Road Tests: Long-Term Test

As the owner of a big, black Labrador retriever, Senior Road Test Editor Neil Dunlop is always concerned that Cooper, the dog, won't be happy in the various press vehicles Neil drives. It's a bone of contention (pun intended) among Neil, Cooper and many automakers that dogs and dog owners are largely ignored during vehicle design consideration. So far, only a few automakers offer pet accessories for their vehicles. In all other instances, you're on your own.

As much as Neil and Cooper relish the thought of zipping along in a Porsche Boxster with their ears flapping in the wind, we at Edmunds feel an SUV or a wagon is the best choice. To this end, not all so-called utility vehicles are the same when it comes to providing adequate accommodations for the dawg. Some are too cramped (a third-row seat will do that), others too high for the dog to jump into, and many too fancy to consider soiling with sodden fur and swamp-soaked paws.

Since Neil has our long-term Nissan Xterra at home in Toronto, he has been using it regularly to ferry Cooper from nature trail to vet to pet salon to his buddy Calvin's. So far, so good. The Xterra provides a rather large cargo area in which Cooper can turn around fully, stand, lay down or sit. It's only 32 inches from the ground to the cargo floor -- a distance that Neil says Cooper can easily jump, even at 100 pounds.

The jump is made even easier thanks to the Xterra's liftgate. Vehicles with tailgates can be problematic. Neil says that dogs don't have great depth perception (you can learn a lot by watching the Discovery Channel), so a relatively thin tailgate is often hard to see and therefore the cause of some paw-banging yelps. Also, a tailgate is often made of hard plastic which is slippery and susceptible to scratching by dog nails.

The Xterra's second-row seat backs are fairly high, ensuring that Cooper is well contained. This is crucial, because in the event of a panic stop or crash, you do not want your 100-pound Lab launched forward into the back of your head. Not only will this hamper his ability to play fetch, but also your ability to join him (since you'll both likely be in the big doggy park in the sky). Also, it prevents him from licking the second-row passengers so much. A fact which makes everyone grateful, since a face full of Cooper slobber is like being painted with a mop soaked in lamb and rice stew. Aftermarket cargo cages are available to separate the dog from the passenger area, but the high seat back seems to do the trick.

Both dog and owner are pretty happy with the Xterra. With warmer weather around the corner, the only accessory Neil would like to get is a rubber tray (as is standard in the Subaru Outback) for the cargo area. Cooper is very fond of swimming (he once followed Neil and his pals about 3 miles while they fished -- he wouldn't get in the boat, but merely swam abreast and scared off all the fish), so he's a wet, messy load. Right now, an old blanket keeps him from soiling the cargo floor too badly.

For his part, Cooper wishes the head rests tasted more like chicken.

The only driving shortcoming Neil and Cooper have noticed with the Xterra is that it has been skittish in the snow. Even with four-wheel-drive high selected, the Xterra has a propensity to slip and slide on the white stuff. However, this is likely more of an issue with the general-use Southern California-style SUV tires we have mounted on the Xterra (we never expected it to be in the Great White North) than an inherent lack of winter driving ability. Neil says the Xterra performed admirably over a rutted two track into a remote back-country camp, so he's more inclined to blame the tires. We agree.

Current Odometer: 29, 744
Best Fuel Economy: 16.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.8 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 15.8 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None