Best 2017 Subaru Outback Wagon Bike Racks

Great rack! Many improvement over the current yakima product. Easy to install, easy to mount bike, everything quick to turn by hand-no tools necessary. May have to get another one.

Great product! Exactly what I hoped the rack would be, but be sure your order locks! They are not included by Yakama.

Works perfectly, exactly as expected. The product is very well made.

Could not be easier to make your own bike rack with these skewers. A little measuring, some scrap wood, and you have a great carrier for a bargain! The only thing keeping it from being a 5 star... the skewers lock tab could be oval like the axle locks. Then they would stay locked without so much tension being put to them.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

This bike rack works great. Took my bike on a cross country road trip from Tampa, Florida to Whistler, British Columbia and back with no issues. There was no slipping or excessive shaking with highway speeds up to 80ish mph. Encountered 105 degree heat, rain squalls and snow storms with no issues. No problems with the set up and the fact that the rear spare tire on my 2011 Toyota Rav4 is off center was not an issue as the rack can accommodate for this. It's a well made product from a reputable company. Make sure to read the directions as they advise against opening the rear hatch with the bike on the rack due to weight concerns. Shipping was quick as were replies to questions to customer service. Follow up correspondence from etrailer was also appreciated. Overall great experience, would highly recommend the product as well as etrailer. Thanks!

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

It's been just shy of one year since we purchased this for our Toyota RAV4's spare tire mount. It's been easy to install, use, and keep our bikes secure for trips both long and short. It has also been convenient that the assembly allows us to easily open and close the horizontal swinging trunk door of the car without straps or other parts getting in the way. I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a safe, secure solution to moving two bikes around for compatible vehicles!

Mounted on a DrawTite Class III hitch for a 2008 Outback. Assembly was VERY easy, and it seems pretty sturdy overall. I feel a little iffy on the sleeve that converts/fits it to a 2" hitch from a materials perspective - I wasn't expecting it to be plastic/nylon (not 100% sure what it is exactly so correct me if I'm wrong!) but I imagine it'll probably be fine. The small plastic bars that mount the anti-sway cages also seem like they could be subject to wear from the twisting motion to install them, so that's something I'll have to watch out for. Concerns aside, the test drives I did on suburban streets and a few miles of ~75 MPH interstate seemed to go pretty well with two 30-lb bikes on it. I will say that my wife's Salsa Marrakesh has a slightly compact enough geometry that it was a little bit of a challenge getting the top tube over the cradles, so I'd imagine anything smaller than that is going to be difficult to put on there as well, but my Cross Check fit on it just fine.

Click to Enlarge

I purchased the Thule 4 bicycle hitching post pro and I am completely satisfied. The rack mounts to the receiver easily with one simple bolt. I purchased the Thule STL2 locking hitch pin for extra security when traveling. I use this rack often and have never had an issue. There is plenty of clearance from the rear of the vehicle. I drive a 2016 Subaru Outback and it folds down easily without the bikes on for quick access to the rear of the vehicle.

Click to Enlarge

unfortunately the rack was not real effective. The straps and hooks system never really worked on my little BMW. I could never get it cinched down tight. Every pothole or bump threatened to spill the bike, which actually happened once. It also gouged the paint on my trunk. I gave up and now use a roof rack I bought from a friend. Also Yakima, but am much much happier with this replacement rack.

We have had the rack for a year and did not have a chance to use it until this past month. When we went to raise the arms to put the bikes on they were completely locked…we could not get them to release. We are seniors and need something with much more ease of movement. Very disappointed that this doesn’t work for us.

