Thule Apex XT 4

Love it! Easy to use, light weight than ones we've previously owned. All the moving components are rock solid, smooth and function with easy. With larger bikes it's a tight fit to get them all lined up right between the handle bars on some bikes being longer, tangling with the brake cables and the pedals fitting in between spokes and rear derailer. That being said, I believe it depends on the types and size of bikes. This product is Solid and Sturdy! We love it and the quality as well as the weight. The hidden and retractable cable lock is a fantastic touch! Also there is a knob on the bottom that has a key lock so the unit cannot be removed.

High quality bike rack, a bit heavier than others, but easy to install. Instructions are just pictures so you'll have to figure out how to interpret the picture instructions. it is very stable on the car with no shaking. Easy to place bike on carrier and it is held securely. I would recommend this bike rack. It's worth the money.

I think I'm one of the few reviewers to have actually purchased this product. This thing is really sturdy. Initial assembly, which only has to be done once, was a little hard because of the tight clearances on the product - if the tolerances were loose it would rattle - but it doesn't. It was also hard because the instructions are all drawings/graphics and have almost no words. I found a video on the web and it helped a lot. I tried to post the link to the video but that is against Amazon rules. You will probably find the same video if you search - and be sure to read the comments attached to the video because it explains how to install and use the keys (which stumped me for a while). It would have been nice if Thule produced a video and put it on the web - but I couldn't find one. The rack is heavy and well built. Assembly is a 2-person job for non-mechanical people. Thule provides the assembly tools and they were OK, not great, but OK. If you have a 19mm box wrench and a 19mm socket it will be easier. Toyota Highlander Owners with the "genuine" Toyota hitch... you need to buy extra parts to get this rack to mount with the vehicle because the locking pin hole in the Toyota hitch receiver is too close to the aft face of the receiver. This product requires that the hole be at least 1.5 to 2 inches forward of the aft face of the receiver. To solve this problem you need to buy a hitch extension and related components to get it all to work together. Here are the parts, all available on Amazon, that you will need... This will add around $125 to the overall cost. If you closely watch all of the review videos out there that "show off" this rack on Highlanders you will see that none of the Highlanders are outfitted with the genuine OEM Toyota hitch - they all use aftermarket hitches. Here are the parts that are needed to make the rack work with the genuine OEM Toyota hitch on Highlanders: Amazon Part 1 (Amazon Number B077SHGWZM) HiTow Trailer Hitch Tightener Anti-Rattle Stabilizer 2" & 1.25" Hitch, Rubber-Coated No Rattle Noise, Corrosion Resistant. Amazon Part 2 (Amazon Number B07PQ6D8G6) TowWorks Keyed Alike 5/8" Trailer Hitch Locking Pin Set - Receiver Lock with Anti-Rattle, fits Class III - V Hitches with 2" and 2.5" Receivers, 79632 (I got the two lock set - you only need one - getting just one will save you a few dollars) Amazon Part 3 (Amazon Number B007448NC2) FHK45054 Receiver Hitch Extension with 4" Drop/Rise, Black (I bought the FHK45054 but I think the FHK45058 would work better - Meyer FHK45058 Receiver Hitch Extension with 2" Drop/Rise, Black - it is Amazon Part B008R572HO). Line up the middle hole in the extension with the hole in the hitch receiver. You need the Tightener Anti-Rattle Stabilizer to keep the extension from rattling in the receiver. Once it is all together it works great. We knew, in advance of buying the rack, that we would need the additional parts. Because this purchase is a lot of money we downloaded the Thule instructions for the rack before making the purchase decision, and we discovered that it wouldn't work with the Toyota OEM hitch - so we knew what we were getting in to and hopefully you will too. So this rack is rock solid and well built but some of the features (like the keys and locks) I think are not as robust as I would have liked. I think it will last and do what I want it to do for our family bicycling adventures. The unit is expensive, and you need space to store it when it's not mounted on the vehicle, but so far so good!

I've had many bike carriers over the years. Cutting to the chase, this is by far the best carrier I've owned. It's advertised as a 4-bike carrier - that, however, I'd like to see. It does mount 3, large bikes fairly easily (with a little creative nudging and fudging) - but it is possible. Four bikes? I just can't see it. Nevertheless, this unit mounts rock-SOLID (no "dancing" bikes) and has a safety cable that's EASY to use. So, no bikes are going to be flying off the back of your carrier (as did one of our bikes just a few weeks ago using a different brand of carrier!) The ergonomics of this carrier are phenomenal - well thought-out and engineered. Easy access to the vehicle's rear door / tailgate, etc. via an easy-release lever. Also the arm (on which the cradles are mounted) folds down and locks into place neatly when not in use. The bike cradles are a bi-mount format that lock the bike securely to both the cross-bar and center post, so no bike swaying. Compatible with both 2" and 1.25" receivers - no adapter needed due to ingenious design. I love it - don't bother looking further, this is the one!

