bobonker

Yeah, those German cars are great until they break down. Grab your ankles.

Bob

Crappymonkey

My 2012 Focus hatch has been great for hauling my bike around but I think one bike may be the limit (good thing I ride alone).

bikerjp

Newer Outback. They've grown in size and finish. Real world mileage of 25 with the CVT and better on the hwy. Bike fits just fine inside but more than one and you have to stack them which I wouldn't want to do. Plenty of outside mounting options.

Kurogashi

Today, as I was driving back home, I saw a Porsche TURBO (not the 'cheap' entry Porsche either) with a bike rack! WTF?! It had this hybrid bike on it, with a kryptonite lock and water bottle still attached. Going at 120km/h, I was surprised it didn't launch a lock/waterbottle at me.

But man, a bike rack on a 6 figure sports car. Old people have no taste! But at least he's a cyclist, so I forgive him. But man did that Turbo sound good. The pitch was almost intoxicating.

Carbon Unit

How large of a bike can you fit inside of your CT? I ride a 60 and my wife rides a 50. Would it be possible to fit both in the back of a Lexus CT200?

LowCel 

Pcad carries two bikes inside his, I haven't needed to do it yet. My bike has a 56cm top tube and it fits fine. Pretty sure I would be able to get a 60 in it but I cannot say for sure. Just do like I did, take the bike with you when you go for a test drive.

Carbon Unit

Thanks, I need to go look at one. The review say that it is an easier car than a Prius to live with.

Deman Llama

I drove a 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe until last year. I logged almost 170k miles on it with zero mechanical problems. The only thing that went wrong was the window motor died and I had to get it replaced.

It was awesome for bikes. I had a hitch rack outside and my bike fit inside with the front wheel off. With the seats folded down, it could probably hold a couple of bikes with the wheels off.

It was a solid car- nothing like the old Hyundai throw-away cars. It also got good gas mileage. Not 100% sure on the city miles, but I know I could drive from Philadelphia to Boston on about 3/4 tank, even with it fully loaded. It wasn't luxury, but it was comfortable.

I now have a Mazda 5, which I love. The seats fold flat which makes for pretty substantial storage space (I jammed 97 cases of Girl Scout cookies in there) and it can accommodate the hitch rack. The gas mileage is okay- not stellar, but not bad. I can drive from Philly to Boston on about 3/4 tank, with the car fully loaded. It's DEFINITELY not luxury, though. I find there's a lot more road noise than the Santa Fe and there are a few rattles here and there. The sliding passenger doors are pretty awesome though.

Test drove VW's. Didn't like them. I found them to be uncomfortable and kind of plain-jane.

KypD

Out of the cars you listed, the Acura is the best choice. Not MY choice, but the best out of what you listed. I'm an Autmotive Technician....and the most reliable ones are really the ones you hear about being reliable the most....namely most Toyotas and Hondas. But really, any brand you buy these days will almost always make it well over 200K miles with proper preventive maintenance (following the Scheduled Maintenance table in the Owner's Manual).


As a cyclist though...its rare to find a car that WON'T fit my 55cm LeMond Zurich with both wheels removed. That is, unless the car is full of junk and there's a subwoofer box in the trunk. Or it's a new-model GTO (TINY trunk...rear bucket seats). Good luck!

jordo_99

I love my Toyota RAV4.

My only complaint would be that I'd like it to have a bit more umph for a SUV (even if it's a crossover) but it should also be mentioned that I don't have the V6 option (my co-worker has one and it definitely has that umph).

As far as the good things, TONS of storage. Seats fold down very similiarly to the Mazda z5 shown earlier but it also has a bunch of hidden storage in the sidewalls of the "trunk" and a false bottom (where a spare tire would be in most cars...RAV4 has it on the outside door) which I have 3 sleeping bags and an emergency kit (MRI, First Aid, emergency blankets for an entire carload) stored in. I have a wheel-mounted bike carrier for 2 bikes on mine and I was able to fit 3 adult bikes inside with the seats down if that gives any indication of storage capacity. Also there's 2 drink holders per person which is kind of funny. I get 22mph in town and 28-30 highway. My co-worker who has the V6 gets 25 in town and 28-30 highway but I'm sure that has a lot more to do with his driving habits compared to mine (I tend to accelerate much faster than needed).

