Yeah, if I wanted a larger capacity vehicle (than the OB or Fozzy at least), I would check out the Ascent. Much better 2nd attempt at a larger rig from Suby than the ill fated B-9 Tribeca (even though they are quite similar in essence at least).
The Ascent hits lots of great notes without being to adventurous or edgy, which makes it a solid choice, IMO. Props on that and what looks like a fun W.I.P car 
Oh, great to know. The Ascent is one of my top two choices for my next car (the other being a Honda Ridgeline, which apparently can fit a bike in the back seat). I really wish the Odyssey had an AWD option, it’d be the perfect car-camping/bike-carrying car for me.
If I was looking I’d give the Toyota Sienna a hard look. Hybrid so it gets 36mpg both in town and on the highway. You can fold down all the rear seats and have room for sleeping and/or storing bikes (not my pics). The second row when left in is pretty cool. Lots of leg room and can lay back and has a leg rest a la la-z boy recliner
Well, i have my toys, bicycles and motorcycle that also are use for transportation (for 2 years i was trailering the 2 kids to daycare on the bicycle…) but we could do without them. I live in canada and the motorcycle can’t be used for about 1/3 of the year lol.
Reviving this thread. I’m falling out of love with my Transit Connect. It has a running issue three shops have failed to remedy and, really, it’s just not a good daily driver.
I’m a big fan of the cargo space with the Transit, I can fit two large mountain bikes in the back with a single bucket seat without any wheel removal. And while I placed a high priority on this feature, the driving characteristics aren’t worth that convenience any longer.
I’ll probably give this last mechanic another crack at solving the running issue (engine shudders under acceleration) but I think I may go a different route now (assuming I can fix it well enough for resale).
Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna? I’ll give up the bike storage convenience but with a hitch rack I doubt it will be an issue. To my knowledge there are no other small city style cargo vans like the Transit that are worth a salt. I know Mercedes makes one but it looks terrible and it’s out of my price range anyway. Nissan NV200? Again, not great reviews.
Why Honda, why won’t you revive the Element? Maybe I should just pay cash for an old one? I’ve not seen any under 125k miles…
Anything I’m missing bike friendly higher capacity vehicles?
That’s too bad on the TC. I have always had a soft spot for them since I like quirky looking and very handy rigs. To that end, a decent minivan is actually a fantastic option. We had one of the original Dodge’s when I was a kid and it was such a good and functional vehicle. The modern ones with the in-floor storage seating and other options make them super hand.
Finding a cherry Element is a chore these days. A person who wants to put in the time and money (or pay someone else) can obviously take on an engine swap and other drivetrain maintenance to get it back to “near new” condition.
We have a Sienna on order. Will pull the seats, defeat the rear airbags and put a platform in. It will drive well, be comfortable and get good MPG. Dealer tells us so many people do this they want Toyota to offer it as an adventure van option.
Honda needs to make a new Element and Toyota needs to offer the Sienna in camper ready configuration. Don’t hold your breath for either.
I like the look of the RAV4 Prime, but it’s not quite big enough for the whole family and gear.
Good luck!
I thought about posting that for fun. I can’t bring myself to actually buy a VW, but l like their styling so much. And the bus (old and new) is just the right type of quirky cool.
I love my Odyssey…but man when I saw that VW 
I’ve always went for the seats down approach and its surprising what I can fit in my Toyota Yaris too. I comfortably had two TT bikes or a TT bike and a road bike in there. But lol, I’ve just tested out my gravel bike on top of a road bike and I’m just debating if I can get 3 bikes in 
Look like you could pop a wheelie with the weight in the back 
Cool setup
I want that. 
I’ve got it into a good mechanic now so I’m hopeful he can fix it. In the meantime I’m gonna drool over that VW van!
I want an Element so bad but can’t find anything under 6K that isn’t beat.
Gas will probably never get back to to the 2-2.30 levels, so I’ll keep the honda fit around a bit longer. Cant put three bikes in (with front wheel off), other space/room plus a hitch rack works well. I think I filled up four times from Denver to Phoenix last month including the driving once there. Hard to beat.
If the car dies, I can tow it home with the fatbike.
FWIW… KBB says our 2011 with 140K miles is worth 8K or more in a private sale. I wouldn’t pay that for it myself. But this used car market is nuts and Elements have that cult following thing. The Toyota FJ reissues are similar with crazy pricing.
Anyone reading here have a newer Rav4? Am wondering if a mtn bike will fit inside on a glider board (board with fork mount) or if they need to go on the roof or on a hitch rack.
p.s. I also thought “Wheelie” with the fat bike and Fiat upthread. Good Friday humor!
-Darth
I wanted to follow up. I found a better mechanic, and we’ve tracked my running issue back to a transmission/torque converter problem; (even after a transmission shop missed it completely, ?). He changed the transmission fluid and asked that I drive the van over the weekend. After a full week of typically heavy driving, I’m astonished at how much of a fix this has been. So, back to being stoked on the Transit Connect. There’s nothing, yet that competes with this vehicle as far as a compact “city van” - Ram, Nissan, and Mercedes all make their own version but price/cargo ratio I think the Ford wins. Just be aware of potential transmission and/or torque converter problems after 80K miles. Now that it’s on my radar I’m hyper aware of the problem and have another 50K on an after market warranty.
