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would i be able to fit a 68 " long Raleigh Detour 3.0 bike in the cargo area of my 2012 Toyota Yaris liftback? last time i measured it was 48" from cargo edge to back of the front seat edge, i have not yet folded down the rear seats to see if it will work. would angling the bike in sideways and folding forward the front passenger seat help? i know, i should have gotten something to put on the car to hold the bike but the idea doesn't thrill me
No offense, but maybe you should have figured this out before you bought the car? No matter, the only way to tell is if you try. I suppose you could take the wheel off. Also, what about a bike rack?
That's always been my worry about having a bike rack, but I've never heard of that happening. If anyone crashes into you in the back, you can probably recover the cost of the bike via insurance or through small claims court. Maybe a roof rack would be better, even though it's a bigger hassle.
By the way, what do you think of the yaris? How does it handle? Does it feel solid? I was thinking of getting one for my next car.
Edit: Sorry, I was replying to your second post, but it looks like it was deleted.
this is my third Toyota since 1988. had an 88 Tercel, my last was a 92 Tercel. It was still running strong when i donated it to charity(which turned around and sold it for $530). my parents(RIP) got their first Toyota (Camry) in 1985. so you can see my allegiance to Toyota here
i got the Yaris primarily because as you can see I'm a creature of habit and wanted a subcompact Toyota. the car has a rep for reliability and gas mileage (tho not at the top of it's class). i average 24.5 around town back and forth to work and about 30-35 on trips
the car was also subtly restyled for 2012. it's more "masculine/butchy" in appearance than it used to be, they upgraded the interior and dashboard (they moved the speedometer from the center dash to the left side where it should have been). what i particularly like is the high seating position, it feels more like i'm sitting in my mom's old RAV 4 than in a subcompact. the doors are big like in a RAV 4. roomy inside and plenty of space around the dash. visibility is good, window areas are large. it's the basic L model but it's loaded with comfort and convenience stuff. the seats are big and foamy, and the seat edges are trimmed in a soft fabric rather than a hard vinyl on the edges. hard to believe this car derived from the Echo.
it is probably shorter than my 92 tercel but it weighs almost 400 lbs more. except for exhaust buzz/drone at lower speeds, it's very quiet on the highway and feels like a much larger Toyota. my 92 tercel didn't feel so solid on rain slicked roads
some complain about the overboosted power steering system. i don't have a problem with it. i don't think it handles as well as it's competitors but i don't really care about that. the fit and finish are superb. a few say the interior is cheap(I don't agree) but most say it's pleasing to the eye. I paid $16,696 including processing fee, DMV fee and sales tax
Thule or Yakima should have a rack that would work with the Yaris, but I would think that a bicycle should fit inside, especially if you can easily remove the front wheel. That would easily allow you to angle the frame back on itself, and then place the detached wheel in the cargo area, likely with the seatbacks folded down. Another option would be to look for a folding bicycle that you could keep in the hatch of the car at all times, for when you want to take a ride on a car trip, so you would not need to install/remove/store a rack, or prepare your bicycle for the car by removing the weel and putting a tarp over the carpet/seats to protect them from any dirt/grime/etc. on the bicycle.
I feel much more secure with the bicycle inside the vehicle, myself, but I don't think you would have too much of an issue. A friend of mine had an issue when he was so taken with settling a dispute between the children as he drove into their driveway that he forgot that he had installed the roof rack with his Trek Madone on it, as well as a hitch rack with the childrens' bicycles on it. He hit the button for the door and one of the kids tried to tell him that he needed to stop, but he drove into the garage and the resulting crash, when bike hit brick and moved the carrier, caused a bit of damage to his bicycle, but really damaged his ego. It's easy for things to happen with a rack, though I find the hitch racks are the most stable, when properly installed, but I think you can get by without a rack.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
remove the bike wheel???!!! I'm rlrl! I want the easy way out!!
seriously i will have to just take the bike out and try it.
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