What are the best cars for carrying bikes?

The Skoda Kodiaq is one of the most popular family SUVs on the market today and it certainly excels if you’re looking for a car to work hand-in-hand with your cycling habit. The Czech favourite boasts an enormous cargo capacity and flexible layout that make it incredibly adaptable to whatever bikes you may need to cram inside. Add to that the impressive 910 litres of boot space – rising to 2,105 with the rear seats folded away – and there is more than enough room inside for a few full-sized bikes, without the need to remove the wheels. The Kodiaq also comes with the option of seven seats, meaning that it works for larger families too. Externally, the Skoda has a decent enough towing capacity of up to 2,000 kg, depending on which spec you go for, which is more than enough for most rear-mounted bike racks. Loading them onto the roof is also a straightforward affair thanks to the Kodiaq’s limited height of 1,659 mm. When it comes to costs, prices for a brand new Kodiaq kick off at just under £40,000 but there is plenty of used value to be found on AA Cars, where older models can be picked up for under £10,000.

From a family SUV to a high-end estate now, with the BMW 5 Series Touring. The 5 Series Touring teams absolute driving pleasure with everyday practicality making it the perfect car for the petrolheads among the cycling community. Inside, the car offers 570 litres of boot space, which increases to 1,700 litres with the second row of seats folded down in a 40:20:40 split. When doing this, you essentially turn your prestige BMW into a very posh van, which boasts an enormous, flat area which can swallow up even the bulkier bikes on the market. Getting your bicycles into the car is made even easier by the wide, estate-style boot opening and low loading lip, while self-levelling rear suspension helps to keep the ride comfortable for you and your heavy loads in the back. If you want to keep your bikes on the outside of the car, the 5-Series Touring has the same 2,000 kg towing capability as the Skoda, although its smaller footprint means that fewer bikes can be transported on a roof rack. If you are looking to buy a new 5-Series Touring, it will set you back at least £54,000 but with new models stretching all the way back to the noughties, there are plenty of used bargains to be found on AA Cars. The current generation, launched in 2024 and starts at around £40,000 second-hand.

If it is an estate you’re after then Volvo may well be the car brand which comes to mind first. The Swedish outfit has led this particular field for decades and the V60 is one of its finest examples to date. For bike owners it blends smart design and practical space to offer a genuine alternative to some of the bigger, bulkier SUV options out there. Standard petrol versions come with 529 litres of boot space – less than the BMW but still nothing to be sniffed at – rising to 1,441 with the back seats folded away, split 60:40. Mild-hybrid versions do see the car’s battery eat slightly into that space but it still provides a sizeable and practical space for storing bikes, again with almost no loading lip. The Volvo also falls short of the BMW when it comes to towing capacity, where the V60 is only able to take 1,800 kg, compared to 2,000 in the 5-Series Touring. However, it does have the BMW well beaten on price, despite offering very similar levels of refinement. Prices for the Volvo kick off at £41,940, making it £12,000 cheaper than its German rival, with used five-year-old examples listed on AA Cars for less than £10,000. The V60 also continues Volvo’s legendary legacy of outstanding safety and boasts a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

When it comes to hauling bikes of all shapes and sizes, the Land Rover Discovery is pretty hard to beat. Its boxy shape, high roof and strong chassis make it perhaps the most versatile car on this list, offering huge internal space for all of your cycling needs. With all seven seats in use, the Discovery offers 258 litres of boot space, rising to 1,137 with the third row folded down, and a maximum of 2,406 with both rows of rear seats folded flat. Practicality is also boosted by the car’s powered tailgate – standard on most trims – which makes getting bikes in and out of the back an incredibly smooth process. Obviously, being a Land Rover, the Discovery is also comfortable off-road, making it an ideal choice for dirt and mountain bikers especially. The car has even been designed with bikers in mind, as a custom tow-bar-mounted bike carrier, designed especially for the Discovery, is listed an optional extra in the brochure. Price-wise, the Discovery is one of the more expensive options, with the current model starting at around £65,000. However, as a staple of British roads for more than four decades, there are countless second-hand bargains to be found on AA Cars.

If the Land Rover Discovery is a big, lumbering behemoth of a car, then the Peugeot 2008 offers bikers a more compact and nimble solution. While it lacks the outright size of the Land Rover, it offers clever and well-thought-out practicality. Inside there is 434 litres of boot space with the rear seats up and 1,467 litres when they are folded away. The French carmaker has also sought to improve practicality with the introduction of a variable-height boot floor, which allows you to increase and decrease the loading lip depending on the size of the bike being loaded into the rear. For external mounting, the 2008 can be ordered with both roof bars and a lightweight aluminium bike carrier, reducing the reliance on internal space. Available in a choice of petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains, there really should be a 2008 to fit every need, and with new prices beginning at £29,240 it is also the most affordable option on this list. For cyclists who want a car that can do a little bit of everything, the Peugeot is a very strong contender.