Side by Side Comparison of: Saris

After doing a bunch of research, I purchased this for my 2013 Ford Escape. The manufacturer's website actually does not list this as for that make/model/year, but I found several review sites showing the rack on a 2013 Escape. It was actually pretty simple to attach to the rear hatch and it feel really solid. I drove it around like a madman in my neighborhood, taking hard sharp turns and slamming on the brakes and such. It didn't seem to budge with my bike on it. I've taken it on much longer (and less crazy) drives, as well. This is the first and only bike rack I've ever owned, so I don't have anything to directly compare it to but it seems fantastic so far.

I can't say enough good about this rack. The ease of use, the sturdiness, the fair price, the intelligent clasps, the warranty, and made right in neighboring Wisconsin!! -- Are all reasons to love this rack.The various videos the company has are a great selling tool that helped me decide, and the are very accurate and truthful. Seems like a wonderful company behind a great product.

I love my Saris 2 bike rack, I thought it would be hard to me to install on my Equinox considering I have issues with the use of my arms at times, but after I put it on the first time I realized that it was easy to install and I can now install it myself in about 5 minutes or less. I have traveled 700 miles this past week (highway driving) and my bike rode securely without any problems at all!

Very Happy with the purchase of my Saris Bones 805 (2-bike) car rack! I bought this rack after lots of shopping around and doing my research, I found this to be the most helpful, attractive and had many good reviews from multiple sources. I drive a 2010 Nissan Versa Sedan, after a bit of adjusting the arms of the rack, it took no longer than 10 minutes to figure out, I was able to mount my bike in no time. I have a 1996 Diamondback Mountain bike, it weighs roughly 34lbs (pretty heavy, I know), I am able to put both my bike and my friends bike on my rack for a total of 68lbs (MAX: 70lbs), yeah it's kind of pushing it but once the bikes are on, their ON!! This Saris Bones 805 bike rack holds on the car like cement, good luck trying to move it an inch after its mounted, this is the real deal! With 2 bikes on the rack, neither of them touch my car and I'm confident to drive on the highway with them on the back (if mounted properly, make sure to read the instructions!) Now once the bikes are mounted, there is nothing to keep the wheels from spinning, so it is up to you (if you want) to take a few bungie cords and tie down your wheels, I personally think it's easier to drive when the wheels of the bike are not spinning. Overall I'm very happy with my purchase, I paid $150 for this rack and have no complaints at all, I've used the rack at least 6 times since I got it a month ago! It has a very smart design, easy to adjust and how can I forget but a Lifetime warranty as well, you won't be thinking twice once you buy this! Thank you!

The first time we really put this bike rack to the test was during our move. We moved about 600 miles in one day and needed a place for our bikes, so I ordered this about a month before it was time to pack up. I can't say enough good things about iThe only thing I would caution about buying this rack would be if you have a cruiser or other vintage frame bike, or large handlebars. Be prepared to grab a tool and spin your front wheel sideways if you do not want to hassle with getting it on easily or scratching your windows. I have a Ford Freestyle hatchback small SUV with back glass and the rubber feet held well and did not scratch. Don't forget those side straps are labeled (top, side, bottom) so that will save you some trouble.PROS:secures firmly, with no damage to window (or my window business decal)holds 2 bikes with rear basketsvery little wiggle even with wind, no extra cords/bungees neededCONS:cruiser style bikes are hard to get onto this rackDefinitely would buy again...great bargain!

