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@superfli thanks I meant an Accord, I can see what you mean about the mk 8 rear arches from Googleing! Think that's out.
@rustynissanprarie hah - not quite, but that's an aspiration!
@smokey_jo 'knocking bottom end' is exactly the car type comment I was hoping for in my car thread, I've got no idea whatsoever what it means! I think from what most people have said front wheel off is expected, and that's fine so will have a look at the c class stats.
@lots of people re the comments on that I 'need' one for work. That's been useful as it's helped me realize it's really about my expectations and how I want to start the role. For instance I'd be totally happy to ride, and plan to once a fortnight to help prevent middle age fatness. There's probably more to this decision than needs to be in this thread but you're all correct, no one else will notice or care.
The Pussy Wagon aka RustyNissanPrairie
That's ace. 1989 vintage, I'm not surprised it's rusty.
Its up to you whether you care about what other people think. If you do, then I guess the premium for a more-german brand is worth it
Touché!
Let them expect what they like. I expect Eliza Dushku to be sent to my bedroom lightly oiled.
Don't we all?
Honda Accord Mk8 and E-class owner here. The e-class is far bigger than the Accord in the back, but you can still get a bike in the back with the front wheel off. 12yrs now with the Accord (petrol) and W had to replace the battery this year which was the major non service item in that time.
Regarding the amount of space in the back of an Octavia hatchback - the boot lip is a pain, but I regularly shoved my hooligan Inbred 567 in the back with wheels on, it just required the seat pushed down or taken out, that was with 6” travel Nixons on the front; the estate is bigger.
There’s nowt wrong with Zaffies, I’ve driven many over many, many miles, and they’re surprisingly zippy if you drive ‘em like you stole ‘em, the 1.4 Turbo in particular.
Don’t forget Vauxhall did a 270hp VXR version!
I’d also consider the Insignia estate - I had one as a loan car for a while, I did just shy of 900 miles in it, mostly just commuting to work and back, it was delivered with a full tank, and it had just gone onto reserve at 50 miles when I handed it back.
Cost £72 to fill it up, though. It was the SRi, 175hp, went like the clappers, and was really comfy, I enjoyed driving it very much. I never put anything other than a month’s shopping in the back, but I reckon my Inbred would have fitted.
E-Class I would stay away from – lovely cars and generally very reliable. But when something does go eventually go wrong (cos it will), you will cry at how quickly the costs add up – and it’ll probably be electrical.
Dunno about the E-Class, but the only cars that I’ve seen driven into work, but then hauled out on a low-loader after the battery went flat and the cars wouldn’t move were three A-Class Mercs. One of them was stuck in ‘Park’, I think the others were as well, and we recently had an almost new A-Class with the whizzy full-width LED dash display taken to a dealer in Bath after the display went black while it was being driven out of QC inspection! I went to pick it up, only to be told there were several other unresolved issues, including air on, that they hadn’t fixed yet.
Another A-Class I drove to Bristol, an hour’s drive, had the most uncomfortable seats it’s been my misfortune to sit on since I had to drive a 90’s Vectra ‘L’ model, my bum was actually numb by the time I got to Bath, that’s about thirty minutes.
I would not buy a Mercedes. Ever.
2.0TDI Skoda Superb EST. They are just MASSIVE.
I did say nothing was going to happen for a while... And updating as much to say thanks to those that posted.
And... @5lab is the winner! Zafira Tourer from a mate, timing was perfect (sold van and collected car in same day) and I obviously trust my mate and the history. Much cheaper than I'd feared so spent some of the spare on an e-bike conversion kit (Sywtch) so the 60 mile round trip is doable once a week.
It's probably not some people's idea of a nice car but with electric windows, air con and comfy seats I feel like a millionaire 😂.
On the flip side putting my bike on the tow bar rack is annoying after just one effort, so there's a van in my future again at some point.
Thanks again for the advice.
