looking for a small to mid sized SUV or Xover that will fit a bike inside on occaison
10-16-14, 07:30 PM
#52
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I used to fold down the rear seat of my Honda CRV, put a flattened bike box over the upholstery, then easily slide in my intact road bike without snagging or soiling the upholstery.
If I had two bikes, I would stack the bikes one above the other with the cardboard between them.
I also use a pool noodle to cushion the bike. It goes under the handlebars and along the length of the bike between the car floor and the bike.
My current bike hauler is a Honda Element. I eventually took out both the back seats since I never take passengers.
I can lay my road bike on its side but the front wheel does have to tilt up.
Or I could strap it upright, but I prefer not to take the extra time messing with it.
I built a homemade rig with 2 sections of 2x4" and 3 universal fork clamps to carry 3 bikes with their front wheel removed.
There was plenty of room for my luggage, 3 people's duffel bags, and an additional spare wheel.
The wheels went into cloth wheel bags that hung from a telescoping clothes rod affixed to the Honda's ceiling handholds.
I covered the bikes overnight so they weren't easily seen through the windows.
That rig carried the bikes on 2500 miles to and from my bike vacation without any problems.
If I had two bikes, I would stack the bikes one above the other with the cardboard between them.
I also use a pool noodle to cushion the bike. It goes under the handlebars and along the length of the bike between the car floor and the bike.
My current bike hauler is a Honda Element. I eventually took out both the back seats since I never take passengers.
I can lay my road bike on its side but the front wheel does have to tilt up.
Or I could strap it upright, but I prefer not to take the extra time messing with it.
I built a homemade rig with 2 sections of 2x4" and 3 universal fork clamps to carry 3 bikes with their front wheel removed.
There was plenty of room for my luggage, 3 people's duffel bags, and an additional spare wheel.
The wheels went into cloth wheel bags that hung from a telescoping clothes rod affixed to the Honda's ceiling handholds.
I covered the bikes overnight so they weren't easily seen through the windows.
That rig carried the bikes on 2500 miles to and from my bike vacation without any problems.
10-16-14, 09:16 PM
#53
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Honda CR-V. Bike fits in back (rear seats down) w/o taking front wheel off. Plus, I get 30 mpg.....
10-17-14, 06:15 AM
#54
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No mention of the Mazda 5? I've got 2 of them. You can put a 4 x 6 sheet of plywood in them! The sliding rear doors are awesome! Now if they would just bring the diesel version to the USA, I would really be happy.
10-17-14, 07:11 AM
#55
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I had a 2006 and 2010 prius, both fit a bike with the seats down. No reason to take wheels off. I also had a hitch on both vehicles to carry 3 bikes when i went with the kids. Currently for work I have a Nissan Rogue, bike fits with wheels on and seats down no problem. Nice little vehicle with pretty good gas mileage 26-28mpg
10-17-14, 02:35 PM
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I have a 2004 Jeep Liberty that does pretty good. It has a split back seat so even with someone seated in back you can still pack a bike quite easily.
10-17-14, 03:13 PM
#57
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I bought one this year. I thought my wife's 3 hatchback was great for hauling the bike around, but my 5 is awesome!
10-17-14, 05:10 PM
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I can fit 5 bikes in mine, and that's with only taking the front wheels off. However, I don't think an Excursion fits the OP's "Small to Mid-Size" criteria.
10-17-14, 05:52 PM
#61
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The Mazda3 was a real nice ride though. I'd say adequate power, nice handling, nice interior and driver ergonomics. I thoroughly enjoy the peak torque at 1950 rpm and flatlined through the rev range of the VW turbo though.
10-17-14, 06:03 PM
#62
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Interesting. I'm going out this weekend looking for an 05-07 hatchback for my daughter. Didn't know about this. Thanks.
10-17-14, 06:09 PM
#63
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My moms 2013 (?) honda crv fit my bike like a champ, though I have only had it in there once. It was MUCH easier than putting my bike in the back of my civic 
I am also a fan of the subaru crosstrek and outback.
Both subarus get similar gas mileage (somewhere in the ballpark of 26 city 30 hwy) but the outback has A LOT more space
I am also a fan of the subaru crosstrek and outback.Both subarus get similar gas mileage (somewhere in the ballpark of 26 city 30 hwy) but the outback has A LOT more space
10-17-14, 06:56 PM
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Like my Toyota FJ Cruiser. Keep the back seats down and plenty of room. Awesome truck.
10-17-14, 07:11 PM
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"Honda Element. Bikes roll right in, and held in place by seatbelts. I'll keep mine until it falls apart."