I looked at the Bones carrier largely because it was in every bike showroom I visited, and I figured that must mean something. While choosing a bike I tried out many, and thus visited a lot of bike stores. This carrier was ubiquitous, and it fit my car. I don't have a trailer hitch. And, I can't imagine standing the bike up on the top of the car -- I'm sure to drive under something low and wreck the bike.I've not had a bicycle or this carrier long, so I can't speak for long term use, but so far this is a truly excellent piece of engineering design. I'm not talking about aesthetic appearance, which other reviewers often praise, I'm talking about function. It's solidly made. The adjustment method is elegant. On my sedan it attaches tightly to my car and holds the bike securely. No parts are made of steel so there's nothing to rust. It's an impressive piece of design work. You need to go to their website, and enter your car in the "Get the Perfect Fit" box to see if it fits yours.With the arms folded down it fits close to the trunk, extending barely beyond the bumper - see my picture. And, though it says somewhere not to open the trunk with it attached, I do it with little difficulty. The feet tend to keep the trunk from closing without fussing with them just a little.Someone mentioned being difficult to tighten the hold-down straps. I find holding the buckle release open while tugging on the strap works well and is easy to get them tight.The niggles:After you set it up and use it once it's simple and you won't forget, but the instructions that come with it are inadequate and it's something of a puzzle at first. The chap who says he had it installed and a bike mounted in 5 minutes out of the box is a miracle worker. You can find a setup video for the three bike version on the Saris website. Go to the Bones 3 page and click on the "Installation Video" link in the list on the right. The two versions are close enough to the same this helped me a lot, but the gal doing it slurs words occasionally. Oddly, on the Bones 2 page Saris doesn't link to this useful video, so you have to stumble on it or learn about it here.Some bikes and some cars require special accessories you buy from Saris. They don't make this clear in the ads. For example, women's bikes may need a special bar (at this writing Amazon carries this bar). The bar is explained in the video mentioned above, but who looks for the video before buying the carrier, and other accessories are not in the video. For example, the bike peddle presses against my trunk. In this case they sell a special pad for the peddle to rest on, or you can use something like a piece of rubber to put between peddle and car, or rig something yourself. Right now I'm using a piece of that rubber-like friction shelf paper held on the peddle with a rubber band.If they happen to fall in an awkward place on the bike, the plastic straps that hold the bike to the carrier can be fussy to get undone. One of mine's like this, but after a little practice it's okay.This seems like a lot of negatives but they are all pretty minor and the carrier works great.Edited to add:I've found one problem with this carrier. Occasionally I use it to carry both my bike and various friends bikes. My bike peddles and those of my friends, until recently, have rubber on the outside so this problem didn't come up. Recently, however, I've taken a friend with an old fashioned steel bike with metal on the outside of the peddles. The first time my bike was located on the inside (nearest the car). His peddles were resting against my bike and scarred it pretty seriously. It's only cosmetic but I'd managed to keep it in mint condition 'til then. So, the next time we went I put his bike on the inside and mine on the outside where his' greater weight was near the car and it was easier make sure his peddles didn't rest on my bike. This time it made a jagged cut through the paint on my car.So, the message is, if you use this device take great care with the placement of the peddles on both bikes or make sure the outside is rubber and not metal. Sometimes that's difficult to do, so maybe put a leather sock around the peddles.Edit 2:I used this rack for three years. I quit using it in 2012 because health issues no longer let me ride. In those three years I probably used it 50 or so times and never quit liking it.

So far so good. Only had it for a week but it's doing its job. Although the top atm seems to move a little bit if not secured fully (slightly loose), which causes some minor abrasions to the trunk area.

Very good productPROS-3 strapping points - 2 on top tube, 1 on seat tube-Durable structure with Aluminum core.-Not heavy-Easy to mount and fasten on the trunk-Nice design, when ounted and also when folded. It does not take much space.-Independet support arms allows you to adjust to the frame shape.-Arms can be adjustable to bike height, so you don't get it too close to the ground and not too high up.-The empty rack with arms opened or folded allow you to open the trunk without any obstruction and no risk to touch the back glass.-No scratches or marks, the rubber feet work well-I've used so far 2 times, driven for 60 miles with my bike on it, and it holds perfectly, no vibration or loose bike.CONS-Metal clamps of the straps might hit the car body, when vibrating, so be careful and protect that area. (I used the extra strap to wrap the metal clamp and rubber bands to hold it in place.-Excess of straps needs to be secured somehow, otherwise it will be flying loose-Plastic screw to tigthen the supports does not look so strong.-Plastic straps to hold the bikes, does not have a toch finishing, so it may rub the bike frame painting. (I've seen other brnads with a rubber strap instead.-The straps to hold the rack in place are not so convenient, 6 holding points to fix every time.-There 's nothing to hold the steering tube and front wheel from rotating. You might not like that loose during transport hitting your bumper (I used hook&look straps - 1 to hold front wheel and another to hold pedal and rear wheel)One good thing on the ford fusion trunk is the dedicated holes to anchor the hooks on the bottom (At least I imaginne that' the purpose of them)Easy to mount on the trunk with the straps and clamps.

