suggestions out there????

I just got the Forester myself. I LOVE it! My back windows are tinted which helps. Also if you get reflective tarps for while parked at shows, this also helps. I also find the Forester a very fun car to drive as well. Plus the safety ratings made this car even more attractive. The Forester has a lot to offer at a price point that is affordable. Just my 0.02
Good luck in your search.

Yes I agree definitely look at the Subarus - I traded my Honda van in on a Subaru Outback - can fit 2 midwest SUV crates in it (granted it's a tight fit). Was able to pack everything I needed in it for Potomac and averaged 32 mpg!

If you only need to tranport 2 dogs in crates at a time, consider the Honda Element. The back windows are tinted, there is a moon roof which helps with ventilation. It's not carpeted so easy clean up when someone vomits. There is plenty of space around and on top of the crates for gear. They do have a dog package now that comes with a crate, ramp and fan for the back. I bought small fans that plug into the utility outlets to give more "air" to the guys in the back. Gas mileage isn't bad (don't know what it is exactly). If you want, they even have tent accessories, so if you want to "camp" at a show you could have room to sleep.

I have a ford Escape, and it is wonderful for us. It has the tinted windows, and rear air. We average about 26 - 28 mpg, which is great considering it is a 4x4. I am able to fit 1 36" & 1 42" crate in the back (going sideways), the 2 labs, plus gear for whatever adventure we are heading out to, and there is usually room for the husband. The height is a little bit higher than the forester, but where we live we had to look at the ground clearance.

Happy car shopping!

A friend just got a Ford Transport Connect, it is the neatest new dog vehicle I have seen in a long time. Comes in two sizes, has three doors that open wide,head room for stackable crates , or just 4 on the floor unstacked, no frills, great gas mileage, and under 25 grand !

I have had a Ford Transit for abut 8 months and like it very much. I can get 3 30 inch crates, plus a 36 inch on the floor and there is room for a second layer. I've only used that to add a puppy crate to the top. There are lots of places to attach bungee cords. You can get it as a station wagon with a rear seat, but I opted for the cargo van style, with rubber matting instead of carpeting. There are sliding doors on each side, and the back has two doors that open to the side. You can get windows in the back and side doors. I got the back windows but not the side, thinking to limit heating from windows. I do find that visibility to the right is limited and would get the side doors if I had it to do again. I have cruise control for long trips, have driven it for a Wisconsin winter, taken it off-road through a hayfield with two foot high hay and haven't been stuck yet! I get about 24 mpg in a mixture of maybe 80% highway and 20% in-town driving.

I've had a Ford Transit Connect Cargo van for a year and love it for transporting my dogs. Four 24 x 36 crates fit in the back behind the front bucket seats. I can also maneuver an additional three crates (24 x 36) on top. That is a very tight fit, however, with room for nothing else. It does work, though, for short trips, e.g. local health clinics. The biggest issue with carrying seven dogs is lifting the top three in and out of the upper crates....but it is doable. For those in warmer climates, there is only front AC, but it works very well and keeps all the doggies comfortable. I have the model with side windows and visibility is not compromised by side panels.

I like everything about mine but the mileage. The best I can get on highway trips is 22 (worse around town). I was expecting about 5mpg better than that when I bought it. Ford has updated the driving computer program twice to see if that helped, but it didn't. I drive with cruise control at 65-70 on interstates and get 30 mpg in my other vehicle with the same drive train.

I have a 2003 Forester, which I totally love! However, I can get only one 32" airline type crate in the back. It's a tight fit for my dog but the 36" is about one inch too tall. I'm considering a new Forester, which I understand to be a little larger, and would like to know if it will accommodate two crates and if so, what kind/size? Thanks!

I have a 2010 Forester Limited. I can fit an Easy Loader Dog box in the cargo area with the seats up. It's tight but it fits.
(Box dimensions 42" long, 30.75" deep, 22.5" tall)
I opt for the seats folded when I use the dog box. I am only transporting 1 dog though. I haven't tried to see how many 36" wire crates in the back.

Thanks for the info---it's a tough decision based on so many different factors. I probably won't be transporting more than two dogs at a time, so don't want a van anymore---gas is too expensive these days!
I will consider the Subaru Forester, I like it very much, but it's a big "station wagon-y" for me.
I'm also considering the new Rav4, and just blocking off the back end with a divider and let them ride loose. The newer ones have more room in back.
If anyone else has any recommendations, I would love to hear them!
Thanks all!

Does the Ford Transit come in AWD?

I'm a big fan of the Toyota RAV. Gas mileage is about 24 per gallon (woman I was with was amazed how few gas stops we made on our way to the Potomac). Seats fold down so you can fit two SUV crates side by side, with anchors to secure them in. These are the 42" crates. Back windows are tinted. Only drawback is I don't really like how the back opens, to the side rather than overhead or split like the Element. However the seats don't have to come out like they do in the Element, which is nice if you arrive somewhere and need to move crates out to transport people.(Course this means you don't have the dogs with you).

It did not when I bought mine, but I have driven it off road and in icy conditions. It is front wheel drive and handles those condition well.

I have had mine for five years. All wheel drive, easy to get in and out of, room for two dogs and gear.

Very dog friendly--low tailgate, no carpet.

MWK

I like the Element too, but most of us travel with more than two dogs. The transit connect ford , can easily carry 4 and up to 6 if stacked crates are used.

I had an older Forester, it had tinted windows to deal with the sun.

Don't know about how many dogs it will hold, cargo room was always a problem though. However, I think it is very safe in an accident, mine was totaled when a large pickup truck went through a stop sign in the country, and we only had bruises from the force of the impact against the seatbelts. Nothing inside the cabin gave way or was damaged and the airbags deployed properly. I really mean totaled, front end was all smooshed around from a side impact, including part of the driver's side door and the side panel at the back was also hit by the pickup as the Forester spun (but not flipped) around and around and landed (upright) next to a canal. I am really surprised that we weren't more hurt considering the size of that old, all metal pickup compared to the Forester and the speed the pickup was traveling at.

I just got my Ford Transit Connect a month ago and LOVE IT! I can put 4 400-size wire crates in it EASILY with plenty of room to stack equipment on top; in fact, there's technically enough vertical room to actually stack 4 MORE 400s on top of the bottom ones (but you wouldn't have any room for other gear then). Dogs don't have to jump up very high; it gets 25+ mpg and drives like a car! It's not too well insulated, though, so it might be interesting this winter and it doesn't have 4WD like many SUVs, but for the money (around $22500 in my area) it's great!

Definitely worth a look if you're in the market for a new vehicle for showing dogs at a reasonable price, though they're a bit "odd" in appearance...they do turn heads!

If you can afford it... get the Ford Escape hybrid.

I saw a Ford Transit in the parking lot at a dog show recently. The owner did something to improve the odd appearance. They had the vehicle wrapped with advertising skin that was giant enlargements of pictures of their dogs. I thought it was very cool. The rear windows had the skin wrapped over them too but with the tiny holes in the picture so that interior vision wasn't completely obliterated. No kennel/business name just giant retriever and spaniel faces.