I've had both. Hitch wins.

Not taking the front wheel off is game changer and a huge plus for hitch. And if you're not taking the front wheel off for roof then i think that's really hard, height wise (both you loading it up, and clearance, which you might think is no big deal but careful if you wanna go thru any drive thru for coffee/food with bike on the roof). Not to mention parking garages and stuff.

Hitch is more convenient and secure. And unless you have a sunroof, can't see bike up on roof while driving. Hitch you can just look in rearview mirror and know all is safe and sound with your precious cargo. Something to be said for thay. With my roof racks, if I adjusted the side mirrors as far as they went and looked at right angle, I could see bike up there but generally I'd say it wasn't the safest thing to do while driving...

And I think it protects the bike better during transit. Not just from bugs and such (ew, all those dead bugs on your brake levels), but from stray rocks or debris or whatever. Also most good hitches have some kind of integrated lock. Or you can use your own. Generally this type of security is clunky for roof solutions.

Uhaul will put a hitch on any car.

Hitch.

Thanks - getting a hitch on a sedan seems like the best of both worlds - I wonder if that would cause problems with warranties on a new car where the hitch is not part of the original manufacturer.

I have an EV (as every person buying a new car these days should, except for a few exceptions) so hitch doesn't affect range much and is therefore the logical choice.

Regarding the warranty, i would not be concerned about Adding an aftermarket hitch to an automobile. It is done all the time. And really adding a hitch is no different than adding a roof rack……. They are both “aftermarket accessories”.

ETA: hitch rack for sure.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

For anyone who has a roof mount and a garage, it's inevitable at some point they will forget the bike is on the roof when they drive into the garage.
I know this from experience, and the one time I did it, the bikes were fine but did $600 damage to the car roof.

Hitch mount for sure.

I have to go with hitch because all my cars (except my Corvette) are too tall for me to be putting a bike on the roof. But that's just me.

It is not a matter of "IF" - it is only a matter of "WHEN" as to coming to grief with a roof rack. You WILL forget - you WILL go under something that is lower than you think -you WILL drive up to a motel entry with a hidden roof light - you will turn a blind corner that has an unseen sign hanging low -you WILL stop in the driveway to talk to your spouse before removing your bike and forget to remove your bike before driving into the garage (my story) Nothing like a destroyed race bike, a broken garage door and a caved in sunroof on an Audi to just make your day! My friend used to drive to work every day out of hid carport with his Mtn. bike on top to have noon time ride. One day he decided to take his custom built road bike instead. The tangled remains of that that 3" taller frame is now turned into a glass top coffee table in his house.

Hitch 100%, it’s not even a debate (provided that you get a tray-style rack like a Kuat, One Up, Thule T2, etc.)

I believe has a certified Honda equipment hitch you can have installed with your new Accord or whatever you go with. Of course, it will be like 5x more than U-Haul but also don’t have to sweat the fine print in the warranty.

I have an aftermarket hitch on my 2008 Civic with a Kuat rack and love it. Bonus is that it once protected my rear from a driver who backed into my vehicle in a parking lot; her insurance paid for a new rack (cheaper than a new bumper and easier for everyone). The bike was fine, no worries.

I hear you on the EV. The hope was my current car would last long enough I could make that transition - I'm still using the civic from college and I'm in my 40s now. Maybe I'll get another few years from it but I've been in and out of the shop for the last 6 months with electrical gremlins that cannot be removed apparently. Current batch of EVs are too expensive for me - I'm waiting for the EV with mostly button controls, with utility not luxury in-mind on design, and reasonable price. I don't think we are there yet, but maybe soon. I'm in Mass and it's 50 and raining here.... not good.

I saw those 1 bike hitch racks and it looks better than the bigger ones - is that the advantage? that it's small and folds up well?

Kuat Sherpa 2.0 hitch rack

We purchased a Honda CR-V hybrid in 2021 from a Honda dealer. We wanted to install a hitch but the dealer said they couldn't install one due to the battery storage. If we installed an aftermarket hitch it would void the warranty. I did a little research and apparently installing a hitch on a CR-V hybrid is fine in Europe, but not in the states. Not sure if this is still the case with newer models, but that was my finding 3 years ago.

Incidentally, we ended up getting the roof rack and sure enough I went through a drive-thru window on my way to IMLP in 2022 and nearly destroyed my race bike. Luckily I had only passed under the warning bar at the order kiosk. As I was waiting to pick up my order, the kind woman behind me came up to my car and told me I was about to drive my bike through the awning. I was only inches away from completely destroying my bike 3 days before the race.

I'm just referring to the style of rack where the bike sits on a tray and gets clamped down by the wheels rather than anything touching the frame. Most of them hold two bikes but there may be single-bike options out there. I have a Kuat NV 2.0 and it's awesome - easily in the top 3 bike-related purchases I've ever made. You'll be amazed how quick and easy it is to throw your bike on the rack instead of taking a wheel off, wrestling it up onto the roof, or putting a muddy mountain bike in the back of a minivan. It literally takes about 10 seconds to put it on the rack and secure it. And yes it folds up tight against the vehicle when not in use.

