Good Cars for Bikes

[tulip]

Roof racks stay on the car. You don't take it off once it's on there, unlike a trunk rack.

Hitch racks typically stay on, too, although I understand they are fairly easy to remove.

Right now I can fit my regular bike inside my VW Rabbit with the front wheel off and the back seats down. I can fit my Bike Friday in the way back of my Rabbit without messing with the seats.

In fact, it would be a whole lot cheaper to get a really nice folding bike instead of a new car...something you might want to think about.

[Biciclista]

In fact, it would be a whole lot cheaper to get a really nice folding bike instead of a new car...something you might want to think about.

+++++ Good idea.

[tangentgirl]

Ha. I'm not thinking of getting a new car because of the bike issue. (And it's fine for one bike - two starts getting tricky.) It's just something I want to consider for if/when I do get a new car. The car I'm driving now is kind of on its last legs. If anything more than a couple hundred bucks goes wrong, it's bye bye Hyundai.

[ny biker]

I can easily fit 2 bikes inside my Prius. The rear seats fold flat. I take the front wheels off for easier manuevering, but I think they would fit with the wheels on also.

I average 50 mpg in warm weather, 38 or so in winter even though most of my winter driving consists of 4 miles or less (too short for the engine to warm up).

[Pedal Wench]

Toyota Rav4 with a truck bed mount just laying inside. Front wheel off, bike rolls into back of SUV, fork secured on the mount, life is good. It's inside, so protected from weather, thieves, rear bumper accidents and garage mishaps. (Have you ever looked at how many cars have dents in their rear bumpers? I do not want my bike to be a bumper!)
It's this, but it's just sitting loose in the very back of the SUV - I can slide it back to leave room for my aerobar bikes. Bike Rack on truck, I put mine inside


I've had 4 bikes in the car with both back seats down plus camping gear, three with room for one passenger in the (split) back seat.

[Biciclista]

It's inside, so protected from weather, thieves, rear bumper accidents and garage mishaps. (Have you ever looked at how many cars have dents in their rear bumpers? I do not want my bike to be a bumper!)
It's this, but it's just sitting loose in the very back of the SUV - I can slide it back to leave room for my aerobar bikes. Bike Rack on truck, I put mine inside

I witnessed two cyclists backing their motor vehicles into each other last year in a popular trail head park in Seattle. A few bikes got smushed...

[Ritamarie]

I witnessed two cyclists backing their motor vehicles into each other last year in a popular trail head park in Seattle. A few bikes got smushed...

Sorry, had to chuckle at that.

I like my bikes inside the vehicle. There have been plenty of times I've gone to/from a ride in the rain. Also, plenty of times I'm going to another ride in a day or two and just leave the bike in the car, or need to load it up a day or two early. It's safe, snug and dry inside.

I have a Toyota 4Runner, way too big for your needs, but I pull a small horse trailer with it too so it serves a lot of purposes. If buying American has any appeal, my husband has a Chevy HHR which is a hatchback and we get two bikes in there easily with the front wheels removed and the back seat down. The seat has to come off my husband's bike because it's tall. Good gas mileage, zippy little car.

[wavedancer]

I like my Passat wagon. We can fit both bikes with wheels on in the back, lying on top of each other with a packing blanket between them. I will keep this one until it dies, but am also looking at other options for the future. The Fit sounds good. Has anyone tried or seen the Mazda 5? It looks like a pretty good option for gear transport Mazda 5

[Ritamarie]

Toyota Rav4 with a truck bed mount just laying inside.

Or just get a couple of these http://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._1031488_-1___ and mount them on a piece of wood.

[copperlegend]

The BF's mother has a Honda Element, and she easily transports her fully assembled bike in there, standing up! I think there are even hooks for a couple bungee cords.

[GLC1968]

but I think they would fit with the wheels on also.

Yep, they did in mine. I could also easily put my bike in the back of my Mini (wheel off).

Now we use our Toyota Matrix for bike transportation. They can fit inside with wheels on, but they have to lay on top of each other. DH's is too tall to stand up, we tried. We usually just use our trailer hitch bike rack. Even with bikes on the back, we get about 33-34 mpg highway. We just turned over 90K miles on the car and it still drives like new.