Roof rack/bar options on the avant?
 

I can't find many aftermarket companies with updated info on the 2009 avant for attachments to the roof rails... I am looking for the "smoothest" possible system that attaches to the OEM rails. Has anybody found any good options?

Thanks.

I just bought an 09 Avant and I'm also trying to figure out my roof rack options. Thule is now offering a setup. I found a photo of it but I wish it was clearer/bigger.

http://rackattackgolden.wordpress.co...ant-roof-rack/

I'm also looking at the audi rack which I'm assuming is a rebranded Mont Blanc. I think they will cost about the same so I'm also looking for the "smoothest" setup.

Thule set up looks good
 

I was very pleased to see the Thule option. I expect that is what I will buy for my '09 A4 Avant.

Audi's setup does not allow you to buy bars wider than the rails--which is important to me. I like having a couple of inches outboard on either side so I can fit my double seakayak and a box on the roof. It won't fit completely inboard of the rails.

I have round Yakima bars on my '04 allroad and will never do that again. Kayak saddles just don't stay upright on round bars when you push a 19' kayak up onto the cartop.

I'm not that pleased with Thule's kayak saddle options, but I expect I'll be able to fit Yakima saddles onto the Thule bars without much trouble.

I use a fairing to keep noise down on the allroad. Anyone have experience with Thule aero bars noise level?

I agree--it seems that is a rebranded Mont Blanc as you say. I can't find many dealers for that brand, and can't really figure out what the correct model would be of Mont Blanc. I'm not sure, then, what the price would be for their base setup.

I have a yakima right now for another car but I'm not entirely delighted with it--a bit ugly and noisy.

I'll probably get the Thule b/c they have so many options for carriers with their racks. Does anybody know if thule bars (the oval/diamond shaped "aerodynamic" ones) can be cut so their is minimal to zero overhang beyond the posts? Unlike the post above, I want it as sleek and unobtrusive as possible.

I'm not sure about cutting the load bars, but Thule's load bars come in different lengths. So even if you can't cut them you should be able to find something that doesn't overhang...at least too much.

In the link above they mention that Yakima has a fit option for the 2009 a4 avant, but it sure doesn't show on Yakima's website. Any idea what they are referring to here?

I think it coulb be the new "railgrab."

So I just bought an 09 A4 Avant and got the full Thule set-up with the Aero bars. (My WRX has a Yakima setup but Yakima doesn't have a fitting for the Avant yet.) The setup looks sweet and sits about 3 inches lower than the facory rack. I attached the feet where the two dimples are in the factory rails, but that sits right in the middle of the sunroof and creates quite a bit of noise that we can hear even if the sunroof is closed. Has anybody experimented with moving it about 6 inches forwards or backwards? 6 inches seems to be about the limit. I got the fairing as well but I'm not sure that'll make much sense when it is directly over the sunroof.
The Rack Attack link above shows a system permanently attached to the roof - they didn't use the roof rails at all. No way I'm drilling into my car!
Thanks in advance.
P.S. This is my first post as an Audi owner - psyched!

Thule crossbars ok
 

I too bought the Thule Aero bars. I'm disappointed by the noise level, but I did find that moving them back about 4" behind the "dots" decreases the noise a lot. I did this in three steps:
1) Just the bars with the front one mounted on the "dots". Darned noisy!
2) I added the fairing and moved the front bar forward so that it the fairing is not touching the sunroof. Still very noisy!
3) I moved the front bar back about 3-4" behind the dots (actually, about 1" behind the dots is showing, but the average position is back about 3-4" from the intended position). The fairing sits completely on the sunroof. The noise is much, much better--marginally acceptable. I also raised the sunroof to ensure that doesn't kill the sunroof or the fairing and it was fine. I do not every intend to fully open my sunroof (I hate sunroofs!), so this is an acceptable solution to me.

What I don't know is whether it would have been acceptable without the fairing, but moved back to this same position. That alone might have been adequate.

I'm curious whether the factory bars would have been quiter, but at this point I'm invested, so it won't help me.

They are just barely noisy enough that I will remove them for long trips where I'm not using them.

Thule 460R Podium, 4007 Fit Kit, and Aero Bars
 

I have a 2009 Avant and I just ordered my setup which consists of:

Thule 460R Podium Feet
4007 Fit Kit (allows the Podium Feet to attach to the roof rails)
47 inch Aero Bars

I also didn't like the setup shown at http://rackattackgolden.wordpress.co...ant-roof-rack/ as that seems to be permanently installed on the car. The setup I just described above will work for the Avants and can be easily installed and uninstalled.

Good luck.