Forrester, Escape, CRV owners

[withm]

I may be buying a new car.

Of these models (Forrester, Escape, CRV)

1. Can you fit a bicycle inside with front wheel ON? Or do you have to remove the wheel?

2. When rear seat is folded down (and I assume you can do this with all the models) does the seat lay flat? Could you sleep in the back of the car with seats folded down?

3. Do you like your car enough to buy another one?

Thanks,
Martha,

[7rider]

2001 Escape owner here, so my answers pertain to an older style. I cannot vouch for any changes to current year models.

1. Can you fit a bicycle inside with front wheel ON? Or do you have to remove the wheel?
With both back seats folded down, I can lay the bike in on its side with all wheels on. I can then pack gear around it. With one rear seat up, I do need to remove the front wheel to get the bike in to stay upright. DH has devised a method where he uses the rear seat belts to secure the bike(s) to the sides of the vehicle so they don't topple over. Or...I lean it against a seat.

2. When rear seat is folded down (and I assume you can do this with all the models) does the seat lay flat? Could you sleep in the back of the car with seats folded down?
On the 2001 model, yes. I can also remove the bottom seat completely from the vehicle and get a surprising amount of storage room back there. I suppose you could sleep back there if you wanted to. I've never tried.

3. Do you like your car enough to buy another one?
Probably. I've had no major complaints about the thing. I got the V6. I've heard the 4-cylinder is a dog. That said, I have also been Jones-ing for a Forrester or Outback. The CR-V seems too pretty....and not one I'd want to get mucked up, as our vehicles do - with bike gear...kayak gear...ski gear..bales of hay...or whatever junk we throw back there.
But...as DivingBiker will tell you...DH and I are perpetual shoppers..never buyers!

[daisylubob]

2004 Forester

1. Back seats folded down, it is flat and a road bike, 26" mtb or 29er will fit laying down with wheels on. Bikes also fit standing up w/ front wheel off, you may need to lower the seatpost or take it out. Secure w/ bungee around the headset/fork to the tiedown on the side.

2. Yes seat folds flat. I have not slept in mine, but my sister does all the time, she is 5'3" and made a comfy little pad to lie on

3. Big YES! In fact, we are currently looking to buy a 2-3 year old Forester to use on longer trips. Subies rock!!!

[twin]

I have a 2002 Forester and I put two bikes in the back with the front wheels off. Mine is a 55cm and the other a 52cm. I take out the seat-posts because I can move them to the opposite sides of the car. I think they could be put to the same side and the smaller seat then could remain up. They are fun cars esp. in CO.

[Pedal Wench]

You didn't ask, but I can do all the above with a 2007 Toyota Rav4. I can also put our bikes inside standing up with a fork mount

[Kubla]

You didn't ask, but I can do all the above with a 2007 Toyota Rav4. I can also put our bikes inside standing up with a fork mount

Ditto here. The Rav4 (mine is a 2007 as well) is remarkably roomy with the back seat folded flat. Each of my bikes (a road/drop bar or hybrid/flat bar) will fit while lying on their side-without removing the wheel.

I've also owned a Forester (2002) but it did not have the head room that the RAV has. However, the design has changed since then; I believe the newer models are larger than they used to be.

The main reason I bought the RAV this time was because an assembled large dog crate fits easily in the back. I could not get one in the '07 Forester or Outback wagon.

[Zen]

1997 Toyota Previa van fits 2 assembled bikes standing up or one bike and one kayak. Or four dogs.
It I want to sleep in it the bike has to sleep outside.

[alimey]

+1 for the Forester. We love ours - it's been super reliable. It's now done 90k miles & if we had more money we would trade it in for a new one. But we don't, so we will carry on using it. Love the 4wd - but also drives like a car, very stable. Love the leather seats & the heated seat option.

[wnyrider]

'07 CRV here
1. Can you fit a bicycle inside with front wheel ON? Or do you have to remove the wheel?
With the wheel on, my 55cm frame bike fits lying down with second row seats folded via the hatch opening. My son's bike can fit behind the front seats-- smaller size frame

2. When rear seat is folded down (and I assume you can do this with all the models) does the seat lay flat? Could you sleep in the back of the car with seats folded down?
Seats do not fold flat. Even if they did, I could not sleep back there as it would not be long enough for me (5' 8 1/2").