I bought this particular rack because I have a rear spoiler on my Corolla S and it is difficult to find a trunk rack to accommodate it. The rack is easy to use although I did have a tough time getting it to not touch my spoiler as the rack settled with the weight of the bikes and the straps stretched a bit as I was driving the first time which was a 300 mile trip. I had to pull over several times and cinch it up and it did end up leaving small grooves where the straps were rubbing against the spoiler. I have since made a buffer to set between the rack and my spoiler for future use. I think the more I use it the more I will learn the proper weight distribution of our bikes and placement of the rack which will probably help keep it off the spoiler (it's a fine line, but I'll eventually find the sweet spot). Overall I am happy with the rack and it looks like I have many years of happy biking ahead.

The rack works as it stated; but it was too difficult to put the bikes on and off the trunk. I had no problem selling to to another person. . Some people like to load on their trunk. It is make sturdy. If you take it on and off your trunk often it is sort of irritating. . I do recommend when you take the rack off your trunk to put a sock over each leg to keep the rubber end of the leg clean because that is what goes directly on your car and you don't want to scratch your car with bits of sand and dirt.

This is a great universal roadbike. So far it has worked on every vehicle i have used it on!Honda accord... checknissan sentra... checkmazda hatchback... checkmercedes suv... checkthere were a few more as well, but the point is that it works and it works well.My wife and i have road bikes, and they are perfect. My friends are always commenting on how much they like that it can adjust so freely and it has latches for the top as well as for the side so that it does not swing back and forth so much.I would suggest getting some bunjie cables to keep the front tires from moving around.I did have some trouble getting a couple different mountain bikes on. One was a female bike, but it was very awkward.i like that it is very simple to setup and tear down. IT takes me about 5 minutes to set it up and it is always secure. Nothing has broken yet and it is in great condition still.If you are looking for a good bike rack, this is perfect. you will be able to set it up however way you want to whatever car. I have not heard any humming noises coming from it like you get with some of them.At some points, the straps are longer, but it is easy to tie them up and get it out of the way. I have NEVER had to worry about the bike not being secure.the only reason for the 4 star rating is because it does not work with all bikes. Like i said, with my roadbikes, it is very easy, but some mountain bikes could be awkward and may not fit.--------------EDIT2 years later and this thing is still going strong. I have not found any damages to it, but the only thing i am worried about are the nylon straps getting dry rotted. I can notice it being dry, but not even close to losing its functionality

I bought this rack about a month ago at the same time I bought the first bike I've owned since I was about 13 years old. I am new to cycling and owning any bike equipment. This rack was recommended by the bike store where I got my bike, but I ended up waiting and ordering it from amazon (which came quickly and in great shape).My husband helped me initially set it up for my car which took probably about 20-30 minutes, but since then it has been quick to use. It takes me just about 5 minutes to get it hooked up to my car now, which I do by myself, and then another minute to put on the bike which is really quick. I do have a hard time with one of the straps that goes around the bike frame because it seems the clip is in an awkward position, but I have picked up on tilting the bike a certain way which makes it a lot easier to unbuckle. Now that I have that down I find that the bike is incredibly easy-on, easy-off, which is key because if it were a hassle, I would be incredibly unmotivated to take my bike out of my neighborhood.Having never used a bike rack before in my life, I was definitely nervous the first time I put my bike on and drove away, even though everything felt incredibly sturdy - but it has been great and doesn't seem to move at all when I'm driving. I feel that my bike is safe there while I'm driving.I also really like that this rack will work for my small Acura and my husband's SUV.

