Fit of Yakima HangOut Trunk Mount 3 Bike Rack on 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop

Question:

I also have a mini cooper regular hardtop no spoiler. I wonder if this rack would work for me. It has good padding as to not scratch the vehicle, correct? Thanks!

asked by: Vivian S

Expert Reply:

The Yakima HangOut Trunk Mount 3 Bike Rack is indeed a fit for your 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop. The rack is heavily padded, and the padded surface is as wide as possible to do a good job of distributing the weight of the rack and the bikes carried on it over the largest area possible. This reduces the chance of the rack damaging the vehicle.

Any time a piece of equipment is in direct contact with the painted surface of a vehicle, the possibility exists that the finish on the vehicle can be damaged. You can go a long ways toward minimizing this risk by following the installation instructions to the letter, by ensuring that the weight capacity of the rack isn't exceeded and by keeping the surfaces of the vehicle and the rack that touch 100 percent free of dirt and grit. Covering the surfaces of the vehicle where the rack would touch with a good coating of quality car wax will offer some protection as well.

If you'll be transporting women's bikes or bikes with sharply-angled top tubes, you might also consider a frame adapter bar like part # 64005. The bar spans the distance between the handlebar gooseneck and the seat post, which provides a secondary attachment point for the bike rack. This allows the bike to be carried level, which maximizes ground clearance. I'll link you to a video showing how the adapter bar works.

expert reply by: Mike L