9 Best SUVs for Dog Owners (Large Breeds)

A 90-pound Labrador and a 45-pound border collie need very different amounts of cargo room. Add a second large dog, a crate, and a week’s worth of gear, and most compact SUVs run out of space fast.

One measurement matters more than any spec sheet number: wheel-well-to-wheel-well width. That’s the actual usable space between the rear wheel humps, and it determines whether two crates fit side by side or you’re stuck stacking one dog behind the other.

To keep these numbers grounded, I’ll reference them against a crate a lot of large-breed owners already own: the Gunner G1 Kennel, Large size, which runs 40.25 inches long, 21 inches wide, and 34.5 inches tall — a useful yardstick for whether a cargo area is actually big enough or just looks that way on paper.

Ford Explorer

The Explorer measures 50 inches wheel-well to wheel-well, among the widest of any mainstream three-row SUV. That’s enough room for two mid-size crates side by side without forcing either dog into an awkward angle.

Quick specs:

Door width: 47 in
Trunk trim to second row: 50.5 in
Trunk trim to center console: 86.5 in

Owners on Explorer forums consistently recommend a rubberized liner over the factory carpet — the OEM cargo mat works. Still, multiple owners mention adding a Husky or Canvasback liner on top for dogs that shed heavily or ride muddy.

One owner with a 70-pound Aussie/Beagle mix said they’d given up half the second row permanently to a memory-foam dog bed rather than fight for cargo space every trip.

At 50.5 inches deep and 50 inches wide, there’s easily enough room for a Large Gunner with a second crate next to it.

Chevrolet Suburban

If you own two Great Danes or a household with several large dogs, the Suburban is close to overkill in the best way. The trunk-trim-to-second-row measurement runs 72 inches, and cargo-to-third-row space is 34 inches — both dramatically larger than anything else on this list.

This is the SUV forum commenters point to when someone asks about hauling multiple 80-plus-pound dogs plus camping gear on the same trip. With 72 inches of depth behind the second row, you could fit two Large Gunner kennels end to end and still have room for gear. The trade-off is obvious: size, fuel costs, and a turning radius that isn’t built for tight city parking.

If you’re weighing the Suburban against other big-cargo options, my guide to SUVs that can fit a 4×8 sheet of plywood covers flat-floor cargo dimensions in more detail — useful shorthand for judging whether two large crates will actually lie flat side by side.

Honda Pilot

Multiple threads on Honda owner forums follow the same pattern: someone buys a CR-V, discovers it only fits one dog crate, and trades up to a Pilot.

One owner with two Irish Setters said their CR-V held exactly one crate — the Pilot was bought specifically to fit two.

The Pilot’s wheel-well-to-wheel-well width comes in at 48 inches, and its 47-inch door opening makes loading a stiff or older large dog considerably easier than lower, narrower doors.

Door width: 47 in
Trunk trim to second row: 49 in
Trunk trim to third row: 20 in

One Doberman owner on a Honda forum worked out a workable setup without crates at all: seat covers plus tethered harnesses (never a collar) for two 70-pound dogs, with enough slack for them to lie down on their own side of the cargo area.

Toyota 4Runner

4Runner owner forums have some of the most dedicated dog-hauling threads anywhere online. One owner described building a custom setup for two 80-88 pound Labs; another runs a 190-pound Leonberger loose in the back with basic training instead of a crate.

The wheel-well-to-wheel-well width sits at 44 inches — enough for one large kennel or two medium ones, based on repeated forum reports of 42-inch crates fitting between the wells.

Worth knowing before you buy: owners of the hybrid 4Runner specifically warn that tall kennels can hit the closing hatch even when the width and depth both fit. Measure your specific crate’s height, not just its footprint, before assuming it’ll work.

Door width: 49 in
Trunk trim to second row: 39.5 in

This is actually where the 4Runner falls short against a Large Gunner: at 39.5 inches deep behind the second row, it’s shy of the crate’s 40.25-inch length, and several forum threads confirm it needs the second row folded or the crate turned sideways to close the hatch.

