Pet-Friendly Car

The New Dog-Friendly Car: Honda Element

On November 16, Honda will finally roll out their special Dog-Friendly edition of their Honda Element. We’ve driven our own dog around in the “non-dog-friendly” Honda Element for the past several months with some degree of success. (Pros: roomy, low to the ground for easy load-up, easy to hose down interior; Cons: the combination of windows that barely crack open and a very rumbly ride have led to more than a few bouts of upset tummy for our pup; thank goodness that one of the Pros is “easy to hose down.”)

But we’re definitely excited that manufacturers are taking the time to engineer their products to accommodate dog lovers. Neither we nor our dog, Clyde, have yet test driven the new Dog-Friendly Car, but here’s what we can expect, according to Honda’s recent press release:

Engineered to integrate with factory precision into the Element EX, the Dog Friendly equipment is intended to accommodate the secure transportation of a dog in the cargo area within a nylon-webbed car kennel. In daily operation the car kennel helps prevent a dog from interfering with the driver in traffic by keeping the pet properly restrained and out of reach of the driver. In the event of a frontal collision, the kennel is intended to help restrain the dog behind the rear seats, reducing the chance for the pet to be injured – or to injure human occupants during a crash.

The Dog-Friendly Honda Element includes the following features:

• Soft-sided cargo area car kennel made from seat belt-grade netting
• Cushioned pet bed in the cargo area with an elevated platform
• Soft floor surface for the dog’s legs and paws
• Dedicated 12V DC rear ventilation fan
• Spill-resistant water bowl
• Integrated ramp that stores underneath the bed platform, conveniently accessed when the rear tailgate is down
• Easy to clean surfaces

What We’d Like to See in a Dog-Friendly Car

That all sounds great, but we’d still like to see a few more bells, whistles and bones if we were to design our own dog-friendly dream car. Here’s what we’d like to see:

• Side window wipers, for eliminating drool streaks
• Slide out ramp that converts into an agility A-Frame for on the road practice
• Air ionizer, so the only gas in your car is the stuff you put in the tank
• Matching Velcro floor and booties to prevent slip-sliding pups
• Steering wheel-mounted controls for an automatic treat dispenser; for positive dog training on the go
• Tricked out Woofers, for Doggy Disco tailgating parties
• Mounted dispenser of eco-friendly doggy waste bags, so you’ll never have an excuse not to be a responsible pet owner
• Optional booster seat, because even little dogs like to look out the window

What fantasy features would you like to see in the ideal pet-friendly car? Use our comment form below to spitball your own brilliant ideas. Together, we’ll get Detroit back on its (four) feet in no time!