What small car? (that fits a bike in!)

The sudden demise of my car means I’m unexpectedly looking for a replacement asap. So does anyone have any advice on a car that would meet the following criteria:
– small (supermini sized)
– can fit at least on bike (mtb or road) inside, preferably upright. Don’t mind taking the front wheel off but can’t be arsed with taking the rear off
– good reliability reviews

Not usually used on long trips on motorways, and rarely need space for more than one or two people.

Any advice? And if you have got a small car, any pic’s of how you fit the bikes inside would be appreciated!

Honda Jazz was what I looked at recently to fit the same bill.

heres a jazz in the press and journal (local paper) today for 3995 ono. its 2005 with 17k on it if i remember right.

even if it is miles from you, i would travel for the right car. http://yourcar.ajl.co.uk/Details.aspx?ad=2263306&type=cars

Don’t have pics, but I used my wife’s Nissan Micra for a few years until we got rid of it. Not terribly exciting or trendy, but reliable, and nippy enough. We kept it for three years from new, and it didn’t have a single fault.

I could get a MTB in the back with the seats down and just taking the front wheel off. Still went in even with the saddle at silly XC height, and travelled like that with luggage for weekends away etc too.

You’ll get a bike in the back of pretty much anything I reckon.

Older Yaris or older Jazz as above.

In my older Yaris I got two mtb’s in and two 6ft blokes.

Sue – what sort of budget?

A Honda Jazz, Nissan Micra or Toyota Yaris will all do the job and never ever break down.

Meriva, Mate has a diesel one, seems reliable and cheap to run. Gets 2 bike in very easy.

Not quiet what you asked for but having just been in your situation we bought a fiat panda as an ex demo. It is fun and easy to drive has good ish fuel econnomy (50 mpg on motorway runs) and costs £30 per year to tax.

We were able to take it home on the test drive as the garrage understood our only issue was getting bikes in. It took a P7 and a superlight in the back with the back seats down and the bike wheels off . Bikes laid on their sides with wheels off one on top of the other.

Cheers for the replies – the jazz was on my list of possibles as the Honda blurb mentioned something about using the rear seat footwell to put a bike in upright across the width of the car – anyone tried this?

Will check out the micra and yaris. Not heard of the meriva but will have a look. I do like the look of the panda, but wouldn’t really want to be bothered about taking both wheels off.

Others have mentioned the Hyundai Getz or i10, Nissan note, and the KIA rio, but I’ve no idea whether a bike would fit upright in any of these?

Budget wise, I was thinking up to £4k, but as I’d like to get a car that’s no more than 3 / 4 yrs old, is that budget unrealistic?

Vauxhall Meriva

You’ll get a 3 year old micra for £4k very easily. I should have clarified though that the bike wasn’t upright, it was lying down in the back of the micra. I also used a boot rack quite often from Halfords with a couple of bikes on.

I think you’ll struggle to get a bike upright in a “standard” car. My Dad has a Volvo V70 which is supposed to take bikes upright using a mount thing, but it won’t take a lot of bikes, as 700c wheels are too big for it. If you want to go upright, you’ll need to look at something pretty tall (possible a Note or similar as you suggest).

I looked at the Note. While the vehicle is tall, so is the height of the load floor so it wasn’t actually any good. WE cpould get three peopel and three bikes comfortably in the Jazz. Shame we decided to stick with what we’ve for for financial reasons really.

My wife and daughter both have Honda Jazz’s and with the seats down they’ll take a bike in the back with the wheels still on no problem.

The MG ZR I currently own and loathe, can take a bike without wheels on the rear seat (loosened stem – twist handlebars) my friend has a Honda Jazz as a pool car and can fit a roadbike easily into the boot, I was considering one as a replacement then I test drove a Panda 100hp and really liked it. I hear they are unreliable but I’m still considering one in the new year.

Corolla Verso may fit the bill too

I have a note, and because of the removable floor, the actual height of the loadspace isnt good. However, I do get two bikes in upright, by putting the forks down behind the passanger seat, other then that its a very good car, on a long cruise about 9p to the mile and because you can slide the rear bench backwards and forwards then you can get 4 6ft4 guys inside.

Sad I know but when conversation in the office turns to “if you could have any car…”, I always say Toyota Corolla Verso.

Cheers for the replies – the jazz was on my list of possibles as the Honda blurb mentioned something about using the rear seat footwell to put a bike in upright across the width of the car – anyone tried this?

Done this in a civic, and it is fantastic the seats fold rearwards rather than forwards – you can even lock the bike to the underside of the rear seats. I assume the Jazz is a similar width.

My car requires wheels in the boot and roof down to place the frame carefully in the car and front seat folded 😆 . For my wife’s, they go on the roof.

The seat bases on the Jazz can be folded back but I’ve never tried fitting a bike in that way.

