What's the perfect car for a triathlete? (Page 2)

Love my minivan!

X2 on the Xterra. I have had mine for a little over a year and love it. By folding up half of the back seat, you can get three bikes plus three passengers inside, and still have room for everyones tri-bag.

Yeah - I think I'm going to need to go for 4WD.  I live on a mountain and I've gotten stuck in the valley during snow before and had to call someone to come get me and drive me home.  I'm graduating law school and starting work - so I won't have time for these antics anymore :p Time to get a big girl car! (Both cars I've ever had - a Ford Focus and the Civic - kind of drive like golf carts!)  

This is mine. I drive a lot for my job. Gets good mileage, fits bikes on top, tons of gear in the trunk and still room for my 2 little tax deductions in their booster seats in the back. Sometimes I let my wife ride with me too.

I had a Ford Explorer that served me well for 90k miles.  Yakima hitch-mount rack on the back, and room inside for all my gear.  Traded it in on a Taurus X.  The only thing I don't like about the X is that the rear hatch glass doesn't open separately like the Explorer did.  Other than that, it gets better (slightly) mileage, and is safer for my budding triathletes (sons).

I currently drive an older 5-series BMW, and just moved my Yakima roof rack to it yesterday (after having driven an older 3-series for 6 years and selling it last month).

I have an 05 Toyota 4Runner Sport. I'd say the XTerra is probably the most suitable for any form of outdoor sport, but the 4Runner is a much better vehicle in my opinion.
I can throw my bike either on the back seat, in the trunk area or on my trailer bike rack. Typically I'll put my dog in the back trunk area, bike in the back seat and we have two 17' ocean kayaks that ride on top. Oh and the wife rides shotgun. We have plenty of room for our gear too.
Even though it's a V8 (I did choose it) it is pretty good with the gas mileage, much better than my old Jeep Grand Cherokee.

You don't really need a specialized vehicle for doing triathlon training. Mostly you need a way to haul your bike. After that the vehicle choice is more a lifestyle and affordability choice than anything else.

My daily driver is a Saab 9-3 convertible. I had a class I trailer hitch installed (the 1.25" bar size) and attach the bike carrier as needed. Takes about 2 minutes, then since it's a tray type carrier it takes 2 minutes more to put the bike in it. Throw my tri bag in the trunk, and off I go. I sit on the trunk edge to put on my bike shoes, etc when I go places. 90% of the time, this is all I need.

What I like about my convertible is of course it's a convertible. I can enjoy the sunny day on the way to my trail run, enjoy it while running, enjoy it on the way home. It gets good enough mileage, and it's a blast to drive. Easy to park (although it's not all that small), and it doesn't scream "Athlete here! Expensive toys inside! Come break in to this car!"

My wife drives a full size SUV, so when I compete in local events I put the same bike carrier on the SUV and everyone (me, wife, and one, two, or all three of my teenage daughters) piles in and off we go. This is way overkill for normal day-to-day training.

I will add that bringing a full size SUV to tri events often gets the Evil Eye from other people. I don't need to justify my vehicle choices to others, so I don't care but it does happen.

I also have a mid-size 4x4 pickup truck. This is what my daughters normally drive, but if I can get it on the weekends it's easy to put the bike in the back, so I'll sometimes take it. It's got a BedRug carpeted bed liner and a hard folding bed cover so I just lay in the bike and lock the cover and tailgate and it's secure. If I need to put two bikes in it, I just throw an old blanket between them and lay them on top of each other. Then I can't close the cover, but so what.

My pickup has a six foot bed and forward facing jump seats, so it hauls what I need plus seats four in a pinch. A great all around vehicle if you don't have young kids to worry about. I read somewhere that mid-size pickup trucks are statistically the safest choice for teenage drivers - big enough, slow enough, dorky enough, not roomy enough to keep them safe. So I'm happy to have my girls drive the truck to school, their after school events, around town.

