Well, it depends on what you want to do with the vehicle. A couple years ago when three big dogs came to live with me, I started looking for a smallish vehicle in which they could travel in comfort. One big requirement of mine was that the rear seat at least fold up completely against the back of the front seats, leaving a flat floor on which the dogs could lie down. Of all the vehicles I looked at, the Honda Element was far and away the best at meeting this requirement. With the seats either folding up against the sides or coming out of the vehicle altogether, the floor was left perfectly flat. I put down a rubber-backed outdoor carpet, with a slit cut where the seats lock into the floor-mounted attachment points, and it's been great for hauling up to six dogs. The only thing I don't like about the arrangement is that the windows in the rear doors only pop out in the back - I'd have much preferred roll-down windows. But even with that shortcoming, the Element has been an excellent choice in that regard. You might consider that too if you're in the habit of hauling boxes that could benefit from a flat loading floor.
