Mid-size SUV’s which fit a bike inside?

My Volvo XC60 is starting to get a bit temperamental at 10 years / 150k miles, just had another dash full of warning lights this week which will undoubtedly be £££ + Volvo tax. So thinking its time to change.

The XC60 has been perfect in terms of size and driving comfort. I do a bit over 20k miles a year with a 70-mile commute and 300 mile trips pretty much every other weekend for family reasons. Something similar size or maybe a tad smaller would be fine. Currently I can fit a bike in without taking wheels off at all, I do this a couple of times a week so is a key consideration, taking front wheel off not a problem.

First thoughts are along the lines of a Kia Sportage – does anyone have experience of putting a bike in this? I may be able to charge a PHEV at work so could be an option (may cover half my commute on battery at least).

Full EV not really an option as my longer trips are in a day and time limited with usually a number of stops, so not practical for charging.

Pug 3008 looks nice but is quite large – would be good to reduce size a bit as its a bit cramped on our shared drive!

Any other suggestions? Ideally I’d like something less than 4 years old, budget maybe 25k

I’ve got the newer model XC60. It is a real step up in quality vs the mk 1 (that I also had). However, the boot space is much smaller. Basically due to them prioritising back seat space. I can fit my xxl bike in the back, but I do need to take the front wheel off due it being a 29er (not quite enough headroom to have it with the wheel turned 90°).

I just gave up my Hyundai Santa Fe. It was one of the best cars I ever owned. 70k of faultless motoring, really comfortable, easily take a bike and super smooth auto box engine. It was by quite some distance, the best value car when I got it 6 years ago.

I could get bikes in a BMW X1 with ease. Nice height and opening.

My dad has a new Kia Sportage. Its very nice inside with every gadget imaginable, but it is a typical bulky SUV. It has a larger footprint than my Berlingo 5 seater but with much less space inside. Id happily buy another Berlingo when the time comes.

Are you happy to remove both wheels? If so, plenty of options…

Our iX1 is lovely and has a decent size boot and we really liked our old Disco Sport too. Recently had a Skoda Kodiaq on hire which was huge but dull.

I’ve got a 2023 Sportage and can get my ebike – Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SLX 750 laying on its side with front wheel off.  Lovely car btw.

I have a Kia eNiro (full EV, but non-EV versions are available) and a size M Bird Aether 9C fits in the back with the front wheel off. Take your bike with you when checking out possible cars, that’s what I did.

Our Kuga fits a couple of front wheel off, medium sized,  29ers with the 60 bit of the 60 40 split down, but not fully upright, so you have to protect the frames if there’s more than one.

Single bike fits easily.

I can’t imagine outside the odd coupe suvs that there’s any you won’t be able to fit a bike in. Toyota has 10 year/100k warranty so I’d suggest a lightly used rav4 hybrid.

ridc lets you check the length of a load area for getting bikes in, but if you can put the passenger seat forwards a little most medium or bigger cars will fit a bike with both wheels no problem

I’ve got a Skoda Karoq. Pretty good overall as a practical car.

The SE L spec has removable back seats which is very handy for getting bikes in. I’m not sure if there’s any equivalent Seat or VW that has them, just the Karoq as far as I’m aware.

removable back seats

We had these in our old Rav 4 – very useful when renovating a house, you can fit a lot of stuff in your tip runs…

As mentioned above and because mine is super useful and has better load space than the two big daft SUV’s I own…..

Berlingo, the car nobody wants, the car everybody needs*

*Despite that tagline – I don’t actually work in advertising.

I can’t believe I’m not the first one to say Berlingo, long wheel base of new

Berlingo, the car nobody wants, the car everybody needs

100% true.

I’ve been wanting to get rid of mine for years but it ticks too many boxes and refuses to die.

If you like Volvo, they have just announced they are bringing back the V60 and V90 to the UK, so maybe get one of those instead of a SUV?

My berlingo is the non long wheelbase version and I love it. Can get bikes in with wheels on but i prefer to remove the front wheel and use a fork mount to hold it upright. Had 4 in like that with loads of other stuff. No need for the long wheelbase version unless you’re very tall with massive bikes.

Petrol. Over 50mpg on long runs. Cheap to insure. Very comfortable.

When I first got it and put a couple of bikes in, I couldn’t understand why I didnt buy one years earlier.

‘Berlingo, the car nobody wants, the car everybody needs’

SUV mania has been a disaster for car choice, and most MPV designs seem to be stuck 10 years ago. I’m tempted by the previous model Ford Tourneo Connect LWB which is a similar deal, (current one is a VW Caddy based disaster) but there’s only a choice of wet belt petrol and a 1.5D which is forever having DPF issues etc

Just to add, my previous car had removable rear seats which was an excellent feature. The thing I didn’t think of was where I’d store them and how much they weigh. They were easy to remove but heavy so ended up leaving them in a spare room for months at a time and they take up a lot of space. Too heavy to put in the loft and too big for a small garage.

