Recommended Bike Carrier Options for 2012 Audi A7

Question:

Can you tell me if the Thule OutWay will work on my 2012 Audi A7? Thx.

asked by: Cathy W

Expert Reply:

Thule does not recommend their excellent OutWay trunk-mount bike carrier # THTH45JV for your 2012 Audi A7. In fact they do not recommend any trunk-mount rack for your car due to the potential for damage to the trunk lid and/or its hinge, neither of which were designed to handle the weight of a loaded bike rack. The same is true for Yakima and SportRack - again no trunk racks are recommended.

You can use a hitch-mount 2-bike rack - that puts no pressure at all on your trunk - by installing the light-duty Class I hitch # C11197 from Curt. This requires no drilling and it includes all the necessary hardware.

You can then select a compatible 2-bike Class I rack from among those shown on the linked page, such as the Swagman Trailhead # S63360. The two linked articles on bikes racks will help you select one that works well with your bikes.

expert reply by: Adam R