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Yes, yes , I know another what car question!
My 3series estate won’t fit my 29er upright, ie front wheel off and saddle down.
What current estates do?
Would make it easier to get the eeb in too.
I’m going for - none. You’ll be looking at a larger SUV or some kind of people carrier
Size matters...have you measured the height of the bike in this form and searched estate boot heights?
Had a VW Touran in a previous life, two bikes with droppers down and front wheel off.
So I guess from there and up in MPV you'll probably be good.
Used to happily put 3 26er bikes with 160 forks standing in the back of a Passat, just front wheel off. Not a hope with a 29er
I could get a medium road bike in my renault scenic, with the seats folded.
Had to go in at an angle, but would stand wedged against the roof.
So, I’ll agree, no normal estate car will manage it.
Don’t bother buying a renault, it would be cheaper to just buy a new bike for every trip.
Edit: I missed the bit about front wheel off, that changes things somewhat.
I've owned mondeos and skoda superbs, both equally massive and with both id struggle to fit a bike in upright. My bikes were all xl though.
Maybe if you drop air out the shock and slam seat post it might be possible.
I do wish they did fit though. Would be handy.
As it stands I think you're best bet is taller family wagons like Renault grand scenic et.
I really noticed it recently when getting just about the biggest estate car you can buy. Volume wise might be great, but the useable space is not as good as our smaller SUV
Buy a SUV would be my advice
Buy a SUV would be my advice
Careful with talk like that. Won't be long til the morality police catch up with you for killing woodlice or something and you are shamed into hiding... 😉
I’ve owned my elgrand for 7 years and every mtb I’ve owned goes in upright with wheels on, not quite an estate car though 🤣
I'll go for none too. MPV would be my choice for that but I wouldn't make it. Estate with seats down and book in its side for moi.
Nissan Pathfinder! Good for 22mpg on the motorway too!!!!
Some options here: https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/what-car-for-mountain-biking/
Can't imagine a true estate will do it. Going to be some sort of MPV/SUV thing I think.
Seatpost dropped, front wheel off, 100mm forked 29er, no bother upright in a Mondeo Estate. 130mm plus, you've got to get a lean on.
Most estates won’t have the height.
my outback will fit my 29r with wheels on, on its side. It’ll go upright with wheels off but not with the rear still in.
You’re talking needing over 1m in height between the boot floor and roof/hinges. Even our i3 which has a bloody huge boot lid won’t take a 29er with 2.6”tyres on it.
None. You need to go MPV to get the height and at that point you may well give up on life altogether.
Yeh... Your past estates if you want that sort of clearance. My 2007 XC90 will take a 29r on the seat and bars with front wheel removed, as will the wifes 2016 Kuga. If your dead set on an estate, then leaning or lying on its side is the only way
S-Max or C4 or Zafira Tourer is your answer
Galaxy or Sharan/Alahahabbmbmmmbmmbra if you need a spaceship (sounds like you don't) will swallow them upright wheels on with dropper dropped like it's nothing
Or C-Max if you want smaller but the rear seats (very) annoyingly don't fold into themselves unless super modern ones do
This site's pretty handy for giving the important boot dimensions rather than the half-useless cubic litre capacity that gets quoted on specs... its primarily to help people choose wheelchair friendly motors but obviously handy for anyone who cares about load lugging:
https://www.ridc.org.uk/features-reviews/out-and-about/car-search
specs for each car for:
Length of boot floor - back row of seats folded down or removed
Length of boot floor - back row of seats upright
Vertical height of boot opening
Boot sill height to floor of car
Boot sill height to ground
Width of boot floor at narrowest point
Width of boot opening - bottom
I've been trying to find a replacement for my aging Mk2 Focus Estate, pretty much nothing else these days has similar width/depth and the SUV craze has made matters worse.....
Grand c max no problem.
I’ve seen it done in a Skoda yeti. Admittedly not an estate but not quite given up on life…
650b orange five for reference.
Galaxy or Sharan/Alahahabbmbmmmbmmbra if you need a spaceship (sounds like you don’t) will swallow them upright wheels on with dropper dropped like it’s nothing
Not with wheels on but front wheel out they'll do 3 big travel 29ers with 3 seats up and all the kit for a weekend away.
Friends could get two road bikes upright in a Yeti with front wheels off.
May not work for a mountain bike.
Skoda fabia estate. Get my 29r and mrs's 27r in up(side down)right in with front wheel off. Back wheel end in first, also gives the bootlip as a handy ledge to rest the bars on while you remove/fit the front.
S Max won't take an S3 Kenevo SL upright with the front wheel off.
Yeti possibly has the height (but isn't an estate car) but length is lacking. The aforementioned KSL only went in on it's side with the front wheel removed and the passenger seat so far forward that Douglas Bader would complain about the lack of legroom...
5 Series; upright? No chance.
CLS Shooting Brake; don't even bother...
Skoda fabia estate.
This I have to see!
My 29er Trek Superfly and my 27 plus Scott Spark would fit in upright in my V70 with front wheel out/saddle down. Haven't tried it in my V90. Not sure as I type what size the frames are but I'm 5ft 10inch tall.
That's impressive in a V70. Particularly the 29er.
As my 2013 V70 is only 726mm/28.6" in height.
🤔
My road bikes fit in my C-max upright with the front wheel off. Not sure how they compare to a 29er.
My previous c3 Picasso (not a big car) would take 3 xl 29ers upright along with riders.
My 3 series Estate struggles with 2
Sigh...buy a Berlingo!
Ford Tourneo Connect LWB. I can get my bike in upright.
If I take wheels out I can get 4 bikes in the boot.
Something van based, or that looks like a van or is actually a van.
Last time I got a bike in an estate car upright it didn't have a dropper post and the wheels were 26".
I could fit a Cotic Solaris in my old S Max, front wheel off, seat down and upright or upside down.if all seat were down.
ransos
Free MemberMy road bikes fit in my C-max upright with the front wheel off. Not sure how they compare to a 29er
Tiny in comparison to a 29er
I was surprised how easy my whippet was to get in our Cmax even without a dropper. My 29 anthem is easy peasy with dropper and doable without.

I’ve got a Jag XF estate / Sportbrake - there’s no hope of getting a 29er in stood up with just the front wheel off. You’d need an estate with a really deep boot to have any chance and most modern cars don’t have that. I reckon you need an mpv or van based ‘car’. I sort of fancied getting a Tourneo Connect in the 1.6 petrol turbo with the auto box but couldn’t quite get my head around how it looks for an every day driver.
The Jag is epic to drive and swallows a lot of kit / child / dog etc - but the bike goes on the roof.
Jesus that was painful, and it missed out that I was replying to @doomanic. Anywho, 29r norco fluid fs1 on the left 27r canyon nerve/neuron? on the right. In an 11 plate fabia estate ^^
Galaxy or Sharan/Alahahabbmbmmmbmmbra if you need a spaceship (sounds like you don’t) will swallow them upright wheels on with dropper dropped like it’s nothing
We have an Alhambra and I need to take the front wheel off of my 26" BFe to get it in vertically. It might git if you put the bike in sideways then stand it up but I highly doubt it
My od CMax would do this, just fold the rear seats fwd and then jam the back tyre in between the folded seat ad the door handle. As said above though - you do have to have given up somewhat to buy one. ;o)
Tiny in comparison to a 29er
Bit surprised at that. There's no dropper...
Sigh…buy a
BerlingoCaddy Maxi!
Fixed it for you. My Berlingo is absolute dogshit. Typical French electrics.