It’s no secret that the UK is a nation of animal lovers, with more than half of UK households owning a pet. Dog ownership has also grown in popularity in recent years, with 36% of people now owning at least one dog (Statistica data from 2023-2024).
When it comes to driving, it’s important to have the right car to keep your canine companion calm and secure whilst you’re on the road. This not only makes journeys more comfortable for your dog, but also ensures that everyone is safe in the vehicle.
To help you find the right car for you and your pet, we’ve looked at 2024’s most popular cars in the UK to find the most dog-friendly models on the market.
What makes a car dog-friendly?
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a car, but if your dog is a regular passenger, you’ll need to think about what’s best for them too.
Transporting dogs can be a challenge, so you need a car that has plenty of space and keeps your dog secure whilst travelling.
Features to consider:
- Boot size – think about how much space your dog/s need to sit or lay down comfortably
- Low floor pan – easy for dogs to get in and out of the car
- Cabin noise – level of noise dogs may hear in the vehicle
- Off-road ability – ability to drive off-road on different terrains, wheel drive, traction control etc
- ‘Dog mode’ – any specialist options like climate control, screen indicators etc
- Removable seat covers and floor mats – easy to clean up after your pet
2024’s most popular cars
Some of the UK’s best-selling vehicles in 2024 are the Audi A3, Ford Puma, and
Hyundai Tucson, with drivers enjoying their practicality, style, and comfort.
The UK car market has also seen a significant shift towards electric vehicles this year, with several models capturing the attention of consumers.
Most dog-friendly cars in 2024
The team at LeaseCar UK has ranked the most pawsome cars for dogs by assessing 2024’s popular cars based on their dog-friendly properties.
We’ve given each model a score based on specifications such as boot size, off-road capabilities, and boot sill height. Total scores for each model are out of 100.
We’ve then ranked the cars to find the top ten most suitable vehicles for dogs
| Model | Total Points (out of 100) |
| Tesla Model Y | 86.23 |
| Toyota Aygo X | 78.93 |
| Land Rover Range Rover Sport | 75.97 |
| Land Rover Range Rover Evoque | 71.30 |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 70.74 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 70.06 |
| Kia Sportage | 68.07 |
| Peugeot 3008 | 66.36 |
| Skoda Octavia | 65.77 |
| Audi Q5 | 64.68 |
The Tesla Model Y came out top when it comes to offering your four-legged friend a comfortable ride, with its impressive 854 litres of boot space and low boot sill to ground height. The Tesla Model Y also leads the pack as the only car to offer ‘Dog Mode’, which allows owners to turn on air con when they park up, keeping their dogs cool if they leave them for short periods of time. It also offers drivers the ability to check on their pets with its interior cabin camera.
Next is the Toyota Aygo X hatchback. Not to be underestimated by dog owners for its compact size, this practical city car has rear seats that can be split and folded down to take the overall cargo capacity up to 829 litres, ensuring pets have plenty of room. This model has a spacious interior and low boot height, enabling your dog to get in and out of the car easily.
The Land Rover Range Rover Sport is another strong contender for dog owners, best suited to off-road driving for those muddy walks. It has a good-sized boot to offer your furry friend an even comfier ride and can easily fit a dog guard in the backseats, too.
Leasing your dog-friendly next car
Car leasing is a popular choice for drivers who want to get behind the wheel of the latest dog-friendly car. Dog owners can ensure that their pet is safe and comfortable whilst they’re on the road, all whilst driving an efficient and high-performance vehicle.
Leasing provides an affordable way to drive a brand-new car by simply paying a single, fixed monthly payment. This makes it easy to spread the cost and budget, with monthly lease payments often being cheaper than other finance options.
“We understand that pets are like family. Our range of dog-friendly vehicles are available to lease with spacious interiors, easy access points, and wipe clean surfaces to make sure every journey is enjoyable for both you and your dog”
Tim Alcock, motoring expert at LeaseCar.
Ready to lease? Get in touch today to find out more about our range of dog-friendly vehicles.
Methodology
Data was found across multiple points for the top 50 most popular models of cars in 2024. Data was found on each of the models boot size, off-road features, boot height from ground and dog mode to rank all the cars for which is the most dog friendly.
1. 2024’s most popular cars
The top 50 most popular cars in 2024 were found based on the number of mentions across numerous sources including:
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars-vans/94280/best-selling-cars
https://www.driving.co.uk/news/new-cars/best-selling-cars-2024/
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides/best-selling-cars/
https://uk.motor1.com/news/727691/most-sold-cars-europe-2024-h1-ranking/
https://www.jato.com/resources/media-and-press-releases/european-bev-demand-slows-tesla-volkswagen-lose-ground
https://www.carcondor.co.uk/top-100-uk-used-car-models-sales
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/buying-and-selling-guides/the-top-10-most-popular-cars-in-the-uk/
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/list/here-are-uks-best-selling-cars-2024-so-far
2. Boot size – Parkers was used to find the size of each model’s boot in litres based on the seats being upright, for consistency.
3. Boot sill height to ground – RiDC was used to find the Boot Sill Height To Ground. This value is based on the height in millimetres from the bottom of the cars boot to the ground.
4. Off-road points – For each car model the following attributes were found. Wheel drive, Ground clearance, Off-road mode, Hill descent, Traction control and any additional off-road features such as hill assist and more. These values were then placed into a specially trained custom AI model used to rank each of the models out of 10 which are used within the ranking.
We used numerous sources such as Parkers, manufacturers websites, and more.
5. Dog mode – Tesla Model Y was the only model within our index to feature dog mode.