Will a Dog Crate Fit in a Subaru Forester?

Yes, a dog crate fits in a Subaru Forester, and for most dogs the answer is a comfortable yes. But the measurement that decides it is not the one people check first. Everyone measures the width between the wheel wells; on the Forester the constraint that actually bites is the cargo height, about 32.2 inches from the floor to the ceiling. That is the number that strands the biggest crates.

Here is the quick version. An intermediate 36-inch crate, roughly 36 long by 24 wide by 27 inches tall, fits easily. A large 42-inch crate, about 42 by 28 by 31 inches, fits tightly, with its 31-inch height leaving almost nothing to the ceiling. An XL 48-inch crate, up to 48 by 30 by 33 inches, is a tight-to-no fit because its roughly 33-inch height exceeds the cargo height and it will not stand upright.

This guide walks all three constraints in order, width, height, and length, so you can match a crate to your dog and your Forester before you buy. Get it wrong and you are rearranging a crate on the roadside a long way from home; get it right and your dog rides safe and settled for the whole trip.

Start with the number most guides lead with, because it is the one that does not bind on a Forester. The cargo width between the wheelhouses is 43.3 inches, and the maximum width at the widest point is about 49.2 inches on the 2025 model. For a dog crate, 43.3 inches is generous.

Consider the crate widths against it. An intermediate crate is about 24 inches wide, a large is about 28 inches, and even an XL is about 30 inches. All three sit well inside the 43.3-inch wheel-well width, so a crate loaded squarely between the wheel arches has width to spare. Width is simply not where the Forester runs out of room.

The one width nuance worth knowing is orientation. Because the 43.3-inch span is the key constraint only if a crate were unusually wide, and no standard dog crate is, you have freedom to position the crate across or lengthwise. A crate wider than 43.3 inches would have to sit forward on the folded seatbacks or load lengthwise, but you are very unlikely to own one that wide. On width alone, the Forester says yes to every common dog crate size.

Here is the number that actually decides the fit, and the one an overlander learns to check first on a wagon-shaped SUV. The cargo height, floor to ceiling, is about 32.2 inches. That ceiling is what caps how tall a crate can stand, and it is why the biggest crates fail in a Forester even though the floor is plenty wide and long.

The logic is simple and unforgiving. A crate has to stand upright under the closed liftgate, so its height must clear 32.2 inches with a little margin. An intermediate crate at 27 inches tall clears easily. A large at 31 inches tall just barely clears, with almost nothing to spare. An XL at roughly 33 inches tall does not clear at all; it contacts the ceiling and cannot stand.

This is the reversal that catches people. On most vehicles you worry about width or length; on the Forester, with seats folded flat, crate height against the roughly 32.2-inch ceiling is the binding constraint for large and XL crates. Measure your crate's exterior height first, because that is the dimension that decides whether it fits at all, not the width you were tempted to check.

The third dimension, length, is the easy one with the seats folded. The cargo floor length is about 70.7 inches with the rear seats folded down, and the rear seatbacks fold 60/40 to create a nearly flat load floor, good for sliding a crate in from the liftgate.

Against that 70.7-inch floor, crate lengths are no obstacle. An intermediate crate is about 36 inches long, a large about 42 inches, and an XL up to 48 inches. Every one of those fits comfortably within the 70.7-inch folded floor, with room left over for a water bowl, a bag of food, or a second smaller crate.

So with the seats down, length is rarely the limit. That is the useful takeaway for planning: you can run a longer crate for a stretched-out dog without the floor being the problem, as long as the crate's height clears the 32.2-inch ceiling. The near-flat 60/40 floor also means the crate sits level rather than tilting, which matters for a dog trying to settle over a long day of driving.

Matching a crate to a dog starts with the standard sizes, because crate makers size by the dog's weight and length. A small 24-inch crate runs about 24 by 18 by 21 inches, and a medium 30-inch crate about 30 by 21 by 24 inches. Both are trivial fits in a Forester on every dimension.

The sizes that test the Forester are the bigger three. An intermediate 36-inch crate is about 36 by 24 by 27 inches, suited to dogs roughly 41 to 70 lbs. A large 42-inch crate is about 42 by 28 by 31 inches, for dogs roughly 71 to 90 lbs. An XL 48-inch crate runs about 46 to 48 by 30 by 32.5 to 33 inches, for dogs roughly 91 to 110 lbs.

Line those heights up against the 32.2-inch ceiling and the pattern is clear: 27 inches fits, 31 inches just fits, and 33 inches does not. One honest caveat from the road: these are industry-typical reference values that vary by brand, and exterior dimensions can run one to three inches larger than the nominal size. Always measure the specific crate's outside height before assuming it clears the Forester's ceiling.

