I'm shopping for a first trials bike and a new (used) car at the same time. I'm looking at different minimal setups for hauling, either enclosed or on some sort of class 2 (1 1/4", 350lb tongue weight) hitch carrier. Most carriers are for Class III hitches and fuel economy really suffers with that capacity vehicle. Trying to avoid a trailer too but need to read more on that.
The Honda Element is one of the best candidates i have come across so far. A trials bike should fit fine with some fork compression, or maybe deflating the tire, spinning the bars down in the clamps. Needs less than 3 inches to get through the door edge (41 inches). Probably have to pull the front the passenger seat in the Element too. Plenty of examples of guys fitting sport bikes in them or enduros with a removed front wheel (replaced by a small roller for the latter bikes).
Also looking at Volvo wagons, I've even seen some people turn them into dirt bike hauler 'trucks' which is hilarious. Thought about laying a bike over in something like that but I bet it would leak fuel.
Might just end up with a small truck like an old Toyota, but trucks seem really overpriced across the board right now and offer less security without the right bed topper, and potentially no bed access with a bike still on the hitch carrier.
So far I found an old thread here about using a Toyota minivan but the fuel economy would be in the teens.
After reading more old threads, wanted to mention I'm in USA.
Edit:. Small cargo vans like the Ford Transit or even larger ones lime a Sprinter but I'm simply not convinced they're not unreliable money pits.
Thanks for the input.