My husband and I, being racers, often transport 3-4 bikes, 2-3 people and lots of gear in a....... car.....

Our current car is a 97 Saturn. We have a roof rack that holds 4 bikes, wheels and trainers go in the trunk. If we are going to a one day race we can take a passenger. If we are going to a stage race, we will have 4 bikes and too much gear for a passenger. Our mileage is usually in the upper 20's lower 30's if I am remembering properly.

Now of course getting a new Saturn is now a bit out of the question..... (and we figured quite a while ago that GM had ruined them anyway). If an asteroid came down and smashed our Saturn and we had to go out and get a new car tomorrow, we'd likely go for a Jetta TDI - maybe even the wagon since its not much more expensive and gets the same gas mileage, but I suppose that would really depend on how it felt to drive. I am not a fan of large cars.