i have a great dane - he's a bit on the small side, only 120 lbs (full-grown males should weigh around 150lbs). having easy access and enough room for him was a key factor for me in looking at suv's. we looked at both the X5 and X3, and saw that he would have a hard time getting in and out of the X5 with the high split tailgate (we do have a ramp, but don't always have the room to lug it around). i was actually leaning toward the X5 until that point. i confirmed that my dog would fit in the X3 by bringing him with me to (after checking with an SA at a local dealership first) have him jump in the back and make sure he had enough room. he can't turn around 3 times before he lies down all that easily, but he can easily sit up and look out the window, and has plenty of room to lie down and stretch out a little.

although he has short fur, it gets everywhere! i have the rubber cargo mat down, and i bought a cheap full-sized black comforter and a bungie cord from target and jury-rigged it to cover the rear headrests and the entire cargo area. that stays on during the week when i'm carting the dog around, and then i just throw it in the washer on my way in the door on friday evenings. i vacuum out the X3 regularly, and am doing my best to avoid any doggie-like smells and excessive slobber! so far, so good!

there is a bmw accessory cargo area cover that totally covers the cargo area up to the windows. if i find the link, i'll post it here. i think i may go ahead and get that someday as an extra precaution against dog fur and slobber...

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2006 X3 3.0i
Black sapphire with terracotta Montana leather
Premium & sports packages, heated seats, privacy glass, and BMW iPod integration kit
My first BMW - I love it!

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