I am looking for a way to transport my bike on the outside of my car. Fitting a XL 29er in the back is not easy, especially when I have to save room for a baby, spouse, and luggage, and baby accessories for a several day long trip.

Most of the time I throw the bike into the back of our old 4Runner because the trailhead is only a few miles away. However I will occasionally visit my family who all ride and so I want to bring my bike up when I visit them. It is around 200 miles round trip.

I searched around on the forums and it seems like the hitch mount is the most popular and asked about. However I am not so sure it would work for me.
1. Cost - Around $130 for the hitch, and around the same for a cheap bike rack. So close to $250 total on the cheap end. There is a potential installation cose too for the hitch.
2. Clearance - The driveway to my apartment complex is very steep. If I don't hit it at the right angle the front will drag. The back usually does not hit, but it comes very close. I am not sure I would be able to make it up the driveway without it dragging every single time with the hitch installed. Adding the rack may make it impossible. I would potentially have to drive the Fit down the driveway, park, install the rack and bike, and then leave. And hope that I remember to park at the bottom when returning home.
3. The hitch mount definitely seems like a better long term option, but for something that may only be used once every couple of months, would it even be worth the expense and potential clearance headaches?


Has anyone tried a trunk mount rack? Any opinions for occasional use? I have a 2013 base so I do not have to worry about the spoiler getting in the way.
How much reach clearance would I be giving up to install a hitch? I would mainly be worried about how it would affect my departure angle.
If the trunk rack isn't a good option then it would probably cheaper to just use the 4Runner on longer trips and spend a little extra in gas.

 

I don't see any reason a properly matched hatch-mount rack wouldn't work. I have used trunk mounted racks a number of times (albeit on sedans and coupes with proper trunks, rather than hatchbacks/wagons), and the main difficulties are scratches, scrapes, and dings. Rather obviously, you do need to have the rack positioned such that it's not resting against plastic trim bits or reflectors or other fragile things.

Another good possibility to consider is a roof rack bike carrier. That's probably less likely to cause cosmetic damage to the car, and more generally useful for hauling other stuff than a hatch mounted rack, though not as convenient for getting bikes onto and off of.