Long-Term Road Tests

Probably half of that if you're lucky.

Put a futon, with futon mattress, in the back of a 1992 Ford Probe once. I managed 36mpg on the highway with that thing. What's the BMW get?

That fold out tailgate is pretty sweet. It's low enough not to really impede loading of the rear and still useful when space needs to be extended. It's not enough reason for me to ditch my 5 series wagon, but it's a nice touch.

a twin mattress?!
that's like saying you transported an oven and it turned out to be a Barbie doll oven!
and you didn't use tie-downs of any kind? c'mon man!

I strapped a 4 foot high by 3 foot wide box to the top of my wife's saturn Ion...no roof rails....and just strapped it down with ratcheting nylon straps.
 
Same thing with mattresses.
 
My brother in law wins the prize though, without doubt.
 
'01 Saturn SL1. He has done the following:
 
1. Gone to junkyard and gotten jeep cherokee roof rails and transplated them onto his saturn
 
2. Installed homemade hitch
 
3. Installed homemade 2x3 wooden platform into hitch
 
4. Hammered out right wheel well, from inside, and transplanted spare tire into right inside-trunk wheel well. Removed all fabric and sound deadening from trunk and hammered out the OEM spare-wheel location for maximum space.
 
5. Loaded Saturn with, simultaneously, 8' long futon frame, mattress, dishwasher (full size), wife in front seat, child in back in child seat.
 
He helped me buy and pick-up a craigslist washer and dryer purchase and transport them 10 miles. He put them both on the wooden platform attached to his hitch.
 
Why exactly do we need an SUV?
 
Joe

So true. Everyone who buys an SUV should stop kidding themselves that it is for "utility". It's just false.

It's nice yo made it work, but it kills me that these "utility" vehicles really aren't all that, when compared to a real "wagon".
 
I've transported a twin mattress and box-spring in my Passat wagon - with the hatch closed.
 
The old Focus wagon had more room than the Escape. But everyone would say they need the Escape to haul the dog, stroller, etc.

Good work in the Fit, kevlang!
 
I once moved a dishwasher INBOX inside my old VW Golf. I also moved my entire room home from university in one run with it. Hatchbacks rule.

You put a twin bed in 5000 lb suv and you're proud of it?
 
I remember moving one in my brothers old K-Car wagon.... all 2400 lbs of it.
 
People need a reality check of what you really need these days.

Im thinking the Dodge GC would have been better suited for the job. Wouldnt have to worry about nosy police either.

You do have tiedowns on the roof, ya know. ;-P

Big deal. Full size futon frame. Inside my Fit. And yes, the hatch closed.
 
A "useful" SUV is one with its many seats full or it's rear completely full of cargo, towing a trailer on a muddy road that requires 4WD. Other than that, it's more vehicle than is needed.

"There was no way I was going to pay the $100 delivery fee"
 
....and that's how the husbands get called cheapskates by wives!!!
 
Not that I fault you though, I do such things all the time & embarrass my wife! Tee Hee!!

I can fit a lot in the back of my 2007 X5....you'd be suprised.
 
Much more room than my '03 X5.