Have you seen the new ads for Subaru? They feature a lovely black Labrador sitting in the back of a wagon with the caption “How else can you get rid of that new car smell?”

The ad campaign makes me laugh because at this point in vehicle ownership, new car smell is but a very distant memory.

The picture of my vehicle attached to this posting was taken today, and this was a good day. I really don’t consider myself a slob, I am just a dog owner. And an owner of multiple dogs, who happens to take those dogs to the beach at least three times a week. Keeping ahead of the sand is not a priority.

Several years ago, when shopping around for a vehicle that would be functional and dog-friendly, it was tough. I really wanted one of the mid-1990s Toyota 4-Runners. A truck with a covered bed. But dang, they were pricey, even the used ones. The new ones were ridiculous and too fancy. Leather seats and carpeting? You’re kidding…with Labrador paws and smelly adolescent soccer-playing kids with dirty cleats?

Then Honda came out with their Element, which was marketed toward the twenty-something beach, surfer dudes. I made the rounds of dog events, Elements kept popping up, driven my middle-aged women with graying hair and Border Collies. I think Honda missed their demographic.

“See, I can put a large dog crate inside!” said one early convert. That’s always the benchmark of a good dog car, can a crate fit inside it. I mentioned this to one car salesman, who met it with a laugh. Like a “you’re joking” kind of laugh. Lost a sale there buddy.

So I have had my Honda Element for five years, no carpeting, rubber mats and a rich layer of beach sand.

Now of course, Honda has come out with a dog friendly package of features for Element owners, a built-in dog crate with a bed in the back and a loading ramp! Is that cool or what?

If they want to send me one of those new models for free, I would be happy to see how long it takes to get rid of that new car smell again.

What’s your favorite dog vehicle?