Malone AirFlow2 Roof Rack - Aero Crossbars - Raised Side Rails - Aluminum - 50" Long - Silver

These Malone Air Flow 2 crossbars were fairly easy to install on my 2007 VW Touareg (facelift version which is more the 2008 Touareg style) Measures were taken many many times to get it right. Took me about an hour total, with the most time spent on the “noise strips” that go under the bars after install is done. The instructions say to cut these and push them into place - well pushing them into place is a challenge because they are fairly thick and do not bend. I found that placing one side and then pushing inward and downward at the same time will get them into correct place - inch by inch. Cutting them to fit required a cutting knife because scissors just wouldn't cut thru.
Tightening the clamps onto the factory raised rails is important, but I am concerned that I may not have them tightened enough, yet tightening too much might break the tool. Hmmm. How tight is correct tightness, and how does one really know they are tight enough.
I plan to drive a few days with the crossbars on and then re-tighten them.
I have them spaced at 29 inches and notice no noise at 35 MPH. Have not driven at hwy speeds yet. Overall, I am very pleased with these crossbars.1299953

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A

5/20/2023

Fantastic after a year of use! When first installed, I would check tightness every couple weeks. After a few months I just checked tightness every few months. They stay itght very well and no wind noise! After winter snows and cold weather passed, the crossbars and cargo box did need about 14 to 12 turn of tightening. I use there cross bars to hold my Thule Force XT L cargo box year round. Also bought from eTrailer I’ve traveled cross country several times with this set up and am super pleased with it. Also happy with eTrailer prices!

I requested the product be delivered within 2 days and it was delivered within 2 days. Actually early on the second day. Unbelievable! What service. The crossbars were easy to put together and there were several videos explaining the process. The crossbars included locks for no additional charge. One video indicated that the rubber inserts were difficult to install.when the bars are on the car. I found a suggestion online about how to make it easier to install them. I plan to set the crossbars on the car, mark where the mounting brackets sit, remove the bars and insert the rubber inserts and then put the bars back on the car and finish the process.

The live chat feature was helpful, answering my questions in a timely fashion.

The bars were half the price of other companies. These bars will work for what I need.

Will let you know how they function after my first trip with them.1557011

Ed

4/15/2024

Great. No issues with it. It is easy to put on and take off by myself. Very light and not too noisy.

Straightforward installation; solid feel; looks good; very little wind noise at 70mph on my 2021 Forester. Quite impressed!1483552

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Michael

12/13/2023

After a year of use I have absolutely no complaints. Looks good, still solid after many, many miles with my kayak andor my mountain bike strapped up there. I really like the integrated allen wrenchesreally good design.

Mike L.

12/13/2023

@Michael We're glad to hear that, thanks for checking back in!

These Malone aero crossbars look great, were easy to install, and seem as strong as the much more expensive Thule crossbars I put on my wife's car.

I love that the adjustment tool is included in the tower component, and that locks are included.

I haven't had any trouble with the end caps falling out like some people in these reviews have mentioned. I made sure they snapped in properly when I installed. They're made with a section that flips out so you can access the t-slot along the top of the crossbar in case you use racks that can attach that way.

These do hum a little when I drive, but I don't think any more than the comparable Thules on my wife's car. Certainly it's less than my old round Yakima crossbars. The other difference I've noticed between these and the Thules is that these are horizontally flat, whereas the Thule aero bar crowns a bit in the middle. This ends up making the Thules generally match the slight roundedness of your car's roof, whereas the Malone bars do not. This creates an optical illusion where you think your car's roof is flat and the Malones are sagging. They are not. Your roof is rounded and the Malone aero bars are flat and level.

These are holding up great on my Crosstrek, and I'm really glad I saved several hundred dollars not buying Thule or Yakima again.1116926

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Jeffrey

8/21/2022

Still quite happy with these crossbars. They are much easier to take off for the winter and put back on in the spring than the Thule cross bars I have on my wifes car. Great product, Malone!

