The best car for mountain bikers
Take a look at some of the best used cars for mountain bikers in 2024
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The best car for mountain bikers
Most mountain bikers would much rather be riding around on two wheels than four, but sometimes a car is a necessity.
If you’re looking for the best car for mountain bikers, there are plenty of hard-wearing models on the market for transporting your bike around easily that can also take a bit of rough use.
Take a look at some of our top picks for the best car for carrying bikes.
What makes a used car good for mountain bikers?
The best cars for mountain bikers can not only fit a bike or two but will also stand up to a bit of wear and tear.
If you're often taking your car out into the wilderness, you’ll want something that’s easy to clean and reliable.
You’ll want to ensure that your car has enough room to carry your bike – whether that's in the boot or on a roof rack – and any other gear. That’s especially true if you’re a mountain biker who also loves to camp out.
Fuel-efficient cars such as hybrid models are also perfect for motorists partial to adventure. The further you can get with your fuel, the better.
Best car for mountain bikes
Subaru Outback
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The Subaru Outback is a rugged SUV that doesn’t take its job too seriously. It’s spacious and perfect for off-roading, but it's still usable as a daily driver, making it a great option for mountain bikers who still need a car for the week.
There’s a massive 522-litre boot at the rear that extends to 1,750 litres if you fold down the rear seats, and measures over a metre wide. That makes it ideal for carrying mountain bikes on your next adventure.
Despite the Outback’s laidback looks, the permanent all-wheel drive setup makes light work of most terrain and has plenty of ground clearance.
Official stats say you can achieve up to 32.5mpg in the Outback, which isn’t bad for a five-seater of this size.
Best car for mountain bikers and luxury
Land Rover Defender
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Where the Subaru Outback is somewhat covert in its off-roading abilities, the Land Rover Defender only needs one glance to give you an idea of what it’s capable of.
There are a few size options for the Defender depending on the space you need. The Defender 130 is the current longest and offers three rows of seats and 389 litres of boot space.
If you need more room for your mountain bikes, then you can easily fold the rear seats. With all the rear seats down, you’ll have a very impressive 2,233-litre loading space.
The Defender also has a hard-wearing design that won’t get upset by muddy tyres – whether that’s its own or the ones on the bike in the boot.
Best car for transporting bikes
Skoda Octavia Estate
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If you’re looking for the best car for carrying bikes, the Skoda Octavia Estate is a great option.
It’s an incredibly spacious car with a 640-litre boot, and you can extend that to 1,700 litres if you fold down the rear seats.
It’s also really easy to load, as there’s not much of a lip to get over, making it perfect for transporting bikes.
Choose from petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid petrol engines for an efficient drive, with the diesel option being best on fuel.
The official stats say the hybrid model can achieve up to 282.5mpg, but this will differ with real-world driving.
Best MPV for carrying bikes
Citroen Berlingo
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SUVs are on trend right now, but they aren’t the only option for plenty of space. The Citroen Berlingo is a brilliant MPV for carrying mountain bikes and also offers a reliable drive.
There’s a huge amount of space across the Berlingo, starting with a 775-litre boot in the Berlingo M model or 1,050 litres in the XL model.
The advantage of the MPV bodystyle is that you’ll be able to load your mountain bike and keep it standing up because of the high roofline.
If you’re a true adventurer and might occasionally want to camp out in your car, all of the seats can be folded to create 3,500 litres of space in the M and 4,000 litres in the XL. You’ll then have a flat bay for an air mattress or sleeping bag.
Top car for mountain bikers and value for money
Volkswagen Tiguan
 "Volkswagen Tiguan")
If you want a car for mountain biking that has a luxury feel, you’ll love the VW Tiguan. It’s a chunky SUV and a great option for families, but it will happily take you out on the weekend with a boot full of bikes.
The boot measures 615 litres with the seats in place, so it rivals options like the Nissan Qashqai. The interior is spacious as well, and you can gain extra boot capacity by folding down the rear seats and bumping it up to 1,665 litres.
If you plan on doing long journeys to bike tracks, the 2.0 TDI manual can achieve up to 54.3mpg WLTP while the four-wheel-drive model achieves 44.8mpg.