If you can get a 2” receiver, I would definitely go that route. The rack and bikes will be much more stable. A friend with a Golf always complained about the scary wobbling bikes behind him with the smaller receiver. I was surprised to find that my fuel economy is worse with bikes on the roof than it is towing my popup. I love my Kuat hitch rack but I don’t love the corrosion present after two full years on the car. I have Yakima roof tray and a 1Up USA roof tray (used when I tow the trailer) and I love them both. I wish the 1Up USA hitch rack was available when I bought during the pandemic.
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Just got quoted $1500 for a Kuat transfer version 2 with a hitch and installation from Rackology in halifax, does that sound about right? I was expecting somewhere around that but i have no idea.
Also going to visit the places @landandwater listed monday.
Seems very reasonable IMO.
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I had a hitch rack on my wrx, which was stable enough even though it was 1 1/4 inch hitch, when I had my Tiguan for a hot minute I had a 2 inch hitch rack which I absolutely loved (Kuat transfer- which we ordered on Amazon for $700). I ended up going with a roof rack for my new Impreza for 3 reasons… 1) we won’t be doing long trips with it so fuel economy wasn’t a main a concern 2) I hate not being able to get into the hatch back and 3) we measured it up and where the car is so low, we would’ve had to put a custom riser on the hitch to make sure the bikes didn’t hit every curb in town when they were on.
So in short, I really loved the ease of use of my Kuat rack and it was very reasonably priced. I’m actually pretty happy with my roof racks. We went through a few before we found ones we both liked (We tried two different Yakima models but eventually got Rocky Mounts Brass Knuckle). The bikes feel really secure and they’re easy to load and unload, even for me with my Torque I can do it completely unassisted.
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Preach! I had this exact same issue
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The best part of the Thule XTR and part of the reason I avoided the Kuat, is the ease of removal. Put the key in, turn the knob and 10 seconds later the rack is off and you drop it onto the wheels and cart it into the garage or wherever. It’s easy enough that I don’t mind keeping it off during the winter except for rides when there’s no salt on the roads.
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I looked at both the Thule xtr and the kuat transfer yesterday and i love the sound of it being easily removed, the only thing that makes me consider the kuat over the thule is the weight as the thule is quite a bit heavier for a smaller car.
I have had an original Transfer for quite a number of years now and the only issue with it is the corrosion. I’ve sanded and painted it a couple times. I always removed it once the road’s started getting salted.
It’s a good little rack though.
I believe UHaul used to do hitches at one time.
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Yes. I leave it mounted all winter and it rusts out badly.
I switched to Thule for this exact reason
I went to Action Truck in Burnside and spent $1400 on a hitch and a rack. Installed the same day
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Mine stays on all year. It’s an NV2.0. I love the bike stand option but still hate the corrosion.
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I have a Swagmam G10 tray rack, and enjoy it, however, my issue is the corrosion. I have had it for almost six years. It is a hitch mounted tray rack that pivots back so that you can open the rear hatch of your vehicle. I am starting to come to terms that it is part of the environment of where we live that makes our gear so susceptible to corrosion. I’ll leave it on in the summer and take it off in the winter
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My brother has a 1Up USA hitch rack and it is by far the quickest and easiest to load bikes in and out of. It looks fantastic, is well built, and they sell replacement parts for all the… parts. It is expensive, especially if you have to have it shipped up here. But, it is the highest quality rack I’ve used.
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I prefer hitch rack.
I hate the idea of lifting heavy objects over my head ( post ride, when I’m tired) and potentially scratching the paint on my vehicle.
Also, I’ve been told by those with roof racks that it decreases your aerodynamics and makes road trips harder on gas.
Toyotas are pretty decent though, but a consideration
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I have a Toyota Corolla 2020 XSE and have no problem carry two bikes on my Saris hitch rack.
You might want to check under your car to see if there are “aero” fairings underneath it. My XSE had some and I had to ask the folks at Action to put them back on when I got my hitch.
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So i ended up going with the kuat. Just curious if the way i have the bike on there is okay? I know the clamp is supposed to be as close to the fork as possible but i have a mudhugger mud guard on the fork. Do you think i should be worried? Bike seems sound on there for sure but im also no expert when it comes to these racks.
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That’s pretty much where I clamp mine. Never had issue with the bike moving at all on long trips.
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