Glad it worked out. I use a thule 970 rack on mine for day to day, goes on and off in seconds and makes all the difference compared to lugging my big rack around
On the flip side putting my bike on the tow bar rack is annoying after just one effort
What rack?
You may find that practice speeds things up - I can do mine in 30-45seconds now. Lift on, spin clamp tight, zip wheel one, zip wheel 2 then ratchet both wheels at once.
I've been reading with interest as I'll need to change my car at some point soon and have similar requirements. It's good to see the OP has got sorted.
In case it's of any interest to anyone I'd recommend an Avensis for safe bangernomcs...
I've got an '07 Avensis Estate - had it for about 9 years and it's been fantastic - 50MPG+, large, comfortable but dull of course. The boot is large and folds flat with very little in the way of intrusions so it's very usable for biking etc.
It is now at 160K miles and almost 15 years old with very little other than service items (apart from a new alternator it's only had servicing, tyres, brakes and discs - its still on its original clutch and exhaust). Previous Toyotas I've owned have been very similar (Celica and MR2).
It still drives and rides great but surely the time is coming soon when bills will mount up / one large bill will write it off.
I'm struggling to see past getting a much newer, latest model version of the same thing but am tempted by a Superb Estate. Mondeos look good value and are nice to drive but my previous experiences with running Fords is a decent size bill each year for corroded exhaust, brake lines, perished suspension bushes etc.
Congratulations!
Surely you can get your bike in a Zafira Tourer? In my older one I fold down the back seat and sort of wedge the fork in with the front wheel off. One bungee strategically placed sticks it solid. Can fit 2 adult+1 kid bike in without really thinking.
Quite tempted by a Zaffy tourer for the modern fitments (Bluetooth!) if someone can confirm it can take bikes inside? I treat mine like a shed on wheels though so it might be a bit too nice. Filled it up with spider infested logs and slid it across a sloping field today, and it’s great to chuck a load of rubble in for a tip run (suck it van drivers!)
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">The 7 seats come in use fairly often for multi family trips too, once we’re allowed again 😊</span>
I have only had a 24" bike inside mine but it'd definitely take a modern mountain bike both wheels on if the passenger seat is pushed forwards a little. Maybe not if its all the way back
In the zafira tourer, with the rearmost seats folded and the centre middle seat folded, can you just wheel a bike in backwards between the 2 remaining centre seats? leaving child seats fitted:
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I suppose you will need to remove the front wheel, could bolt a fork clamp to the floor to retain the bike.
I got my kids bike in there that way but its not super high. Depends on the length of your forks and seatpost I guess. I used a galaxy just like that in the past and it was tight, and it's a bit taller than the zafira
I can put my bike on wheels on (medium 27.5) with all the seats down, but two muddy bikes are easier on the back (esp with the hope it'll rain on the way home and they'll get cleaned 🤣)
@matt_outandabout it's a Thule of some sort, second hand from FB marketplace so not sure. It's doing up the bolt that holds it onto the tow bar thing thats annoying but I'm going to get a ratchet spanner plus I'll speed up with practice for sure. It didn't help that I smacked my noggin on it the first time and had to hold in a stream of grown up language as there was a young family on the road outside!
I'll take some photos of bikes insode if that'll help anyone?
@thebunk re Bluetooth be careful, mines got all the steering wheel buttons for a phone but no Bluetooth. After some googling it turns out on some of the stereos you can have DAB or Bluetooth, not both. The DAB is good mind!
I can put my bike on wheels on (medium 27.5) with all the seats down, but two muddy bikes are easier on the back (esp with the hope it’ll rain on the way home and they’ll get cleaned 🤣)
Yeah I want to leave a bike in there when at work, car parks, overnight etc. I know thieves can just break the window but seems more secure inside the car. I'm also lazy so can't be fussed undoing child seats to fold everything.
If you go with the Volvo get one with the Timber Resist option.
