5 of the Best Vehicles for Hauling Your Bicycle

Your two-wheeled friend will love these four-wheel haulers.

Jim Koscs | 

Jul 19, 2023 | 3 min read

Subaru

Do you love cycling but find transporting bikes to your favorite trails with your current vehicle a hassle? We checked out a variety of new models and found five that make bicycle hauling a breeze. Several can even fit bikes inside for added security. As a bonus, all of our picks start below the average new car price.

Ford

2023 Ford Maverick

Our least expensive choice is the Ford Maverick, a new front-wheel-drive compact pickup that seats five and rides and handles more like a compact crossover SUV than the typical truck. The standard Maverick XL’s peppy 191-hp hybrid powertrain delivers a remarkable 37 mpg combined fuel economy. Special slots built into the Maverick’s 54-inch bed can accommodate 2-by-6-inch boards to anchor home-built cargo carriers and racks for bicycles. A short video on Ford’s website demonstrates how to make a two-bike rack using common tools, one board, fork mounts, and ratchet straps — about $45 in materials. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) without destination charges starts at about $22,000.

Subaru

2023 Subaru Forester

The all-wheel-drive Subaru Forester’s tall, squared-off shape maximizes cargo space and offers enough room to carry some bike models inside with their wheels attached. The Forester’s 51.2-inch tailgate opening is wide for its class, and the 60-40 split rear seatbacks fold to create a flat, 69.9-inch-long load floor. In the Forester Wilderness, protective material covers the seatbacks. All Foresters can roof-carry bikes with the proper Subaru or aftermarket attachments. Foot pads on the rear door sills make it easy to stand to access the roof. MSRP without destination charges starts at about $26,000.

Chrysler

2023 Chrysler Pacifica

Minivans can haul more than just kids. The Chrysler Pacifica is a solid choice for shielding adult road or mountain bikes from the elements and prying eyes. With Pacifica’s unique-in-class Stow ’n Go seating, folding the second- and third-row seats drops them into a recessed floor space, creating a flat load area. Depending on how many seats are stowed, the van can then carry two to four bikes with wheels and seats attached. A big rear tailgate and dual sliding side doors — with hands-free opening available for all — help make loading a breeze. Pacifica also offers roof-mounted and trailer hitch bike-transport equipment. MSRP without destination charges starts at about $37,000.

Honda

2023 Honda Passport

Honda’s two-row Passport SUV shaves about 10 inches of length from the three-row Pilot. Folding the rear seats opens 100.8 cu-ft of cargo space. The Passport’s design emphasizes a tall and wide tailgate opening and a low load floor that can accommodate most bikes with ease. Type of bike, wheel diameter, and frame size will dictate whether you’ll need to remove the wheels. Available protection panels shield the cargo area sides and entire floor from dirt and scuffs. Rooftop carrying options are also available. MSRP without destination charges starts at about $38,000.

Mercedes-Benz

2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Crew Van 2500

Need room for the family — or perhaps a small cycling race team and their bikes? Consider a version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van you may see making Amazon and FedEx deliveries. The Sprinter Crew model offers seating for five while simultaneously providing a 103.5-inch-long, 70.4-inch-wide cargo area behind the second-row seats. That’s more than enough to carry five bikes plus the passengers’ gear inside the vehicle. Mercedes designed this nearly 20-foot-long van to maneuver easily. The standard 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder, gasoline engine provides just enough pep. All-wheel-drive options and diesel engines are also available. MSRP without destination charges starts at a little under $47,000.

Jim Koscs

Jim Koscs has been writing about cars for more than 30 years, his byline appearing in national enthusiast and trade publications, newspapers, and websites. He covers a broad spectrum of topics in automotive business, culture, collecting, design, history, racing, and technology. The "car thing" goes way back for Jim. At the 1968 New York Auto Show, he snuck away from his father to get a better look at a Rolls-Royce... from underneath it, to see if it had dual exhausts. (It didn't.)