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The Malone SteelTop Roof Rack uses steel crossbars that can handle up to 165 lbs of gear. The black vinyl coating protects against corrosion and keeps the bars looking clean after years of use. Each bar measures 50" long x 1-1/4" wide x 7/8" tall, giving plenty of space for carriers and accessories. Plastic endcaps seal out water and debris, so the bars last through all kinds of weather.
Each of the four nylon towers includes a locking cover to secure the rack to your vehicle’s factory side rails. The locks deter theft while also shielding the hardware from the elements. Once tightened down, the whole setup stays solid and doesn’t move around under load. The nylon material resists fading and wear even after long exposure to sun and rain.
Installation is straightforward with the included tool and rubber-coated steel clamps. The clamps grip tightly around raised side rails without scratching or damaging them. Spacer blocks are included to help fit smaller rails, making setup easy whether you’re hauling gear for a day trip or a full-week adventure. Once tightened, the rack can be removed or reinstalled as one complete unit in minutes.
With standard square-bar dimensions (1-1/4" wide x 7/8" tall), the SteelTop works with a wide range of accessories—ski racks, cargo boxes, kayak cradles, and carriers from brands like Thule and Yakima. Whether you’re carrying skis in winter or a rooftop box for summer road trips, these bars make it simple to attach what you need without fussing over compatibility.
Do not load weight on the section of crossbar that extends past the towers.
Customer Satisfaction Score:
88% were satisfied with this product
12% of customers were not satisfied
Ratings & Reviews
The assembly was very easy and didn't need the instructions to put them on my Subaru Crosstek. Only down side is the wind noise and don't want to get the deflector because I fear the parts that touch the roof would eventually wear the paint off. I wanted something to keep on the roof so I don't have to keep removing it, but due to the ease of assembly and disassembly I might try it out for awhile. I cut the allen wrench down so it would fit in the chuck of my cordless drill to speed up the process.
Rack was priced right and is compatible with any accessory I've thrown on it. Used with factory running rails on two different cars: a 2005 Subaru Impreza wagon and a 2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen. I like how they lock and I'm 100% confident they will stay secure. Only negative really is noise but that will be the same with any square rack. Get an aerodynamic rack if you are driving expressways a lot. Even in the diesel which has more sound muting than a normal car these things sing at 80mph.
Victoria B.
1/8/2020
A great solution for reducing the wind noise with a square bar roof rack is to add a fairing to help better defect the wind. For a fairing that will fit your Jetta Sportwagen and Subaru Impreza, I recommend a fairing around 34 inches such as the Yakima WindShield Fairing # Y05016. Another, slightly smaller, option is the Rhino-Rack Fairing at 32 inches long, # RRRF1. A fairing is a bit of an investment, but if you find you are driving at interstate speeds often, it is a great way to help quiet your roof rack.
Joshua H.
1/4/2021
Still going strong. I got a fairing and it has ped the noise considerably.
This has proved to be a fine rack, easy to get on and off. Sturdy for several kayaks and I could use my Thule kayak rack on it. The gripping device is not perfectly tailored for each individual car but it is a solid attachment system. You can't go wrong for the price.
As for the whistling, yeah they do. Mine did not for a while, then started whistling. I tried to plug up the little gaps in the attachment and the noise got worse. Go figure. I take if off for long trips because I find it irritating. Others may whistle as well, who knows. Otherwise no complaints.
Andrew N.
5/17/2020
Works great for the price, sturdy and easy to put on and take off. Oddly, it does whistle at times, more during the winter. Go figure.
Great price and a great quality product
Heres photos of my installment of the cross bars on my truck
It is an excellent product was was easy to install. Comparing prices it is no comparison and why pay such high prices for the name brands?
Extremely easy installation, that took no more than 10 minutes from start to finish, including measuring.
It's strong for holding ladders and since I've had it I haven't had any problems with it plus it locks so thieves have a harder time trying to take them. I have used it for ladders so far and look forward to adding storage to it for trips. Thank You for quality products! I will continue to order from you as future jobs and trips come about.
my boyfriend said it was very very easy to install compared to the last cross bar we have. It seems very sturdy too. Fit our 2017 Toyota RAV4 perfectly.
great rack
Ordering Cross Rails from etrailer was an Easy Experience. Even when I ordered the wrong size, they walked me through whole experience when returning and reordering via email. Doing business with them was stress free and easy! The cross rails fit perfectly.
I purchased Malone Roof crossbars for my 2014 Kia Sedona minivan. Installation was quick and secure. Very happy with the strength so far. I will be using it with a Roof basket and luggage bag on our trip from Florida to Tennessee.
The crossbars I recieved from etrailer worked out great. They will help us add space for our family vacation.The customer service I received from Ashley was top of the line as well. I called on a Thursday night and asked if I could possibly get it by the following Wednesday and she said I should recieve the crossbars no later than Tuesday. That was perfect for me. On Saturday I received a message saying my order has arrived. How about that for service! I will definitely use etrailer again.
So far so good, a little wind noise but I was used to it within a day. Doesn’t bother me just alert your passengers so they are not startled when in the car.
They took a bit of time to figure out because I kept trying to snap them into place but you don’t need to do that. If you sit them in place as much as possible, start tightening the screw and it will pop itself into place. After they were tightened, I pulled down just a bit to make sure they are locked tight.
Overall super quick delivery!
One downfall was only with the delivery but that is bc of USPS. It was raining and the mail person left the box on the porch in the rain vs 3 inches further under the overhang.
Etrailer was great!!!!
