Currently own a mk4 vw golf but have wanted to sell it for about a year now and when we return from the alps it’ll just of been fully serviced, with 6 months tax and a fresh mot so im gonna sell it. The plan has been for a while now to get a red a3 5 door but im starting to have second thoughts. Almost wrote my car off last week thanks to poor tomtom which could of been prevented if i had something higher and more 4×4 and it would also come in handy for getting into certain trail centre carparks and roads also did a course at ‘degla recently and the guy ‘teaching’ us did us an uplift a few times using their cars which i think are warrior type things, open topped back so chucked bikes over hatch and off we went. Got me thinking something similar would be really handy for that as well as generally capable of bike moving. Friend of mind always drives a van too so the bikes get stood up properly with wheels on and u can get changed in the back too so its winwin. Im stuck as to what to get?! what have you all got that you find good for bikes?

I have been thinking the same thing. I also have a MK4 Golf and find it OK for getting 1 bike in with kit, but 2 bikes is an all wheels off afair and I really don’t like using rear racks but have started recently.
Was actually looking at getting a VW Transporter or a similar spec van and trying to turn it into a street sleeper. But then thought about the day to day trips to work. With that in mind I have been looking at Passat estates as 6k will buy you a decent spec one with 70k on the clock.

Picking up my new (to me) pickup tomorrow, it’s a king cab (only 2 front doors but 2 back seats (just about!) too) so a bigger bed than a crew cab but more seats than a normal cab. Looks like an utter bike carrying machine; measured it up and I should be able to fit my bike in standing up with both wheels on. The issue is that I need a cover for other stuff and that’d need to be damn high to stand up a bike with both wheels on!

The key thing for me is that I’ll be able to carry 4 people and 4 bikes and be able to lock the bikes away in the back.

If you can get a decent transporter size get van, do it. I would, no hesitation.

My tip would be a Volvo V70, with a big lump of an engine, or a Disco3 if you have the money. Merc E-Class are also a superb choice for big estate car.

Subaru Legacy 2.5
Skoda Octavia 2.0FSI 4×4
Skoda Octavia 1.8T 4×4

Volvo V70 did you say?! I have to admit to owning one and it is fab. It doesn’t even notice the bikes on the roof, well you couldn’t get any less fuel economy to start with!!!!

But money no object I would buy a shiny new van, and another one for GavGas 😉

I went from a 3 door Mark IV golf to an Audi A3 Sportback Quattro – no complaints, just a little bit more space in the back makes it much more bike friendly. Load space of 3dr A3 looked very small next to my old Golf.

i just got a mondeo for bike stuff. great car for the money huge boot too

I have a focus, carries 3 bikes standing up with the front wheels taken of and 3 people. not bad for my first car, great to drive to. have driven the pick up truck and they seem so heavy and cumbersome to drive. I would get a transporter van, but the one wwith the extra ro of seats in.

problem with normal cars and estates are that the wheels still need to come off, fair enough you could keep em on for one but not both i bet n im sick of wheels off fafing. I had considered a transporter but im carer so i dunno if i could get away with driving it round work. What sort of mpg can you get in transporters too?

I have a vague hankering for a Delica, with a further vague hankering for a poptop camper conversion. Should just be within my budget… And I could carry motorbikes in it too. Possibly not the best first car ever

I’ve gone for the bikes on the roof option. I know that is not for everyone but it suits me…I need something permamently attached and easy (it literally is a 2 minute job per bike), and then it also leaves the whole car for folks and kit. Super 🙂

Depends on the year/engine size and the overall weight but between 30 and 45 I have been told by the T4 and T5 boys.

Berlingo?

That is the old style model with 2 bikes built inside with 3 seats for passengers – could remove the front wheel off a third bike and get that in no probs plus kit for a week’s riding (which I’ve done several times).

The pick-up idea is great…if you are a farmer and need to transport a single hay bale…but is otherwise a massive compromise and not one I personally would be happy with.

If you have the cash then it is your choice but they aren’t that great in real-life – unless you are that farmer!

Rav4 MK3 for me…4 bikes on roof, 3 passengers plus me and all kit for a weekend away. 75mph, 45 mpg – sorted. Bit of a girly car though!

berlingo is good idea and looks to fit the bikes just like i want but my god that car is dog ugly from the outside, no offence i hope, each to our own n all that. I work with elderly and ill, i dont wanna look like i drive them round too! 😀 i love idea of nissan navara but i think its completely over the top for work too…. oh to win the lottery and have multiple cars!

Get a Skoda Octavia Estate. Just bought an immaculate 1 owner with 72k for £5k, its spotless and the build quality is amazing compared to our other car.

Swallows 2 bikes with ease.

A van without doubt. Transporter maybe or trafic/vivaro more van for less money but with less cred.

Don’t on the other hand get a pick up. Bikes in the back hanging out – so that’s no stopping at services then or being able to leave them at all. Generally very thirsty and uncomfortable. Rear seats tiny even in true double cabs. how you get anyone in the back of a super cab unless they are a double amputee I’ve no idea.

I too wanted a van but a new job and a 500 mile a week commute put paid to that thought!

I am thinking of getting rid of my peugeot partner 2.0hdi for something a tad bigger.However very reluctant ‘cos i’m getting about 50mpg and it’s pretty fast for a van.I like the swb transporters,but not sure on the economy.Needs to be an everyday vehicle too.

