Length of car luggage space

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
francovendee
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Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by francovendee »

mjr wrote: 10 May 2021, 3:22pm
Mick F wrote: 10 May 2021, 10:57am Photo of mine from a thread some time back.
Mercian with front wheel off, and in the back of our Fiat500, so it can be done in a small car.
Having no mudguards is cheating a bit.
Having mudguards makes a big difference. With the front wheel off and no mudguards I could fit my bike into a Fiat Panda. No chance of this with mudguards fitted.
Chris56
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Joined: 3 May 2020, 9:30pm

Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Chris56 »

scottg wrote: 10 May 2021, 11:43pm
peterb wrote: 10 May 2021, 9:14pm Those modern estates all share a feature which limits the space available, that being the fashionable 'go faster' looking sloping back screen and to some extent the 'squashed' rear roof results in lower boot height than the 'old fashioned' square backed functional estate. [snip]
Proper square backed Estate motor car......

Estate.jpg
Back in the 1990s a friend had a Citroen CX Estate. You could practically live in that!
Jamesh
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Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Jamesh »

scottg wrote: 10 May 2021, 11:43pm
peterb wrote: 10 May 2021, 9:14pm Those modern estates all share a feature which limits the space available, that being the fashionable 'go faster' looking sloping back screen and to some extent the 'squashed' rear roof results in lower boot height than the 'old fashioned' square backed functional estate. [snip]
Proper square backed Estate motor car......

Estate.jpg
There is a lovely P4 woodie estate on the bay at the moment. Just lovely!

Cheers James
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Jdsk »

Chris56 wrote: 11 May 2021, 7:46am
scottg wrote: 10 May 2021, 11:43pm
peterb wrote: 10 May 2021, 9:14pm Those modern estates all share a feature which limits the space available, that being the fashionable 'go faster' looking sloping back screen and to some extent the 'squashed' rear roof results in lower boot height than the 'old fashioned' square backed functional estate. [snip]
Proper square backed Estate motor car......
Back in the 1990s a friend had a Citroen CX Estate. You could practically live in that!
And at Number One!

https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/top-10-car ... -sleep-in/

: - )

Jonathan
philsknees
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Location: St. Ockport

Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by philsknees »

+1 for Skoda Karoq, preferably with the variomatic removable rear seats, though the tall steerer on my tourer still means the front wheel needs removing to carry it upright. It's the most capacious of the badge-engineered VW Tiagra/Seat Ateca/Skoda Karoq versions of a mid-size SUV.
See here for Skoda's cycling suggestions : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ80swZZ65c
and here for a "concept" (joke?) version, which is totally OTT :shock: : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoVHyCCfEOw
In mine, after removing the rear seats completely I can fit a bike, my extensive "civilised" camping gear(extended cotton Vango Mk 5 with double length flysheet, chair, dining table, camp bed and low bedside table, large kitchen box and coolbox, double burner waist-height stove and all the other camping accoutrements) plus a whole lot of flyfishing gear and still see out of the back window......[*]
As mentioned upthread, I too ditched a lifetime of Fords as the rear hatch/door gradually shrank to letterbox size but would take issue with the disparagement of SUV's. As well as the capacity advantages, at 70+ I'm much happier with the higher floor for access, the extra ground clearance(for unsurfaced tracks leading to fishing) and, as yet, have no issues with fuel consumption, handling or performance.

[*I don't want to give the wrong impression here - I rarely travel like Stewart Granger on safari 8) and can still pack for a comfortable 2 night midwinter camp in a light 38 litre rucksack or a 2 week summer cycle camping trip with just 4 small (front-size) Ortliebs.]
Jdsk
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Jdsk »

philsknees wrote: 11 May 2021, 9:44am +1 for Skoda Karoq, preferably with the variomatic removable rear seats, though the tall steerer on my tourer still means the front wheel needs removing to carry it upright. It's the most capacious of the badge-engineered VW Tiagra/Seat Ateca/Skoda Karoq versions of a mid-size SUV.
philsknees wrote: 11 May 2021, 9:44amAs mentioned upthread, I too ditched a lifetime of Fords as the rear hatch/door gradually shrank to letterbox size but would take issue with the disparagement of SUV's. As well as the capacity advantages, at 70+ I'm much happier with the higher floor for access, the extra ground clearance(for unsurfaced tracks leading to fishing) and, as yet, have no issues with fuel consumption, handling or performance.
Sounds great. But even with the rear seats removed isn't that less capacity than a Touran? And the lower floor of the Touran might obviate the need to remove a wheel.