For a medium dog, the intermediate 36-inch crate is the sweet spot in a Forester. At about 36 long by 24 wide by 27 inches tall, it clears every constraint with margin: the 24-inch width is well under the 43.3-inch wheel-well span, the 27-inch height is comfortably under the roughly 32.2-inch ceiling, and the 36-inch length fits easily within the 70.7-inch folded floor.

That margin is what makes it the practical choice for dogs in the 41-to-70 lb range. The crate slides in from the liftgate onto the near-flat 60/40 floor, sits level, and leaves room around it for a leash, a travel bowl, and a bag of food. You are not fighting any dimension, which is exactly what you want when you are loading a dog and gear at a trailhead.

For an overlander, the extra headroom above a 27-inch crate is also useful: it leaves air space for ventilation and a place to drape a sun shade over the crate without pressing on the top. When a crate fits with room to spare, the whole setup is more comfortable for the dog and easier to live with on a multi-day trip.

The intermediate size also leaves you options for the rest of the cargo bay, which matters when you are packing for both a dog and yourself. With a 36-inch crate taking only part of the 70.7-inch floor, there is still room alongside or behind it for a duffel, a water jug, and the food that a longer trip demands. On the biggest crates that spare room disappears, so the intermediate is not just an easier fit, it is the size that keeps the Forester usable for everything else you are carrying.

For a bigger dog, the large 42-inch crate fits a Forester, but tightly, and the tightness is all in the height. At about 42 by 28 by 31 inches, its 28-inch width clears the 43.3-inch wheel-well gap easily and its 42-inch length fits the 70.7-inch floor with room to spare. The catch is the 31-inch height against the roughly 32.2-inch ceiling.

That leaves almost no clearance to the roof. It fits, but with barely an inch to spare, which means any variation matters: a crate that runs on the larger end of its nominal size, a thick cargo mat under it, or a slightly domed roofline could turn a tight fit into a no-fit. This is precisely why measuring the exact crate is not optional at this size.

If your dog needs a 42-inch crate, measure both your crate's true exterior height and your Forester's actual cargo height before committing, and skip any padding under the crate that eats your inch of margin. When it fits, it works well; the large crate just leaves you no room for error, which is the kind of detail that matters most when you are far from a store that stocks another size.

Here is the honest no. An XL 48-inch crate, up to about 46 to 48 long by 30 wide by 32.5 to 33 inches tall, is a tight-to-no fit in a Forester, and the reason is height. Its roughly 33-inch height exceeds the roughly 32.2-inch cargo height, so it will not stand upright under the closed liftgate without contacting the ceiling.

Width and length would both be fine: 30 inches of width clears the 43.3-inch span, and 48 inches of length fits the 70.7-inch floor. But a crate that cannot stand upright is not a fit, no matter how the other dimensions look. This is the clearest illustration of why height is the binding constraint on this vehicle.

For a dog that needs an XL crate, roughly the 91-to-110 lb range, the Forester is likely the wrong tool, and forcing it is a safety compromise you do not want on the road. The honest options are a taller SUV, a crate sized down slightly if your dog fits a large, or a well-secured harness system instead of a crate. Do not wedge an XL crate in at an angle and call it solved; a crate that cannot sit square and upright will not protect your dog.

The setup that avoids a roadside surprise is a tape measure used twice: once on your Forester's actual cargo height with the seats folded, and once on the exact exterior height of the crate you are considering. Compare the two before you buy, allow an inch of margin, and you will know the answer before the crate ever leaves the store.

For the crate itself, a travel-oriented dog crate sized to your dog and confirmed against the roughly 32.2-inch cargo height is the safe choice, with an intermediate 36-inch crate the easy fit for most medium dogs. Fold the 60/40 seats flat, slide the crate in from the liftgate onto the near-flat floor, and secure it so it cannot shift.

For the fuller picture of the Forester's cargo bay, the Forester cargo dimensions for sleeping guide covers the same measurements from the sleeping angle, and the can you sleep in a Subaru Forester guide handles overnight setups. Shade over a parked crate comes from the Forester awning size guide, and for a different cargo bay compare the dog crate fit in a Honda CR-V.

Will a dog crate fit in a Subaru Forester? Yes, up to a large 42-inch crate, and comfortably for anything smaller. An intermediate 36-inch crate is the easy, roomy fit for a medium dog, clearing the 43.3-inch width, the roughly 32.2-inch height, and the 70.7-inch floor with margin on every dimension.

The one number that decides the bigger crates is height. A large 42-inch crate at 31 inches tall just clears the roughly 32.2-inch ceiling, so measure the exact crate and skip any padding underneath. An XL 48-inch crate at roughly 33 inches tall does not stand upright at all, which makes the Forester the wrong tool for the biggest dogs.

Measure your cargo height and your crate's exterior height before you buy, allow an inch of margin, and remember that width and length are rarely the problem here. Do that and your dog rides square, level, and safe, which is exactly what you want when the nearest replacement crate is a long way down the road and a comfortable dog is the difference between a good trip and a long one.