Like other users, I did a lot of research on a rack for my daughter’s 2009 Kia Sportage. Installation was easy. The rubber inserts took some doing, but the finish is nice, if you take your time to do it right. Fit and finish is great. I do recommend installing it, tighten the clamps, then check the tension the next day after some driving / vibration and daytime heat. After the first 1K miles of our 3K-mile cross-country trip to the East Coast, I’m happy to report that this rack meets expectations. Very low wind noise (there’s more cabin noise so it’s a wash).1641846

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The Malone roof racks were very easy to install on my 2023 Subaru Forester.They are being used to transport a kayak and they are working very well. I am impressed with how quiet they are, No whistling whatsoever at all speeds.1633023

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by: Mikey B03/23/2024

Nissan Rogue

Malone AirFlow2 Roof Rack is an excellent roof rack. It's mounted on my Nissan Rogue and when driving it is sturdy and there is zero wind noise. I mounted a Kuat ski rack to it and again a solid fit and no fear of losing any of the skis as they are locked in.Also the price is great.In my opinion Malone AirFlow2 Roof Rack is a Great purchase.1752622

I watched the videos on how to install the Malone Airflow 2 Aero Crossbars and the installation was simple and straightforward. I'm looking forward to putting my new2 Yakima Skybox 16 on my roof and am quite happy to have found the solution for less than half of what a name brand solution would have cost!1058402

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Michael

6/8/2022

Ive had my Malone Airflow 2 Aero on for a year now and am thoroughly pleased and satisfied with this product. I have had zero problems since installation and everything continues to function flawlessly! Thank you for a great product and helpful installation videos.

by: Scott12/03/2023

We installed the roof rack and box for ski season and a roadtrip from Colorado to Florida. The whole roof set up does come along with more wind noise but that is to be expected. We drove for days at 75+mph with tons of strong cross wind at times. I was admittedly a little worried but every time I checked the roof but all was in order. Impressed.1698394

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First a kudos to Katherine B. at etrailer.com for being so helpful and knowledgeable about the roof rack I purchased for my Ford Escape.
Installation took about an hour and is locked tight in place. The solid feel of the product gives me the confidence I was seeking to safely haul my canoe without issue. I'm very pleased with the finished product and it looks great too. The only issue I had was with one rubber cup piece that attaches to the unit. It keeps slipping down and does not fit tightly in place. A little Gorilla glue solved that problem quickly. I would like to recommend before putting the rubber strip on the underside of the rack, you leave it on the roof of the car on a warm sunny day to make it more malleable to fit the groove. With that done, I am very pleased. I will be doing a 500 + mile trip to the Adirondacks later this month with my canoe and grand-nephews for some camping and fishing and am anxious to see how the rack performs on a lengthy trip. Lastly, I must give etrailer a shout-out for the great deal I received. Comparable racks are many dollars more. Thanks etrailer.653689

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George C.

6/6/2020

Made the trip to the Adirondacks with the nephews without any issues. I will be planning another trip or two this summer and will be hauling the canoe and a kayak. Total weight of the two vessels is not an issue like the first rack I purchased.I recently checked for any movement in the cross-bars and it was as tight as when I installed it. I have great confidence in this item. If you install it right, you too should have smooth sailing. Thanks again etrailer.

by: Mike01/08/2023

We love these racks. We never had an issue with install or with the product donde We use it for our roof top tent and we will most likely purchase another pair for another car.1496277

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Really solid bars and equipment, especially for the price compared to the other big names on this site.
Pros:
Construction/Quality: Solid feeling bars, weather stripping is solid
Fit: These bad boys snapped right into place and took very little effort to get lined up correctly
Usability: Fit my 1UpUsa Bike rack with the flush mount option and my Yakima rack (see pics)
Customer Service: Had a question while installing and customer service was on the line in <1minute
Cons:
Time: Took me about 2 hours to get everything done (messing with the flush mount rack bolts, adding in weather stripping
Add-On Parts: End caps were hard to get in, had to go in just right, and the weather stripping on the bottom was very difficult to get in once the rack was on (as per directions) and the flush mount channels were a very tight fit with the stripping in there (I had to remove sections and cut them to fit the t-bolts in and then fit sections of rubber back in). The cold weather made these strips much less pliable I think)
Overall: I really like these racks despite the difficulties with the installation (really with my flush mount system). Limited road noise even at 80, no bounce to the racks when loaded. I'd recommend these in a heartbeat (so far)607226