Bought this for my daughter and only unboxed and put on her vehicle. The unit seems sturdy and well-built. We scratched our heads a little bit before installing on just how it fastens to the hitch receiver. Basically slides in then wedges itself in with screw threads. A bit sceptical at first, once tight it held nicely and has a secondary pin that goes into the normal hitch pin hole. So once the smoke cleared, it installs solidly into your hitch so that you don't have the worrying wobble or movements if held in with just a thru-hitch pin which always has some slop. And looking in your rearview to see your bikes wobbling around is never confidence-inspiring. So, while that is all the experience I have, I like this. I'd buy one for my own use. Also the bike attachment stuff looked confidence inspiring as well, just didn't try it!

This is my second Thule bike hitch rack. A good product, in my opinion, but. . . I am not an engineer, but the straps provided to secure the bike to the rack appear to not be anywhere near sturdy enough. On my first use of the product, I could see in my rear-view mirror while on the freeway that one of the straps had come loose--I was able to pull over in time because the second strap held. The strap that did not hold appeared to strip/pull right through from the buckle--which is a plastic type material. I have remedied this situation by using ball-type bungee cords to reinforce the bike to the contact point on the bike rack. So, in addition to the strap provided by Thule, I use 2 additional bungee cords to secure the bike to the rack. Since then it appears to be safe and secure. On my old Thule rack, I would use bungee cords also to reinforce the rubber straps that came with the old rack. On this new one, however, I was assuming that the straps were new and improved and that reinforcement would not be necessary.

The rack is fine on a two inch hitch, easy to put on. The bikes have to alternate because on each of the four bike positions there is a piece that flips down and is supposed to sit along the seat post tube with another strap to prevent swinging. The flip down piece does not fit between my top bar and my shock. As a result, I cannot use the flip down piece and and I can only anchor my bike along the top two rests for the top bar. Because of this the bike swings terribly as I drive. Most of the time one of the straps pulls the slip inside out and half of my bike is unsecured, bouncing along the bars. If the other side had come loose I’d have lost my bike on the freeway. I had to buy some Velcro straps as additional ties because the patches don’t hold. Even then, as tight as I can get them, the bike comes off the top bar rest on one side on most drives. I have owned a couple Thule racks before this and this one is BY FAR the worst one I have ever owned. I thought I could make it work but this thing is awful.

LIKE: 1) like the ease of placing it on my hitch 2) swaying mechanism to access trunk - very easy and seems to be sturdy 3) locks: hitch lock and bike lock 4) stable - no swaying when mounted and fully loaded 5) seemingly a good quality (time will tell) DISLIKE: 1) fixed (screwed on fixed) positions of bike holders - no way to move them around to address different configurations. By screwing them on THULE is addressing the previous model issues where they slid across the rack during the drive. I expect such solution from my local carpenter, but from a reputable company I expected more. 2) straps that secure biked to bike holders. #THULE really dropped the ball hon these straps . - Straps are not that flexible (they are more plastic-ky than rubbery) making sliding the bike across straps a big hassle as they are on the way (perhaps THULE expect us to remove straps completely every time and only place them when the bikes are on ,but that would take time and it would likely result in lost straps. - To secure the straps across bike frame is very easy. But., to unlock the straps to remove the bike - phew, it is hard and it takes multiple tries. Perhaps it will get easier with time, but I doubt it as it is evident that design is flawed : to push the strap locking mechanism to unlock one has to secure the strap from moving bu the strap easily spins as it slides across bike's metal. Three hands are needed. BOTTOM LINE: I am thinking about returning it. They over-complicated the strapping mechanism. resulting in frustration. When I want to go biking I want my bikes on and off in quickly- -not to spend 10 minutes unloading them . The previous version had bike holders sliding but the straps were easier to use (my neighbor has it) . I also have have a cheapo ugly looking Bell bike hitch rack ( worse quality than Allen that can be found on Amazon ) but it still works. and it is much easier to mount/dismount your bikes . I can't use it anymore as it sways to much when driving. Oh well, I didn't know that hitch mounted bike rack is so difficult to perfect. For the money paid I am rating it 3.5 stars. If I decide to keep it and straps get easier or something changes I will give an update.

Es tal cual las imágenes, bastante resistente, solo tomen en cuenta el cuadro de las bicicletas que piensan montar, no todos los cuadros le quedan, la entrega fue súper rápida, 2 días.

Gran calidad, fácil de colocar y tiene gran seguridad.

Todo chido

Solid product with a sturdy build and reliable performance. We've been using it for almost two years and are very satisfied with the purchase. Just a note—mounting four adult bicycles can be a bit tricky. For best results, alternate the direction of the front wheels (right, left, right, left). Smaller kids bikes with wheels under 12 inches don't fit as well, but with some adjustment, it's still doable.

Excelente producto, construcción muy robusta. Perfecto para 4 bicicletas aún con suspensión trasera ya que está complicado el ponerlas pero aún así, se puede.