Very heavy. Doesn't fold up very well. Requires wrenches every time it is used. Definitely needs improvement to be easier to use. Perhaps Thule is pushing customers to the fancier more expensive version. We'll see, but this may be going back.
We have used this a few times and really like it. I have not put it on the car myself but my husband says it is a piece of cake to do so, much easier than our old bike rack. It easily fits his recumbent bike, which has been challenging with other racks. The only drawback is that while you can fold the bike rack down (to meet the vertical arm), it requires tools to do so and is not quick and easy. However we take the rack off the car when not using it so that's not really an issue for us. just FYI in case others may wish to do that.
Disappointed in the ease of removing the rack from the car. My husband is going to look into making the system more of a "quick release". I ordered it in a hurry because we had guests arriving for a week and we needed the rack. I should of researched the rack more thoroughly. We had it shipped to Florida so we couldn't return it to the store. I'm sorry I purchased this rack.
I don't like to keep it on my car (visually not very attractive and the FL sun is brutal), so I want something I can quickly remove, fold, and put in my trunk.
This bike rack can fold down where the vertical arm meets the arms that support the bikes, but this requires two wrenches, so that's kind of a pain. To fix, I purchased an eye bolt of the correct diameter, cut off the threads, drilled a hole through it and use a cotter pin to secure it when the rack is in use. Now, to fold it is much easier; just remove the eye bolt.
It has a bolt that secures it to the hitch, which requires a socket wrench. To avoid using that bolt, one could drill a hole through the bike rack's hitch piece, and use a hitch pin with a cotter pin, to hold the rack in place in the hitch, but from what I understand from talking with others, then the rack will be a little loose. So, I use the supplied bolt, but keep a cordless driver, with appropriate socket attached, in the trunk. I can then quickly remove/install the rack, and also keep it from being loose in the hitch.
Good rack; just a tiny bit complicated to quickly remove/install it... if that's what you want to be doing.
It's far enough away from the back of my car that I am able to open the trunk without removing the rack, or having to tilt it down out of the way, so that's nice. (Acura TL)
This is my first bike rack, so I don't have anything to compare it to.
