A small coupe or hatch that can take a mountain bike?
Discussion
Thank you samoht.
Unfortunately that is a road bike, my hardtail mountain bike has a wheel base about 75mm longer, forks that are about 100mm longer to allow for suspension travel and handlebars 36cm wider (if that road bike has 40cm bars). My mountain bike is huge compared to my road bikes, I just don't think it would fit into a Z4 coupe, a shame. I don't ride road bikes after being squished on the road by a driver who was convicted for the "accident" they pleaded guilty, I just can't face riding on the road so the car has to function within the boundaries life has set for me.
This wasn't supposed to be about this but more than a decade on from the "accident", I have had to change the way I work and my hobbies due to that moment. It is nowhere near as bad as 10 pence's story for everyone involved in that "accident" but please take care out on those roads.
Anyways, maybe the very best V6 Brera I can find?
I have always liked these and seem to fit the brief. I have owned a few Alfa's over they years and could take some pleasure in fettling a Brera to a good standard where any PH'er could look at it, even if they don't understand the car, and go yep good car mate.
Unfortunately that is a road bike, my hardtail mountain bike has a wheel base about 75mm longer, forks that are about 100mm longer to allow for suspension travel and handlebars 36cm wider (if that road bike has 40cm bars). My mountain bike is huge compared to my road bikes, I just don't think it would fit into a Z4 coupe, a shame. I don't ride road bikes after being squished on the road by a driver who was convicted for the "accident" they pleaded guilty, I just can't face riding on the road so the car has to function within the boundaries life has set for me.
This wasn't supposed to be about this but more than a decade on from the "accident", I have had to change the way I work and my hobbies due to that moment. It is nowhere near as bad as 10 pence's story for everyone involved in that "accident" but please take care out on those roads.
Anyways, maybe the very best V6 Brera I can find?
I have always liked these and seem to fit the brief. I have owned a few Alfa's over they years and could take some pleasure in fettling a Brera to a good standard where any PH'er could look at it, even if they don't understand the car, and go yep good car mate.
If you like a big N/A engine then I'd put the E Coupe forward as an option, the rear seats fold & they have a huge boot.
E350cgi:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305016...
E400:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305297...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305307...
E350cgi:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305016...
E400:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305297...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305307...
Thank you ZX10
I have a lot of love for older Mercs, our "family" car is a 2007 C class saloon, high specced when new we are the second owners and it is really good at being comfy and munching miles.
I like those E class coupe's that you have linked but they are booted not a hatch so I think, but would be happy to be wrong, that the mountain bike will not go in the boot. I think I would require a hatch with rear folding seats, I would love someone to provide pictures of a booted coupe with a 29er mountain bike in the boot to guide me that my thinking could be adjusted to a better solution.
I have a lot of love for older Mercs, our "family" car is a 2007 C class saloon, high specced when new we are the second owners and it is really good at being comfy and munching miles.
I like those E class coupe's that you have linked but they are booted not a hatch so I think, but would be happy to be wrong, that the mountain bike will not go in the boot. I think I would require a hatch with rear folding seats, I would love someone to provide pictures of a booted coupe with a 29er mountain bike in the boot to guide me that my thinking could be adjusted to a better solution.
Currently we have no budget. It took you half a page to say you want the bike inside. But it has to be "small". Well it can't be if you want your apparently huge bike inside can it? The E coupe rear seats fold down, there's loads of space, but seemingly that's not good enough, it has to be a hatch........
Make your requirements clear, and life will be a lot easier...
M140i btw. Or golf R. The usual stuff is fine for this.
Make your requirements clear, and life will be a lot easier...
M140i btw. Or golf R. The usual stuff is fine for this.
Edited by Macron on Monday 19th June 23:14
Macron, I have tried really hard to not set a budget to be not one those "ph" guys but lets try.......
It could be 10 it could be 40, I tried to message this information over many posts about age, cars I have looked at but I am sorry you didn't pick up on this.