The one I would have if I wanted an estate under £10k
Jag XF Sportbrake
Or an Alfa 159 - this one only has 34k on the clock. Not sure how big either are in the back though
@i_like_food have a look at the 970. I got mine 2nd hand for £25 and it takes less then 5 seconds to mount on the back of the car, less than 30 to mount the bike on it. Small and light enough just to leave in the boot the whole time too. I leave the arms in place at right angles which makes it quicker compared to this vid..
Is this car just for commuting or for use on the job? If the former I would keep the van and spend the £2k on a cheap but neat boring runaround.
You probably won’t get a decent sized MTB in the back of a superb with both the wheels on.
I could get my hooligan Inbred 567 hardtail with 6” Nixon’s in the back of my Octavia, just by shoving the seatpost down, or taking it out, leaving the wheels in place. I just dropped the seats and put a removals blanket over the seats, then shoved the bike in.
I had that car fifteen years, it had over 160,000 miles on it when I gave it away, and it had never had a service while I had it! It was doing 155 miles a week at the end, and I believe it’s now being driven around Poland.
Quite tempted by a Zaffy tourer for the modern fitments (Bluetooth!)
Driven loads of them over the last five years, they’re a very popular Motability car, for obvious reasons, and really very comfortable for extended journeys. The later ones have much better dash layouts and toys, the 1.7 Turbo Tourer is almost indecently quick for a 7-seater, and don’t forget that Vauxhall did a VXR version of the Zaffy! I used to regularly do 200 mile runs home from Cornwall in Zaffies, and they were nice, relaxed drives, unlike the Berlingos and Partners I’d have to pick up; if I could have refused the drive on the grounds they were horribly uncomfortable, I would have!
I expect Eliza Dushku to be sent to my bedroom lightly oiled.
You’re gonna have to wait your turn...
...I might be some time. 😎
Speaking from experience the 159 isn't very big, but feels very Italian. I bought the wrong one - the Diesel - and it only did about 10MPG more than the better petrol engine and felt tuned all heavy at the front and wrong.
Inbred 567 hardtail with 6” Nixon’s
That thing is probably 20cm shorter than a modern, slack 29er, as well as having a lower stack height and narrower bars. I recon his point stands
1.7 Turbo Tourer
I dont think they do one. It's a choice of 1.4 turbo petrol and a 1.6 or 2l diesels. The latter was briefly available in biturbo guise which was reasonably powerful, but none of them are quick
CountZero
Full MemberI could get my hooligan Inbred 567 hardtail with 6” Nixon’s in the back of my Octavia, just by shoving the seatpost down
Sure but, modern bikes are miles bigger... A Big Dog is about 4 inches longer in wheelbase than a 456 of the same vintage (can't find stats for the 567), plus bigger wheels... But it's bars that really catch you out I think, suddenly roof height is really important and it messes with the angles loads (with 760mm bars on my Remedy fits really easily into my Legacy, with 780mm there's literally one exact angle that it fits at and it's like a puzzle, if the forks turn just slightly too much aargh bars stuck in the boot door, slightly too little aargh tyre smashes into the rear glass
I once put my BFe and my Hemlock, both mediums, in my mk1 focus with wheels on. Terrible idea, getting them back out was almost impossible, but they did go in. I wouldn't get just my Solarismax into one of those by itself, with the wheels on.
You probably won’t get a decent sized MTB in the back of a superb with both the wheels on.
I've got a Superb* estate and a large modern FS 29er. I take the front wheel off. I could probably squeeze it in but then I'd be wedging a muddy front wheel up against my nice leather seats! My road/gravel bike goes in with both wheels still on.
I've got a big plastic tarp that I use as a 'tub' to keep the inside of the car clean. The bike goes in easily with the front wheel off, with plenty of room for other kit. There's a big gap between the folded down back seats and the back of the front seats (in my old car the back seats touched the front when folded forwards) so you've got more room there to put stuff. You could put the front wheel upright in there I guess if you didn't want it under the bike.