3. Do you like your car enough to buy another one?
Yes... *knock on wood* not one complaint, other than I do wish the back seats did fold flat

[FlyingScot]

2008 Forester!

1. Two adult bikes flat with front wheels on. Two bikes standing fork mounted.

2. Yes the seats fold flat

3. Haven't done it but could easily sleep in it or put a roof tent on it.

4. This is my second Forester so I guess, yes, I definitely would buy it again

[withm]

Well it's official. My car died while I was on a trip, and I was faced with buying a new engine, wiich would have cost more than the car was worth and taken 2-3 more days than I had time to wait around for a repair, or buy a new car.

I ended up buying a (used) 2008 Escape. The choices available were slim, and trying to buy a car way-out-of-state is more complicated than I would have ever imagined. It's bad enough to be forced to buy a car when you don't have the luxury of shopping around, but there was a time deadline thrown into this mix as well. Ugh!

This Escape is loaded - all the bells and whistles, including 4-wheel drive, which is the last feature I would have normally volunteered to spend money on. What am I going to do with that? Pray for snow????? HA! But I'll still have to put a new kayak rack on top.

Warning: If you have a locking rack system for your car, be sure to bring the keys with you when you go on a trip. I had to sacrifice my kayak rack when my old car went to become an organ donor because not only did I not have the keys with me on this trip, I don't even have a clue as to where they might be.

So I've driven it about 15 miles now, and will drive 800 miles in a couple of days.

I was really leaning towards the Forrester, but the nearest Subaru dealer to where I am is 60 miles away, and when I get home the dealer is still about 45 miles from my home. Hard to go car shopping when you don't have a car. And yes, I cold have ridden my bike over to the local Ford dealer, but I also wanted to be taken seriously when I got there to negotiate a car. This is a town that does not take too kindly to cyclists.....

For what it's worth I also tried a Chevy Equinox. The seats did not even come close to folding down flat - and crazy as it may seem, that was a deal breaker for me. It does have a larger cargo area, but there were just too many things I did not like about the car to pursue it, not to mention the color .

Anyway, thanks for all your comments. It did help a lot. I have not tried to put the bike inside yet, but will trust that it can be done, will try it tomorrow just to be sure.

[Kathi]

05 CRV owner. Both bikes standup in back without taking front wheels off, his 54cm goes in first next to window we turn front wheel towards the inside, my 48 cm easily leans next to his. We put a furniture pad between them to avoid scratching my bike. We then pack all of our bike gear and camping gear around and underneath the bikes. My bike by itself fits with the larger seat folder down so we have carried 3 people.

My seats don't fold flat but for me they are flat enough. I'm 5'2" (barely) and can easily and comfortably sleep in the back. I'm a little cramped sleeping with the bikes in there but it's doable.

I'm constantly amazed at the space my CRV has. A couple of weeks ago we took a dishwasher and microwave in their packaging, a small wooden patio table, 2 fold up wooden chairs, kitty in her carrier, our overnight bags and the 2 of us to our ski condo an hour and a half away.

During a trip in Wyoming a deer hit us and we had rent a Ford Explorer and leave my CRV behind for repair. The Explorer did not have the efficiency of space that my CRV has, bikes had to go on top of luggage.

I also looked at the RAV 4 but didn't feel it met my needs with storage space like the 05 CRV does.

[divingbiker]

So sorry to hear you were forced into buying a car under duress. I hope it turns out that you love it, and that car shopping didn't mess up your vacation too badly.

My kayak rack doesn't have a lock, but I wish it did.

[7rider]

Wow. That is a bummer of a way to buy a vehicle. I have a friend that had to buy a new car that way, too. Car died en-route somewhere, and he ended up just leaving it and buying a new one (a Honda Odyssey minivan...you want to talk about an "everything" hauler! Whew...he can carry an amazing amount of people and all their gear in that thing. And at 72 y.o, he and his wife don't exactly fit into the category of minivan-driving soccer moms!).
Good luck with the new Escape. As I had mentioned, I have no major complaints about mine. I hope yours serves you as well as ours has for us.

[Norse]

2010 RAV4 here.

1. Bikes can lay on their sides (front wheels on) with both seats folded but we usually just pop one down, take off the front wheels (no problem with seatposts) and stand them up against the other seat using a bungy cord to secure.

2. I have not tried sleeping in the back, but looks like it would be plenty roomy and yes, the seats fold flat.

3. Yes. We had a '99 4Runner that we finally sold (wanted to downsize and get better mpg) and we have been very happy with these SUVs. I researched 2 years before finally parting with the 4Runner and getting the RAV - after all the research, the choice was between the RAV and the Forrester. Went with the RAV because: (a) more bang for the buck, (b)roomier cargo space, (c) our big dog would not fit well in the Forrester and (d) we had a positive experience with our other Toyota. Your mileage may vary.