Trunk Mounted Bike Rack for 2004 Honda Accord Coupe That is Least Likely to Scratch Vehicle  

Question:

Helpful Expert Reply:

Any time you have a piece of equipment that's in direct contact with a painted surface on your vehicle, the possibility exists that the vehicle could get scratched. The important consideration is that you can greatly minimize the risk by ensuring that the surfaces of the rack and vehicle that touch each other are perfectly clean and free of grit. A coat of quality car wax on the vehicle surface can offer protection to the vehicle finish. It's also very important that the rack be set up exactly according to the instructions and the weight limit of the rack be strictly observed.

If you follow the advice I provided above, I believe the Thule OutWay would be the better choice for you. Although the OutWay touches more of the vehicle than the Saris Bones does, its greater 'footprint' will spread the weight of the rack and the bikes carried on it over a larger area, greatly lessening the likelihood of the vehicle's trunk lid being dented. I personally also find the OutWay easier to install and remove than the Saris model. Bar none, the OutWay is the easiest to use trunk mounted bike rack we've ever carried.

Minus the packaging, the Saris model weighs about 20 lbs, while the Thule OutWay weighs about a pound less at 19 lbs.

The only way to 100 percent guarantee that the rack will not damage the vehicle would be to install a hitch like the Draw-Tite Class I hitch, # 24787. However, Class I hitches are limited to carrying two bikes only, because of their limited tongue weight capacity so for carrying three bikes the trunk mount rack would be the best alternative.

If you'll be transporting women's bikes or bikes with sharply-angled top tubes, you might also consider a frame adapter bar like part # 64005. The bar spans the distance between the handlebar gooseneck and the seat post, which provides a secondary attachment point for the bike rack. This allows the bike to be carried level, which maximizes ground clearance.

expert reply by: Mike L

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