mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
As your wife doesn't like the roof idea, I'll tell you my experience. I've a Peruzzo high mount rear carrier, recommended by the car maker - and rack maker of course. It clears the plates and lights. It rests on roof and hatch metal (NOT the glass) and straps to the all sides of the hatch.
Despite trying to clean pads and car before every attachment, it has slightly scuffed the paint, but it's an Italian car in gloss black and has plenty of other scuffs - I suspect looking at it too hard scuffs the paint!
It wasn't much cheaper than good roof bars but it's easier to load the bikes on, I can see them during travel (and when driving through height restrictions) and fuel economy is probably not harmed as much. I live near the coast and I see far too many bike fins waggling around from side to side on top of cars... and I try not to underestimate my ability to make mistakes