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Andrew

2/23/2020

Fantastic Product Still

I work at a local Landfill and people throw out some of the best stuff. This roof top basket was about to be buried but I salvaged it. Nothing wrong with it at all but I needed crossbars for my wife's 2019 Jeep. These fit the bill...literally. They are easy to install, fit like a glove and hold the basket in place quite well. Thanks Etrailer!!1575655

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Ordered this product for my 2019 Toyota Rav4 Trail with the raised rail from etrailer.com as they were the only site that would confirm a fit on my car. The turnaround time from ordering to delivery is impressively prompt. And the product itself speaks of quality and fitted perfectly on the Rav4. Installation took me less than half an hour and I was able to attach my two old bike racks on it and the bikes for the weekend.
The product performed perfectly and looks just as great compared to the others out there that cost twice more.
Kudos to Mackenzie B. of etrailer.com who answered my questions and addressed my concerns all throughout the process.656011

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Greg

6/18/2020

Great! It is holding up pretty well. etrailer definitely sells quality products and won’t hesitate doing business with them again.

Disappointed. The clamp covers are poorly designed, they don’t stay in place once the clamps are tightened. Although this product says it fits my vehicle (2022 Chevy Equinox), I was forced to place the front cross bar further back than I wanted to because the clamps wouldn’t secure properly where the side rails attach to the roof. The rubber inserts provided to reduce wind noise just loosely fit into the slot on the underneath of the cross bars; doesn’t seem like they’re going to be any benefit.1323956

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Jenny N.

7/15/2022

I reached out to Malone about the review with the installation. They recommended reevaluating the installation of the outer foot pads. I have attached pictures that they have sent to help show how best to get the foots pads in place. As long as the outer pads are full in place the cover should stay on.

Once installed the bars look attractive and feel solid. We did not have any excessive wind noise. The instructions are vague and the project definitely takes some time if you haven’t installed these before. 2016 GMC Terrain.1738512

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by: Joseph04/25/2021

With one exception the roof top carrier worked well. The exception is two rail caps came off. (See photos.) The rack still works fine, but detracts from the appearance of the car.1021769

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Heather A.

4/29/2021

Thank you for your review. If the roof rack bar caps are lost, I recommend to replace them with part # MPG1012.

Helpful Links

Accessories-and-PartsMaloneMPG1012.html

Joseph

4/26/2022

My review is the same except all four rail caps have come off. Also, regarding Heather As suggestion to replace the caps, I dont see that as a good solution. Unless Malone has improved the caps, the new ones are likely to come off leading to continued replacements.

We ordered this rails to mount our roof pod on our Subaru Forrester for a 7.000 miles cross country trip. They went on easily and remained secure for the trip which included high winds. I would recommend the Malone AirFlow2 to anyone. They work as well or better than much higher priced roof racks.1437165

Kurt

10/8/2023

This rack has worked wonderfully for us. It went on easily and with clear directions. It’s very durable having two cross country trips and multiple local trips under its belt and looks like the day we put it on.

Mike L.

10/25/2023

@Kurt We're happy to hear that your Malone # MPG215 roof rack is working well for you!

by: Sharon02/28/2022

I purchased my roof racks last year for my Chevy Equinox. I was not able to install them right away because the delivery was delayed. etrailer was great about getting them to me though and checking on whether I got them or not.
Before installing them my brother and I counted all the parts and thought we were all set. We installed the racks and when we had everything together we put the bar caps on and found three of one size and one of the other instead of two and two. There should have been two fronts and two backs for the caps. I left the missing cap end open all summer and used the racks often. They’re great. The only complaints I have are
1- without the cap on its very noisy when traveling on the highway.
2- when I contacted Malone. the company that manufactures them, to ask for the correct cap( I was willing to trade the wrong one I have for the correct one)
they told me that since I didn’t buy directly from them that it wasn’t their responsibility. They told me that I needed to get in touch with etrailer. When I got in touch with etrailer they told me it wasn’t their responsibility but it was Malone’s responsibility. I think that since Malone packaged them it should be their responsibility. They both told me that I could buy what I had already paid for, and of course they don’t come separately but in a package of four.
As I was going to be traveling soon I put a piece of duct tape on the end and called it a day.
Overall I was
Happy with etrailer, not happy with Malone.1267243

Jenny N.

