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As per title, what you be the smallest cars that fit 4 adults, 3 cabin bags and 2 bikes?
Bikes could be wheels off and even handlebar off if needed.
Would something like a Passat fit the bill?
Think it might depend heavily on having 60:40 split rears seats....
Ah. Just seen the wheels/ handlebar bit.
Astra?
(Defo something smaller than a Passat.)
Depends how good yo are at tetris astra should be easy. any non tiny hatchback would do it
Done it in a 206 with short/steep 26" xc bikes, it all depends how much you're prepared to disassemble them and I doubt the same trick would work with a 29er enduro bike.
I'd suggest looking for something where the second row seat base lifts (ideally 60/40). Although that option has been thin on the ground since isofix child seats became a think. The trouble is, if the seat base is fixed, you find yourself struggling with load height.
Is this because of hiring?
If so, surely it's not much to just go up a size? In which case any large estate, people carrier or van-based thing will do.
Thanks for the suggestions!
@matt_outandabout it's not for hiring, it's that I live in London and a smaller car is more convenient here.
For weekends I would just throw 2 29er enduro bikes inside with all seats folded, but for family trips I'd like to carry them inside (fully dissasembled), plus wife and 2 adult kids, plus some luggage.
Surely it's going to be a way more comfortable trip with some kind of rack?
Just put the bikes on a roof rack, which also opens up the use of a roof box. Then you can have something properly small - we've had four adults, two bikes and four suitcases/bags big enough for a week in Skoda Fabias and Peugeot 208s with a roofbox and the bikes on the roof. Why compromise on having a bigger car you don't need 99% of the time when you could have something appropriate and use a roof rack? (This could apply to basically everyone with a van because they can't be arsed to take the wheels off their bikes or put them on a roof rack).
Yakima Frontloaders have a built in cable lock but I also use a motorbike chain lock to lock them to the roof when I have to leave them unattended.
I'd probably suggest one of the small hatchbacks estate versions.
A Ford C-max? Same dimensions as a focus, but significantly taller which makes a big difference to space on the back seats.
The trouble is, even at that length fitting a modern bike with the wheels off is difficult.
Realistically I think the answer has to be a roof or boot rack unless you want to be taking the forks out the bikes as well.
As above, height is what you want. You would def get all that in a zafira tourer, which is shorter than an Astra estate, but why not just get a rack an sling the bikes on the back?
Leave the adult kids at home/send them off on their own holiday?
What you want is a bike rack OR a big car.
I used to be able to get two 26" bikes and wheels in the boot of my Passat (just) without any dismantling. I guess you could then have stacked the cabin bags up on the rear seat between the rear passengers.
Contrast that with a Golf with a roofrack...smaller comfy for four with luggage, small amount of lifting....
I wouldn't roofrack onto a CMax height car if I could avoid it. I've got an SMax and it's a long way up and into the middle.
Polo and a roof rack
For weekends I would just throw 2 29er enduro bikes inside with all seats folded, but for family trips I’d like to carry them inside (fully dissasembled), plus wife and 2 adult kids, plus some luggage.
I have a Subaru forester SUV, its big enough in the back to get 2 bikes in complete..with seats down..so only 2 people in the car, if you want 4 people in the car + 2 complete bikes you need double the boot size..which is a van, with the wheels and seat posts off I can get 2 bikes in the boot(seats up) possibly bags too, seat splits 70/30, big car, still a squeeze.
Or get a small car with a rack.
You likely won’t even get 4 29er wheels in an average boot with adults in the back too, let alone the rest of the bikes.
I had a BMW 3 series touring (estate) and just managed to get two road bikes, a 29er and baggage for 2 adults in the back with seats down.
No way I would have fitted two people in the back, two bikes and baggage as well.
Some form of bike rack with a small car is your answer…
Berlingo. (The previous model, not the newest one).
Smaller footprint than our old Focus but easily able to use the individual folding/removable seats to fit assorted combinations of bikes and people.
