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looking for a small to mid sized SUV or Xover that will fit a bike inside on occaison

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

looking for a small to mid sized SUV or Xover that will fit a bike inside on occaison

Old 10-20-14, 01:05 PM
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A question to Prius owners as the Prius seems like a popular bike car. How has the reliability been? Anybody own one out of warranty? and/or had to replace the battery?...or any of the costly electronics?
Thanks
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Old 07-02-16, 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by catonec
jeep cherokee. There are a billion of them out there so you can find a really nice one pretty cheap. The i6 4.0 is a bulletproof engine with plenty of power. replacement parts are inexpensive. Good 4 wheel drive systems.....10k gets you alot of truck.
I currently drive a four door sedan and transport my road bike in the back seat with the front wheel off. The seats do not fold down. I use a 6X9 tarp to protect the seats.

All of the riding I do requires me to transport my bike around, so I have gotten used to having my bike in the back seat pretty much all the time. The problem is that I no longer have use of my back seat as a result.

So I was thinking about trading the sedan in and getting a mid-size SUV, maybe a Jeep Grand Cherokee. What I was wondering is if there is a way to carry my bike around in the back of something with about as much luggage space as the Cherokee with ONLY the front wheel off and WITHOUT folding the rear seats down. Here is a picture of the luggage space in a Grand Cherokee:



I have researched this a good bit and as far as I can tell, the common practice is to fold at least one rear seat down and put the bike in with the bike pointed in the same direction as the suitcases above. But could it be put in sideways, or perhaps diagonally, maybe using a custom built platform or rack or something to hold the bike up and in place, and also a second bracket or something to secure the front wheel, within the space shown above?

Since I can fit the bike in the back seat of a four door sedan, it seems like it should be easy. But I am not so sure....

Thoughts?
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Old 07-02-16, 04:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Campag4life
A question to Prius owners as the Prius seems like a popular bike car. How has the reliability been? Anybody own one out of warranty? and/or had to replace the battery?...or any of the costly electronics?
Thanks
Mine has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Only 1 non-standard repair has been required, and that was with the traditional 12v battery (not the bigger battery pack) which seemed to be slightly defective. Have owned it from 15,000 to 120,000 miles.

Consumer Reports also says it's one of the most reliable vehicles you can buy.

There's also a number of things that reduce maintenance costs. Because of the regenerative braking system the brake pads basically never need to be replaced because they're only used in emergency stops. I think the transmission is more reliable than a traditional design. There was something else I'm blanking on.

Consumer Reports claims it's one of the least expensive cars to own:
10 Things You Need to Know About the Toyota Prius - Consumer Reports

I own the 2009 model, and there are a small number of things I don't like about it (which include non of the b.s. complaints about the car radio shock jocks like to pretend it has issues with), just like every single car I've ever owned, but it's been extremely reliable.
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Old 07-02-16, 04:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Spartacus713
I currently drive a four door sedan and transport my road bike in the back seat with the front wheel off. The seats do not fold down. I use a 6X9 tarp to protect the seats.

All of the riding I do requires me to transport my bike around, so I have gotten used to having my bike in the back seat pretty much all the time. The problem is that I no longer have use of my back seat as a result.

So I was thinking about trading the sedan in and getting a mid-size SUV, maybe a Jeep Grand Cherokee...
I haven't used that specific model, but my dad (I feel obligated to mention I'm in my 30's lol) has owned several vehicles, both minivans and suv's, and always fits 2-3 bikes in the back there by removing the front wheel. You can easily keep it standing upright just by attaching a bungee cord to the bike and the headrest if you need to. Tinted rear windows, throw a dark blanket over it, it's not easy to see.

He doesn't tend to leave his car parked in dangerous or higher crime areas though.

Another alternative is of course to buy a folding bike and keep it in the trunk Montague makes some with 700c wheels, I think there are also a few others that are 26" and 27.5" wheels though they're heavier.

If you currently own a midsize sedan and are happy with it, you might also try taking off both the front and rear wheels. With practice it doesn't take that much longer, and it keeps your bike securely out of sight in the trunk.
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Old 07-03-16, 01:05 AM
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Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
Coolest offroad vehicle around and the bike fits in the back or on spare tire hitch
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Old 07-03-16, 05:23 AM
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I have a Prius. It fits the bike... but it's inconvenient enough to pack anything else around it that it's getting replaced, probably with a 4Runner, which will take the bike internally and vertically with just the front wheel off.
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Old 07-03-16, 09:30 AM
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Originally Posted by caloso
forester.
+1
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