Looking to replace my Kia Sorento, need something that will happily tow my 1600kg caravan & I don’t really need to run a 4wd any more plus I’d like more space inside.
I know a few here have the older Galaxy, the shared platform one but has anyone got/used a 10 to 15 plate for bike hauling duties? If so did the bikes fit upright? Wheels off/on?

56 / Mk3 Galaxy here.
I find most of them are a faff to fit in upright with both wheels on, as the handlebars are too tall to fit the boot opening. You can put the bike in ‘on the piss’, and then they fit.
I take front wheel off, at which point I can carry two upright by folding one seat down.
I can carry two bikes, front wheel off, diagonally across boot if the seats are slid forward a couple of notches. i Then pack bags around them.
I can carry smaller framed bikes (26″, 27.5″ 12-16″ frame) across the boot, both wheels off.

I can fit bikes in via back door, so that when the boot has a rack of 4 bikes on already, I can get two more in the back…

They are not as deep as a Mk1 or Mk2, due to back row of seats folded. I remove that back row on long journeys (8 bolts) to gain the extra 15cm or so in depth.

Thanks MOAB. When you say ‘one seat’ for fitting 2 bikes with front wheel off do you mean one of 3rd & one of 2nd row, or just the 3rd row one?
I was thinking of removing 3rd row seats anyway as they would rarely be used & it would make load area lower for when dog is in there.

One of second row has to go down to do ‘straight’ forwards and back wheel off.

We sometimes use rear seat (as in the pic above) with two bikes in boot, wheels off though, plus four bikes on rack. Six bikes and six people, and with seats in ‘forward’ position in second and third row, you do have enough space for bags etc.

3rd row removal is also good as it removes about 60kg of weight! You do have to tape up some holes in boot floor though, I just use duct tape under carpet.

Cheers for that. Very good to know.

Not a Galaxy but my old SMax, so same size boot as a Galaxy but not as much height. The bikes are front wheels off with droppers pushed down – both medium long travel 29ers. Plenty of room for gear too. Could fit three bikes in comfortably, button 3 riders.

2012 Galaxy, it was happily taking 3 bikes (all 29ers) yesterday with the back two seats down and two of the middle seats down. Front wheels off, dropper posts dropped.

04 galaxy used to fit a 29er stood up, wheels on and seatpost left alone, had a quick release 3rd row as well, a whale of a car, in more ways than one

Im guessing you want something newer though

SMax, so same size boot as a Galaxy

As well as lower its 30cm shorter.

I think for that model the galaxy boot area was 52mm longer, certainly not as much as a foot longer. They have the same wheelbase so it’s not like a swb vs. a lwb van – so nothing particularly useful. I remember comparing them when I bought my max and decided it wasn’t worth bothering with given the additional price of the galaxy at the time.