3/10/2022

You mentioned that you were missing a cap due to receiving 3 of one side and one of the other. I would like to see if I can assist you and if you could tell me if you need a drivers side cap or a passenger side cap. Also, if you could verify your shipping address as well.

Sharon

3/10/2022

Thanks for reaching out. I am missing the driver’s side front cap. We did count all the parts but we didn’t make sure they were the right ones. I will try to send a picture. It’s covered in duct tape right now to lessen the noise so it looks off but I think you can see which one it is supposed to be. If you held it in front of you with the part that gets ed into the rack facing you the longer pointed end would face forward. Hope that helps.

Jenny N.

3/10/2022

I will have our Customer Service team reach out to you.

Sharon

3/1/2023

It’s still working well and I’m happy with it. Etrailer was very helpful with the purchasing and delivery end of the process and I would definitely recommend them.

The Malone roof rack is simple and secure. It's more substantial than the factory cross pieces. The shipping was a little slow, perhaps due to the COVID-19; but when it arrived I had it installed within a half hour. I'm using the rack to haul kayaks.822018

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Craig

6/27/2021

Perfect, no issues. Initially I planned on taking the rack off the vehicle during the winter months however, I did not and the rack has held up incredibly well. Its still like new.

by: Albert 12/18/2023

2016 Toyota RAV4

Purchased for a 2016 Rav4 with factor roof bars. Shipping was fast and installation was very easy. All tools were included (the Alan key is actually part of the rack so it won't get lost, just don't lose the actual key).

That said, de-installation would also be very easy if you chose to remove these when you're not using them. We leave ours on the vehicle year round.

They do create a little bit of wind noise but this is simple physics and I don't see how they could make them any quieter. Regardless, I'd happily purchase these again.1703568

I wanted to put these roof bars through their paces before writing this review and I happy to report that these roof bars have worked like a champ. I purchased these roof bars back in May 2021.

The installation was simple and took no time to get them mounted and aligned. My load is a 100lbs rooftop tent. I have had it on 6 camping trips its been up and down the highway countless time in early spring, summer and part of fall. With the rooftop tent mounted I can drive at 65-70MPH comfortably but I usually keep my speed it 65MPH for optimal MPG. I keep the roof bars on year round but I remove the tent when the colder weather returns.

Good product at a good price.1291747

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The ease of installation with these crossbars was amazing, they feel solid once tightened down, and they look fantastic and ready for a roof basket! Never used this brand or heard of them but I was looking for affordable crossbars and these have 100% delivered. I also have not added the sound-deadening weather stripping that slots into the bottom of the rail, and I don’t feel a need to as up to 70mph I have not heard any new noise from the bars whatsoever. Fantastic product!1169914

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by: Jason 08/25/2022

This is a one-year follow up on this product. And, after a year, I think they are pretty good! Again, I don't like the end caps on these... they are definitely prone to falling off with minor provocation. However, I will also say that I haven't lost one yet (knock on wood!).

They are relatively easy to install and remove from the car, which is appreciated for someone who likes to have them installed only when needed (my other car has a set of Yakima Airstream, and these are way easier to work with than those are). They are quiet when at speed, and they eat about 2 mpg (from ~35 mpg average) when installed.

Overall, solid. I'd buy them again for the price and price differential from leading brands.1374806

Jason

8/27/2023

So far, so good. Theyve been on and off the car a few times, and the various rubber bits do like to try escaping during the transitions, but so far they continue to work well, and I have no issues with their performance on the car.

Overall the rack is great, as was the price, and my only problem was that of the 4 rack locks included, 3 had ids that matched the included keys and the fourth had a different id that didn't work with the key (see photo). Luckily, Malone's HQ is the next town over, so I was able to drive over and they got things straightened out for me. Pretty big oversight in terms of QA though.1354685

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