Going to one vehicle so looking for some ideas or recommendations please –
Id like 40 -50 mpg,
Minimum 2 seats,
Probably a van, estate or mpv
Comfortable enough as the only vehicle and occassional long journeys
The space to store 2 (or more) bikes inside the vehicle, with wheels on without damaging them (upright?).
Will need to tow a trailer so minimum 1.4 engine i guess
Nothing too expensive -ie £1000-£4000

I was looking at Peugeot Partners but not really long enough for my longest (DH) bike and a bit too ugly, I’m now thinking maybe a VW Caddy C20 if it’s long enough or maybe the VW transporter…. or an MPV

Please help me!!

VW Touran might be worth a look, 3 bikes and 3 people easily

Renault Espace. Older models have fibreglass bodies on a galvanised chassis, so should last for ever. Good fuel consumption out of mine. Mechanically reliable enough. Don’t expect all the luxuries to still be working though.

Got a Caddy 2.0SDI myself, bought specifically for carrying bikes, and it’s superb.Driven sensibly, and in 5 years it’s never dropped below 46 to the gallon, usually get about 48/49 and sometimes up to 53.Plenty of room for 2 upright bikes in the back (made a rack for mine), had 4 in there plus everybody’s gear for a weekend no trouble.Don’t know if you’d get one for 4k, but worth a look. If you get one, i’d recommend fitting some clear acrylic sheet over the “windows” in the bulkhead, much quieter and warmer.

I’ve got a galaxy 115 tdi normally 45 mpg, could get 4-5 bikes in the back with wheels on +2 people or 3 bikes 3 people. Drives just like a car will do about 120 if you need and can do vey long journeys in comfort. Bored of mine now after nearly 5 yrs so selling it! ~£3k for a 2001 with 108k miles.

merc vito

get a knackered toyota pick up and chuck an old bit of carpet over the tail gate! live the dream!!

You could buy this!
I can send pics if you want.

1998
VW Transporter T4 LWB
1.9 TD Diesel Engine
Manual Gears
130,000 miles
12 Months Tax
11 Months MOT
Serviced Just Before Christmas
New Clutch
New Windscreen
3 New Tyres
Tidy condition, a few chips and scrapes to the paintwork.
To be expected of a working van of this year.
Extremely reliable.

Priced to sell
£2600 + VAT

Citreon Berlingo van?

My choice though would be a Toyota hiAce. Totally underated here in the UK where everyone goes for the bigger capacity transit or AGNI Transporters (vastly overpriced cos thier popular) 😉

You can pick up a 03/04 for 3k with under average miles. Just dont buy one in Black or dark grey tho! (cough body carrier)

99 Grand espace
Loads of room with all the seats out
good looking for a MPV
Drives like a car and parks like one, with all the goodies
Great mpg with TD
No rusting issues
Pretty cheap now

Newer style vauxhall combo is the smallest van I’ve found which easily takes long bikes (DH bikes, 29ers etc) wheeled straight in rather than diagonally.

I’m very pleased with my 1.3CDTi version, not sure if you’d get one of those in your price range, but the 1.7 DTi engine’s not bad and easily does over 40mpg.

Thanks for the recommendations & offers guys really appreciate it, now i have some alternatives to consider, probaly try to go sub 100k,but we will see 🙂

berlingo.

I thought Berlingos were essentially the same vehicle as Peugeot Partners( and the Fiat one) & to me they looked too short in the back to be able to load bikes straight but I I’m not sure now
I’m thinking that the bigger VW caddys are longer & long enough to load bikes straight in.

Berlingos are near enough the same as partners, and are thus too short. If you’re getting a caddy, check about the speed limit – can’t remember if they’re in the “Car derived vans” or “light good vehicle” class….

What sort of loads will you be towing in the trailer? Something that can realistically tow a substantial load wont be able to easily return 50 mpg unless it’s brand new. Small vans like the caddy or the transit connect can easily carry two bikes, three becomes awkward and four is a pain.

If your using them for uplifitng dh bikes 3 is the max you can easily work with. You can squeeze 4 bikes in with 2 people in the back but it helps if they are contortionists. Not good for any distance or length of time.

The absolute king of vehicles for carrying bikes is a pickup. A double cab can easily carry 5 people and their bikes. Even the smaller trucks can carry 7 bikes easily which unlike even a big van can be loaded/unloaded in seconds.

i can get a 29er and a cross bike in the back of my berlingo without taking the wheels off, by wedging them in diagonally, there’s still acres of room either side of them for kit that way and i can leave one rear seat up should a feel like it

it gets a bit loud in there at (and over…) 70mph though

I’ve got a Caddy C20. It fits a bike length-wise, at a push, but at a slight angle no worries. I removed the bulkhead and fitted a camper conversion kit from amdro (www.amdro.co.uk). It’s slightly less practical for carrying bikes now but can be done with a bit of jiggery-pokery. The camper kit can be removed really quickly and easily, if needed, but I find I can get away with leaving it in. Great for races or just a dirty weekend away with the bikes.

Its a great car-like van. Recommended.

Used to have a Peugoet Expert, next in size up from the partner type, but smaller than a transit. Bought it for a grand (8 years old), had a 2L diesel engine which I was getting ~40mpg from, didn’t have the turbo so I had to rag it a bit, the turbo version was more powerful and more efficent.

3 seats in the front and i could get 6 bikes in the back (3 of which were Orange 223’s without doing anything to them (wheels off or turning bars etc). Sliding doors on both sides (as well as rear doors) means incredible access.

Sod the trailer – keep everything together and safe in one of these, spesh if you generally only have 2 bikes.

As I work nights I’d regularly finish at 7am, drive up to the trails and get ~2 hours sleep until my mates shown up.

If your living in a place that shoves as much grit on the roads as they do here in Scotland, try and get the bikes in your vehicle. Ours suffered more on the back of a car in the winter months than ever they did on the trail….