Best Bike Rack for a 2017 Subaru Forester

Question:

In my previous car, a 2007 Honda CR-V, the bike rack hitch seemed a little large for all the bike racks I tried all 2 inch, and there was always a lot of play between the racj and the hitch where the rack fitted into the hitch. I have a new 2017 Subaru Forester and want to install a hitch, but want to make sure there will be minimal play this time. what do i look for, or what brands out there fit better?

asked by: Marek

Expert Reply:

Making sure that you're on the right class of hitch is always the easiest way to ensure a fit. If the hitch had been damaged at any point (whether from a previous owner or just bad luck) that can cause the hitch to suddenly feel a little "large" especially if it was a Class 1 hitch that was installed.

Either way for your new 2017 Forrester, we'll focus on limiting the amount of rattle, the "looseness" that you were feeling from your CR-V's hitch. There will always be some rattle, as there is a lot of force and motion occurring behind the vehicle, but we can take steps to reduce it in a variety of ways.

For a hitch, I recommend the Draw-Tite Class III, part # 75876. This hitch exceeds most industry standards and has 525 pounds of tongue weight capacity available, giving you a wide range of options beyond just bikes. You will want to verify the vehicle's towing limits with your vehicle owner's manual before using the hitch for any other applications.

One of the biggest things you'll look for are integrated anti-rattle hitch locks. These generally perform better than other racks do in terms of minimizing sway. These are usually a premium feature, but if you're concerned about motion, its worth it as these are the most effective systems for reducing motion.

My preferred brand for low-rattle and sway is Yakima. Many of their hitch bike racks include a Speed-Knob on their base that is a tool-free installation of an anti-rattle system that uses a screw to pressure the rack to the size of the hitch, reducing the amount of looseness that the rack has. The Speed-Knob also has an integrated hitch lock, improving the overall security of the rack.

A particular rack that does well in terms of minimal sway is the Yakima Ridgeback 4 bike rack, part # Y02458. This rack has the Speed-Knob system and also includes Yakima's ZipStrip system that does extremely well for holding the bikes directly to the rack, limiting the amount of sway that they experience.

One option that's available no matter what kind of rack you end up going with is a support strap, part # 18050. I've included a video demonstrating how effective this is in reducing the sway and rattle of a bike rack and a cargo carrier. This is one of the better universal ideas for reducing this motion.

I've included a test track video of both of these racks so you can see their motion, as well as a full review of both of them so you can really dig into the features of both racks.