Guys, what kind of options out there to mount the bicycle on Max? I know there are so many different racks out there, $20-300 each.

I have bought this cheap one from K-Mart that is mounted on the trunk lid, but its not cutting it, my bike scratched the paint on the car. Do you think I can buy smthg good enough for like 50 dollars?

 

A good one can't be gotten for $50. The roof mounted ones are the best because you can put other stuff up there like skis or a canoe. The 3 major brands are Yakima, Thule, and Barrecrafters. Personally I have Barrecrafters bars ($150) and a Yakima bike attachment ($75).

 

I have a Yakima with locks on everything, fairing, two different types of bike holders. (My wife didn't want to take her front wheel off.) I think my total cost was about $500 but watch-out for the rust.
I used to have a temporary one that went on the back but after a pedal went through the rear light I kinda upgraded.
The roof style racks are a lot more flexible. There is a steep initial cost but they can be used for ski, bikes,kyacks,luggage racks, etc with a few accessories.

 

thanks guys. Couple of drawbacks to the roof-mounted units. First, is the cost. I can't push 150 on that thing, my bike alone costs 100 bux, I go on a trail on a rare occasion. Second, at my 5'2" height, I may have a problem there reaching for my bike. Third, I dont think I'll be carrying kayak or canoe..

It seems that the only option I have is trunk mounted carrier? But those bastards make the bike so close to the trunk lid it scratches the paint...

 

I have a yakima rack, I might be willing to part with it for 300 or so. You'll need new Q clips (20 bucks). But it has keys for everything, faring, copper head bike attachment x1 with wheel holder, snowboard/ski attachment that will hold 4 snowboards or 8 skiis. I believe that it would cost about 450-500 in all?

 

You should look into a hitch mounted rack. I think it is a great setup.

I installed a Hidden Hitch($90) made specifially for the Max. The hitch is hard to see when not in use. I then bought a hitch mounted bike rack on Ebay($45). The hitch rack holds the bike away from the bumper, nothing touches the trunk at all, and I can still open my trunk with the bike on the rack. When the rack is not needed, just store it in the trunk.

 

I too recommend hitch mounted ones. The roof rack ones are eye sores (no offense) and they produce more drag on the vehicle. Although I have a 4th gen, my hitch fits your car. Only a few slight bolt differences. Anyway, check out my writeup in the 4th gen FAQ on the Hidden Hitch.

 

thanx peeps. Anyone installed the hitch on 5th gen? I know UHaul stores sell/install those. I plan on getting a jetski in a year or two, so the hitch may come in handy.

 

Uh...yea...did you see my sig?

I'd highly recommend the Hidden Hitch brand. I don't know what brand U-Haul sells. The hitches are not hard to install as I did it myself. For the 5th gen you would need part number 60945. If your car was built before March, 2001, then installation is easy because the hitch attaches to the tow hook points on both sides. After March, 2001(like mine), Nissan removed the passenger side tow hook point form the frame. This makes installation trickier because you will have to fish carriage bolts thru the frame to attach the passenger side of the hitch. The driver side still attaches to a tow hook point.

http://www.hiddenhitch.com

 

thanks a bunch. This is a cool solution compared to more expensive roof racks and paint-scratching trunk-lid mounted carriers. BTW what is the kind of the carrier you got that attaches to the hitch? You said $45 on ebay...unlikey I'll be buying anything from E-Bay...

 

I picked up a 2-bike Rhode Gear rack from Ebay. It's the same one selling for $120 at bike shops and it was barely used. Sometimes Ebay has some good deals. The Rhode Gear rack required a 6" extension bar to work with the Hidden Hitch(it's a deep receiver hitch which is why it is hard to see) which I got at a bike shop.