Thule and Yakima Aero Style Roof Racks for 2019 Subaru Outback Wagon

Question:

Many years ago when there were only a few roof rack companies we had a Thule square rack and it worked well and lasted a long time. Now that I'm looking for a roof rack for our new '19 Outback I am thinking maybe I should go for another Thule. Are they still one of the better options?

asked by: James

Expert Reply:

Thule continues to be a quality leader and innovator in the global roof rack and related sporting equipment markets. They do offer roof racks for your 2019 Subaru Outback Wagon that has a roof configured with flush mounted rails that run front to back. The other major player is Yakima, which like Thule, has been around a long time by offering their own quality products that last.

What has changed in recent years is the available technology in roof rack design. Thule's AeroBlade and Yakima's JetStream aerodynamic racks cut through the wind better than round and square bar roof racks and so they tend to be a lot quieter at highway speed. We have these quiet aero-style racks for your Outback Wagon from both of these makers and you can see all options on the page I linked for you.

My personal preference is a black aero rack since these tend to look less like an added-on aftermarket product. The version that looks the most like an OEM rack, in my humble opinion, is the black Thule AeroBlade Edge system made of parts # TH7601B-TH7601B and # THKIT4063. This rack's bars terminate in the rack feet, rather than extend past them, so you have less bar space but a really clean appearance that makes the rack look like it really belongs on the car. I suggest adding lock kit # TH450400.

If you need the most possible cargo space then you may prefer the AeroBlade Podium rack with longer 47-inch bars that to extend our further. This rack in black is made of parts # THARB47B, # TH460R and # THKIT4063. I linked photos showing both styles of bars to help you decide. Both are also available with Silver bars if you prefer. These alternate choices are shown on the linked page. For either rack .

Some of the roof rack accessories you might consider using, such as bike or kayak carriers, will usually fit all bar shapes but some will not. The other linked pages for roof bike carriers and roof kayak carriers have been filtered to show you only the ones that fit aero bars. These include roof bike carriers like the Yakima HighSpeed fork-mount rack # Y02115 and kayak carriers like the multi-kayak Thule Stacker # TH830.