Quote Originally Posted by GLC1968 View Post
We have a MINI Cooper Clubman on order and while I can't say for sure, I'm guessing we will be able to fit two bikes in the back, particularly if we are willing to remove the front wheels. It's rated at 36 HWY, it's 4-cyl and if it's anything like my old MINI, it should do great in the snow. They also just introduced a clean diesel version of it that gets 56 mpg (in Europe), so there is hope for the US eventually...
The Clubbie is less deep (high) in the back than a Cooper (non-clubbie), so I believe you'll have to lie your bike(s) down. My recumbent won't fit in the back, but I did get it in the back of my Cooper, because of the extra ceiling room.
I have the turbo, I get ~36 mpg on the highway and ~32 in town - with runflat tires. When I switched to non-runflats, my mpg went way down.
and yes, the front wheel drive is awesome.
I've also espoused the virtue of these trailers before
http://www.sportsrig.com/
get you little gas-miser car, and a small trailer and you've got the best of both worlds, IMHO.
there is also a MINI Countryman, which I think 2 bikes would fit in the back of. Not sure of the gas mileage in that vehicle, though.