Are there any hitches that are made for the audi's? I need to put a rack either on top or off of a hitch mount. I was thinking of the hitch mount cause it would be nice and hidden and not ruin the lines of the car but looking at the rear bumper I didn't know if it was possible without cutting the bumper and I'm not doing that. What are the options? I've got a Yakima roof rack that would work fine but seeing if there are other options. Thanks!

Ryan H.

 

Hmm, I just mentioned this in another thread... but www.sarisproducts.com make a much more attractive roof rack. Not only are they nicer than Yakima and Thule to use... but they are better looking, as well. Ovalized load bars, with self centering towers/feet.

Pretty sweet deal.

 

Those are a little nicer in the styling department that's for sure. Especially with the self centering. That's pretty nice. Is it possible to do a hitch rack though? Anybody know?

Ryan H.

 

Unless you are going to need to put more the 150lb on the rack I would stay with the roof rack. Not sure if you can do a hitch rack or not but I would guess that most rack manufactures would not make one for an Audi.

IMO roof racks look way better and you don't sacrifice easy access to your trunk.

 

Well First the big question is... (what do you want to carry?)
Bikes, ski's, canoe/water sports/boats)

Overall, the roof with get you the best and most overall weight distrabution. Thule for their sedans are rated at 165Lbs of weight up there. So you could easly do 2-6bikes up there. Yakima (round bars) are a little less in that department with 125lbs of weight.

IM pretty sure that Audi and or U-haul will do a hitch mount but it will mostly likely be the 1.25" hitch and so then you can only do a few bike mounts from the back that both Yakima and Thule carry.

But here im doing fine with my rack


If you have any questions let me know. Im the rack man and i work for both THULE & YAKIMA

 

I love thule personally. I've always had great experiences with their products. I've been using their racks for years...every time I get a new car I slap my fit kit on ebay and sell it for what another costs.... this time i had to switch from the trackers to the aero... paid 10 bucks more for the aero's so thats not a bad deal. Anyway... I'd go with the roof rack over the trailer hitch.

 

I've used alot of racks for bikes for a very long time. There are pros and cons to both-

ROOF-
-'permanent' mounting, no storage req'd
-looks cool
-doesn't add length to your car
-slightly more security than hitch (just harder to get to stuff)
-noisy (w/ or w/o toys)
-less mpg's (w or w/o toys)
-your toys are in direct airflow of debris/wind/grime
-remember added height for garages, low overhangs (common for roof/toy damage w/ roofracks)
-roof is only option for long objects like boats


HITCH
-won't affect MPG's
-no wind noise
-easily removable (1 hitch pin)
- does not touch the paint
-easy load height
-rear end collision will kill your toys
-requires a bit of storage space if you plan to take it off
-access to trunk is less convienent (swingaway models make it easier)

 

Not all roof racks make noise. and I dont have a farring for mine and this summer when i was rolling with 78" bars i never made a sound or the typical whistle. Even with my 48" bars for winter... they still dont.

Oh and with my roof rack on the car... i still get the same MPG without toys with my car. If i have my boat up there, its like -2mpg if that, and my bike -1.5mpg. So its really not that much.