Great feature but need to have a plan for storage.

LWB Berlingo happy camper over here. I’ve even started to wave at every one I see (which is not many) just like in the 2CV, cos it annoys everyone in the “van” and makes me giggle.

I have a CX5 and it takes a bike in the back with ease with the front wheel off

Kodiaq full bike – wheels on. (Though can be tight with longer bigger bikes.)

Karoq full bike front wheel off.

@grimep

I’m tempted by the previous model Ford Tourneo Connect LWB which is a similar deal, (current one is a VW Caddy based disaster)

what’s wrong with the new Caddy based Torneo Connect? (or the caddy for that matter)

First thoughts are along the lines of a Kia Sportage – does anyone have experience of putting a bike in this?

Size large gravel bike, front wheel off lies easily on its side in a model year 2021. Two people (one bike) plus a week’s luggage.

Haven’t tried other configurations, it goes in the van more often

Berlingo, the car nobody wants, the car everybody needs*

Is the answer. Or failing that some sort of mighty Dodge Caravan type vehicle. Enough storage spaces to lose your pedals, axles and 8 year old. While still providing you with the kind of car kudos that will make BMW drivers envious.

Do you really need an SUV or would an estate do? If so, Skoda Octavia, job done.

Berlingo, as above.<!–more–>

I gave a lift to a Discovery Owner in my Tepee Patner. He was just baffled when i put 2 gravel bikes in, wheels on, upright

As someone who owned a Skoda Karoq (which was frankly crap), and moved to a Toyota Corolla touring, I’d say get an estate.

The Toyota is not the most practical of estates, yet way more practical than the Skoda for lugging bikes, ride and handling is night and day improvement, and has decent fuel economy as it doesn’t have the aerodynamic properties of a house. 1.5tsi Karoq would only do 35mpg on a 70mph cruise!

Plenty of good estates out there. Corolla, Octavia, 3 series, C class, V60 etc.

And I’d wager all of them are better cars than their SUV counterparts.

Karoq SEL owner here too. As above, it’s the only model (I think) with the tumbling/removable rear seats. So it’s dead easy to fold up any of the individual rear three seats and either remove or stow vertically to free length.
Great car too, if not a little vanilla*.

*which is fine for me

do most mid sized SUV or hatchbacks not fit a bike in the back with seats down and front wheel off ?

even my not hugely practical coupe style BMW i4 takes a large FS flat with seats down and front wheel off

We leased a Kuga for 3 years, replaced it with a B Class and then replaced that with a Tiguan both of which had seats that really didn’t suit Mrs P’s back back so we bought another Kuga like the old one.

When I can afford it I’ll replace this diesel Kuga with a PHEV one. Good car. Very Car-y.

Not quite an SUV but how about a BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer?  Pretty much the X1 in a slightly different skin with a bigger boot and the addition of an extra pair of fold flat seats whether you want them or not!

Dave_h we had an active tourer before the Kuga, also a great car.

For context – I’ve fit a medium size gravel bike and a Large sized Trek Remedy in my i30 hatch before (it’s an N so slightly less space than a standard hatch but not massively) with both wheels on. Seats down and slide underneath parcel shelf.

Lexus RX if you want a bit of comfort on those 300m drives without having to take the front wheel off.

Wow, you guys must have small bikes! 😅
I have a (Toyota Sienna) minivan and I can’t even get my bike on its own with the wheels on.

#Jealous_tall_rider

Ive just picked up (well 14 days ago) a  Cr-v  on a 1.6 i detec 160ps . Two handles in the boot drop the rear seats and i can easily at 6.3″ lay down .  And removed the front week on the XL enduro 29  and stand the bike in the back .  So much so the Vw fork mounts on a board will see my roof carrier redundent .  So far ive seen 57mpg at 75mph with the carrier on the roof .

It might never beat anything from the lights but 360 nm torque and comfy seats  its an idea carrier for my M6 Lakes trips.

I find small SUVs better for MTB transport duties compared to estate but I agree it’s subjective. The two key benefits for me is that they are shorter than estates and have *some* off road capacity and I don’t mean they are off roaders. Often really useful to park in rooty forestry places before riding.

I fit a big 29 bike standing up with front wheel off in Tiguan MK1, Karoq, 3008 and currently Kia Xceed, which is a sort of coupe / SUV fusion thing and the best of all of these, particularly in 1.5t DCT.