Easily installed, sturdy well-made rack, great price. This rack is 2" wider than a 4' sheet of plywood making it ideal for transporting sheet goods. It will also be great to carry ladders which I do frequently for painting. Because it is a Malone brand it will pair perfectly with my Malone 2 kayak rack, (also a great product, but that's another review!)
Got my roof rack on the day I was promised. Took me about 10 minutes to install on my 2005 Ford Sport trac. They look good and mounted very securely. The price was right compared to [others] so far love the product. Thanks etrailer and to George and Steve.
Dave G.
8/6/2018
Rack is still working as good as it did a year ago. Ive put ladders from 6ft to 24ft extention ladders no problems. they have never loosened either, awesome
3 star is for the product, but I should mention that eTrailer.com got 5 STAR for the service.
Now to the product:
Pro: Easy to install, light weight and seem strong/durable.
Con: wind noise
At 40mph the noise/whistling sound came in, and above 60mph is noticeably loud.
I don't have anything to compare, since this is the first crossbar I've installed.
I will try to move the bar around and see if it makes any difference.
The good thing is I can remove this crossbar (and it's easy and quick to do it) and just put it on when I need them, and therefore I'm keeping it. But I don't think I would recommend it to anyone, especially if they own the same car like mine, because maybe this just a car issue, many other reviewer shares good experience with it.
I will update this review if I can improve on the wind noise.
Heather A.
3/15/2018
Leonard,If you are having trouble with wind noise I would recommend part # Y05017. This Yakima fairing will deflect the wind around your roof rack reducing wind noise.
Helpful Links
Installation was easy. The allen wrench didn't fit into one of the adjusting bolts - maybe the zinc plating was too thick on that one.
Overall, the product is great. I used to have a set of bars on another Subaru (big, well known brand) and these seem just as good at a much more reasonable price.
My only complaint is that the blue protective film on the lock faces is very hard to get off. The adhesive is too gooey and would not slip off like protective films should.
UPSP shipping took forever (maybe due to flooding in Missouri) and the package took an extremely circuitous route. I would think UPS or FedEx more appropriate for this size package. Package was pretty banged up, but no product damage or missing parts.
Hiker S.
8/30/2025
Works great. Every bit as good as the uber expensive sport bars. No road noise.
Perfect fit
Five minute installation
These 50” rack and risers fit as advertised on our 2017 MiniCooper Clubman with use of the clamp adapter. Just finished testing them to transport two bikes up, over and back across the Appalachian Mts on both steep backwoods roads and open highway with zero problems. Unrelated to this product, I had a comparability problem with my Yakima bike rail clamps that are smaller than the roof racks diameter and require some finagling which others might not be able to make work. So check on clamp size comparability if these are to replace an existing Yakima roof carrier system. Again, this is not an etrailer product critique!
Boomer C.
5/31/2023
A year later and the racks continue to perform flawlessly. I even clipped a parking garage overhead beam with a bike attached and the racks came out unscathed as did the bike, too, fortunately thanks to Yakima break away straps performing to design as well-. I suspect that the racks may outlast the Mini Cooper!
essage:
Very good products! What I liked most was how quickly they responded to my request after I received a damaged part. It looked like the damage occurred during shipping, but they replaced my order right away with no questions asked. Excellent customer service. Thank you!
This roof rack seems better designed than the Thule rack I used for 20 years on my previous car -- and locks are included! This is quicker to install or remove and probably as strong. I hope it lasts as long. My Thule accessories fit, and I added Malone foam blocks.
Jonathan
2/11/2026
After 3 years using this rack, Im still well satisfied. Like all square bars, these create some wind noise, but they are very stiff and strong, and theyre so easy on and off that theres no reason to drive far with an empty rack. Plating on hardware could be better.
It was easy to assemble and mount to my Crosstrek and the price is great. But, the aerodynamics of the square cross tubes makes a turbulent vibration I can hear in the car starting at 40mph and gets worse at 60mph. Luckily, I saved the deflector from my ‘11 Impreza and installed it. No more vibration.
Lazer S.
5/5/2026
Square bars definitely make some noise, so I'm glad you held onto that deflector/fairing. Looks like you will be carrying kayaks, but what vehicle did you install these on?
Lazer S.
5/6/2026
A+++
Thank You E-Trailerfor coming thru on delivering my missing part. Apparently the box came open during shipping and a part got lost. I contacted E-Trailer and the super friendly and very helpful individuals (Sara R, Jeremy H, and Neil W) helped me on getting a replacement from the manufacturer. I’m so happy with the exceptional service this company provides. I will and always recommend E-Trailer to my 90+ mountain bike riders tha get together on a weekly basis.
Thank you all!!!
Lazer S.
4/28/2026
Glad we got you taken care of, Primo! I will let Sara, Jeremy, and Neil know as well! ^___^ And that's one heck of a riding group! Where do you guys typically ride?
I got a really great deal on this MPG201 kit via the "used" section, which wasn't used - I contacted support and it was listed essentially as "damaged in shipping" but fully functional, which it was. It came with no keys but I used a small flathead screwdriver to unlock them, necessary for rack installation. Not a biggy. One of the plastic feet split on install, which Malone rectified without hassle, and sent keys, when I contacted them with a photo. They make a decent rack for the money, I bought a different kit from them years ago. The connection beneath the roof rails is minimal but seems sufficient for surf and snowboards. I sent photos to Malone who confirmed the install is correct.
Mat
12/14/2025
My son has the car, no complaints so I assume its fine. I think its used very recreationally and probably infrequently. Its still in great condition.
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Nicholas
4/2/2019
It was easily to install, but it was getting annoying taking it on and off and I couldnt stand the wind hollowing when they were on, so I went and go the ones from Subaru and they worked a lot better.