Roof Racks - Thule or Yakima?

[JohnN]

Calling all roof-rack experts...

I'm looking for a cargo rack for the top of my ML320 SUV. It comes with 58" railings along the sides, but that's about it. So far, I've narrowed down my choices to:

Yakima Doublecross or Lowriders
Thule Rapid Railing 754

The pricing seems fair (about $170 delivered with all applicable parts and locks), and they seem to be regarded as the two best options.

Anyone with first hand experience?

[olivher]

They are actually both pretty good. I currently have Yakima towers and bars. I also have a Thule Mountaineer cargo box. I'm looking to test fit some Thule racks because of the unusual shape of my Montero's roof, my Yakima towers are touching the roof.

[Brad]

You may also want to consider Saris racks. I like them for their slick aero looks and the ease of installation. You can attach them by just standing on one side of the car. I can install them in half the time it takes to mount my Yakima racks. (I have both)

Yak offers more optional goodies and attachments in the catalog but I found that many Yak accessories can adapt to the Saris. I just bought a Yak BasketCase last week and installed it on the Saris with a little customization. Worked VERY cool.

I have a Thule rack that I used for my VW van (bike attachments, canoe, etc. Bus gone now) I have a Yakima set up that I can take back and forth between between my BMW 2002 tii and my Audi S4 (different feet, bike racks, fairing, canoe mount, lumber tie downs, basket, etc.) More recently I got the Saris which I liked mainly for the looks but now love for the ease of use. I have several bike mounts, tie downs, fairing, Yak Basket, etc., which can all quickly be interchanged in a few seconds because of the way the Saris is designed. The Yak is now gathering dust.

That said, I would say that the Yak seems more durable and heavy duty than the Saris but either are fine for most anything I will ever do with them.

Just as a note: I am associated with a Bicycle Shop here in town so I have the chance to work with every brand extensively. I feel my review is pretty accurate. None of these three brands is bad. Good luck.