Popular owner workarounds include Ruffland, Gunner, and Variocage kennels — with the smaller Ruffland Large (30.5 inches) coming up often as the better fit if you want to keep the second row usable.

Kia Telluride

The Telluride offers up to 87 cubic feet of total cargo space with both rear rows folded — more than the Volvo XC90 and most three-row competitors in its price range.

Wheel well to wheel well: 44.5 in
Trunk trim to second row: 51.25 in
Trunk trim to third row: 21 in

Factory cargo tie-down anchors come standard, which matters if you’re securing a crate with ratchet straps rather than trusting bungee cords — the Center for Pet Safety has specifically warned against elastic cords for crate securing after crash testing showed they fail to hold under sudden stops.

Subaru Outback

Subaru has partnered with the Center for Pet Safety since 2013 to crash-test pet harnesses, and separately supports the ASPCA through an annual donation campaign. That track record shows up in small design details.

Cargo volume: 34.6 cubic feet
Wheel well to wheel well: 42 in
Factory-installed cargo anchor hooks in the rear floor

The Outback’s ground clearance keeps the load floor low enough that older or joint-stiff large dogs can step in without a lift assist — a detail several owners specifically mention as dogs age into their senior years.

Honest caveat: at 42 inches wide, the Outback is narrower between the wheel wells than the Explorer or Pilot.

One large crate fits comfortably; two side by side is tight for anything bigger than a medium breed.

A Large Gunner, for instance, just barely clears the 42-inch depth behind the second row — under 2 inches of breathing room, so don’t count on space for much else back there.

Subaru Forester

The Forester’s cargo floor is flat, wide, and square, which matters more than raw volume when you’re trying to fit an oddly-shaped travel crate.

With the rear seats folded, cargo space runs approximately 76 cubic feet.

Like the Outback, it comes with factory cargo anchor hooks — a feature still missing as standard equipment on plenty of compact SUVs in this price range.

If your household has one large dog (a Lab, a Shepherd) rather than two, the Forester handles it without the larger footprint, fuel costs, or price tag of the Outback or a three-row SUV.

GMC Acadia

The Acadia doesn’t get the marketing attention of the Telluride or Explorer, but its dimensions are genuinely competitive for the price:

Wheel well to wheel well: 43.25 in
Trunk trim to second row: 48.5 in
Trunk trim to third row: 16.25 in

It’s a reasonable middle ground if you want three-row flexibility and decent cargo width without stepping up to Suburban-size dimensions or Suburban-size fuel bills.

Volvo XC90

The Drive’s own long-term dog test found the XC90 could carry four large adult male Golden Retrievers if only two humans were riding along — a genuine outlier for interior volume in this class.

Volvo’s factory pet accessory line includes:

A lockable dog gate for the cargo area
A steel protective grille to stop luggage from shifting into the dog’s space
A load compartment divider for splitting cargo between two dogs

One honest note from that same long-term test: reviewers specifically said not to bother with the OEM dog gate itself, since it’s fiddly to install and remove — the grille and divider work fine on their own.

The XC90’s step-in height is also taller than some owners expect; a less athletic dog may need a ramp or some coaxing.

This is the priciest SUV on this list, and a Mercedes GLE or BMW X5 would land in similar territory.

If your budget allows it, the CleanZone air filtration system and Volvo’s overall safety reputation are genuine advantages for owners who prioritize crash protection above all else.

A Few Things Worth Doing Before You Buy

Measure your actual crate — length, width, and height — and bring the numbers to the dealership rather than trusting spec sheets alone
Ask whether the SUV has factory cargo tie-down anchors; they’re not universal even at this price range
Test the load floor height with your actual dog if possible, especially for older or joint-sensitive breeds
Skip elastic bungee cords for securing crates — use rated tie-down straps instead

If you’re cross-shopping based on total interior flexibility rather than just cargo, my guide to SUVs with stow-and-go and fold-flat seating breaks down which models let you reconfigure space fastest between “dog hauling” and “family hauling” modes.

Bring the crate to the dealership parking lot before you sign anything. A tape measure at home tells you less than five minutes of actually loading it into the cargo area.