I'd provide pictures but I'd have to clean out the car so maybe this weekend if you want some.

telebianchi

If you are willing to remove or drop the seats, you should be able to get at least three bikes in the new Outback. I know I could easily get three in my '01 Legacy wagon. I have a roof rack for two bikes, but on longer trips I like being able to put the bikes inside for security and gas mileage.


I also agree the newer Subies have upgraded their interior bits and pieces.

Beaker

Just to add some variety, I've been driving a BMW 328i sports wagon for the last 18mo or so and it's been fantastic. With rear seats down I can pop a road bike right in without even removing the front wheel for quick and easy transport. Roof rails come as standard. I get ~25-26mpg on the freeway which I consider reasonable if you don't "enjoy" yourself too much with your right foot. I was torn between the 328i and the A4, but the I-6 engine in the BMW won me over; so smooth.

Beaker

Impressive.

bikerjp

Good point. I just toss the whole bike fully assembled in the back (seats down). No doubt some better packing would get more in.

I have a 6cyl model and got 28mpg on a trip over the rockies. Not bad.

RT

Chevy Aveo/Sonic. 30 mpg in town, bike fits well in hatchback, not as fancy as German or Hybrid, but fits your criteria. If you care more about how it looks, this car is not for you.

Creatre

Audi A4 here with a roof rack. Love it.

Wish I could have gotten the TDI though, hopefully one day they will bring that engine in the A4 to the states.

dgasmd

Most people buy a vehicle for one of 3 reasons regardless of the criteria list their judgement tells them: either because it appeals to them emotionally and aesthetically, because it is a status symbol, or because of something it can potentially do but that you will never do in reality or hardly ever (do 170 MPH, carry stuff, extra room inside, tow stuff, go off road, etc). I don't drag race nor go above speed limits these days as much as once did, so going fast and 0-60 times are not an issue for me. I don't tow and hardly ever carry anything that does not fit in a compact car, but when I do need to I either borrow a friend's truck or rent a van for a couple of hours. I don't ride with an entourage, so fitting 12 people inside is not an issue, but 2 car seats and another adult in addition to my bike is. Cars don't do much for me aesthetically anymore, so looks is a mute point. I find a car to be a tremendously poor investment of money and simply a necessary evil, so I try to spend the least possible that will do the job. Plushie comfort is not an issue for me either as I see it as a mode of transportation and not a mobile spa.

Having said all that, I would recommend a Prius. Meets all your criteria points. On fitting the bike inside, you can either drop one rear seat and fit it in with both wheels on or you can take the front wheel off and fit it in between the from and rear seat. Lots of cargo space and more than plenty of space even for the average fat american. Reliably >50 mpg, comfortable enough, can be had for $21-24K, and plenty reliable.

carpediemracing 

I don't understand why there aren't more turbo diesels out there, I just don't. My dream car would be a compact sports car (think Elise or Miata) powered by a diesel, with a many-speed transmission. Tons of torque. Lots of fun. Good mileage. The Eco Speedster would be a phenomenal car to have. I would have bought it had it been available when I bought the Z, but it wasn't available, it was just a concept/test car.



I don't understand the discussion about improving mileage 5 or 10 mpg when it should be about 15 or 20 or even 30 mpg.

WC89

I love my 2011 Mazda 3 Grand Touring hatchback. Very sporty looking! 22/29 mpg. I always transport my bike inside if it's just me. 3-person family: My bike and wife's bike on roof rack w/ 10 yr old son's 24" MTB inside (front wheel off) w/ space for him to sit in 60/40/split back seat w/o a problem. Things might get a little tighter as he gets taller; could always remove both wheels to carry his bike inside.

clichty

+1 to that. I had a Forester and then upgraded to a fully loaded Outback 3.6 Limited. I get about 24mpg for commuting but can get 27-28 while road tripping, all with a pretty monster/fun engine. Easy to just shove a full bike in or take them a part a pit and pack some more. Various hooks/loops around for tie downs.

runningDoc

I've got the Jetta Sportwagen TDi too. 2011 basic model.

quick note: the Jetta Sportwagen is actually based on the Golf. its called the Golf Wagen everywhere outside of the USA. Even in Canada its called the Golf wagen.