What you also haven't managed to understand, it is my fault not being able to communicate this to you, despite many postings about boot entry, boots and hatches, that a booted coupe is no use else how am I going to get my "huge" bike into the car without scraping the sh!t out of the front of the folded down front seats of the car as the frame is put into the back. Here it has to be entry by the rear car hatch, front storage is not available.
It could be 10 it could be 40, I tried to message this information over many posts about age, cars I have looked at but I am sorry you didn't pick up on this.
What you also haven't managed to understand, it is my fault not being able to communicate this to you, despite many postings about boot entry, boots and hatches, that a booted coupe is no use else how am I going to get my "huge" bike into the car without scraping the sh!t out of the front of the folded down front seats of the car as the frame is put into the back. Here it has to be entry by the rear car hatch, front storage is not available.
summit7 said:
Thank you ZX10
I have a lot of love for older Mercs, our "family" car is a 2007 C class saloon, high specced when new we are the second owners and it is really good at being comfy and munching miles.
I like those E class coupe's that you have linked but they are booted not a hatch so I think, but would be happy to be wrong, that the mountain bike will not go in the boot. I think I would require a hatch with rear folding seats, I would love someone to provide pictures of a booted coupe with a 29er mountain bike in the boot to guide me that my thinking could be adjusted to a better solution.
They are booted but if you're taking the wheels off & folding down the rear seats a bike should (I have no idea of your bikes dimensions) fit.I have a lot of love for older Mercs, our "family" car is a 2007 C class saloon, high specced when new we are the second owners and it is really good at being comfy and munching miles.
I like those E class coupe's that you have linked but they are booted not a hatch so I think, but would be happy to be wrong, that the mountain bike will not go in the boot. I think I would require a hatch with rear folding seats, I would love someone to provide pictures of a booted coupe with a 29er mountain bike in the boot to guide me that my thinking could be adjusted to a better solution.
Or take a look at the Astra GTC:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305227...
VXR:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306068...
Edited by ZX10R NIN on Tuesday 20th June 00:21
I would also like to say sorry to Macron many many many times over. The thread title said I would like a car that can "take" a mountain bike but I can see his point that I took half a page of his reading for him to understand that meant inside the car and not on a bike rack.
I say jolly well done to Macron for clearing that up, I obviously misused the word "take" in the thread Title against, for instance, what the OED might have opined what the word "take" might have meant?
Macron, jolly good bloke.
(thanks Techie Dave, jolly well done)
I say jolly well done to Macron for clearing that up, I obviously misused the word "take" in the thread Title against, for instance, what the OED might have opined what the word "take" might have meant?
Macron, jolly good bloke.
(thanks Techie Dave, jolly well done)
I'm a roadie and have huge amounts of disdain for MTB'ers (joking) but I'm reading the thread with interest.
I've surprised myself over the years on what can be fitted into very small cars. Bikes, take the wheels off and most cars can take them. I would rather get it in the boot than use a roof rack and agree hatch back access rather than saloon style is easier. Something like the GT86 or TTs aren't a bad shout on that score.
I've no answer to this question but as mentioned I'm reading with interest.
I've surprised myself over the years on what can be fitted into very small cars. Bikes, take the wheels off and most cars can take them. I would rather get it in the boot than use a roof rack and agree hatch back access rather than saloon style is easier. Something like the GT86 or TTs aren't a bad shout on that score.
I've no answer to this question but as mentioned I'm reading with interest.
Macron thank you.
I am homing in on a V6 Brera, obviously it would have to be in red.
I think a TT is the most obvious answer but I struggle with VAG products even though the first "new" car I bought and enjoyed for 50,000 miles was a VW Scirocco.
My thinking is the very best Brera I can find, re-trim the interior to make it how I would like, probably lowering the drivers seat and bolting it into "my" position, ditch but keep the electrical seat height adjustment.
Drive it for a while and change suspension/ride height if wanted. Re-bush everything suspension/engine mounts straight away.
