Recommend me a new car...

[Daddy Pig]

Ask yourself whether you want an estate, Mpv or a 4x4.
Of those I'd personally look at the merc e class, skoda superb, Citroen grand c4, or skoda kodiaq, volvo xc60 and Hyundai Tucson. All dependson budget and what else you want from the car.

 

[Drago]

A nice pick up. Chuck the bikes in the back, sorted. If you don't want to get the bikes wet you can fit a canopy. As a billy bonus it'll make you look thrusting and macho.

 

[Tin Pot]

The Skoda Octavia estate has reached the stage where maintenance costs (and the associated faff and inconvenience) are becoming enough of a pain for me to decide on a new (or nearly new) car. The current one is a diesel, but I'm likely to go for petrol next time.

The main requirement is a large luggage space. The bikes go on a towbar mounted carrier on the current car.

Reliability would be good...lists of most reliable manufacturers on the internet are contradictory.

Also wondering if there are any vehicles big enough to carry two bikes in the back without having to lay one on top of the other, while still leaving space for other luggage (assuming back seats folded down).

C4GP

 

[Piemaster]

A nice pick up. Chuck the bikes in the back, sorted. If you don't want to get the bikes wet you can fit a canopy. As a billy bonus it'll make you look thrusting and macho.

My work provided vehicle is an L200. Don't buy one, ride is horrible - it has leaf springs at the back. Even Land Rover stopped using them years ago, although carrying bags of cement improves ride a bit.
With the canopy on it its a fight to get a bike in the back as the bed isn't actually that long and tailgate is at waist height to lift it up to, which also doesn't help much with the bags of cement. I can only get a small windsurf mast/sail in it whereas I could get much longer larger ones in the Skoda Roomster.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

A nice pick up. Chuck the bikes in the back, sorted. If you don't want to get the bikes wet you can fit a canopy. As a billy bonus it'll make you look thrusting and macho.

One time when I was in Texas rather than hire a car I thought I'd go native and get a pick up, it was great fun. As I remember it was a Ford with a V6, so a small one with great gas mileage.

 

[Drago]

How about this beauty?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/112542585...9255-0%26rvr_id%3D1297289345670&ul_noapp=true

Built by an experienced hotrod engineer, apparently.

 

[Spinney]

A nice pick up. Chuck the bikes in the back, sorted. If you don't want to get the bikes wet you can fit a canopy. As a billy bonus it'll make you look thrusting and macho.

 

[Spinney]

Ask yourself whether you want an estate, Mpv or a 4x4.
Of those I'd personally look at the merc e class, skoda superb, Citroen grand c4, or skoda kodiaq, volvo xc60 and Hyundai Tucson. All dependson budget and what else you want from the car.

Estate, I think. Have no need for 4x4, and Mpv is a bit high for loading sea kayaks on the roof.

To me, a car is a tool for moving stuff around, not a status symbol etc, so I buy bottom of the range and don't want to spend more than I need to.

I'll take a look at those options, thanks.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Whatever car you choose,try and get in yellow. Yellow coloured cars are sooo cool!

 

[Spinney]

Whatever car you choose,try and get in yellow. Yellow coloured cars are sooo cool!

Noooo!

 

[vickster]

Noooo!

Indeed, I like yellow, but large cars look awful in it!

I'd get another Skoda. My Fabia had its 5 year service yesterday, needed nothing but wiper blades (ok it's only done 19k miles but even so )

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Roomster/Kangoo/Berlingo