back to the cars thread

[7rider]

I love my Mini Cooper S - two bike racks on top (fork mount) and the minimum MPG we get with short distance city driving & bikes on top is 25. They recently released the Clubman which is a touch longer - and if it weren't for the mullet paint job I'd be all over that!

We also spent a fair bit of time with the Minis at the DC Car show.
DH joneses for a Cooper S in the worst way.
The Clubman looks really cool.
What makes its paint job a "mullet"??

[mimitabby]

I don't know, i thought the paint was nice. on that Clubman

I probably will NOT buy a new car. The Honda Fit seems nice, but it's rather new.

I just remember how thrilling it was to ROLL our bikes into the Honda ELement we test drove last fall, but the gas mileage is TERRIBLE.

Confession: Raleighdon has a custom bike which is really obnoxious to take the front wheel off of.
Bike racks seriously change gas mileage.

[Kalidurga]

My Honda Civic Coupe gets 30-35mpg and can take a bike in the trunk and as many as will fit on whatever rack's installed. And it was cheap

[mimitabby]

My wrecked car is a 1991 honda civic. I love honda civics. But you can't roll a bike into a honda Civic.

[SheFly]

My wrecked car is a 1991 honda civic. I love honda civics. But you can't roll a bike into a honda Civic.

My not-mom van (Toyota Sienna) will roll two tandems inside, and currently has a lifetime average (it's one year old) of 24.5 mph. I typically get 27-28 on it in the summer months.

I have to say, this is the BEST bike car I have ever had!

SheFly

[OakLeaf]

I think the operative word here is bikeS. Lots of cars, including my 46 mpg Prius, will carry one bike in the cargo space, without even taking the front wheel off. Put another bike on, and that's when you start to have trouble. And of course the smaller car, the bigger the hit it takes in gas mileage when you start hanging bikes off the outside of it.

The Prius would take two bikes one on top of the other as well, but nothing else would fit in the cargo space then.

[tulip]

I seriously considered the Honda Fit because it's quite large inside. And it's a Honda, which means reliable, reliable, reliable. The mileage is quite good, although not as good as the same car gets in Japan, for some reason (hot topic on the Honda Fit forums).

I love my VW Rabbit, but I wish it came in a diesel. Diesels get much better mileage than gas cars, and there are several biodiesel stations in my area. My Rabbit carries one bike, wheel off, with the seats folded down. I have a rear rack for when I need to carry more bikes. I chose the Rabbit because it had extras like seat heaters and blinkers on the side mirrors, and it's just damn fun to drive (5 speed, yeah). And it's cute, and relatively inexpensive at $17k.

Toyota Matrix was also on my list--lots of room, Toyota reliability, good mileage, good price.

For a pricier vehicle, the Volvo XC-70 is awfully nice. It gets about 25-27 mph

[silver]

My not-mom van (Toyota Sienna) will roll two tandems inside, and currently has a lifetime average (it's one year old) of 24.5 mph. I typically get 27-28 on it in the summer months.

I have to say, this is the BEST bike car I have ever had!

SheFly

Ditto! My tri-bike van (toyota sienna) will roll 3 bikes in and carry 3 people with tri gear. All inside and comfy, no wheels removed. this is with three of the van seats removed. Pretty much standard operating procedure for my van. What it lacks in style it makes up for in practical. Now if it just had 4 wheel drive. I've never tracked the mileage on it. Mr. guesses 20 to 25 mpg.

[KnottedYet]

I am eagerly awaiting the US arrival of the Subaru diesel.

That's about the only thing I'd be willing to trade in my Impreza for. I have a picture of the diesel engine hanging at my desk at work. (right next to the pics of two of my bikes)

[mimitabby]

i hear what you guys are saying about your assorted vehicles, and then i check the ratings. The average for the Toyota Sienna, for example, is 19mpg. I live in a city.

We already have a pickup truck that can hold the bikes... and gets crummy mileage.
You just made an excellent argument for me against recumbents!! they're too long to fit into a car.

And Emily, it's not flat HERE

We have considered the Dodge caravan, too, but i really want something LITTLER.

[SlowButSteady]

I traded in my Element a year ago.

I miss it.

Yes, I slept in it, and yes, it carried my bike and other junk admirably. Capacity was close to the big honkin' Ford SUV I had before.

I got a Honda Ridgeline truck. Gas milage about the same as the Element, it seems. I fit my bike crossways in the back seat without taking the front wheel off.

Everyone, esp LBS guys, marvel at its capacity and how I simply stick my bike in the back seat.

Alas, I can't sleep in it, but I can carry alot of stuff.

Difference = aerodynamics?????

I swear I fill my Ridgeline up less often than I did the Element. Once a week. Element's tank was smaller, but in those days I drove more. Probably gassed up every 4 to 5 days.

The Element = a box.

The Ridgeline - air must just flow over it.

[Nokomis]

We also spent a fair bit of time with the Minis at the DC Car show.
DH joneses for a Cooper S in the worst way.
The Clubman looks really cool.
What makes its paint job a "mullet"??

I don't know how the paint was in the car show - but when you order, you have to get a contrasting roof - and the contrast color extends down the back pillars. The online description even details this as 'Business in the front, party in the back' which I believe is the definition of Mullet

I'm sure there are other options out there - but I love my Mini & can't imagine driving anything else.

[Zen]

I've seen that paint job before and mullet is an apt description.
Who thinks this stuff up? The same guy who designed the Pontiac Aztec

[kelownagirl]

I'm guessing you don't want a mini-van? I get not bad mileage and can carry all the bikes I want when the back seat is out.

[Popoki_Nui]

I'm guessing you don't want a mini-van? I get not bad mileage and can carry all the bikes I want when the back seat is out.

I was thinking along the same lines. I have an '06 Caravan short-wheel-base. It gets ~23-24mpg avg city, and I can stuff 3 bikes inside (without touching) and 3 on the roof. Drives like a sports car and hauls like a truck.