I went car shopping yesterday and just about fell in love with the VW eos... it's a hard-top convertible... now I can dream about it for about a year... that's what my friends and family are telling me to do - even though I can afford it now *sigh* I HATE being a grown-up sometimes

I currently have a 90 Nissan Pathfinder that I bought for $1,800. Have had it two and half years, it has 185,000 miles on it and it has never given me any problem. I have a thule roof rack for the bikes and can fit three people and all the gear in the back. Also carry my 12 man river raft on the roof rack.

When this car finally dies (if it ever does) my next car will be an Audi All Road. Room for five adults, spacious hatch trunk for the bike or gear, twin turbo V6 and manual tranny (hella fun to drive) very nice inside and has a four inch adjustable hydraulic suspension feature so it can do some mild off roading if need be. Oh and it is full time all wheel drive. Have been looking around at used ones and you can get a fairly new one with around 60,000 on it for 10-12k, not too bad for such a nice car.

 

Put the Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix on your short list. You can fit a fully assembled bike inside and all your gear or you can do two bikes if the front wheels are off. The seats flip down flat to reveal all plastic decking so you can just sweep or wipe it out. There are tie down points and straps that come with it for securing cargo. There are all kinds of roof an hitch rack options and on the highway you'll get 30 to 32 MPG and 27 to 29 city. The Element, CRV and Edge can't touch it mileage wise in real world driving.

That being said, my favorite vehicles for cycling/tri folk at the Vibe and the Minivan.

BTW, the Fit is a great little car, but it's way tiny compared to anything you have listed above.

Happy hunting!

Don't hold your breath too long waiting for that Pathfinder to die. I've been saying that when my '89 Pathfinder dies, I too will get a new car.  347,000 miles and still going strong.

Another vote for the element AKA the "LUNCHBOX"

We bought one when they first came out and love it. I had 3 mtb in it yesterday. Tri bike fits upright with wheel and only 1 seat down.  I've had everything from bikes to hundreds of pounds of rock and pavers and even 6 full bails of straw. My wife wants another one when her car has to be replaced. I like the fuction for the price, but wish they made a bigger one on a pilot chassis. Not recommended, but We have gotten the call from some "adult" friends who had too much to drink and needed a ride,so  we had 4 of them in the back seats.

Happy hunting


Edited by Repo 2009-05-10 11:13 PM

This user's post has been ignored.

Love my Chrysler minivan.  With fold-flat seating option (Stow-n-Go), there's almost as much storage room as a full size SUV like a Suburban.   I slept in it at an event last fall, and with an air mattress it's surprisingly comfortable. I can fit 4 bikes inside using a fork-mount style rack with plenty of gear, with works great for combo roadie-MTB trips. With the newest engine (sweet 4.0 6), it's faster than any econobox with gas mileage that matches smaller vehicles like the Element (EPA 25mpg hwy).  And options are available for towing 3000# or so.

The one I can afford

 

I have a 2008 Toyota Takoma 4-door (TRD pkg) with extended wheel base and I love it.  It's great for a roomy interior and can easily fit three bikes and luggage in the bed with plenty of space for three - four people to spread out for out-of-town races.  It's a big truck but not so big that you'd have trouble parking or in general every-day-errand-running life.

I have a Acura RSX Type S and found it works great.  I can put the bike in the back great or I also have a hitch mounted bike carrier that works really great.  But beware of the hitch mounted bike racks.  I got a ticket for blocking my tag on the car.  I adjusted it so now my tag is visible.

I would probably get an Element or truck next time.  Something I can put the bike in upright would be nice. 

Edited by flmonkey_gbp 2009-05-11 8:25 AM

I personally have an X3, and I think cross-overs are great. I can fit all my stuff with ease and don't have to drive a huge SUV. However, I'd probably recommend getting one with better mileage than mine!

Couldn't have said it better myself! That being said, I'd vote for a Suburu.

Have to admit it, but considering gas milage, comfort, features, power and the ability to have a motel room right in the parking lot at the race...

Honda Odyssey minivan!

Screw the "image", I love mine!

I'm diggin' my 2009 Subaru Outback... Plenty of room for the tri bike to lay flat in the back, even with race wheels attached, and room to set up my transition area for bricks. And it's just a cool car.

This is good to know, I have an S2000 and it's absolutly useless for hauling anything around. I was thinking of trading my S for an RSX