So, I currently drive a 2000 Legacy GT Sedan which my 2 dogs can fit in just fine (70lb and 55lb dog), however my wife and I are planning on having a child soon, so the back seat will be used for that and the dogs will have to go elsewhere. Will an Impreza Wagon have enough room in the hatch to comforably house my dogs? (while keeping them seperate from the back seats, as I don't want them drooling over the seat tops.) Do they make a dog seperater for the Impreza wagons like they do for the Legacy wagons?

If they are really big dogs (I am not good at visualizing weight vs. size for dogs) then they will definitely fit, but might not have tons of room to move around (should be pretty comparable - or maybe even a little more roomy - than the back seat of your sedan, though). Subaru does make a dog guard for the Impreza, but Subaru of America doesn't offer it - you can pick one up from other sources, though (www.subietech.com - also, I think canadian dealerships can get them).

......however my wife and I are planning on having a child soon, so the back seat will be used for that..... :banana:


(Sorry, couldn't resist editing that one for humor purposes.) :rolleyes:

Back to your question, dimensions for the Impreza wagon cargo area can be found at:

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/impreza/impreza2005.html

The Canadian Subaru site also lists interior dimensions (1 mm = 2.54 inches).

www.subaru.ca

Don't forget that the rear window of the Impreza wagon is sloped, cutting into the area where the dogs can stand.

I'm not a dog owner, but it seems to me that it will be a tight fit in the back of the Impreza for your two dogs at the same time. Anyhow, check the dimensions and mark and an equivalent area on the floor in your living room and see how long the dogs can stay there.

I'd say no... Just got a ride in my friend's wagon, and it the payload area is fairly short, and I'd say a good two/thirds of it has hatch intrusion issues. I know dogs aren't a box, but their greyhound at 60 pounds pretty much fills up the whole area laying sideways.

Cargo length with seats up is just under 36 inches, width is about 37 inches between wheels.

'05 Legacy length is about 43 inches, with about 42 inches between the wheels.

-B

Legacy GT Wagon time. The Impreza is tight in the cargo area for your large dogs. The Forester is better in the cargo area but still short on rear leg room. With dogs and a kid comming I'd opt for the Legacy.

Legacy Wagon time.. or

wait for THIS (http://www.sevenseats.com/movie.aspx?VideoID=1)

Problem is I can't afford the Legacy wagon (not the one I want anyway) or the B9X. I don't think I could handle driving anything that big anyway. I think I'll be looking at a Forester XS.

1 mm = 2.54 inches

you sure bout that? :huh:

1 mm = 2.54 inches

you sure bout that? :huh:

Correct version: 1 in = 25.4 mm

Fixed free of charge under the 30-day sir_wagon forum post warranty. :rolleyes:

I have a smaller dog - 40lbs, but routinely fill the hatch with stuff, then put her bed on top of said stuff, then put her on the bed. Dogs don't need much room as you don't want them wandering around back there anyway. They will just fly around when you pull 1g corners.
I have a universal dog separater that I bought from Performance Improvements for my 4Runner. It can be configured to fit any vehicle, but it does have feet that intrude into the cargo area.
If you expect to carry kid, kid seat, kid stroller, kid diaper crap, kid toys and two largish dogs, then you might want to think Legacy or mini-van. The Impreza will hold all this stuff in a pinch, but you will be packed to the rafters.

oops... see below...

My Rottweiler at 95 lbs won't ride in the rear of my car... and I don't argue with her about it. It's just too small- so that puts the dog in the back seat when she's in there. In that case, I don't know where you'd put the kiddies. Whether or not the space in the car is big enough really depends on the size of the dog. If it's a Shi-Tzu, I would think the glove compartment would be fine, eh?

i love my impreza wagon, but if youre gonna put two dogs in.. it'd be nice to have fxt

I'd say the hatch window in the Impreza will intrude too much. My sister's 100 pound german shepard was very happy in the back of my old Forester, it could stand up, turn around and lay down. Find a friendly dealer and bring the dogs on a test drive!

i would also say that there wouldnt be enough room back there depending on the size of the dogs of course. This is my first wagon, and i'm really happy w/ having the extra space, and w/ a child seat in the back there's still enough room for one more person to sit back there. Personally i love having a wagon, but i think u still may need more room. why not look at the forester XT?

dawgz is good eatin'. don't worry about getting rid of the impreza.

I have a 05 WRX wagon (in the shop) and currently have a Forester X as a loaner. I don't think the WRX will accommodate your two dogs with the back seats up. Maybe one in an emergency but not two. Sir Wagon is right about the slope of the WRX hatch cutting your cargo area down. It's funny though, the cargo mat in the back of the Forester looks like it has the same exact dimensions as the one in my WRX but since the Forester is taller and the hatch doesn’t slop then it really frees up a lot of room. I took a relative to the airport in the Forester and since they've mad this trip before they use the same language. The WRX rear hatch would barely shut but the Forester took it all and still had some room left.

Go with the Forester X (XT is you can afford it. The X is adequate but nothing like the WRX).