Roof Rack Recommendation For A 2006 Honda Civic LX Coupe  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Those two parts are exactly the same. On the Thule website the part number for the Thule Rapid Traverse Foot is 480R. Etrailer and Action Car add their own prefixes to the part number and the two companies just use a different prefix for the same part. With Thule's old roof rack setup, you would not have a problem getting a fit for your vehicle. Your 2006 Honda Civic Coupe only has two doors and most aftermarket roof racks that clamp to your vehicle's frame are designed to clamp under the front and back doors of each side. In order to work with coupes Thule created a system that would allow both clips to clamp to the frame of the vehicle at the front door. That system included a part called the Thule-Roof Adapter Kit.

You would use the standard Thule Traverse foot pack, the Thule 480, a Thule Fit Kit, and the Thule-Roof Adapter Kit. The problem is with the redesigned Thule foot, the Thule 480R. It only works with Thule EVO crossbars, those bars have a groove in the bottom of the bar for installation. The redesigned tower and bar is not compatible with the old Thule Short-Roof Adapter Kit. There may be some online retailers that do still sell the Thule Short-Roof Adapter Kit and the Thule 480, but Thule is no longer supporting those products. I did include two pictures of the Thule feet, 480 and 480R, that show the differences between them. The Thule SquareBar Evo Crossbars - Steel - 43" Long - Qty 2, part # TH712100, will work with both types of Thule feet.

Yakima does offer a roof rack for your vehicle. The 2006 Honda Civic Roof Rack by Yakima will consist of the following;

Yakima CoreBar Crossbars - Steel - Black - 60" Long - Qty 2, part # Y00422,
BaseLine Towers for Yakima Crossbars - Naked Roofs - Qty 4, part # Y28TR,
BaseClip Fit Kit for Yakima BaseLine Roof Rack Towers - Qty 2, part # Y06148,
BaseClip Fit Kit for Yakima BaseLine Roof Rack Towers - Qty 2, part # Y06161, and the
Yakima Same Key System (SKS) Lock Cores (QTY 4), part # Y07204.

This rack has a weight limit of 165lbs. It has elliptical shaped crossbars that help reduce wind noise and aid fuel efficiency. The crossbars will work with any roof rack accessories that clamp to the crossbars. You can also lock the roof rack to your vehicle.

I have included product description links and video review links below.

expert reply by: Mark Smith

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Thule 480
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Thule 480R
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