It can fit a whole bike with seats folded down. You can lay two bikes on each other but its tight and can cause scratches on the bikes/car interior if you're not very very careful. Before buying a bike rack we had two bikes inside with all our stuff for a trip (NYC-Maine).


I just got back from a trip (NYC - Washington DC - Maryland - NYC) with five people (my wife and her 2 older aunts and uncle), all their stuff (3 small rolling carry on luggages), the wife's and my stuff (2 bags filled with 3 days worth of clothes)Park Tool AK37 bike tool box and pump heavy NYC kryptonite locks helmets, and two heavy steel bikes on a roof rack.

we did over 800 miles of driving and lots of stop and go situations (ex: washington DC drive to a memorial get out take pictures rinse repeat).

over all the whole trip I averaged 34.3miles/gallon.

perfect situation wise (60-65mph all highway two-three people no rack) I'll be in the 42mpg-47mpg range. with the rack, bike, and just me and my wife I've gotten 37mpg (NYC - ohiopyle Pa). With a rack+ storage unit/bikes it'll be in the 34-37mpg range.

I've had months where I'll be stuck only driving all around the city (but still have some faster "highway driving" on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway/Hudson Expressway/FDR expressway) with heavy heavy stop and go driving and get 30mpg.

Basically the lowest MPG i've gotten is 30mpg with 95% NYC city driving

if you get the manual transmission you can get a little more milage too. basically 500mile tanks are easy. 600mile tanks are possible, and there are numerous accounts of 700mile tanks.

what I like is the Diesel torque... where you can pull along and overtake quickly. its hard to explain but its very quick and nimble. I also like that its small enough for brooklyn street parking and NYC tight situations, but still has the 70cu feet of storage for those times you need space for IKEA runs ect.

I just hate the NYC diesel pricing. I refuel about once a month (sometimes less) but its always out of state. fortunately NJ has low prices. Diesel does cost about the same as premium though.

If I could go back and do it over again I'd get the manual transmission with the huge sunroof (the sunroof is impressive making the car almost convertible-like), but the wife drives this car too (she can't drive stick) and we park on tight tree lined brooklyn streets year round (this year it didn't snow much, but 2010 it was horrendous).

RB1-luvr's mazda 5 looks awesome for bike/people/stuff hauling. We were looking at the mazda3 hatchback but since it was 2011 we knew the new high milage engine versions were coming 2012 and we couldn't wait. the Audi A3 TDi was also a strong option -but we park on the street in bumper scraping situations daily. The prius was on our shortlist (but compared to the jettawagen the prius sedan is too small). We couldn't wait for the Prius Wagon (v) but it looks fugly in my eyes.

I'm thinking about the Touareg Tdi SUV for a possible replacement down the line, but thats when we start having kids..ect. ect...

Beaker

Agreed

saratoga

I've got a 2011 JSW TDi which replaced my 2011 F250 when my commute went to 60+ miles daily. It always exceeds the estimated mileage (I'm getting ~37-39 avg) and would probably do better if I didn't cruise at 80 on the highway all the time.

It's small compared to what I was used to, but holds two bikes plus junk like coolers, ez-up, etc inside with the rear seats down. It's got a hitch for my rack when I need the room inside. It has excellent low end tq- makes 236 lb/ft at 1700rpm and pulls like a freight train from a dead stop, but passing on the highway happens a lot less quickly. The 6 speed DSG transmission is funky and takes a lot of getting used to and the road noise is kind of loud however. Overall, it's a good looking fun-to-drive car that has fairly decent power and gets excellent mileage without even trying.

VeeDubOne

As the OP has not indicated a budget for his proposed ride, this thread will necessarily have to morph into an automotive thread.

Oh well, alternatively, you can get any of the fine cars above and use the SeaSucker:

https://youtu.be/_41Ujjv6WUw

I haven't used it, but darn, it sure is impressive.

dalava

My budget is less than 30k, and less the better, obvioudly. The Jetta wagon TDI is looking promising and will give it a whirl this weekend. Test drove an Acura TSX wagon today and was impressed by the room and what you get out of the 4 cylinder engine, but wish it could do better than 22/30 mpg.