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Wow, this is tons to consider. Thanks, everyone! I like the Honda Element, too, although it's a bit boxy for my taste. The 4-Runner is a good choice for us, I think. His daily commute is only about five miles, if that. He'd ride more, but the road is treacherous for traffic in spite of the bike lanes, and now it's getting dark before he gets off.
Thanks, everyone! I'll keep you updated if we get a new bike carrier. <g>
Roxy
If anyone is looking for a great rack for the inside of a vehicle... SAris makes an awesome one!! You have options as far as how many bike or wheels mounts that you want , and there are also different options as to how you place bikes on the rack... which can also give you additional space. It's a great rack, especially for those of you that put your bike inside the vehicle;) It's fairly heavy, so stays in place well and can be ordered in different sizes to accomodate your vehicle.
If you go to my blog, you can see an "inside" rack I built for two bikes, which cost less than $100 to make. It can be modified and adapted to fit almost any situation. But it basically holds two bikes in the space of one. coolfiz.blogspot.com Look at the sidebar on the right.
By the way, my husband is 6'7" and if he had to drive the Element as his daily car, it would be too small (leg room). But he is comfortable for a few hours in either seat (the backseat is really roomy, and stacked like a stadium so you can see through the windshield, but he doesn't like sitting back there.) He drives an F150 supercrew cab.
Karen
I drive a Honda CRV. Gas mileage is decent. I can transport one bike in back with three people (one side of seat down) and limited gear . Two bikes in back with both seats down, and gear stuffed around- though you'd be surprised how much I can stuff around the bikes. We did just invest in a hitch and 3 bike rack. Just did a ten hour trip with tons of stuff and three passengers, three bikes, no problem. But for day to day, just one bike, I remove the rack and put it in the back.
Why? I always said the same thing - no way, no how, not happening. I've driven a Toyota Sienna now for 3+ years, and I LOVE it. And I should add, that we don't have any children. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by channlluv
We removed the middle seats from the van, and just use the rear bench seats. We can carry 3 or 4 bikes on the rear hitch rack, with all of our gear stored in the back (behind the bench seats), as well as in the giant "locker room". We typically carry our team tent, chairs, trainers, tools, pumps, gear bags, coolers, etc. and still have MORE than enough room in the van to change, stretch, move around, etc.
Over the life of the van, I've averaged 24.9 mpg, which is pretty reasonable, and higher than some of the other options presented here.
I LOVE this car. Wouldn't trade it now for anything, and I've been in your shoes.
SheFly
p.s.
We have carpooled with two other teammates, and managed us and all of their gear as well!
I have a Honda Pilot. I've put 4 bikes on my hitch rack, along with 2 big dogs inside, plus gear. It seats 5. But it also has the option of a 3rd seat, which I have. It can fit 2 kids or small adults.
Mileage is 20-21 mpg (in the summer and 17-18 in the winter with the studded tires).
we went round and round about this and ended up getting crew cab Ford 150 pick up.
we can transport 1 bike inside if we want (DH calls the car his mobile bike rack)
we can transport 1/2 dozen bikes easily in the pick up bed.
we were strongly considering an Element, but the gas mileage wasn't enough better to offset the huge difference in price.
Great idea for the rack Tuckerville! I too, have a rack that I made many years ago, although it doesn't have the flexibility of the Saris rack. The Saris rack offers different attachments points, so that you can have bikes mounted in front of each other, at angles, and consequently have more space for bikes. The other nice thing is that it can adapt to different size bikes very easily, as you know, even different handlebar widths can play havoc with storing bikes. If I were only transporting my bike(s), then I would probably stay with the rack that I made... as you mentioned it certainly is much less expensive. But if you are carrying mutilple sizes and bikes, then the SAris rack is a great option!:D
I have a BMW X3 (bought it used, my Dad was a BMW guy and trained me to be a German car snob) and I hate it. I have a Yakima roof rack on top and can put the hitch rack on the back to hold up to 5 bikes (if the 5th is the little bike for the 9 yr old). I also thought it would hold a mastiff. It doesn't.
When my son starts driving next year, I am going to get rid of the BMW and get him a used Toyota pickup. I like pickups for kids because he cannot carry around the entire neighborhood in it....and get myself the 4 runner.
BTW, I know a HOT guy that drives an Element. I can't get my head around the fact that it looks like a toaster. But he can fit the bikes for half the department in it, so none of us can jack with him.
Remind me to tell you the story of the first time I got drunk, where on the way to the movies there were seven of us in the cab of my friend's pickup (no back seats in those days), and it was so crowded that one person had to work the clutch, another worked the steering wheel, gas and brake, and a third operated the shift lever.Quote:
Originally Posted by kenyonchris
Or not. :eek::o The things we survived as kids...
I have a 2007 Rav4 and I can fit 3 bikes INSIDE with the front wheels removed, plus three people with the split 60-40 back seat. I love my RavQuote:
Originally Posted by zoom-zoom
We are also a Toyota family. In fact, we just traded in a 1987 Dodge Dakota (farm truck) for a 1996 Tacoma.
Our 'go to' car is our 2004 Toyota Matrix. With hitch rack, we can easily carry 4 bikes (for us, it's usually only 2) and with full fold-down seats, removable cargo carpet and a hatch glass that lifts up even with the bikes on the back, it works for everything. We actually opted to keep it over the Prius because the Matrix highway milage with bikes on the back was THE SAME as the Prius highway milage with bikes on the back! And the Matrix gave us much more internal room due to more head space. We can easily cart 2 70+ lb dogs, luggage, gear, two bikes and Christmas presents for 6 people from NC to FL in one comfortable trip. ;)
Oh, and milage averages about 30 mpg - bikes on the back or not. :D Ours now has 86K miles on it and it runs like brand spankin' new.
As soon as my Toyota Sienna blows the big one, I'm going for the Element. Mostly because I can't do the soccer mom look anymore. That being said, my Sienna has 150k on it without so much as a burp. It will haul anything. I have had 10 bikes in it with the seats out, and that includes the wheels. But it can't get out of it's own way, down a mine shaft, with a tailwind, in the snow.
I'm going for the FWD Element.
For years I used a Dodge Ram 1500, with fork mounts for the bikes in the bed. Coming back from the last century ride of the season, a little old church lady right-hooked me. Since Dodges don't do a quick-turn quite like my Orbea does, I eventually wound up swapping for a Ford F-150 crew cab. It's been nice for the bikes, has provisions for a hitch mount,and gets a whole lot better gas mileage (21 mpg) overall than the Dodge did. I still need to replace the bed-mounted tool box to really have my rolling bike shop fully functional again, but I've been really pleased with the F150.
Tom
Yeah, I know. I am regularly out with a kid whose parents saw fit to buy him (he is 16) a white panel van with a bed and full boom boom stereo system in it (these are educated parents). He transports around half the city. He manages to be wherever trouble is. Not my kid. I don't believe any kid is an angel, so why give them opportunity to be labeled as the harborer of trouble.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf