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View Poll Results: Which do you prefer?
Thule 23 38.33%
Yakima 37 61.67%
Voters: 60. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 07-04-2010, 02:44 AM   #26
dwf137
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dasnowman View Post
Factory racks are crap they have low weight rating, a lot of them don't fit Yakima or Thule accessories without buy adapters etc.
wtf are you talking about?

the factory rack is rated to what the roof is rated at. If thule says you can put more on, and you dent your roof, thule won't cover it because the subaru manual says not to exceed a certain load.

The factory rack is basically the same as the new "areo" style cross bars, thus all of those accessories fit. and even if they didn't, can you justify the $300+ extra cost, just to avoid buying a $50 adaptor? gtfo
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Last edited by dwf137; 07-04-2010 at 03:03 AM.
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Old 07-04-2010, 03:15 AM   #27
kickniteasy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dasnowman View Post
Factory racks are crap they have low weight rating, a lot of them don't fit Yakima or Thule accessories without buy adapters etc.



You get what you pay for at least Yakima or Thule are more versatile if you switch between cars often just buy new clips of feet vs having to buy a whole new rack every time.

Ok...the subaru snowboard attachment is as much as the thule/yakima and can be adapted to other rails so that's a wash which means I got my rack for a third of the cost $100 vs. $300+ for just the feet/rails. Snowboards/mountain bikes are well within the weight limits of the oem rack..as is a cargo topper with luggage so I'm not sure what you'd want to carry on top beyond that, especially considering I have a hatch so anything heavier I just throw in there. I undertsand what you're saying about the next car I buy 8 years down the line being compatible with a yakima/thule after I spend another hundred or so on new feet/clips for it....but at a third the cost I'm going to have to go through three cars before that fact makes a difference and as someone that isn't add with cars that's 20-30 years down the line...hopefully, at that point, my long term investment on a roof rack will be the least of my concerns. I'll take my $100 rack and be done with it....craigslist FTW.

Last edited by kickniteasy; 07-04-2010 at 03:23 AM.
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Old 07-04-2010, 03:33 AM   #28
Web Foot STi
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At 25 years it's nice to use the exspensive bits again.
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Old 07-04-2010, 03:56 AM   #29
kickniteasy
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anymore I don't expect anything I buy to last 25 years....they just don't make them like they used to, haha
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Old 07-04-2010, 01:55 PM   #30
Web Foot STi
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Those bits were made in the USA...
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Old 07-04-2010, 08:03 PM   #31
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My Yakima system with the landing pads could be more lower profile but it is a sturdy system for sure. I love it
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Old 07-05-2010, 06:28 AM   #32
dasnowman
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kickniteasy View Post
Ok...the Subaru snowboard attachment is as much as the Thule/Yakima and can be adapted to other rails so that's a wash which means I got my rack for a third of the cost $100 vs. $300+ for just the feet/rails. Snowboards/mountain bikes are well within the weight limits of the OEM rack..as is a cargo topper with luggage so I'm not sure what you'd want to carry on top beyond that, especially considering I have a hatch so anything heavier I just throw in there. I understand what you're saying about the next car I buy 8 years down the line being compatible with a Yakima/Thule after I spend another hundred or so on new feet/clips for it....but at a third the cost I'm going to have to go through three cars before that fact makes a difference and as someone that isn't add with cars that's 20-30 years down the line...hopefully, at that point, my long term investment on a roof rack will be the least of my concerns. I'll take my $100 rack and be done with it....craigslist FTW.
First off sorry to hear you haven't had a chance to own different cars.

I have had my Yakima System on 6 vehicles including a Toyota P/U over the years, all I had to do is switch the clips. Which is about 40-$80 for the clips not the whole rack at $300 each time. The factory cross bars are the weak point and are usually rated to only 110lbs, the Thule or Yakima bars/towers/feet that grab those raised rails and usually increase the weight rating to 165lbs. Another issue with the factory racks is the bow rainbow shape of them. So when you are carrying bikes they are not at 90% instead they are carried at 100 or 80 % so you have a two bike max on factory racks... Also another issue they a too narrow for people wanting to carry two kayaks, or a cargo box and two bikes etc.

Also Thule actually test all their racks and unlike other companies they pass the highest City Crash Test's in Europe.


A few different set ups I have had on my Suby.





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Old 07-05-2010, 02:31 PM   #33
kickniteasy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dasnowman View Post
First off sorry to hear you haven't had a chance to own different cars.

