Everyday car to take mountain biking

Manual transmissions are becoming unicorns here in America. Your quest for space plus a a row-your-own gearbox leads me to recommend two very different vehicles, neither of which will offer 4WD, they are FWD only:
- TheMazda CX-5base / Sport model can be had with a stick. It is roomy and reliable. The downside is that the stick is only available with a 2.0L engine, which will not have a lot of get up n go in an SUV this size.

- TheKia SoulThis small wagon has lots of room with the rear seats folded, almost as much as the Chevy Equinox. The good news is that you can get higher trim levels, like the + (plus) with the larger 2.0L engine. The base model has a 1.6L. I rented a Soul automatic and drove across the great American Southwest. I was pleasantly surprised by the car's comfort and gas mileage.

Both of these cars should prove more reliable than european offerings.

Good Luck!

Great suggestions so far. I agree that the CX-5, Forester, and Soul would be good choices. Except for the Forester, they don't offer 4WD with a manual. I'm guessing Norm will suggest a Trax or Encore and his poor Subaru experience.

I am with Dan; the Forester is one of the only cars that gives you a manual transmission, 4WD, reliability, efficiency, and space. The VW Alltrack provides all of these, except reliability. If you don't absolutely need 4WD and can live with FWD (winter tires!), you are better off with a used Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, or Mazda CX-5. The Honda and Toyota are more comfortable and all of them are more fun than the Forester. All are available with AWD; only the Mazda offers a manual (without AWD). The Mazda3 hatchback is another fun car worth mentioning. It doesn't have AWD, but it does have a slick manual transmission.

I don't have a lot to add here, but it sounds like the Forester is the best bet. The only other option is to get another VW Sportwagen and hope it does not have the same issue. Is this a known issue, or a fluke with yours?

Was going to pull a Norm and recommend the Regal TourX, but no manual and way out of your budget.