bykemike 

A friend of mine is getting very interested in cycling and is expanding his riding to 3-4 bikes.

His issue is transporting multiple bikes. I use my Honda Element for 2-3 bikes (rear seat removed) but he is looking at the new Toyota Forerunner, anyone with direct experience care to comment?

Koyote

Your friend could buy a larger, more expensive car that burns more fuel, and carry his bikes inside the vehicle -- which, even with a spacious vehicle, will always be a bit of a hassle. Or he could buy any vehicle he wants (or keep his present vehicle) and buy a good hitch-mounted rack from Thule, 1up, or Kuat.

As an added benefit, carrying bikes on a rack is probably safer than having them in the back of a vehicle. Imagine being rear-ended with bikes in back -- who knows where they will end up?

alcjphil

For multiple bikes carried inside a car: Minivan

Rolla

Almost any vehicle that carries the bikes inside is going to limit either the number of bikes or the amount of gear you can haul, or both. My solution was a Tacoma with a camper shell and a Kuat hitch rack. I can put the bikes on the rack and fill the bed with gear, luggage, coolers, etc., or I can put a bike or two in the bed if the weather's nasty or I have more bikes than can fit on the rack. For me, it's the most versatile answer, and I LOVE camping inside the camper shell.

icemilkcoffee 

A pickup truck is best. Especially if you have mountain bikes. You don't want to get all the dirt and mud inside your car.

rumrunn6

I drove 4Runners (4) over 20 years. I think maybe I carried 1 bike inside 1 time. all other times they were on bike racks. up to 4, for family trips. great vehicles & great fun. but the rear cargo area is much higher than a mini van. the floor to ceiling height I don't think is as high as a van in general, mini or not. there are other threads focused on what vehicle to use for carrying bikes inside. do more searching. maybe in the family recreation sub-forum? your friend may want a 4Runner for other reasons & may be including cycling as one of the reasons to justify the expense.

but how about this instead?
2008 Chevy Express Cargo Van 2500 - $15,900 (Everett - MA)

to each his own but the back of a $runner isn't as tall
2008 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Sport Edition - $9,995 (Cambridge)


but again I love 4Runners, aside from the 1 that was stolen a month after I got it, the other 3 I tortured up to & over 200K miles

livedarklions

With the back seat down, I can fit my bike in my Kia Soul and don't even have to remove the front wheel. Any more than one bike, though, and I have to use a rack.

tkamd73 

Honda Odyssey, 4 road bikes inside, with plenty of room for the riders, and their gear. Considering mountain biking, as mentioned earlier, pickup truck is best.
Tim

mstateglfr 

How often is he riding 3-4 bikes in the same ride? I have like 7 bikes right now and only ride 1 at a time.
If I were to ride more than 1 at a time, I would want to keep my other(s) in my vehicle because I wouldnt want to otherwise leave them on the carrier rack.
I guess higher level CX would justify 2+ bikes at once.

shelbyfv

4Runners are nice vehicles. They retain value and AFAIK are still built in Japan, generally considered a plus in terms of build quality. If your friend wants one he'll come up with a way to carry his bike, just as you did. Odd he would need help figuring out something like this.

jp911

Love my 4runner and I could fit 2-3 bikes in the back if I wanted to, but use a hitch rack and roof racks (depending on how many people are riding) instead of putting the bikes in the car. Any full size SUV would likely accept multiple bikes with a wheel (or wheels) removed, but a rack is a MUCH better choice.

bykemike 

In my Element, I made the total cycling commitment and removed all the rear seats and modified the deck to be able to put in three fork stands, two for road bikes and one for a mountain bike. When I make the 7 hour drive to Brevard NC and book a room for two weeks if I were to taco a wheel in the first afternoon and didn't have a spare bike I would be less than pleased So, for me, packing a spare ride or so only makes sense.

The thing I think he is wondering is if there is the height to stand up at least two bikes in the back with the seats laid down. I know in my Element the seats fold sideways so you do have some height but no width unless you remove the seats, which you can do with an Element. I wouldn't expect you could with a Forerunner, maybe with a hacksaw...

billridesbikes

Or get a friend who cycles that has a minivan. Even better!
My friend with an ancient VW bus moved away some years ago, and I've been forced use my own vehicle to transport my bike to events.

shelbyfv

By removing the front wheels and using fork mounts he will be able to put two bikes in the back and possibly a third reversed between them. As mentioned, the deck height is relatively high in the 4Runner so he might need to lower the saddles, depending on bike size. Obviously he could use a rack instead. Since he's actively shopping, why not take a bike to the dealership and verify this for himself?

Steve B.

Carrying inside is safer (for the bikes) than on an exterior hitch rack. Have we ever read of somebody getting injured when rear ended with a bike in the vehicle ?.

Steve B.

I doubt you could fit 4 bikes, PLUS 4 cyclists inside a 4 Runner. A mini-van maybe.

Why a 4 Runner, does he need to go off road at the same time ?. There's 30 or so SUV's on the market.

dedhed

New ones come standard with a receiver hitch

Koyote

I used to regularly carry a bike in the back of this car. I shudder to think about what could've happened if I'd been carrying the bike that night. It surely would've come forward and hit us, since the cargo area was pretty much folded right up to our seatbacks.



Granted, such an accident is rare. But -- trust me on this -- it makes a strong impression.

TiHabanero

I work at a Toyota dealer and am familiar with the (Fantastic) 4 Runner. I love this vehicle. Three bikes can fit in the back with seats down, but how easily they fit will be determined by saddle height and wheelbase. There is an easier way though with the vehicle I love more than the 4 Runner, the Sienna. Yes, the Swaggerwagon! Holds 3 bikes without trouble. Swallows them up easily. SImply a super vehicle to cart everything including the kitchen sink!

rumrunn6

yikes what was that?

ThermionicScott 

With the rear seat down, I can lay down two bikes in the back of my Subaru Outback (large sheet of cardboard in between for protection) without removing any wheels.

Lots of cars will work if you're okay with taking your bikes apart, but it sure is nice not to!

Koyote

That was a 2007 Honda Fit.

bykemike 

That is on the agenda in the next day or so, it looks like it will be the newest one out right now, a 2022 maybe? I'm pleased I'm not buying one despite a base price of 38K you can be sure it will be a bit more than that, my Element has been paid off for years and is still going strong.

sean.hwy

(2006 - 2012 ) V6 Rav4 Awd with a trailer hitch. Will fit two bikes easy on the inside with the tires attached. It might fit more. Never tried it though. I use the trailer with the bike rack 99% of the time. It's nice to have the option of putting the bikes inside the car and cover them with a blanket if you plan to go the store for a bit.

It's a quick little suv
https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2...v6-first-test/

That cargo van is kind of cool. They really hold there value. 16k for 2008.

50PlusCycling

My favorite bike-friendly vehicle was my GMC K2500 Suburban. It had a 454 V8 engine, 4-wheel-drive, locking differentials, and a 44 gallon gas tank which could get me across Texas on I-10 on one fill-up. I could carry half a dozen bikes and 3 or 4 friends, and get to all but the most remote places. Gas mileage wasn’t bad, parts and repairs were easy and cheap, and I actually got more than I paid for it when I traded in for a new Jeep Rubicon.