I have had my Yakima System on 6 vehicles including a Toyota P/U over the years, all I had to do is switch the clips. Which is about 40-$80 for the clips not the whole rack at $300 each time. The factory cross bars are the weak point and are usually rated to only 110lbs, the Thule or Yakima bars/towers/feet that grab those raised rails and usually increase the weight rating to 165lbs. Another issue with the factory racks is the bow rainbow shape of them. So when you are carrying bikes they are not at 90% instead they are carried at 100 or 80 % so you have a two bike max on factory racks... Also another issue they a too narrow for people wanting to carry two kayaks, or a cargo box and two bikes etc.

Also Thule actually test all their racks and unlike other companies they pass the highest City Crash Test's in Europe.

YouTube- Thule - City Crash Test

I've owned different cars, I'm just not A.D.D. with them so my point was, for me, the reuse ability of the yakima/thule set up doesn't matter. I had my last car for 7 years and I expect to have my current one for the same if not longer. I'd have to pay for a factory rack 3 times (3 racks x 100 a rack) before breaking even on a more expensive rack, not counting the cost of clips/feet every time....for me that's about 25 years down the line and at that point, hopefully, the cost of a rack wont be my top priority. Plus, at $80 to buy the clips for the next car...$20 more and I can get the factory rack. Again, for me, that's what makes sense. As far as room to carry two kayaks, it depend on the kayaks. I've seen subies around here on factory racks with two kayaks no problem...again, depends on the individual case. My factory rack is rated at 130lbs as per the manual which is enough for me....but again, depending on the application, definitely something to keep in mind if that's something that matters to the buyer. I'm not saying the factory roof rack is as good as a thule/yakima set up....as I would hope it wouldn't be at a third the cost....however, for many people out there, it's more than adequate for their needs.



On a side note...it that you on the snowboard in the last pic? If so...sweet man!

Last edited by kickniteasy; 07-05-2010 at 02:57 PM.
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Old 07-05-2010, 04:20 PM   #34
thatkhmer
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thule sits higher then my yakima and the fairing just looks blehh
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Old 07-14-2010, 02:24 AM   #35
ChemicalWaste
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Originally Posted by wrxwhat View Post
My thule even without the fairing and 3 surfboards on top is quiet as a whisper... You can't hear it at all.
Definitely worth considering since my yakima is loud as hell. With a fairing it might be different but as it sits now I won't drive with the windows down or sunroof open with it on because it's so loud.
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Old 07-14-2010, 04:40 PM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kakdaman View Post
Although I don't have experience with Yakima, i would go with Thule. i have a pair in my car and they feel solid as can be. Beware of which bars you get though, many bike, snow and cargo racks only fit a certain bar shape and you might have to get an adapter for them(wish i knew that). Both seem over priced, so just do some searching.
When I bought my Thule Sidearm bike carrier for my factory Subaru aero bars I was told by a salesperson at Rack Attack that I needed to buy an adaptor for it so it would fit the factory crossbars. When I got home I looked at the mounting set-up and thought BS. I went to Home Depot and bought a piece of metal for 50 cents (literally it was 50 cents, no joke) and I painted it black and it worked PERFECTLY. I haven't taken that stupid adaptor back to Rack Attack because I lost the reciept though. I suspect this minor modification would work on many of their racks/carriers b/c the adaptor they sold me was the one recommended for many of their other products so they'd fit the factory Subaru aero crossbars.

Anyway, I still love the Thule Sidearm and woudn't hesitate to buy another Thule product. I will likey buy a board rack this fall and also a fairing (if I can't get a good deal on a car-top carrier of some kind).
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Old 07-14-2010, 04:57 PM   #37
Chuck Jones
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No question go with the Thule rack. It looks so much better integrated to the 08. I have had mine on pretty much straight through for 2 years and it has always done me right, even with two cross country trips. One of those was with a roof box and mountain bike on top.

It is totally worth it and so much better than the factory system. Just put bigger bars on and you can fit nearly any amount of crap up there.
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Old 08-28-2010, 08:20 PM   #38
RogueM3
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As an FYI, REI (http://www.rei.com/brand/Yakima ) currently has Yakima 20% off. So a system for my wagon (with just factory side-rails currently) to carry 2 bikes would be $596 (with a fairing), but now its going to be closer to $480!

I still haven't pulled the trigger, but I thought I would share.
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Old 08-29-2010, 01:49 AM   #39
buoy13
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Default yakima

yakima, much better surfboard system. it seams like their stuff is a little more trick
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Old 10-17-2019, 02:27 PM   #40
08_WRX_4sale
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AFaceInTheCrowd View Post
oh and one word: hullavator
This a super-old thread but were you able to get the hullavator on the wrx?
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