12 Best Used Cars for Mountain Biking You Must Think Of

Mountain bikers do a fair bit of travelling. Unless you’re living in places like the Scottish Highlands or North Wales, you probably don’t have a ton of trails right in your backyard. And even if you do, who wants to ride the same routes repeatedly?

So, a mountain biker ends up driving a lot. Plus, they need a vehicle that can handle carrying a bunch of stuff, especially their mountain bike. So, what is the best car for mountain biking? Let’s find out.

And remember, Carplus is the best place to find and finance your next car for your mountain biking hobby. Good terms to make the process smooth and easy!

1. Citroën Berlingo

The Citroën Berlingo is a spacious and practical van-based MPV that stands out in a market dominated by SUVs. It’s a perfect car for a mountain bike as it offers a large boot and plenty of storage compartments inside.

Despite its size, the Berlingo is easy to drive and quite comfortable. It’s essentially a modified light van with rear seats and windows. You can fit bikes inside or mount more than one bike on the roof using the sturdy and quiet aluminium roof bars.

2. Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender 110 is highly praised by families and off-road mountain bikers, although it comes at a slightly higher price. Fuel consumption varies, but the P400e model is impressive with its EV capabilities.

Land Rover’s towing technology is top-notch. Options like the electrically deployable tow bar, detachable tow bar, and multi-height tow bar improve towing convenience.

The default configuration seats five with a spacious boot, ideal for a bike inside. You can add a front jump seat for six seats or a third row for seven if you want.

3. Škoda Superb

The Škoda Superb Estate is comfortable, highly practical, and affordably priced. While it’s not common to see a mountain bike on an estate car, it’s still one of the best cars, thanks to the roof bars. These bars are durable, aerodynamic, and built to withstand harsh weather conditions.

The car is powerful enough to handle a fully loaded weight and allows for quick overtaking manoeuvres. Also, the boot can accommodate long items when you fold the front passenger seat forward.

4. Subaru Outback

The Subaru Outback has a unique exterior that combines SUV elements with a raised estate car design. It excels in off-road adventures, being more rugged than many SUVs, but the petrol engines don’t deliver the best road performance.

The Outback’s extended length and width make it practical for daily life, whether with a child or a mountain bike. The boot can fit two bikes standing up if you remove the front wheels, and there are no limits on the roof or using a bike carrier attachment.

5. Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is a longer version of the Tiguan, with seven seats as standard in the UK. For mountain bikers who drive long distances or tow trailers, they should opt for larger engines for better performance.

Even with all seven seats in use, there’s still room for a small weekly shopping trip. Folding down the back seats is easy with levers in the boot, creating a flat load space that can fit a couple of mountain bikes. Having bike racks or bikes on the roof are good options, but they’re not necessary.

6. Ford Ranger

The Ford Ranger is a great pickup truck with a powerful engine and a comfortable ride, which makes for enjoyable long-distance driving. It may not have the same comfort level as an SUV, but it serves as both a practical daily workhorse and a vehicle for a family holiday. It makes sense why you’d want to pay extra for all these capabilities.

You can easily fit one mountain bike with the wheels on inside the Ranger, and it’s also capable of carrying bikes by hanging them over the rear tailgate.

7. Jeep Wrangler

The Jeep Wrangler is unbeatably one of the best cars for cross-country road trips. It’s a perfect mix of style and ruggedness for any terrain. It has a unique and eye-catching exterior with its iconic seven-slot grille, round headlights, and sturdy fender flares.

You can remove the doors and roof panels for an open-air driving experience. Removing these panels creates ample space for your mountain bike, even two bikes plus cargo.

8. Škoda Octavia Scout

The Škoda Octavia Scout is perfect for towing and travelling, thanks to its raised ride height and 4x4 system that offers genuine off-road capability. The rear seats fold completely flat, which creates two practical and usable load spaces for mountain bikers despite a slight lip.

You’ll also find clever storage compartments throughout these estate cars, like a pop-open sunglasses holder, phone-holding cup holder, and a safety vest holder under the front passenger seat.

9. Volkswagen Caddy Life

The Volkswagen Caddy Life is a van with windows, and although it looks like a typical van, it’s a good car that has a lot to offer. It comes in two sizes: standard and Maxi long-wheelbase, both very roomy.

With the seats folded, you get 2,850 litres of cargo space, plenty for a mountain bike, which increases to 3,030 litres when the seats are removed. If you need even more space inside for camping gear or passengers, you can fit bikes on a roof rack.

10. Volvo XC60

The Volvo XC60 is a solid choice among premium SUVs. It’s one of the best cars for a sophisticated interior, top-notch build quality, and a smooth ride that rivals competitors like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes. Safety features are great.

It’s not built for serious off-roading, but most drivers won’t need to worry about that. The boot is quite spacious, enough for a large mountain bike when the back seats are folded down. As for outside fittings, tow bar-mounted carriers are preferable over a roof-mounted bike rack.

11. Audi A4 Allroad

The Audi A4 Allroad is a great choice if you prefer estate cars but like to drive on rough terrain. It’s essentially an Audi A4 Avant with standard quattro all-wheel-drive, an off-road driving mode, and increased ground clearance.

In terms of boot space, it’s average. But the rear seats fold and expand the boot to 1,510 litres in the standard 40/20/40 split. Mountain bikers who prefer keeping their gear inside the car can also use roof racks without compromising seating capacity.

12. SEAT Ateca

The SEAT Ateca is a versatile car, a family SUV that blends practicality, affordability, and agility. The square boot opens wide, great for big items. But please know that the trims with four-wheel drive boot space by 5%.

Roof bars are the way to go for a mountain bike. They’re designed for less wind noise and resistance, which makes your drive smoother and keeps your gear safe.

Conclusion

Mountain bikers do a fair bit of travelling. Unless you’re living in places like the Scottish Highlands or North Wales, you probably don’t have a ton of trails right in your backyard. And even if you do, who wants to ride the same routes repeatedly?