I like the idea of asking the Subaru sales-folk this question. That company does a good job w/their dog-car commercials, so more likely than not they’ll be able to offer some advice. The golden retriever male-dog who eyes a sexy poodle which makes his wife-dog jealous and angry is my favorite of those commercials.
It’s hard to predict whether a dog will go up stairs or ramps. One thing is nearly certain, if you act like you want them to, they won’t … lol .
That reminds me what I was told about how to handle a mule convince him that you want him to go the oppoisite way from where you want him to go then he will go the way you want him to go.
thats like what I use to have to do with my son years ago. LOL
By the way that also works for kids.
A friend, who had a spare vehicle, removed the rear seat cushion from the car so his dog only had to reach the floor.
Also, depending on your back, assisting your dog with a support sling might be a help. We have a simple one that we place just ahead of our elderly dog’s rear legs to help him when he needs a boost. He is a 50-pound medium-large dog, and to me, the harness does not seem to require a lot of effort on the part of the human, but I do not have back issues, either.
Get a minivan. The dog can easily step into the second row through the slider and then sit on a captain’s chair if he wants. Our dog could get into the van even at age 12.
The minivan sliding doors do offer terrific clearance. As my dog has aged, the 16.5" ground to floor distance of my Dodge minivan that for a long time was no problem for him at ages 1 - 12 has now become an obstacle that requires assistance. As others said, it is probably a good idea to try vehicles out, but keep in mind the height that is no problem today may become too much in the future
My wish is for a small vehicle … 99% of my driving is to the local grocery store, or taking my dog to the park. As such, a minivan would be a little excessive for me. I truly think my solution is the Honda HR-V. My local dealership has none right now (chip shortage) but is getting some in next week, so I await. Thanks for all the help.