I’m considering a new car and due to various restrictions of the staff scheme I’ve narrowed it down to a current Leon, current Fiesta or possibly completely randomly from left field a C3 Aircross.

The decision process to date is very involved and I don’t really want to go into it here.   Obviously these are all very different vehicles.  The Leon and Fiesta are both there for potential driving enjoyment. The Citroen fascinated me for reasons I can’t quite explain but may be discounted after a drive – but does seem the sensible head choice on paper.  I’m looking for feedback around practicality of any for carrying a MTB in the back.  The Leon does have an estate body too, but I don’t really want it ideally as it’s already the most expensive choice and an estate body seems wrong for what is basically a pleasantly warm hatch.   Fiestas have got much bigger since I last had one.  Focuses are out due to reasons beyond my control.

Load area length data seems to be lacking online. Haven’t visited any dealers with a tape measure or to drive yet, and I’m still considering sticking with what I have although the call of the shiney is strong.   I’ve been carrying bikes on the roof for years so my eye is completely out regarding this sort of thing.  I’m hoping to avoid too much disassembly. Leaving both wheels on would be ideal but probably unrealistic unless maybe in the Aircross?  I know a Yeti can cope with the rear seats flipped with a full size bike standing front to rear in the load area.  Pending measurement it looks like the C3 Aircross may, too?  Yetis are also not an option as they’re no longer current.

A medium bfe 275 will go in the back, front wheel off and seats down.

edit – current Leon hatch.

E Bike in a Leon Estate that you dont like but obviously never driven one in FR trim

Or at a push an old 26″ FS stood up

Happy Leon ST FR user here. (Sorry can’t answer your questions). Previously had the Hatchback, also with bikes on roof.

As you say a fairly enjoyable drive.

I have a Black Edition Fiesta, I can fit my Calibre Dune in the back, but only when I take both wheels off. It’s a bit of a pain to be honest, I should really buy one of those single bike carriers to hang off the boot…

Hm. Thanks!

Bear, I’m open to the idea of the ST and it’s the FR150 that is under consideration, but I think I’d prefer the 5 door to the Estate.  I may change my mind after driving. The ST does stick about an extra grand on, so I’d need to be clear I liked it and wasn’t just buying it cos it was handy.

Sounds like the Fiesta will be a bikes on the back or bikes on the roof choice.

Still interested by the Aircross, the Flair 130 doesn’t look that badly off the pace on paper although is never going to feel like a warm hatch I’d imagine.  Very interested in that load area though, also the ‘grip’ pack.  I really discovered AW tyres this year in the snow.  I live in the sticks and the Weatherproofs plus my Mini were undefeated while other vehicles were abandoned and stacked left right and centre. I’m usually going to work before other people are out of bed so gritting has almost never happened.   The ‘grip’ pack on the Aircross comes with AW’s as standard apart from the electronics.  225x45x18 Weatherproofs for the Leon are about £500.  The company scheme includes replacement of stock tyres but not supply of winter etc tyres as alternatives, so this is more significant than it sounds, it’s potentially an extra £1000 over four years.

The Leon does have an estate body too, but I don’t really want it ideally as it’s already the most expensive choice and an estate body seems wrong for what is basically a pleasantly warm hatch.

Unless you are driving daily along open, twisty A and B roads, I seriously doubt there is that much difference between the hatch and estate versions. Slightly less road noise from the hatch at the rear would be more of a consideration if it’s for long motorway journeys though. The ST/estate isn’t exactly noisy though

I have a Leon ST FR with DSG, and had an older mark Leon FR hatchback. The estate is still fun!

Just to check, is this a full company car scheme where everything is covered, or is it just some kind of lease agreement?

If he former then you might want to check company car tax for each of the cars you are looking at. I was looking at cars the size above (Jag XE / 3 Series BMW / C Class Merc) and all the petrol / more exciting models were bad on tax. I ended up with an XE with the lower power of the 2 diesels to limit this.

If you could find a suitable hybrid they are much lower on tax but I couldn’t find one in our scheme of the size / pace I’d like that I’d enjoy driving.

If it’s not a full company car scheme then ignore my above comments!

I think putting a bike inside the car regularly could get really boring – especially in the winter with mud etc. If you really want to do that I’d go estate. I very much doubt with the type of car you’re looking at that the estate would feel much worse (if any) to drive.

Or just stick the bike on the roof and pick the one that drives / looks the nicest 😃

I’ve got a Leon hatchback, the FR 184 diesel model.

An XL hardtail goes in fine with the seats down and front wheel off.

I’ve got the Leon ST Ecomotive.. bikes on roof as I dont leave it unattended. Great economy.

I tend to wash my bike down before I leave where I’ve ridden (a few old 5L screenwash tubs do the trick), then it dries on the way home.

