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Toyota Avensis.
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Mondeo. Will be huge inside, far bigger than others except v70 and likely cheap ish to run, if not a lemon. Good cars.
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Mondeo isn't far off the size of a V70. If you can find a Superb, they are easily as big as the Volvo.
Edit - what @skinny said. I liked my Mondeo until I drove it through a flood and got water in the air intake.
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Bike in the back? Disregard A4/3 series, and maybe the octavia (boot is bigger than a4 despite them being on similar platforms).
V70 2.4 na probably, millions of them around, absolutely love fuel but rarely anything goes wrong with them. If mpg is your concern get a 2002-2004 euro 3 not a euro 4 D5, pretty much impossible to get less than 40mpg, usually around 50. Newer ones (euro 4 and 5) get closer to 30 mpg, so you might as well get a petrol and save the potential cost that diesels can give you, injectors, turbo, dpf etc.Newer octavia's are good, not massive but generally decent, watch it hasn't been a mini cab its previous life, once you've seen one that has been you'll know for the things to look for.
Newer gen mondeo's are great, can rust, but out of that lot I would hazard a guess to be the lowest cost to run. again mini cab check it though.
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Ford S-Max are huge if you can deal with the people carrier image
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The Octavia's usable load space with the seats down will compete with the Volvo and Mondeo.
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XL bike in back of a V70. First time I could ever get a bike in without taking the wheels off.
We ran one from 90k up to 130k. Cost us tyres and pads. 185bhp 2.4 D5 is pretty solid engine. Swirl flap arm likes to disconnect, but we just lefts ours open and it never threw an EML. Gen 2 V70s most parts are stamped with Ford Motor Co, thus servicing is pretty reasonable. Running it’d do 35mpg usual back and forth (no commute) and push mid 40s on a long run.
Traded the V70 in for a XC90 with the same engine but this time 200bhp (still single turbo) and that too has been a charm. Sub 30mpg everywhere on that though thanks to brick like characteristics and awd.
Which brings on on to the latest car. Having run the XC90 for 2 years and taking only a £1500 hit on the price paid (yey! COVID!) we’ve just committed to purchase a 2015 Gen 2 XC90. Which is an absolute dream of a car. Might even get 40mpg out of it having dropped a cylinder! 🥳
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I'm going to look at the following tomorrow, all petrol estates - 2008 A4, 2006 BMW 320, 2013 Skoda Octavia, 2011/14 Mondeo and a 2004 Volvo V70. The Volvo will be by far the biggest I guess but it's going to be too expensive to run I think as the fuel economy is dire and insurance is a lot. I'd like to put MTBs in the back and I can't afford money pit. What would be the forum pick for a cheap runner that'll fit a whole bike in the back?
I wish car review people would give the boot length as well as volume