Fiesta although if you can stretch the budget I’d buy a mini as they look great!

a bike needs both wheels off to go in a clio 2.

Tails – Mini boot is TINY.

skoda labia is very good or the pug 206 SW

How do you guys fit a bike in the back of a Micra without taking both wheels off?! It was impossible with my old Micra and just as bad in my new (bigger) Fiesta. Maybe I’m doing something horribly wrong.

…and the mini doesn’t look great either its a bit like a shrunken head Range Rover Sport.

Peugeot Bipper Tepee – Small but big inside, good MPGs £30 a year to tax, sliding doors on both sides, huge tailgate opening, back seats fold split or come out completely, STUPID NAME!!!

I was having a look at the Fiat equivalent to that Blipper thing – it doesn’t look long enough to take a bike and if I’m being honest I suspect you’d need to put all the seats down in the back and get the bike to go across the available space…great idea just not big enough to take a bike usefully – I ride an 18.5″ framed 26″ wheeled 120mm full bouncer – not the largest but not the smallest.

I own a Fiat Bravo and the bike has to have both wheels off to fit flat in the rear – I don’t remove my saddle and there is a lot of post showing but even if I removed the seatpost I don’t think the rear wheel would remain on.

Careful packing a bike can fit in almost any vehicle…but getting on to take a bike upright and be small – very difficult.

Did someone say small car with a bike inside, who said you can’t fit a bike in a SmartForTwo 😳

A touring bike with full mudguards will fit across the rear footwell of the original Jazz (no idea how the new one compares but, like most “improvements”, I suspect it will not be as good) with the squabs folded and front wheel out. Two tourers fit in fore and aft down the sides with seats folded and front wheels out leaving room for gear in the middle. A mountainbike should be easier still.

See tandem in a Jazz here http://www.blayleys.com/articles/cars/index.htm

I need both wheels off to get a bike in my Yaris. Not exactly a hardship.

I was having a look at the Fiat equivalent to that Blipper thing – it doesn’t look long enough to take a bike and if I’m being honest I suspect you’d need to put all the seats down in the back and get the bike to go across the available space…great idea just not big enough to take a bike usefully – I ride an 18.5″ framed 26″ wheeled 120mm full bouncer – not the largest but not the smallest.

You might be right, although I have had MTB in (medium santa cruz SL) with front wheel out and only the smaller portion of the rear seat folded but it was at a diagonal angle. From inside of tailgate to back of rear seats measures 58 inches and floor to ceiling 45 inch, with the rear seats out I recon it’ll take a few bikes in as long they’re not XL MTBs with 150mm. I’m useing tow bar mounted carrier so never tried it.

Dibbs, that’s cheating! I managed to fit a Rockhopper into a Smart, with both wheels on. Struggled to get it out again, though!

VW Polo, innit?

ah, just found your thread. well don’t ask me! I know jack-all about cars!. I’ll ask about re. local dealers, etc. Have you had a look in The North Wales Weekly and The Pioneer (free paper)? If you are stuffed getting somewhere to view a car or something, and I’m off, gimme a ring. You can get a bike in the back of any old hatchback these days eh? I’ve got an old ’99 Corsa and 2 bikes with wheels off can get in there easy with the rear folded down.

who actually drove that smart car with the road bike forks pointing towards the driver seat?

Mountain bike on passenger seat of mk2.5 MX5 here.

I wouldn’t have rigid forks facing me though.

My mate has a civic type r three door and with the rear seats folded backwards he fits in a specialized hardtail upright in the back with front wheel removed

Somehow I have a MG ZR, Fiat Panda, Fiat Idea and a 5 series estate.

The panda is an excellent car with a great reliability record but a bit small for back wheel on bike carrying unless you fold the front seat right forward. ZR has plenty of space for the external size due to less crumple zone and trim etc…. but they are getting old now.

Bought the Idea to replace the Panda as it was a bit small for baby stuff. Considered the Nissan Note, Honda Jazz, C3 Picasso. Then bought the Idea because it was very cheap in comparision, maybe not the most reliable car but its been fine so far. Smallest car for the missus to drive for the external space it takes up.

After I stop doing big euro trips I want to swap the ZR and the 5er for a Panda 100hp, small, fun and with the roof bars I can attach a bike easily. Not sure about the bike being on the outside but I never leave the car anywhere with it on anyway.

My choice would have been the new model Jazz, but it is a bit out of your budget.

Also look at the A-Class, 206sw, fabia estate, Mazda 2 (the old one) and Ford Fusion.

Audi A2 will take a couple of bikes with ease, although you cant get a A2 younger than 5 years old now and i doubt it would come within your budget, particulary if you wanted the diesel.

I’ve had two bikes in the back of an original type Citroen C3, 60+mpg as well on a motorway run. Both wheels need to be off.

Probably going back to a C3 if I can start driving again next year.