Haven’t tried outting bike inside due to baby seat

Load area length data seems to be lacking online

RIDC Motoring

They measure almost everything on the market so you can work out whether wheelchairs will fit inside, and if someone less mobile can get in and out. The data is also very useful for working out whether bikes fit easily.

I have the Cupra ST, it goes like stink and handles very, very well. Doesn’t guarantee the FR will though!

Did a week away with  camping and biking gear in it with a medium Whyte G160. Front wheel off and there was plenty of room around it for the camping gear while still getting the load cover over. Couple of towels and it wasn’t totally obvious there was a bike in the back. Bike was low enough in there that the estate height wasn’t needed. Actually the only time I’ve used the estate height was a tip run with a huge back of moss and an armchair, even then the boot was open.

Previously had a Civic hatch, it’s one of the most roomy clever hatches I’ve seen. Golf clubs fitted better in that hatch than the Leon estate and bikes just seemed to disappear in the back of that. Know it’s not on the list but as a comparison of a similar sized hatch Honda definitely made more use of the room somehow.

My sister has the last generation FR 150 hatch, never driven it but it seems to go pretty well and is a nice place to sit. She puts her bike in there but it’s a small 26er so it’s not going to be that useful info that it fits easily…

I’ve got a FR 150 hatch and large framed full sus bike, I usually whip both wheels off when dropping it in the back, although it probably fits with just the front wheel removed with a bit of jimmying.

The car itself is pretty decent. The engine has cylinder deactivation on light loads, so it shuts down to a 2-pot when pootling around. Mine is DSG too which makes city driving much less of a pain. It then makes a nice warm’ish hatch when you want to press on a bit more.

i used to be able to get 2 bikes + kit (front wheels off only) in the back of my old 944. I’d be very surprised if you couldn’t do the same in any of the large cars you’ve mentioned. The trick is to drop the handlebar down between the back of the front seat and the top of the folded rear seatback (into the footwell) or between the two front seats, you’re then looking at a relatively minimal distance between for load length (approximately reach + 27.5″ I’d say, maybe a couple of inches less)

@ joebristol, “Just to check, is this a full company car scheme where everything is covered, or is it just some kind of lease agreement?”

Confusingly, neither. It’s a staff benefit leasing scheme run directly through Payroll as a salary sacrifice.  HMRC view it as a company car and apply P11d as usual although the vehicle is something I have chosen rather than something that is necessarily part of my pay deal.

There are limitations such as my Employer having decided that nothing over 120g/100km will be available and obviously repayments need to not drop me below a certain pay rate.  Apart from that though, the vehicle is provided all-in, if I break something through stupidity I pay for it but otherwise service, parts, tyres, insurance, mot when applicable, ved etc are all included in the salary deduction.  It’s a fairly attractive looking deal – if the vehicle you want is available.  You get to pick trims, all options etc with all the usual P11d implications. There are obviously pitfalls though, so it wouldn’t suit everyone.  I’m aware I’m on a roller coaster, I started looking due to the headline of having a new car someone else maintained for the monthly cost of my existing car.  My existing Clubman Cooper sets a bar and probably costs around £250/month in these terms.  Most choices in this scheme will end up costing more, the Leon FR Sport I’m fancying will be about 60% more than my present expenditure but also a reasonable upgrade.  The Fiesta in S-Line trim with the 140 lump is pretty much a zero cost replacement.

I live in the sticks with entertaining, hilly and steep A and B roads between me and work and I’ll usually be out before the gritters at ‘that time of year’.   The Weatherproofs have been awesome and I’ll be fitting them again but they’re outside the scope of the deal unless AW tyres are part of spec, so I’ll probably buy a set and the local garage does a ‘keep your other tyres in the rafters’ arrangement for customers which solves storage if I go that way.  I generally tend towards smaller cars and enjoy driving.  Currently in a Clubman, previously a 147 and a Mk2 Ibiza Cupra before that.  Pending test drive I’m a bit concerned the Leon may feel large hence the worry over the ST estate.  After sitting in it, the Aircross is off the menu , I gather driving it isn’t great either.  I’ve been persuaded to look at the Arona and T-Roc too, although I’m very much looking at practicality there as both are in 115 form.  SEAT appear not to be offering the 150 currently on the Arona.  There is a diesel option on the TRoc which improves performance over the petrol but I really didn’t want a diesel.  I don’t believe I drive far enough any more for one to make sense and so far as I can see they’re likely to be walloped in the near future.  Looking at the tail ends, the Arona and TRoc are both pretty sculpted so while load length may be increased I’m not sure either will be better for something MTB shaped.

^^ make that about 50% uncharge relative to what my current car costs for the Leon not 60%, but with the additional uncertainties of new car vs old one and servicing/maintenance costs that are impossible to truly know in advance, so one particularly bad year for repairs could blow that years’ saving.