When I purchased this rack it specifically said it would fit on a FJ Cruiser factory equipment tire. The rack does accommodate the width but not the height (P265/70R17) so the (U) section of the rack is not long enough to come in contact with the lower part of the tire. This makes the rack unexceptional the carry bikes on the tire do to the lack of support! The rack itself is well constructed and would be excellent on a smaller tire. I modified this rack so it would contact the tire in two places, this works great and just returned from a 4,000 mile trip and could not be happier. Easy to put on, rock solid ride, though my bike frames are small tube and I used a small piece of split garden hose to take the slop out of the rubber frame cradles.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

As an owner of a Toyota FJ Cruiser(w/a backup camera) I've been looking for a spare tire Bike rack for my Mt. Bike. This rack worked very well, it fit over the tire(265/70 r17)nicely & all the straps fit correctly & securly. There was no movement of the rack or the bike on the dirt roads I was travelling. I did need to add a cross bar(see above review) to keep the down U off the tire rim & because I have a full suspension bike it was positioned weird. Bottom line, very nice rack kept everything secure. Quite pleased & great price also!!

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

I'm not too sure how to rate this but I'm not happy with it. Everything that happened is no fault of etrailer. I've made many purchases from etrailer, they're a great distributor. The bike rack appears to be great. The problem seems to be that they changed the design. To start, UPS damaged the box in shipping and then tried to tape the package they sent me. After walking through the parts in the box with an etrailer rep on the phone, it seemed that no parts were missing. So I proceeded to connect everything up based on the instructions. As I put it together I noticed the mounting bracket in the rear doesn't have anything to remove the slop. The rear is literally resting on a slider, which means that it would rattle when driving around. Just for kicks I took it for a drive with my bike on top. It rattled like crazy! So I looked at the installation videos on etrailer and then youtube. Every one of them showed an extra rear mounting bracket with knobs to tighten. These were not listed in the install manual so I suspect Rhino thought they could cut cost by eliminating them. I contacted etrailer to see if they had any. They didn't. So I returned it. Sadly, I still had to pay a $25 restocking fee. I'm not sure why etrailer charged me. It's not like I bought the wrong thing and didn't want it. It's actually a really nice bike carrier. Just a flaw in the design that etrailer should catch when they test it out in their videos. If anything, I've helped them out with this. Hopefully etrailer will test out what I sent them, then reach out to Rhino about this new design flaw. Again, I like etrailer as a service but I wish they had caught this before selling to me (and others). I strongly suggest that you don't buy this until the bracket issue gets resolved. Also, take a look at the last pic of the Inno XA391 on the etrailer site. They resolve the rear bracket rattle by putting in a thumb screw.

Seem sturdy enough. The locking fork axle is a nice piece of mind. It should keep honest people honest.

Click to Enlarge

Travelled cross country last year with this bike rack. Last winter during our trip back from Florida one one the vertical support arms snapped off at the base. Since Yakima has a one year warranty we were able to get a replacement part free. eEtrailer helped by providing a purchase receipt. We haul mountain bikes. A plus for etrailer customer support but I have my concerns for the long term use on this EVO rack for durability. My last Yakima bike rack lasted over 20 years.

Click to Enlarge

Thanks for the follow up emails. Received my interior saris fork mount carrier and already have people raving about it. Here is a photo for subaru outback 2014 with saris Thanks again

Click to Enlarge

This works perfectly in my 2007 Nissan Quest minivan. I am able to securely and rapidly store and transport 3 bikes wile keeping 3 seats usable in the van. The base is heavy enough that it stays put so that the bikes stay still and do not knock into each other on the trip. I *might* be able to fit 4 bikes in there, but only if I put down another seat, leaving room for only 2 passengers, so I'll say 3 bikes and 3 people in my minivan is the sweet spot for this. It really is nice that I can load them so rapidly and that the bikes do not have to touch each other.

Click to Enlarge

With two bikes on the rack for an extended highway road trip, it's basically impossible to keep the rack still, it moves around quite a bit leaving scuff/blemishes on the car. My car is brand new so needless to say I was disappointed to say the least. I did tighten the straps as best I could, without ripping them them off completely and re-tighten throughout my trip but the problem remained. Also the two top straps rub on the paint leaving scuff/blemishes in the paint.Also several of the rubber straps that hold the bike onto the rack came off several times throughout the trip. I'm not sure this rack is meant for highway speeds for long periods of time. I'm overall Disappointed. I don't like to give negative feedback.Looking to put on a hitch mounted rack.