RR SWB transporter 2.5 130bhp used to give me 40mpg to each tank if I wasn’t hammering it. 1.9 104 should be a bit better, the 85 bhp version a bit worse as it’s gutless and you drive everywhere with your foot in the carpet.

406 estate here. 2 adults, 1 baby in the seat, 2 bikes, 1 kiddy seat (Hamax), 2 rucksacks, baby staff bag, loads of junk and no problems. All inside. £1k for a diesel. Leaves you enough for a toy to drive.

Subaru Forester. with a Thule tow bar rack. Perfect.

Nissan Navara twin cab with a closed back is the greatest multi purpose vehicle ever. Maybe a bit of an overstatement but we can get 5 bikes, an inflatable canoe, a kayak and a weeks camping equipment in ours without too much trouble. Hell of a rig.

Bikes in the back hanging out – so that’s no stopping at services then or being able to leave them at all. Generally very thirsty and uncomfortable. Rear seats tiny even in true double cabs. how you get anyone in the back of a super cab unless they are a double amputee I’ve no idea.

I disagree with all of that…a pickup with a lockable canopy removes the whole not being able to leave them bit and rear seats being tiny is utter crap. In my dads crew cab the rear seats have more leg room than most other cars I’ve been in and the bed is still easily long enough to fit multiple bikes with front wheels off

Subaru Outback 2.5L

+1 for Northwind.

I’m after a Delica too.

Mondeo estate. Can fit 4 blokes and 4 (wheels off)bikes for trip to Wales pretty comfortably. Transporting your pride and joy inside your car? The only way to go IMHO.

Get the diesel. Like the Skoda Estate too- but being Mondeo man for the last 5 years has served me well..

Good luck with whatever you get.

Have you looked at Mazda Bongos?

Most common ones are 2.5TD, 4×4, 8 seater, slidey and/or foldy-up seats, with a bed in the lift-up roof.

They are not in the L/R Discovery league off road by any means, probably not as capable as the Delica either, but are definately more than capable of handling access to most UK trail centres, muddy fields, etc.

Various aftermarket camper conversions available to make them more interesting too.

Mondeo again – estate as the boot opening is much wider and lower than the hatch 🙂 4 bikes (in the boot) and 4 adults to Austria no problem. Put the seats down and you can get two bikes in with wheels on.

4×4’s arn’t any better due to the high floor and huge wheel arches intruding…it has to be a big estate or a van/mpv if you want ‘wheels on’ transport. Vivaro and its clones are quiet nice and car like to drive but I’ve had to go for the truck like Iveco Daily for its towing capacity.

Can’t see the benefit of a pickup with hard cover over a van to be honest unless you have other uses for it, the floor is higher so you wouldn’t be able to stick a bike in upright as you would in a T4/Transit would you?

Mazda 6 Estate. Based on the Mondeo chassis, but with nicer looks IMO. Get a TS2 which includes the Bose CD changer/speaker combo. Back seats fold flat at the flick of a handle in the boot. Massive load space. My 2ltr also has 140ish BHP, so not going to win any races, but fast enough.

So, you only need to shift bikes?

What are your other daily needs?

May I suggest VW Touran(deisel 140 or 170 for a bit of poke) or as above Vivaro with seats and glass all round aka Touran style?

Toyota Verso

Espace/Sharan/C/S max Ford/ Transit Connect with seats/glass/ Kia thingy???????.

The list could be never ending but is tax/fuel cons/ins/maneuverability/parking restrictions/street cred etc all considerations?

+1 for a mondeo, drives well, loads of space, 45mpg + cheap as chips

5 bikes and gear for a week. Who cares what it looks like from the outside.

Hi
I think you need to tell us a bit more about what you want the car for.
Only for bike purposes? Off road or only on road (by of road I mean really off road).
Daily commute too etc etc;
Are you bothered by taking the wheels off? Bike carriage? Ont the boot? On the roof?
On a trailer ball (best system actually).

Contrary to lots of people here I have a 106. Could fit 2 people and the whole kit needed for MM without any problem (just needed to remove the front wheels) or 3 people and 3 bike + all the kit for one day trip to wales (using a boot rack).

So I don’t think there is a bad car for bikes, it’s just a question of how organized (organised?) you are.

We just need to know more about how you are going to use the car.

My 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee will take 3x 5″ full sussers in the back with the wheels on (Back seats fold down completely flat). I believe it has a wider entrance at the back than other 4x4s. 2.7 CRD is reasonably efficient too if you drive smoothly, very comfy too.

With the back seats up I can get the wife, 2 kids, one dog, luggage for all of us, two full sussers and a trailer bike, all inside.

Bear in mind that with non car derived vans, ie Transporter/Transit types they have restricted speed limits on them – 60 on a dual track, 50 single track.

Diesel Fiat Multipla, latest type if you want reasonable looks or the 04 pig ugly one if you don’t care. Should hold 4 bikes and people inside with careful packing.

Almost wrote my car off last week thanks to poor tomtom which could of been prevented if i had something higher and more 4×4

sorry, but what the?!

Mates Focus Estate has a good ammount of room for bikes and kit and has been reliable and reasonably economical. Drives OK too given the size.