The boot lip is high but would be lifting in a maximum of 8Kg at a time so should be ok.
Fix any paintwork needed then keep on top of it. Doing all that I think the car would be £20k on the drive and sorted and would see me out. My current car (thread elsewhere) is 20 years young owned from new. I like sorting "things" and then not worrying again.
Thanks for your input, everyone else in this position should buy a TT!!!
I am homing in on a V6 Brera, obviously it would have to be in red.
I think a TT is the most obvious answer but I struggle with VAG products even though the first "new" car I bought and enjoyed for 50,000 miles was a VW Scirocco.
My thinking is the very best Brera I can find, re-trim the interior to make it how I would like, probably lowering the drivers seat and bolting it into "my" position, ditch but keep the electrical seat height adjustment.
Drive it for a while and change suspension/ride height if wanted. Re-bush everything suspension/engine mounts straight away.
The boot lip is high but would be lifting in a maximum of 8Kg at a time so should be ok.
Fix any paintwork needed then keep on top of it. Doing all that I think the car would be £20k on the drive and sorted and would see me out. My current car (thread elsewhere) is 20 years young owned from new. I like sorting "things" and then not worrying again.
Thanks for your input, everyone else in this position should buy a TT!!!
Volvo C30?
2 + 2, great bucket seats in the rear & surprisingly roomy. The glass rear hatch is deceptive - with seats laid flat we got 2 x road bikes in (front wheels removed)
Quite a few engine choices but they do a T5 (2.5 5 cyl) as per the Focus ST. The interior is very well made as you would expect and they come with BT audio / phone, heated seats etc. Manual or auto choices
Go for the R-Design for some nice styling tweaks and they still look great today and they haven't been replaced by anything so hold a quirky design that ages well (imo) Our was faultless in 4 or so years we owned it, serviceable parts shared with Ford and cost effective.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=relev...
2 + 2, great bucket seats in the rear & surprisingly roomy. The glass rear hatch is deceptive - with seats laid flat we got 2 x road bikes in (front wheels removed)
Quite a few engine choices but they do a T5 (2.5 5 cyl) as per the Focus ST. The interior is very well made as you would expect and they come with BT audio / phone, heated seats etc. Manual or auto choices
Go for the R-Design for some nice styling tweaks and they still look great today and they haven't been replaced by anything so hold a quirky design that ages well (imo) Our was faultless in 4 or so years we owned it, serviceable parts shared with Ford and cost effective.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=relev...
summit7 said:
I am homing in on a V6 Brera, obviously it would have to be in red.
Good choice. I tested one of those back to back with a GT back in maybe 07 or 08, the rear seats folded in both but I needed them to go completely flat, which they did not in either Alfa.Fast Civic did though....
I went through this a while ago as I was tired of using an MX5 with a boot rack (felt super flimsy and a MTB off the back affected the handling a bit).
Roof racks will give you a lot more options, they are quick and easy to use compared to taking a wheel off, car doesn't get muddy and scratched inside and it's safer not having the bike in the cabin.
The Thule's have a lock too (wouldn't trust it for more than a quick run into a shop though).
I went with a cupra estate and it's been really good for cycling and hiking trips but most hatches would do the job too Megane and gt86 were on my short list but the boot opening on both was crap (megane is more a coupe than a hatch).
Civic type R was also on the list but it didn't have heated seats, the infotainment was terrible and the interior was a bit weird and bright red.
Roof racks will give you a lot more options, they are quick and easy to use compared to taking a wheel off, car doesn't get muddy and scratched inside and it's safer not having the bike in the cabin.
The Thule's have a lock too (wouldn't trust it for more than a quick run into a shop though).
I went with a cupra estate and it's been really good for cycling and hiking trips but most hatches would do the job too Megane and gt86 were on my short list but the boot opening on both was crap (megane is more a coupe than a hatch).
Civic type R was also on the list but it didn't have heated seats, the infotainment was terrible and the interior was a bit weird and bright red.
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