Large 29er fs fits upright with both wheels on if you take 1 seat out, or two bikes the same with 2 seats out. Have also had 2 bikes (front wheels out), 2 dogs and a weeks camping kit in there with only one seat out so you could do the whole 2 bikes, 4 people and stuff thing.
Its £20 a year to tax so I assume it’s LEZ compliant emissions bracket.
As above Berlingo or Partner Tepee
The only downside is slightly less good mpg at speed as they are taller.
Taking one seat out really helps with options including sibbling separation with the middle seat out
This intrigued me so I thought I would give it a go.
Passat B6 estate, two soft 80L ish suitcases and 1 60L ish soft case, 1 medium Cotic hardtail with 26in wheels and 1 small Cotic hardtail with 650b wheels.
It went in but what a faf. Taking the bikes a part and reassembling twice a week end will become a chore really quickly. I would also expect back seat passengers to be hit in the head by bikes in the event of a crash/ emergency stop. Strapping down will also wear thin quickly. As will scratched bikes and bent accessories.
My advice get an Octavia or Octavia/ Leon/ Golf estate with
A. A tow bar and then get one of those cheap clamp over ball bike carriers for the frames and put the wheels in the boot with the suitcases.
Or
B. A roof rack.
@bsims, lol, many thanks for trying that 🙂
I currently have a ct200h and a roof rack, the reasons I want to change are:
I had a bad experience in France with a height limiter that could have ruined our holiday, and I can’t fit a towbar to the CT.
I might be a bit paranoic, but after hearing about thiefs targeting bikes and other theft stories I’m not keen on showcasing two nice bikes while driving in and out of London.
While the CT is a great city car it struggles with 4 adults and a roof rack in highways, there were times in hilly highways in France where I couldn’t do more than 50mph, that was scary.
It’s also a bit tight in the rear seats, I can feel my kids knees on my back when they move around.
A bigger hatchback plus towbar rack might be a good solution for trips, but for weekends I’d rather fit them in the car, I store them at home wheels off anyway, but fitting them in the CT is a tetris.
Tourneo Connect. Four adults, one dog, two 29er bikes with front wheels off, tent and all the camping gear for two in the back. 4.42 m long
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@spaniardclimber - I think Passat size is going to be the minimum to prevent too fiddly a job, but realistically something S Max/ Touran size although I have no experience of using them.
Going back to a clamp on tow bar rack - You could put the frames in bags to hide them and it rally is a simple and quick job to fit.
Having moved back to a hatch from a Golf based saloon with a big boot I would not even entertain what you suggested with a hatch other than the Octavia. We used to use ours for weekends away and even weeks away but no chance now with 4 of us, given the boot size on a Golf sized hatch.
Are you looking to not go larger than the current car, go smaller, or consider something a little larger, but not huge?
I'll pick on the Touran as it's what I've researched to death just recently. Your CT200h is 4.35m, the Touran is 4.53m but would easily meet your luggage requirements.
I believe I have to go a bit larger in size, so anything around 4.5-4.6m would be fine.
Touran plus towbar seems a good option!
Get a Touran and I reckon you'll not need to tow bar. We do similar but with a dog rather than two rear passengers. Her bed is across two rear seats, the other is laid flat and two bikes with saddles down and front wheels off go in no problem. Front wheel against the door, then bike, the wheel, then bike, blanket and tie down straps, jobs a good un. When it's just two people, two bikes the there's about a thousand ways to load them.
Cool, thanks for the info.
(That thule rack looks great, compact, light, checking the clamping mechanism I wonder how come it doesn’t tilt down though!)
I can confirm 2 bikes, luggage and 4 adults can be packed safely inside a mk4 golf. That generation golf was super versatile.
Done many years ago on a visit home with a 26 genius and a 26 giant vt2 iirc.
There's also the halfway house between the golf and the Touran which is the golf SV.
Honda CRV. Bullt on a Civic chassis but you would know it.
Looked at CRV recently. The seat back don't drop completely flat so distance to the roof lining is less than it could be. Too low for us to have two bikes in upright (to make use of height and maximise remaining luggage space).
Is it just me, or should @campfreddie actually be recommending some mini variant? 😉