Recommended Aero Roof Rack For 2012 Subaru Forester With Factory Raised Rails

Question:

I am looking for the lowest profile option for crossbars for a 2012 Subaru Forester with factory rails. It needs to have a 165lb capacity and have a 32 in bar space.. It would be nice to know how high off of the roof the crossbars will be for the system. Thanks!

asked by: Michael L

Expert Reply:

I think your best option is going to be the Malone AirFlow2 Roof Rack - Aero Crossbars - 50" Long # MPG215. This is 50" long and will give you over 32" of usable crossbar space. It does have a weight capacity of 165lbs, but you will want to check your owner's manual to verify your roof weight capacity. I did some research and this rack has not been tested on a 2012 Subaru Forester, however, we tested it on a few newer models and it had a distance of about 3-1/2" between the roof and the bottom of the crossbar and about 4-1/2" from the roof to the top of the crossbar. While these measurements may be slightly different on your 2012 model, this is going to be the best crossbar for you since it is low-profile compared to some other setups. It has a top T-channel for channel-mounted accessories. I have attached a demonstration video for this setup.

expert reply by: Andrew N