Weekend Athlete: 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan

Another day, another compact SUV in the crowded Weekend Athlete segment. What’s interesting this time is that the Tiguan is a rare SUV that faces a strong challenger from inside its own family.

See, Volkswagen also makes a wagon version of its Jetta. If it were my money and I wanted a Volkswagen, the Jetta SportWagen would make my decision tough. But we’ll get back to that.

The Tiguan has a very low exterior latch for its hatch door. It wasn’t so low that very tall athletes have anything to worry about, but perhaps shorter ones will appreciate the latch placement. The Tiguan doesn’t stand very tall overall, so if you’re the roof rack type you’ll probably be able to go that route without the assist of a running board or opening the doors, as long as you’re not especially short.

2009 Mercury Mariner: Weekend Athlete

It’s time to put away the bikes and take out the cross-country skis here in Chicago, and that means the Weekend Athlete test is going to shift with the seasons.

First up: The 2009 Mercury Mariner, which I tested eons ago with my bike and camping gear. When it comes to a winter car, the first thing I look for is a long cargo area. My skate skis are 1.9 meters long, and I generally carry two pairs when I go skiing. Even though cross-country skis are narrower and lighter than downhill skis, they still take up a lot of room.

Surprisingly, the Mariner came up short. I expected to need to put my skis in at a slant, but thanks largely to the seat-folding arrangement, I had to slant them more than I would have wanted. This was even worse when I only had part of the seat folded. Just as is the case with my bikes, I don’t like to jam my skis in if I don’t have to … and I had to with the Mariner.

Weekend Athlete: 2009 Honda Ridgeline

We normally stay away from trucks so our colleagues at PickupTrucks.com can have all the fun, but I snuck out with the Honda Ridgeline while nobody was looking. Why? Because I always doubted the picture Honda has on its website of a bicycle standing upright behind the driver's seat. I thought there was no way that was an adult's bicycle.

I was wrong.

Weekend Athlete: 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5

Someone once told me it was painful to watch me cram my bike into a subcompact car. If you’re like that person, look away now, unless you have a masochistic side. And before you scream “Get a rack!” I hate to tell you that, on this car, I think that’s a bad idea.

Why is a rack a bad idea? Simple aerodynamics, my friends: This car is a sail. I don’t know if it’s because of the car’s upright stance or because it’s so light, but the wind really moved it around on the highway. Put a bike or two on a roof rack and you won’t need to learn how to drive, you’ll need to learn how to tack.

Before you scream “rear rack,” that’s not ideal, as I always say, because it blocks the hatchback. Do that and you might as well buy a sedan.

Weekend Athlete: 2009 Subaru Impreza GT

Now, this is exactly what I want from a car I'm taking to a race. It's fun to drive, holds my toys, has great visibility, looks quick without being obnoxious — and it moves. So, yeah, I'm in love with this car, but objectivity demands that Subaru be tested just like everybody else. As it turns out, in the cold, hard light of day, there are some flaws.

Weekend Athlete 2008 Mazda5 Follow-Up

Once again, I got to revisit a car I'd already tested. Last week it was the PT Cruiser, and this time the Mazda5 rolled back into my driveway. Best of all, unlike some cars I test, I got to take this one on a long highway drive (from Chicago to Cincinnati for a cyclocross race). How did it hold up?

Weekend Athlete: Chrysler PT Cruiser Redux

Awhile back, I tested the Chrysler PT Cruiser and folded the rear seats only partially before I put all my toys in. This creates a load floor that's not level, which I didn't like. Readers correctly pinged me about not folding the rear seats all the way, which does create a flat floor, so last weekend when I had a rental PT Cruiser to take to my cyclocross races, I thought, "Gosh, I should try folding the seats the way the others suggested."

Weekend Athlete: 2008 Toyota Camry XLE

How the heck does Toyota sell so many of these cars when the rear seat doesn’t fold down on half the trim levels? Still, even though the Camry SE and XLE can’t compete in the Weekend Athlete Olympics, they do warrant a look because they’re such common cars.

Before you say it, yes, you could just put a bike rack on it — if you owned the car. I’m really just borrowing it, so that option is out. I don’t think scratches from racks make friends in the world of automotive journalism.

As you will see, though, the Camry comes with a large trunk, though it isn’t large enough for my smallest bike, given how high I need to have my saddle. Shorter folks who run their seat lower might be OK.

Weekend Athlete: 2008 Infiniti EX35

This car is the perfect example of why I do this test. When you look at the EX, you see a teeny little version of Infiniti's FX. As is often the case with younger siblings, though, you shouldn't be lulled into thinking this car isn't capable.

Weekend Athlete: 2008 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Now this is what a $60,000-plus SUV should be like. I drove the Toyota Land Cruiser and was distinctly underwhelmed and put off by its price and impracticality. Now, I grant you, this Land Rover is not a true Weekend Athlete car (waaaaay too dressy) but it does show that a fancy car can still be capable in this test.