Height Above Roof of Thule & Yakima Roof Racks on 2024 Kia Sportage w/ Flush Mounted Rails

Question:

I am interested in purchasing either the Yakima Jetstream or Thule Wingbar Evo crossbar kit to be installed on a 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX with factory mounted flush roof rails. The car also has a moonroof. Can you please provide the following two measurements for each of these crossbars: - height from roof to top of crossbar to check to see if racks I install will interfere with the fin at the back of the car near the hatch - height from roof to bottom of crossbar to check if the crossbars will interfere with the moonroof when opening and closing Lastly, do you have any recommendations on which of these to purchase or any other crossbars I should look at? Thank you very much for your help!

asked by: Rich C

Expert Reply:

Hi there Rich, thanks for writing in, and you have a good eye for quality because the Thule and Yakima roof racks are easily the top options for your 2024 Kia Sportage. As for the measurements, we haven't test fit either on a '24 Sportage so I don't want to lead you astray by saying we have the exact number you are looking for, but we do have the measurements of the parts themselves which should point you in the right direction.

Both racks mount on top of your flush rails, so the first thing to do is measure from your roof to the top of your flush rails and add that number to what I'll give you here. The total height of the Yakima rack to the TOP of the crossbar is going to be 4-1/2 inches and to the bottom will be 3-3/8 inches. The part number for the rack is the Yakima SightLine FX Roof Rack # Y63UV with optional locks # Y07202.

Then for the Thule, the height to the TOP of the crossbar is 5 inches while the to the bottom it is 4 inches. This rack consists of Thule WingBar Evo Crossbars # TH711320, Feet # # TH710601, Fit Kit # TH28JQ, and optional locks # TH450200.

As for the two, I would go with the Thule; the Thule rack is easier to set up, and I've also just always been really impressed with the quality of Thule.