hollywoodeskimo

+1

WalksOn2Wheels

Since the thread is already mostly off the rails, save for the fact that it still relates to cars, I found a pretty happy medium in the "cheap car/ownership" experience vs. "that is obviously a cheap/run down car." I found a good, used 2007 BMW X3 for the low, low price of $13K. Yeah, it had just over 100K miles on it, but I also happen to know how to work on cars and am comfortable troubleshooting any issues.

In nearly 10 years of marriage, this is the first time we've had a car payment (last car we bought was a 2006 Pontiac Vibe bought for $6K cash on a rebuilt title and still going strong, previous was an inherited Saturn that we really ran into the ground) and I've never taken a car to the shop for anything other than tires or front end alignments.

So with the BMW I have a very nice car with a touch of luxury that is also fun to drive, and I even sorted out a fork mount for inside the car so that I can carry the bike on the interior with the seatpost removed. I had a similar setup in the Vibe, which is a Toyota matrix clone. But on the plus side, it was cheap (for a BMW) and little things like dents or scratches don't make me faint and I can give it a good wash every couple of months to keep it looking good. And the funny thing is, people assume I spent at least 25-30K on it.

A shot of the Domane in the X3:

hollywoodeskimo

I always wonder why many people think Hondas are superior to Toyotas. I get an update from the USDOT every Monday and Hondas have many more recalls than Toyotas. None this week. None for Toyota either. This week we have recalls on Hyundai, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, and Volvo.

Vinnems

I recognize that picture from The Samba. Haven't posted there in years.

Gladius

Hahahahahah

Gladius

I leave that to my cells to take care of.

rekmeyata

Hollywoodeskimo wrote but deleted the message that Honda has more recalls than Toyota yet in the top 10 most recalled cars Toyota is mentioned twice and Honda not once, see: 10 Popular Cars With The Most Recalls | Bankrate.com Also see this: Forbes Welcome

Leadrunner

I drive a Suburban and mounted two fork racks on a 2x8. With the third row seat out, I can carry two bikes inside, out of sight, and still get all my other gear and three passengers in as well. I know it doesn't get real great gas mileage, but I can carry all that stuff with the cruise set on 75 or 80 all day long and still be comfortable. Plus, I'm and old fart and can afford it.

Chandne

I owned a 2001 Suburban (the heavy duty version) and it was completely flat in the back. It was a bit loud and jittery on rough roads but the space was fantastic- you could even stretch out and sleep in it. I see the newer ones have a pronounced step inside though they seem to drive smoother. I'm looking at getting a newer truck or SUV, so am starting to do some research. I would help if I could sleep in the vehicle in a pinch. My 4Runner and Wrangler simply don't have enough length for me to sleep. It is mainly for times where I go on a mtn biking or a road bike trip and hotel availability is impossible (happens often- esp mtn biking) or I am camping and it is too windy or in bear country.

FLvector

I've been using the skewer mounts for several years and find it very simple to remove the front wheel and place it in the back seat. Takes about 30 seconds. The skewer mounts lock if I'm away from the vehicle for a brief period. Plus the dual cab pickup is ideal for a variety of uses.

rekmeyata

I don't really give a rats arse about fuel economy either, the car has to be comfortable, have enough power that I don't get frustrated driving it, and be reliable, plus I'm an old fart too.

GlennR

Will this work for you?

Vinnems

For what its worth, I used to take the front wheel off my bike and could fit it in the back of my Fiat 500 with the back seat down. Could probably fit a second one, too. Got tired of that though and put a tow hitch on with one of those bike racks that you put the bike on and slide a hook down to keep it in place (like the ones on front of buses).

gsa103

Honestly, I'm voting for a Honda Element, a riding buddy has one. Trivial to toss a bike in, you bungee cord the top tube to side and you're done. Reliable and decent gas mileage.

Would I drive one? No, but that's because I like cars that are interesting to drive. The best cars for biking are pretty much not interesting to drive, unless you count this...

ThermionicScott 

Ah, nice! Any particular year? A few years ago, I was a pretty rabid ACVW fan, and was looking into a Squareback myself. I didn't know if I could in good conscience subject a nice one to Iowa's salty winters, so I broadened my search to 1996 Subaru Outbacks. More on that in a bit...

ThermionicScott 

Hope you don't mind the multi-quote, Tim, I came into this thread late...

I am a really big fan of my 1996 Outback. It isn't much to look at at this point, but it was cheap to buy, has a 5-speed, I can put down the rear seat and toss in whole bikes without taking off wheels, and it's really fun in the winter with the manual and AWD. While not much of a blingy choice, it's a reasonably comfortable and capable car.

I dig it. Life is better when the things we own don't own us. My Outback is great, but I don't have to be too precious or protective of it. For what I paid, it doesn't owe me anything by this point. I have a hunch that's the way a lot of pickup owners feel about their steeds.

As an aside, the Trappists make some nice beer...

Great for those things too! I've camped in the back of mine and hauled perhaps a half-dozen Christmas trees by this point.

It's the other way around -- the 2.2L engine was nigh bulletproof. They frequently outlasted the cars they came in with little more than oil changes. (I specifically sought out a 1996 model because it was the only year they offered the new Outback body style with the old non-interference EJ22 and a 5-speed.)