Careful what you wish for, it won't be long till it does. While good in theory, they are one of the biggest peices of crap Honda has come out with. Get a CRV and be done. 02-06 second gen cheap, skip 07-11, 12 up is decent.
Careful what you wish for, it won't be long till it does. While good in theory, they are one of the biggest peices of crap Honda has come out with. Get a CRV and be done. 02-06 second gen cheap, skip 07-11, 12 up is decent.
10-17-14, 08:02 PM
#66
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10-17-14, 08:15 PM
#67
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We use a Jeep Compass when we transport bikes. One fits inside easily, two on the roof rack and four on the hitch rack.
10-17-14, 08:44 PM
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Volvo V70R Less than 10k, less than 100k miles, plenty of room, awd + 6-speed, and 300 horses, and incredibly safe for you and your bike.
10-17-14, 08:48 PM
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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.
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2000 litespeed Unicoi Ti, XTR,XT, Campy crank, time atac, carbon forks
10-18-14, 04:30 AM
#70
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Any rust problems around the rear wheel well with the Mazda 3? I was ready to buy one used when my research brought the rust problem to my attention. Every one I looked at with 50,000ish miles had paint starting to bubble. A shame as I really liked the interior and how they drove. Then I took a Jetta 1.8turbo for a ride, rolled easy into the throttle 5th gear at about 50 and almost immediately it pulled to almost 100 mph. New then it was the car for me
The Mazda3 was a real nice ride though. I'd say adequate power, nice handling, nice interior and driver ergonomics. I thoroughly enjoy the peak torque at 1950 rpm and flatlined through the rev range of the VW turbo though.
The Mazda3 was a real nice ride though. I'd say adequate power, nice handling, nice interior and driver ergonomics. I thoroughly enjoy the peak torque at 1950 rpm and flatlined through the rev range of the VW turbo though.
It's a '12 with about 28K miles, so no signs of rust. We've owned a couple of Proteges, and the '01 rusted out around the rear wheels pretty bad, although the '94 didn't. Other than that, we never had a problem with them. The 3 is a lot of fun to drive, even with the auto transmission and Skyactiv motor. Even the 5 has the "fun to drive" thing going for it, it just feels bigger than the 3.
10-18-14, 05:56 AM
#71
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Any rust problems around the rear wheel well with the Mazda 3? I was ready to buy one used when my research brought the rust problem to my attention. Every one I looked at with 50,000ish miles had paint starting to bubble. A shame as I really liked the interior and how they drove. Then I took a Jetta 1.8turbo for a ride, rolled easy into the throttle 5th gear at about 50 and almost immediately it pulled to almost 100 mph. New then it was the car for me
The Mazda3 was a real nice ride though. I'd say adequate power, nice handling, nice interior and driver ergonomics. I thoroughly enjoy the peak torque at 1950 rpm and flatlined through the rev range of the VW turbo though.
The Mazda3 was a real nice ride though. I'd say adequate power, nice handling, nice interior and driver ergonomics. I thoroughly enjoy the peak torque at 1950 rpm and flatlined through the rev range of the VW turbo though.
Supposedly it is because of a metal prep/plating issue on the sheet metal, but I don't know that Mazda listed exact cause. I owned an '04, and only got rid of it due to losing the rust war.
10-18-14, 06:25 AM
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I have owned a few BMW's and won't own another one. To me, they aren't worth it but they are nice cars.
If you don't wrench which I do... and own one out of warranty, every time you go to the garage its $1K.
10-18-14, 06:29 AM
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"Honda Element. Bikes roll right in, and held in place by seatbelts. I'll keep mine until it falls apart."
Careful what you wish for, it won't be long till it does. While good in theory, they are one of the biggest peices of crap Honda has come out with. Get a CRV and be done. 02-06 second gen cheap, skip 07-11, 12 up is decent.
Careful what you wish for, it won't be long till it does. While good in theory, they are one of the biggest peices of crap Honda has come out with. Get a CRV and be done. 02-06 second gen cheap, skip 07-11, 12 up is decent.
Thanks
10-18-14, 06:49 AM
#75
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There is a cool M version of the X3 on youtube with sticker of $53K. Seems too much for that vehicle.
I have owned a few BMW's and won't own another one. To me, they aren't worth it but they are nice cars.
If you don't wrench which I do... and own one out of warranty, every time you go to the garage its $1K.
I have owned a few BMW's and won't own another one. To me, they aren't worth it but they are nice cars.
If you don't wrench which I do... and own one out of warranty, every time you go to the garage its $1K.