I am looking for a car with room for 2 bicycles to fit inside. One bike is smaller with aerobars and the other is larger and longer because my husband is tall. They seem to fill well in the Honda Element. Are there other models or makes that I should consider. I would be interested in some type of hybrid if available. Thanks!
roof racks and rear racks come to mind. any car can be fitted. or a small pick up with a gem type shell would work too. why do you need to keep the bikes inside it?
Personal preference
Mazda 5?
How about a couple of folding bikes? They will be cheaper than a new car.
Take your bikes with you when you go car shopping.
Twotone
My dad+stepmom have had good results with a Chrysler minivan…will take two bicycles, heck, it’ll take two motorcycles if you lower the handelbars!
Subaru Forester/Outback
A Subaru Outback, Mazda 5, or any minivan might work.
You might be surprised how many vehicles would work. I can get my bike (oversized road bike as I’m 6’6") and my wife’s bike (normal mountain bike frame) in the trunk of my 97 Taurus at the same time, if I pop the wheels off.
Some of the other newer midsize sedans might work in a similar way - especially ones like the Mazda 6 or Ford Fusion which do not use gooseneck hinges, which increases useable volume in the trunk quite significantly…
Take off the wheels, fold up the seat cushions, and something as small as a Honda Fit would work. May not be a hybrid, but it gets good mileage. If wheel off is not an option, there’s the Jetta TDI Sportwagen. A cheaper alternative to the Jetta would be a Hyundai Elantra Touring.
ARGH! I’m going to do it again. The Honda Element seems perfect. I also recently rented a Dodge Caliber that I liked. It would have plenty of room. For something with a smaller footprint, a VW GTI - also recently rented - would do the trick as well.
I understand the preference. Having hauled bikes both inside and outside the Jeep, they get less dirty inside. It didn’t work well at all, though when we wanted to haul additional luggage. We solved the problem by using bike covers. The third one shown works well for rear-mounted racks, but suck for roof racks. They make a heck of a racket and really catch a lot of cross wind. The first and second photos work better for roof racks. Finally, I’ve seen a lot of bikers simply break down their bikes and put them in a clamshell style roof rack. This works well to keep grease and mud off the upholstery and carpets.