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So, thinking about a getting a new car, but want to get a bike in the boot without folding the rear seats down. Will a VW touran do that with wheels off? S-Max? Not overly fussed about being a 7 seater, but MPV's seem to score highly on the versitale side of things, which is what im after, particulary with children etc to contend with. Gotta to be a diesel, giving around 50mpg or more (is that the moon on a stick you have there? ill take it.....)
Any decent size estate will do it.
Top picks would be a Mondeo, V70 or Skoda Octavia, IMO. With kids and luggage, a roofbox may be worth a look as well.
MPVs are mind-crushingly dull....
My current model Mondeo takes my bike (with wheels off or all in a bike bag) in the boot, no problem and it's big (XL 29er, long seatpost)
I can get 2 in the back of an Octavia Estate with wheels off and seats up.
Couldn't even get one in a volvo v50
My DH bike will happily fit in the boot of my V70 with wheels off. In fact we can usually stack 2-3 DH bikes in there before we have to resort to wheels on laps etc.
MPVs are mind-crushingly dull....
However Mondeos are like Vegas every day of course.
Toyota Corolla Verso is worth a look - little cheaper than a Touran on average though I think a little smaller. S-Max is quite a bit bigger, but if you've 3+ kids definitely should be considered.
The 50mpg bit is going to be challenging (in the real world) once you've ticked the other boxes.
.. but if you can live with an estate I'd go V70 they're huge.
Smart Car * 😆
I managed to fit a Rockhopper in, with the wheels still on. Struggled to get it out again, though!
(* That's with the passenger seat folded down - no back seats, obviously)
brassneck - Member
.. but if you can live with an estate I'd go V70 they're huge.
Yep. Mine will swallow three bikes and three people and all associated kit for a long weekend away with ease. Gets a little less than the 50MPG above though, but then it is fun....! 😈
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Touran with wheels off takes ST4 and Cannondale HT or 29er hardtail.
No way will you get that mileage out of an old 9-Series Ovlov, but they have the biggest boot I have ever seen.
Our Zafira fits two bikes in, wheels on etc. Seats fold into the floor, if space is a premium at home.
It is mind crushingly dull to drive though! Can't deny that...
Mondeo will take a slack-angled size L AM bike or a wide-barred hardcore hardtail no problem and still have room for a party in the back
V70 will take 3 bikes as stated.
Old A6 will take 2 bikes, new A6 might only take one as I haven't tried 2 yet but it looks tight.
Cheers peeps, exactly the kind reponses i need, keep them coming.
Add a Honda accord tourer to the list.
You don't even need a big car. I can get a bike in the back of our Focus estate and pull the luggage cover over it. Wheels off, turn the bars backwards, no problem. 🙂
mondeo mk2 can fit 5 bikes in the boot with wheels and pedals off. 4 with just wheels off. the newer ones are bigger. I'd imagine a lot of other estates are the same. You can get 2 fully in under the luggage carrier if you need a bit of security.
PP - doesn't work on our Focus hatchback - at least not with me-sized bikes.
Honda Accord estates have a vast boot that is bigger than a Mondeo or Octavia. Not sure about the Volvo's boot.
Honda Jazz boot takes my 63cm road bike with the wheels off, though I suspect the wider bars on an MTB wouldn't fit.
Honda Accord MKV11 not a MKVIII. Our new Accord is a "lifestyle" estate. i.e. lots smaller than the last one!
I think the latest accord tourer is a wee bit smaller than the previous model that I have.
PP - doesn't work on our Focus hatchback - at least not with me-sized bikes.
It's a snug fit with mine... It's the handlebars that get in the way mostly, they only just fit under the load cover with the bars/forks facing backwards, and I guess we have a wider aperture to chuck it through too! 🙂
Passaat Estate Bluemotion.
tomaso - Member
Honda Accord estates have a vast boot that is bigger than a Mondeo or Octavia. Not sure about the Volvo's boot.
If the new Accord Tourer has a bigger/better boot for bikes than a Mondeo, my cock's a kipper. Furthermore, the boot on a V70 is way bigger and better for bikes than the Accord. Nice looking car, though.
The latest Accord Tourer probably has the smallest boot in the class (~400L), the last one had one of the biggest (~600L). Latest one looks much nicer but is not very practical.
We have a new shape galaxy...much like an S max but a larger boot due to a higher roofline.