Works great! We keep it set up to one position because it's used on my car only. I'm glad we bought the lock feature because we can just leave the rack on at the trail site. This was a great purchase. I'm impressed that you follow up on your product. I recall your staff was quite helpful in making sure I purchased the correct item for my car and set it up correctly. No recent pictures of the carrier but I do have one of myself as "happy camper" on the Fox River Trail which was doable because of the carrier purchase!!

Click to Enlarge

I got this since the rack I originally ordered was no longer in production. I really like that this rack is not the plain old boring solid black like most out there. It was super easy to install. BUT, keeping in mind I am blonde and prone to daft moments (or few), I kind of had issues putting my bike on the rack at first. With some jiggling and jangling of the fork mount, I was able to figure out that you pull on the end that does not have the lever and to loosen up the rubber stopper that connects to the lever to make room for the fork to mount to the skewer. And then it was easy there after! Derr... I drove in 20mph+ winds and on 70mph interstate with my bike on the rack and did not encounter issues, as well as through pouring rain. I did stop to check how secure my bike was mounted and it was fine. I tightened the fork mount a few times just for minor jiggling security's sake. I then drove on some rough-ish mountain roads to get to the trail head (yes, I know it says no off road, but c'mon, mountain bikers have to in order to get to the trails) and the bike remained secure the whole time. In all, so far, I highly recommend this product. I drive a 2015 Subaru outback with the stock roof rack and it fit fine, even with hatch door open. My bike is a 29 hardtail Haro. It fit fine.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

This is very well engineered and solid. I like it

I used 2 inch square tubing cut the length of the tie down support bracket in my 2007 Honda Ridgeline and secured with a stainless bolt and wing nut, use a large enough washer to cover the diameter of the supply hole in the Honda Ridgeline bracket on the truck. A couple of notes: Be sure to use something as a cushioning gasket to insure a snug fit and to protect your truck lining. I used rubber or foam exercise mat cut to the same as the aluminum square tubing. Use a washer that a combination of hard plastic and metal to avoid the corrosive effects of dissimilar metals in contact with each other. last: My 26" full suspension bike fits, but I have swing it to one side slightly before i close the tailgate and lift the bike up and slide it down....It's a very snug fit but the suspension adds pressure to the tailgate and its works out very well. Or you could just use a tailgate extender.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Referring to special mounting instructions if you have a bed liner: (line #3). I do not have a bed liner, but I do have a molded plastic cap on my bed rails ('04 Ford F350). The first install over the plastic cap the locking pin or pin as called out in line #3 was nowhere near making contact with the metal lip of the metal bed under the plastic. What I did next on the second and final install was remove/cut away the plastic on the inside of the bed rail to allow the vertical portion of the "L" mounting bracket (Fig 4) to contact the metal bed. The locking pin is now at a position almost where it would protrude under the metal bed lip if I would remove the rest of the plastic under the horizontal portion of the "L" mounting bracket, I did not do that. After cutting a notch in the metal rail to accept the pin, the pin barely flushes out to secure the rack. A 1/4" longer pin would take care of this problem. One other thing that was not addressed in the install instructions was if you have a full size pick-up bed you are likely to attach the passenger side fork mount (Fig 2) to the right of the extension tube locking mechanism. The extension tube is a smaller diameter, so you will have resize the fork tube clamp (Fig 1) for the smaller tube. I can't explain how to do it other than it's a Chinese puzzle.