Jonathan
philsknees
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by philsknees »

Yep, the Touran has1857 litres optimum as against 1810 on the Karoq but it's MPV against SUV and several things steered me to the Skoda, not least ground clearance, floor/driver height and the combination of options available.
In my case the Touran fitted some of my needs but included things I simply didn't want. It might have swung it purely as a bike carrier around my local area but the Karoq met other needs for around £7000 price saving on what would have been the nearest comparably equipped Touran available. .
Jdsk
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Jdsk »

Thanks

Jonathan
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Mick F
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Mick F »

mjr wrote: 10 May 2021, 3:22pm
Mick F wrote: 10 May 2021, 10:57am Photo of mine from a thread some time back.
Mercian with front wheel off, and in the back of our Fiat500, so it can be done in a small car.
Having no mudguards is cheating a bit.
Agree, but my point still stands.
The rear of a Fiat500 is tiny, and that's the main reason we no longer have the car.
If a full-sized bike (all-be-it without mudguards) fits in, it'll fit in most cars.

Not had mudguards on Mercian since the winter, but I'm willing to bet that it would fit in our Yaris complete with mudguards.
Mick F. Cornwall
Jdsk
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Jdsk »

I don't think that this has been mentioned yet.. on some bikes it's a lot easier to remove and refit the front wheel if you have a brake quick release.

Jonathan
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Mick F
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Mick F »

Just slotted Mercian into the back of our Yaris. Wheeled the bike out, and lifted it in.
Yes, no mudguards fitted, but it would have made no difference.
Plenty room.
IMG_0560.jpg
Mick F. Cornwall
thirdcrank
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by thirdcrank »

JJF wrote: 10 May 2021, 9:22am I am thinking of getting a replacement car with sufficient luggage space to take a bike with front wheel removed. Some time ago there was a thread which gave a website listing capacities, including length. I think it was a site primarily for wheelchair users. Can anyone point me in the right direction please. I have searched without success. Thanks.
I think the problem may be a bit similar to the recent thread on panniers: carrying capacity in litres isn't much help if you want to carry something with fixed dimensions. I fancy that doing this with cars is something to do with standardisation.

Another thing is the one person's "fit" is another's "nowhere near big enough." The Guinness Book of Records used to have a record for the most people in a Mini, but that's useless as a guide to seating capacity. I was disappointed nearly two decades ago when I bought the dreaded Berlingo on the claim that it would take two bikes upright with the wheels in and I didn't appreciate that that meant squeezed in diagonally.

So, no substitute for checking before buying.

I'd say that if you want maximum room for your money and you are unimpressed by trimmings, then it's some model of Skoda.

Before I shelled out on the Berlingo I looked at vans, having had one years ago before VAT. At that time, the pricing structure was such that unless you were registered for VAT, the Berlingo Multispace with back seats, side windows and a tailgate was cheaper than a Berlingo van.

One of my neighbours has a long wheelbase VW Caddy with the seats and windows. For some reason it's in the VW commercial range. It looks good to me

https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/en/ne ... -life.html
Tiberius
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Tiberius »

Honda Jazz.

Camping gear for two - including cooking gear and chairs - plus one full size bike.
tatanab
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by tatanab »

^^^^^^^ not even trying. Posted before about Jazz capacity, here are 3 trikes, a 3 metre gazebo, box of publicity stuff, plenty of room for my sandwiches and not even moved the front passenger seat. OK I had to take all wheels off, so not something to be done routinely. The orange one and the green one are on axle stands. When carrying only one, it just gets thrown in on its side, front wheel flops over so it is shorter than a laid flat bike. The big benefit is that the rear seats fold absolutely flat.
100_1231.JPG
Tiberius
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Re: Length of car luggage space

Post by Tiberius »

tatanab wrote: 11 May 2021, 1:19pm ^^^^^^^ not even trying. Posted before about Jazz capacity, here are 3 trikes, a 3 metre gazebo, box of publicity stuff, plenty of room for my sandwiches and not even moved the front passenger seat. OK I had to take all wheels off, so not something to be done routinely. The orange one and the green one are on axle stands. When carrying only one, it just gets thrown in on its side, front wheel flops over so it is shorter than a laid flat bike. The big benefit is that the rear seats fold absolutely flat.100_1231.JPG
Respect !!

i've also managed to get a full sized Bosch fridge freezer into the Jazz.

As you say, it's the fact that the rear seats go down absolutely flat. I can get way more into the Jazz than I ever could in my old VW Caddy van.
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