Right now I'm driving a subaru outback. Like the space and performance enough, hate the gas mileage. So I'm here. one thing I do alot is fit a bicycle inside the car and leave it there while I'm at work or whatever, then go somewhere when I'm free and ride around. Can this be done in the Prius regular? Or do you need a Prius v to comfortably fit a bicycle inside? I'm talking like a 56-58cm road bike with 700c wheels.
Sure, I have a road bike that fits in the hatch just fine. You should first lower both seat backs and remove the screen so you have a large flat area to place the bike. I also have a tandem and plan on taking both wheels off and loading that in, too. We'll see it that works.
I ride a 56 and it even fits with only 1 seat folded down. You just need to take the front wheel off and angle it in with one head rest folded down. I wish the roof line was just slightly taller to make it easier.
I can fit my 61cm road bike in Prius with only front tire removed. Done it many times. I just put a blanket to keep tire dirt off carpeted backs of rear seats.
I put both my 55 cm road bike, and my spouse's smaller touring bike, in our regular Prius. They fit just as well as in our '97 Subaru Legacy wagon (non-Outback). (Though not as easy, they even fit inside a much smaller Honda Accord Hatchback.) Just be sure to use a tarp or something to control the dirt and grease, and a packing blanket or other cushioning between bikes. Mine now has a hitch rack too, for supporting bicycle events and for short hauls. But the rack does cost significant mpg, so I still prefer to put the bikes inside on longer hauls when the total cargo load permits. The Subaru interior is still superior for our skis. The Prius cargo length is a few inches shorter, so my skis land on the center console.
Ditto what fuzzy said A bike fits great. Here's a few tips. Go to Wal-Mart and buy a cheap heavy duty tarp and keep it folded up in the back (2010 regular Prius). I just unfold the tarp and lay my 56 cm Trek bike in with front wheel removed and back seats down. No scratches or grease. The tarp is also good for keeping the back clean when piling in groceries, dirty things, etc. I also noticed a bungie cord across the silver cargo buckles keeps the bike and other objects like groceries from shifting around.
Ah, but I can fit two of my bikes inside the outback without removing any wheels. So cargo space is a little reduced on the prius... Kind of unrelated, but one that I"ve been wondering lately... Prius 2010. What does the ii trim level bring over the i?
I'm pretty sure I fit my wife's bike inside (seats down) without removing any wheels when we first purchased it; stacking a second bike on top is easy (I keep both a small blanket and a tarp in the car for things like this). However, once we adjusted the handlebars and seat for her height (she's 6'), we always have to pull the front wheel off. I've also put our tandem in; we got it with couplers so it can be stowed in a pair of large suitcases, but so far I've just used them to put it in the car. I don't even take it all the way apart; I just break it in half, basically; the wheels stay on.
