[BobGeorge]

Hey everyone, my wife and I are shopping for our next car and the 328d wagon is at the top of our list. Other candidates are the XC70 T6 and Allroad. Outback is out as I'm not a fan of Subarus and the Jetta TDI is a possibility, but not really desirable to me.

Looking for some real world experiences from F31 owners with dogs - we have two boxers who weigh in the 50-60 lb. range and need a wagon that will allow them to ride in the rear cargo area vs the back seat like our current sedan. The XC70 has plenty of room but I'd really like to make the F31 work since it's such a better car

Longtime lurker on BMW forums and a major 240 Volvo fanatic so would love to hear your guys' thoughts!

[xcellr8tion]

Would you consider folding down the rear seats and allowing them to have the full cargo area, or do you need room for 3-4 passengers? I have two dogs (a 100lb German Shepherd and a 20lb Mini Aussie) in the car everyday, as they come to work with me, and it's a fantastic vehicle for dogs. Caveat is that I almost always have the rear seats folded down.

[BobGeorge]

We would need to keep the rear seats up in many cases so my hope is they could at ride comfortably in the rear hatch area. Also, definitely planning on a large Thule roof rack for cargo, so the rear space can be dedicated to the two dogs.

[jonkarn]

Think the hatch angle and roofline may be too low, as well as the compartment being to short with the seats up for 2 large dogs to comfortably sit. One dog probably.

With the seats down and BMW cargo netting up to keep the dogs from coming into the front seat, it would be perfect. Another option would be folding one seat down to give the dogs more room, but that wouldn't stop them from sitting on the other seat.

Originally Posted by BobGeorge

We would need to keep the rear seats up in many cases so my hope is they could at ride comfortably in the rear hatch area. Also, definitely planning on a large Thule roof rack for cargo, so the rear space can be dedicated to the two dogs.

[tuatua]

Our 55 pound standard poodle loves the back of our 328d Sports Wagon. I think two dogs her size wouldn't be a problem. The cargo compartment is low enough that she can easily jump into and out of the back. Being able to open the back window without opening the hatch is a big plus. Handy for short stops when we don't want to her out of the wagon, but want her to have fresh air.

[jbeene]

I have an 85 pound Chesapeake Bay Retriever and have had him back there with an 80 pound lab. I wouldn't want to drive cross country like that but they fit fine if I made them both sit before i closed the hatch. I'd think two smaller dogs would be fine.

Take them for a ride to the dealer and make them let you have the dogs jump in the back. The F31 seems quite a bit bigger in the back than my E91 did.

The ability to open the hatch window is great - he can poke his head out when we are parked waiting around for the kids.