See all undefinedDog is a man's best friend, so the saying goes, and there's no doubt that a dog is treated like part of the family by owners, yet cars don't seem very well designed for dogs in general. Nissan recently revealed its X-Trail '4Dogs' concept to show what could be done to make a dog's life easier when travelling in the car and it got us thinking. Are there cars for sale in the Carzone.ie database that are perfectly suited to carrying a dog or two, with little or no modification? This is what we came up with, all started by using the keyword search facility within the used car listings and simply searching for "dog".
1 - Kia Sportage
Year: 2007
List price: €4,499
Owners: 3
Mileage: 189,903km
Engine: 2.0 diesel
Location: Dublin
We'll start with the cheapest to buy and work our way up. Clearly a large boot is a priority here, but also one that lets in plenty of light for the dog or dogs sitting back there. This 2007 Kia Sportage ticks all the boxes and is inexpensive to buy. Sure, it has pretty high mileage, but its 2.0-litre diesel engine is perfectly capable of a lot more. This generation of the Sportage had a no-nonsense cabin made from sturdy plastics so you won't be worried if Fido gets into the front every now and then. For safety, though, there is a dog guard in the back.
2 - Ford Mondeo Estate
Year: 2010
List price: €7,250
Owners: 2
Mileage: 160,130km
Engine: 1.8 diesel
Location: Donegal
Here's a huge amount of car for your money. The Ford Mondeo Estate is a vast vehicle with a cavernous boot so it would suit those that have a couple of big dogs to take out walking regularly. This example has a perfectly acceptable 160,130 kilometres on the clock and an NCT until October 2018 so it shouldn't need much in the way of unexpected maintenance. Road tax is relatively low too at €390 a year and it even comes with a few toys like dual-zone climate control to keep you and your 'best friend' comfortable.
3 - BMW 5 Series Touring
Year: 2008
List price: €9,250
Owners: 2
Mileage: 209,166km
Engine: 2.0 diesel
Location: Dublin
Now, this example of BMW's classy looking estate does have high mileage, but we chose it for two reasons. The first is to highlight the importance of service history and condition over and above recorded mileage, as this car comes with a full BMW service history. That's very reassuring, as is the fact that, for a nine-year-old car, it has had just two owners, which suggests that it has been largely trouble free and pleasant to own. It's still an elegant looking thing, too. The second reason we chose it is that it comes with a dog separator in the boot and the glass section of the rear hatch can be opened separately. Useful.
4 - Range Rover
Year: 2005
List price: €13,950
Owners: 2
Mileage: 207,605km
Engine: 4.4 petrol
Location: Dublin
Clearly a Range Rover isn't the most sensible in terms of running costs, especially an older model like this 2005 example, powered by a whacking big 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine… Nonetheless, the Range Rover is massive inside, with a beautifully carpeted boot - you'll be jealous of your dog curling up there in comfort. What's more, there's a dog protector included with this car and, let's face it, a pair of well-groomed pedigrees suit the Range Rover image to a tee, don't they?
5 - Skoda Yeti
Year: 2014
List price: €21,250
Owners: 2
Mileage: 35,999km
Engine: 2.0 diesel
Location: Galway
Our last car in the list is probably our favourite, in truth, as the Skoda Yeti is a brilliant crossover in any guise. This 2014 example looks like new, has very low mileage and a full Skoda service history. It's the Outdoor version, with chunkier body styling that looks like it can tackle serious off-roading on your way to walking the dog. It doesn't, however, have four-wheel drive, so perhaps leave the really rough stuff to your wellington boots and the dog's paws… Speaking of which, this car also has a dog guard, so it's ready to go.