We purchased this bike rack in April 2014 for use with a 2010 Honda Fit base model. We've used it on several short trips (<1 hour), and 2 long trips (7 hours each way). On the last 7 hour leg of our last trip, the left upper strap broke and the second bike on the rack started hitting the ground and the bike tire was damaged. The damage to the bike tire was easy to fix, but I am concerned about the potential safety issues if the bike rack fell off our car while driving at 70 miles per hour on an interstate. Therefore, I do not plan to use this bike rack on long trips in the future.On closer inspection, it looks like the black plastic portion that protects the strap from the aluminum tube broke and moved inside the tube so that the strap came in direct contact with the aluminum. Over time with the bumping from the highway, the aluminum cut through the strap. See attached photos of the interior of the tube and the broken strap.I contacted Saris about this, and they sent me replacement black plastic portion and straps for free per their lifetime warranty.

Purchased because I was told it would fit my car, but it didn't...even though sites like eTrailer list it as compatible. If you have a 2013-2015 Honda Civic Si Sedan DO NOT buy this rack instead look towards the even more cost effective Saris Sentinel, that one works and you still get the quality made in the USA Saris name.I would have returned it, but I had to take a hacksaw to the upper support arm to even begin to fit it under my stock spoiler so I could transport my bike in a pinch. There goes $150 down the drain.With that aside, this rack is a amazing rack, it folds up nice, is very sturdy and stable and it holds the bike very nice and snug. The anit-sway loop works very well at not allowing your bike to swing around as you drive. Probably the most commonly used trunk rack at my local trails so that speaks volumes for it.I don't really care for the rubber feet, they scratched the living daylights out of my paint even though both the paint and rack feet were freshly washed prior to installation...I have no doubts this rack will fit your car though if it doesn't have a spoiler or if it only has a simple deck lid spoiler. It is VERY adjustable and can be adapted to fit almost any style of vehicle. It probably will last a long time, you can tell when you pick it up that it is a tank!Note: @Saris, remove my car (2013-2015 Honda Civic Si Sedan) as a listed compatible car to this rack to save others from the frustrations I have encountered. Other 9th Gen Civic models will work, but the Si Sedan will not!

Works on my Lexus IS.My main issue is that it's not complete ... to fully protect the car they should have included anti sway straps for the front tire (as it is now the front tire is permitted to move and hit the car). It's solved simple enough by getting some velcro straps at the hardware store ... I think some should have come with unit.But it works just fine and the rest of the unit is designed very well.

Well designed, especially like the anti sway feature. I wish it had less straps, but I supposed they are all needed. Clips seem tight in the trunk gaps on my Mercedes E350 convertible. On my Lincoln MKX, there is not a hard edge at the top of the tailgate for the clip to attach. I have to 'rig' the clips onto the hatch lead, then it holds securely.

This works as expected and seems pretty sturdy. My only complaint is that one of six clips is defective, the internal spring mechanism seems to be broken as the pin doesn't retract or relock by itself. In fact it takes a lot of pressure to relock it. I discovered that the first time I had it on my car and looked in the rear view mirror to find one of the cables hanging in the air. Luckily I didn't have a bike attached at the time. I also didn't want to go through the hassle of repackeging it and sending it for replacement.Obviously a good product, but I would appreciate a little more quality control on the manufacturer's side.

I'm just not in love with this. It's easy- ish to attach to the car, but the curve of the bike holding arm makes it very difficult to get the bikes on and off. Also have a little trouble securing the bottom feet in the bumper of my CRV even though the manufacture website says it should work for my car.

I'm finding the bike straps to sometimes be very difficult to pull through while loading my bike and and often more difficult to pull out while unloading. It's frustrating and time-consuming, and the car hooks will mark up your car a bit. I'm now looking into having a hitch mounted system.

Warning - i used this on my 4 door accord (white) and the rubber feet scuffed my paint up significantly, leaving black streaks that couldn't be removed. If you care about your paint job, don't buy this type of rack. If you don't care, then it served its purpose. Bikes seemed secure enough.