I have the kuat sherpa. Picked it because of the feature where I can angle it down to open the rear hatch and it has the built in locks with the ability to extend it to four bikes. The only downsides I've seen in 3 years of use are 1. when you have 4 bikes, it's impossible to angle the rack down by yourself; you need two people and even then it's awkward, 2. there's no way to use a disc wheel so you have to finagle some extra straps around your bike to keep it in place and then be paranoid it's going to turn into a sail still (or just use a regular rim to lock it and store the disc in the car which is what I do on a long haul, but that takes up space inside, which is usually filled up on a long haul) and 3. the lock covers for the built in locks are a real pain to remove before you can use a key,

You can absolutely install a hitch on the current generation hybrid CR-Vs. There is an OEM option available, but it is only a 1-1/4 inch receiver size. It's much better to go with an aftermarket hitch which you can get a 2 inch size and for cheaper. Install is very easy...

In my opinion, purchase the SUV and get the hitch rack.
You did not mention how tall or what your day to day driving looks like so I say:
1) Get the most comfortable vehicle that can carry your sporting stuff. I get and understand the gas thing, but me at 6'4" I have done the car is too small and causing injuries thing too many times. Not saying get a Suburban, but I think you get the point. Sorry if off topic. Not all SUV's have good leg room (CRV).
2) For the scenario mentioned go with a hitch rack. Easier to get bikes on and off. Wheels stay on etc. Removing the hitch when un needed is 1minute or less (I keep a socket wrench in the car at all times for this very thing.).
3) Roof Racks, a lot of people who have bought roof racks end up buying new bikes and or garage doors. If you do go roof, put your garage door opener in the trunk. Roof is good if you have other hobbies like skiing where you may need a rack for that.
4) With a rear hitch, when you go to park you will see the bike in the rear view mirror and or rear camera. So it lessens the chance of hitting something with your bike etc.

Gas implications should be minimal as well with a hitch.

Good Luck!
Pete

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2017 Cervelo P2
2017 Cervelo S2
itraininla.com
#itraininla

My Ram came with a hitch, but I prefer to keep the bike in the bed. Never know who might run into you especially parking at events.

Ah yes, IIRC the issue wasn't necessarily the battery clearance, but that they don't want people towing boats and heavy trailers with the CR-V hybrid. That would explain the 1.25" hitch rather than 2".

What's wrong with a Suburban? :D I have one and can haul everything from my bike to a kayak with it. And since I'm fairly short, I've basically converted it into something of a camper. When I go to out-of-town events, I have made the second row seating into a pretty comfortable bed. I can pack a cooler that will last better than a day. The only thing I am missing is a way to relieve myself (still working on that solution).

I'm apparently one of the exceptions to that rule. I managed to go nearly 30 years using roof racks without ever hitting anything overhead. What made me finally switch to a hitch mount was a 1000 mile drive with 3 bikes on the roof, and the resulting ~30% decrease in MPG at highway speeds.


I had a Sherpa 2.0 for a few years, loved that rack except for 1 thing: with the rack flipped up, the forward rear wheel tray was too close to the exhaust on my Santa Fe Sport. Got home from a trip (no bikes) and found that the tray had melted... :( I was going to get an extension to move the rack up and back, but fate intervened (see below). Ended up getting a Kuat Transfer to replace it, which doesn't have that problem.


I got rear-ended on the freeway 2 years ago, the Sherpa took most of the impact (fortunately I wasn't carrying any bikes at the time). The rack was totaled, but there was only minor damage done to my car, almost all of which was caused by the rack being bent into the bumper and hatch...

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"I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and I don't know why!"

Actually just realized I have the Kuat NV2. Looks similar but that's the one that can accept 4 bikes. No issues with exaust on my Expedition. But I always sandwich my bike in between my kids bikes for protection on either side :)

I've done similar with my pathfinder. Decent setup for 1-2 nights imo.

I've used both and found it very situational dependent. At this point though I don't see myself ever going back to only a roof rack. For long trips, I much prefer the hitch rack. Bikes are easier to load, and more out of the wind. Unless you're planning to keep the hitch rack on all the time (and if you do, you need to check your state laws to see if you need to mount your license plate on the rack while it's folded up), there is some effort involved in installing it. Although it's not more than a few minutes, you would have to carry it to your car, put it in the receiver, line up the pin, and tighten down the internal clamp (assuming your hitch rack has one, which keeps it more stable in the hitch). If you're making frequent short trips, this may not be worth it. Of course, if you park in a garage, you'd have to move your car out before loading and unload outside, so this may come out about equal to the hitch rack by the time you also take off the front wheel. Since you mention mountain bike, then you also have to consider lifting a heavier bike higher with a roof rack than a hitch rack.