I can fit a hardtail bike in the boot without anything being removed.
On a recent rip to scotland, we managed 860 miles from the 15.4 gallon tank whilst fully loaded and 3 kids
The new (VIII) accord estate is alot smaller than the VII (we owned 2 previous shape ones and own a current one) with big wheel arch intrusions and a massive load cover/grill thing. Much quieter to drive, better built but no more fun to drive.
transporter - how do find the Galaxy? Tempted by one of those
transporter - that's surely with the back most row of seats flat? or both the rear sets of seats flat?
Honda crv got two inside easy.plus all the other stuff for weekend in the lake district. Only because I refused to pay over £400 for decent bike rack.
I have a Mazda Premacy diesel, ticks all your boxes.
Only thing is they don't make 'em any more - been replaced in the Mazda range by the Mazda 5, since 2005 I think.
If the 5 is as reliable and economical as its predecessor has been for me, I'd have a look at that. A bit nicer looking as well, which wouldn't be difficult.
my mk1 punto used to fit my 17in hardtail in with the seats up, both wheels off, the parcel shelf would hang off a bit,
in fact driven up to snowdonia (150 miles) with 3 of us in the punto with camping kit and one bike in boot, and 2 bikes on a rear rack,
fiat punto the perfect biking car 😀
4 bmx's with all the wheels off and 4 people in my 3 door saxo 😉
6 people and 6 BMXs with the wheels on all INSIDE my old '72 VW camper. Beat that! 😉
Beat that!
Easy. Show it a hill! 😉
I bought my Avensis hatchback for it's capacious boot rather than it's captivating looks and sporting performance. Biggest boot in class circa 2004.
Audi A4 Saloon N Reg used to get the enduro or the heckler in there if I had to.
Touran 2.0ltr diesel;
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Does 46+ at speeds over 70 on motorway runs. Lowest figure seen is 32mpg whilst towing caravan, best 62 drafting lorries on a very busy M8 between Edin-Glasgow. 50+ not too difficult to achieve if you drive sensibly 😉
The Zafira is cheaper and will take bikes in the same way but is not as versatile seating wise. The Zafira seat are split 1 & 2 whereas the Touran has 3 individual seats which can be removed, repositioned, reclined, folded although not flat which can be a bit frustrating.
I have been looking at the Mitsubishi Outlander this week, mainly for it`s towing ability and the older 2.0ltr versions have the VW engine as opposed to the Cit/Pug 2.2 now fitted which has poorer fuel consumption I believe + it is way out of budget new/ish
Thought about the Volvos but fuel consumption looks a bit severe!!
Toyota seats and my( & MrsT)dodgy bck do not agree with each other 🙄
Had 4 people and 4 bikes in my Focus, though that was a squeeze, if we'd had to add kit it'd have meant piling it on top of bikes I think.
my octavia hatch fits a bike in the back with wheels still in, just have to turn the bars a bit. and last time i worked it out, it was 58 to the gallon. i drive like a codge these days tho 🙂
[b][u]cb[/u][/b]
We love ours
It swallows anything we put in it...drives nice and is economical. Everything is close to hand whilst driving.
We have the 1.8 TDCI 6spd 125ps ghia model with parking sensors F+R, tinted windows, alloys, cruise control etc but no leather seats or panoramic roof as we couldnt see the point in those as most insurances dont cover glass roofs(if anything falls on it then you're buggered) and leather is just a pain IMO.
I regularly get 50mpg (real world figures from refill to refill) from my 62 mile round trip commute consisting of 16m dual carriageway and 15m back roads each way, but i dont venture above 70 often and mooch instead of surge when accelerating
We did look at the Smax before buying but preferred the larger galaxy as they share everything apart from the roofline sloping more on the Smax which restricts headroom in the 3rd row of seats. We have travelled with adults in the 3rd row with no issues or discomfort.
[b][u]5LAB[/u][/b]
We use it as a larger estate car so have the 3rd row folded down most of the time to have a huuuge boot space
Got a peugeot 307 SW that takes the Mountainbike easily after the arches.
Do miss my 406 estate that took three road bikes and 4 wheelsets and two sportsbags and a tent.
I get my bike in the boot of my Mazda 6 with the wheels off no problem. Great, reliable car, with various engines (mine's a 2.5 petrol so not too economical, ahem).
My old Pissrat fits two with wheels off, or one with parcel shelf pulled over. 🙂