Put on a Civic SI 2006.. Did not fit very well as rear spoiler was in the way.. I do not see where clear coat or paint damage would not occur at contact points. Especially where all the straps go. And metal hooks on paint edges? MEH! no.I ended up returning and buying a trailer hitch and a trailer hitch bike mount from Amazon.. It only added about $30 to the price and is far more secure. I can leave it permanently attached and still use the trunk as well. Though It did require some installation with tools

This rack won't hold many full suspension bikes. I have a Yeti 575 and with some creative configuration I was able to fit it on the rack, but wouldn't be able to hold another bike. If you have a hard tail you'll be fine but if you have a full suspension bike and there are suspension components in the front triangle you may have a hard time with this rack.The rack seems to be adaptable to many style trunks and hatch backs so I thought it would fit my car (Nissan Maxima) with no problems however there was no way to fit the rack to my car without the straps and clips pulled taught across the spoiler - wound up with some nasty scratches from the 1 time I used this rack.There are plastic set screws on the adjustable arms. I stripped the threads on the set screw tightening by HAND! No I can't even sell the thing...I gave it 2 stars because if you have a bike with a standard style frame, a car with a regular style trunk, and dainty hands, this rack may work for you.

The bike rack has a weigh limit of something like 35lb per bike, which both my and my boyfriend's bike exceeded, but the information wasn't in the materials presented onlnie. I had to return it and get a 3 bike rack instead from a different company.

Just received the Saris 805. Although my car is listed on their web site, does not appear to fit correctly, perhaps due to short trunk lid. Also, the center stabilizer could not be tightened and therefore locked into place - assume its a defect on this particular product piece. Will be buying the Thule 9006XT which I borrowed and works well. Price on Amazon and local pricing are similar, so will purchase at brick and mortar in case there is an issue. Have to re box the Saris, go to UPS etc.

We have a 2006 Honda Accord and two Giant bikes (2015 Roam and Rove). This bike rake does NOT fit both bikes. We purchased an Allen Sports Tension Bar Bicycle Cross-Bar Adaptor to fit on the Rove. No matter which way we fit the adjusted the bikes, both wouldn't fit on the rack at the same time. We tried with the tension bar and without the tension bar.

Product came broken. However, the return was super easy.

Shoddy construction. The various arms are secured by plastic screws. One of the arms would not allow the screw to tighten - as if perhaps the screw receiver was set too deeply into the arm for the screw threads to reach. I tried it with other screws, but the length of the screws is consistent. Thus the screw will not work.

This carrier does not work for my bike because mine is a "girl's" bike - no bar going across top of frame. This seller did not specify in the description - I guess everyone is supposed to have a mountain bike. Too late to return it. I just now got it out since it's been too cold to ride. Very dissatisfied.

I have purchased hundreds of items from Amazon without complaint. However, this is a first time reviewer of a product. I am the recent owner of a hybrid bike and my wife also purchased a woman's bike which could not be loaded on the bike rack due to design of the bike. In order to use the Saris rack, I purchased a bike beam in order to allow the bike to be supported properly on the rack. There is no possible way to load the two bikes on the rack. There is so little space between the two bikes, the pedals of my wife's bike push between the spokes of my bike's wheels. I would risk damaging my bike and the wheels by using this rack. I called customer service at Saris and the representative's reply was not to use the rack if I felt "uncomfortable" but that this should not be a a problem. I was surprised at the poor response and reiterated that it wasn't a matter of feeling uncomfortable but knowing I would destroy my expensive bike if I would listen to his advice and use the rack anyway. The rep then stated that the rack is generic to fit as many bikes as possible but can't promise to fit all scenarios and situations. He then suggested contacting Amazon in order to return the rack. Unfortunately, time has run out on my 30 day warranty for an item never used. I expected a more professional response from Saris with some suggestions on how to resolve my problem. Do not recommend purchasing this item since there is no guarantee it will work for your specific bikes.

Mounting the rack on the vehicle is not an easy process. The rack is not designed for cars with plastic bumpers. The thumb screws that tighten the legs & arms are made of cheap black plastic and can easily be stripped. The Saris Bones 805-2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack is poorly designed.May I suggest you go out and purchase a Thule bike carier, or hitch mount carrier by Thule. You get what you pay for...