It's the 2.5L engines that had trouble with head gaskets, and it took a few generations to get that problem under control. They use a special multi-layer HG at this point. I think some, if not all, of the earlier 2.5L's can be upgraded to the newer style HG. When my '96 finally gives up the ghost, I plan to buy another 10-year old Outback.

That came out kind of gush-y, but to be honest, if I had access to a time machine, I'd be pretty happy to drive 1996 Outbacks for the rest of my driving career.

T Stew

Some of us like to move more than a bike around though. Perhaps the OP doesn't and the posters where just throwing in their 2 cents even if it isn't seriously directed at the OP like I probably will shortly.

Now that is more like it.

I've been 'car'-free since my '85 T bird died almost 20 years ago. Since then I've only had trucks. I find them much more useful. When it comes to bikes I can slide in any of my bikes in through the back door straight in upright without taking anything off, folding seats, or even moving the seats at all. And I can still fit quite a lot of stuff in the seat as well as an 8' bed still in back. Sometimes I just set it in the bed on a thick blanket. A couple times in lieu of taking 2 SUV's I've transported my whole extended family plus 2 dogs, 4 bikes plus bike kid trailer, and all supplies for a long weekend of camping. Didn't need a trailer or any exterior cargo attaching devices.


My F350 when new in '09. Ordered it built since I couldn't get one with the features I wanted that wasn't 'loaded'. Nothing I hate more than useless bells and whistles, creature comforts for wussies, auto-everything lol. I wanted 6-speed handshaker, manual shift transfer case, manual lock-out hubs, V10, crew cab, long bed, F350 with heavy service suspension.
I find it a blast to drive.

Looking for a car finally myself though, as I am getting ready to retire my older '99 F150. Since I have such a long commute to work a car would save me some gas, and parking the beast in the garage at work can sometimes be a pain. I am not interested in cool looking, fast, or fashionable. I'm utilitarian. And I want AWD and plenty of space, along with good economy both in vehicle price and mpg. I'm thinking a used Subaru Forester... if I can find one in manual.

Chandne

The Forester is a very practical and solid vehicle, that has arguably the best AWD system widely available. My 2006 had around 110,000 miles when I sold it and nothing had gone wrong with it and it drove so well. The AWD (even with worthless passenger car tires) managed to get me in and out of some pretty rough terrain, though the limited clearance kept me out of serious trouble. I'd definitely buy one again even though my needs have changed and even the Forester is not enough. The 4Runner is more capable but still had limited clearance so unless I lift it a couple of inches and put taller tires, I am limited in where I can go. I'm often tempted to get one of those Sportmobile 4x4 lifted vans for my adventures but I balk at spending $75K-$85K for a low-mileage one. I assume the new ones would be over $100K. I'd do it if the wife was more into mountain biking but it would likely just me me wandering around solo a lot more.

WalksOn2Wheels

Need? How do you know that? The start of this thread indicated that the vehicle did have requirements outside of carrying a single bike. My vehicle is more than I need on a day to day basis, but when I DO need the space, it's beneficial.

It might shock you to hear this, but different people have different needs when compared to your own. Sometimes these different needs drive people to make choices contrary to your own. They're not doing it wrong, and neither are you. You're doing it the way you need to.

Chandne

I don't even want to take my front wheel off, since most of my bikes have hydraulic disc brakes and we need the room anyway. We spend most of the summer and fall in a ski condo at a resort (back and forth a week or so at a time..we both work from home) and with a dog, bikes, gear, condo repair stuff, etc...we pack that 4Runner or Wrangler to the gills. Will never get anything smaller and most likely something bigger.

rekmeyata

Not sure what that has to do with anything, but if you want to back that Trek truck to my door and unload those bikes for me to keep then that would work for me.

TimothyH

I am the OP.

This is a great post, very useful, not like guys recommending cars they never drove or posting pictures of Ferraris with tandem mountain bikes mounted on rear wing. Thank you very much for the information about the 2.2 vs 2.5.

Outback is on my short list. Forrester seems to be a little cheaper for comparable mileage. I guess the Outback is more in demand.

The monastery where I was doesn't make beer but they make some great fudge and and have opened an eco-friendly cemetery - basically wrap you in a sheet and return you to the earth with no embalming fluid.

Looking to spend around $16k. I could get a $5000 1999 CRV with all wheel drive however. Just looking for something practical and reliable, that's all. Not driving an F350 or a full size van, no need for it. I never liked large vehicles much.

dtrain

Similar here. I paid $9k for a single-owner, 10-year old Acura MDX that had a little over 100k miles. That was over 5 years/40k miles ago. I commute mostly by bus and couldn't care less about the door dings at the park-n-ride, kids' messes in the back, etc. It's been a champ, a great value, and still looks pretty decent. We spent a little more on my wife's Accord, which gets to see the inside of the garage.

To the OP - that CRV sounds decent to me. Forrester's are great too.

hollywoodeskimo

It might shock you to hear this, but my opinion is just that. Nothing more. Nothing less. I stand by it. The OP needs no more.

hollywoodeskimo

Another good bet for you might be a AWD Toyota Matrix. I've owned one for 12 years. It has over 200,000 miles on it and it has only required minor repairs that I have done myself. It gets about 27 MPG.