[rpboy06]

Originally Posted by bwb

After spending much time fiddling with the Q Towers, I decided to pickup the Thule roof rack from REI (2180 Fit Kit, 400XT Aero Towers, 50" square crossbars). The 2180 Fit Kit is specifically for the Honda Fit, whereas Yakima's Q5 fit kit is for a range of vehicles. The 2180's pads are specially molded for the Fit, and the clips fit at a perfect angle (and engage a good portion of the door frame), no dents or scratching of the door frame yet. I setup the Thule rack in about a half of the time as the Yakima, and it fits like a glove without any movement/squeaking/etc... It is much much much tighter and secure to the Fit. It bends the outer weatherstripping less than the front bar of the Yakima. Since the Fit has two layers of weatherstripping around the door frame (plus an inner dust weatherstripping), I doubt leaving the rack on will let rain inside. The Yakima is going back to REI...

I did note some cons of the Thule:
* 24" crossbar spread instead the Yakima's 32" (some accessories require minimum 28" spread I think, but it isn't a problem for me)
* No quick, easy, on/off cam like the Yakima's... the Thule's cam needs to be unscrewed, and so takes more time. Since the Thule doesn't bend the weatherstripping nearly as much, and is more secure, I don't have a problem with leaving it attached semi-permanently.
* Rides slightly higher than the Yakima (~1" to 2" inches)

Is it an easy install? Also, do I use any kind of adhesive to keep it on the roof? Lastly, when it's screwed, does it ruin the interior/exterior or anything?