Click to Enlarge

The quality of the rack is very sturdy and well built. I needed a rack that has a 12” spacing between wheels do to the baskets on each bike, and this rack delivered that. The issues I have with this rack are: I have a GMC Yukon suv and with the rack mounted I have to lift my two Lecritc 2.0 e-bikes, at 60 pounds each up over 24” to get it mounted. It sure could use ramps, which I know it did not come with. The clamp hold down does not work with fenders on a bike. It does not clamp very well on the cross bar (male and female) type do to the width and the angle of the cross bars. When clamping in front of the front fender makes the bike very unstable, and will require additional strapping and tie downs to secure the bikes. It claims it is for e-bikes, but only if it has no fenders. Nice rack, just not for me.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

I had a great trunk rack. However, it would not hold an E bike due to the weight. This rack does a great job of holding my E bike. The rack also allows for me to get into my hatch where a trunk rack would not.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

We waited the expected 2 months for delivery and were very happy with the rack we received. The careful packing insured that nothing was scratched and all components were in the box. I was able to assemble it in 30 minutes. moreover, it is the sturdiest rack I have seen and is made with high quality materials. I will recommend this rack.

Just arrived and everything was in order. Installed it in about an hour without any difficulty. Yet to really use it so can say it’s great yet. Seems more wobbly than I expected but I need to stabile the 1 1/4” to 2” adapter connection and that may fix it for the most part. Quality of product looks great. It’s heavy and solid and feels good. Not hard to load a bike. Yet to try 3 or 4, but seems good so far.

The Saros Bones EX 2 bike rack has been a good fit for a hatchback, allowing me to securely carry one e-bike or two non-e-bikes from my home to the cycling paved path (about 5 miles away in city traffic). I recommend this rack if you need to attach to a hatchback car and have a good distance to bring the bike. Mike in Providence, RI

Great customer service. I first tried sourcing this purchase from [online]. They cancelled my order indicating they can't acquire the item from the manufacturer. eTrailer managed instead to fulfill my request. Very grateful for your effort. Thank you.

Rack was fairly easy to assemble. Lightweight and well designed. Easy to place in trailer hitch. Easy to secure bikes to mast and tires to trays using the attached zip style straps. Also easy to unload the bikes for a ride or to store for the next adventure. We have tested it out on a couple of drives including hilly back roads and on the highway. This rack is a great improvement over our old hanging style rack that allowed the bikes to clang and the front tires to twist in the wind. We got this rack because a couple of times our bikes almost came off the old rack. Bikes now hardly budge during transport. I am very pleased with this rack and am attaching a few pics of the rack with our bikes on it to help others who are trying to decide. I don't think you can find a better rack for the price and functionality.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

Just received this (a day early) and installed on my Subaru. Test loaded bikes and I am 100% pleased and impressed with quality weight and design! Price was great too in my opinion. I've always received good service and equipment from etrailer. Thank you!

Great product, high quality, fits our Outback perfectly. Bike fits the rack great. Painless ordering with etrailer and prompt delivery. Only concern was that the shipper banged up the box pretty hard, but the bike rack was not damaged.

This bike rack works perfectly on my midsize SUV (Subaru Outback). It is easy to install, secure and safe to use, and convenient to store. The instillation takes about 3-5 minutes. I have used it for dozens of rides, several of which were 2+ hours' drive away, and I've never had an issue with safety or security. And I live in New York City where storage is a major issue, and the way it folds up and uses very little space when stored is very convenient. I highly recommend this bike rack.

Goes together quickly, appears that it will fit my needs in terms of being cross-compatible on a variety of vehicles. Fit on a Subaru Outback factory crossbar and transported bike locally with no issues when I got it out to set up and test (not quite warm enough to ride much yet where I live). Instructions are not super, but the assembly is pretty straightforward so that is not a problem. At the price point, if this rack indeed holds up to swapping onto multiple vehicles and lasts me a few years, I'll be thrilled with the purchase.

Click to Enlarge

The rack was pretty much as should be expected at this price point. It works, but not great quality. For one, the paint easily chips off. Another, the rails are a bit flimsy and twist when you tighten the rear wheel firmly. The directions don't explain a number of small items (which make for a better installation) such as make sure the lever is positioned on the outside for easier installation of the bike, why is there one different bolt, whether the bikes should be mounted forward, backward or it doesn't matter, the rails have a right (and less right) way of going together, the strap for the rear tire "will" fall off of the rack if you forget to reinsert it after taking the bike off of the car. Despite these shortcomings, the rack works well at an inexpensive price...I think a pretty good value