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I put my Thule rack system on and off as needed - in all it takes 2-3 minutes. I keep my car very clean and waxed/sealed and so far have not had any marring or scratches although I can see the potential. Like the OEM kit, the pin in the door frame mounting plate ensures that the foot is installed in the same location every time and minimizes longitudinal movement. I have not installed the clear vinyl protective sheets but may do so yet. If you go with the Thule system, I would recommend getting two extra wrenches. The stock system comes with two and they are stored in the foot pack's, so getting an additional two means that there will be one in each foot making for speedier installations.
As my car is an S3, I would have needed to make some modifications to the Curt hitch due to the twin exhaust, the hitch would detract form overall appearance of the back end and clearance would have been an issue with some frequency (lots of steep driveways where I live, ferry ramps, road construction and potholes, car park entrances).
There is something very appealing about the OEM rack system and I suspect it is made by one of the big rack manufacturers. For me, I wanted the flexibility of the longer bar systems and intend to make use of the system on other vehicles so swapablity was important.
For what it's worth, if I had an A3 instead of the S3, I would have gone with the Curt hitch in a second. I already own 2 top end 1.25" hitch mount bike carriers and a small utility trailer. I miss not being able to use these but I love having an S3.
There's a lot of good info from other members here. I'll clarify my initial suggestions...
- For functionality, I highly recommend a hitch mount. The noise, lower mileage, and slower acceleration of the car with a loaded roof rack is annoying, especially on long road trips. It's also much easier to load/unload the bikes with a hitch mount. But I totally understand not wanting to mount a hitch on a car for looks. I didn't even consider a hitch for my "nice" car but installed one on my commuter car without hesitation
- Darryl Johnson's mention of the Thule/Yakima setups with a wider bar option is great advice. I've got a Thule square bar roof rack and have mounted a large cargo box and 2 bikes on an A3-sized car because the bars extent beyond the mounting points.
- I can say from experience that it is easy to forget the height of a bike on a roof rack...because a long time ago my bike didn't quite clear the covered area at the front entrance of a hotel. Ooops! The bike was only about an inch overheight so the saddle hit a steel beam and pushed the suspension of the car downward so I made it through, of course, with force. I got lucky because the only damage was to the saddle of one of the bikes.
Geez - pluses and minuses on both sides of this equation. Thanks for the guidance so far.
I spoke with product support at Curt Mfg and they say that the bolts fit the chassis without having to enlarge the holes. But then a 2017 A3 owner on Amazon said that he returned the hitch b/c the bolts just didn't fit without modifying the chassis holes.
Roof racks have the obvious issue with clearance above, but the hitch can introduce it's own clearance problem below.
Geez - pluses and minuses on both sides of this equation. Thanks for the guidance so far.
I spoke with product support at Curt Mfg and they say that the bolts fit the chassis without having to enlarge the holes. But then a 2017 A3 owner on Amazon said that he returned the hitch b/c the bolts just didn't fit without modifying the chassis holes.
Roof racks have the obvious issue with clearance above, but the hitch can introduce it's own clearance problem below.
Need to noodle this some more.
Hehe! If life were only that simple, we'd all be great successes.
Nice to hear that Thule makes a kit for the A/S3 that uses the locating holes above the doors, It's obviously been a while since I looked closely at Yakima and Thule products. One question though: do the Thule crossbars leave sufficient clearance to allow for opening the sunroof? (I never open mine: hoping to postpone what has always been the inevitable leaking in other makes. But the Audi rack system does allow the sunroof to open, in case that's a consideration for you.)
Used all Yakima....Aero Blade, FatCat EVO 4, Highroad bike rack...
I was concerned about how the rack would hold to the frame....I know there are holes in the frame for the AUDI Oem rack to hook the clamps into but when I saw how the Yakima clips hold onto the frame I was sold....There is a separate screw that prevents the hooks from moving out laterally once you've lined up and installed the rack and tightened the screws. To remove the rack you have to loosen the screws in the base of the rack to release the clamps.. Rack was also high enough to clear the sunroof when opening..
Last edited by youngbloodS3; 05-11-2018 at 04:14 PM.
Since I am riding my bike on the roads local to my home (dangerous, narrow country roads with 60+ mph drivers just inches away), I need a rack to get to a better place to ride. So, I may pull the trigger soon.
Although I don't know what my discount will be at my local dealer, there are good prices from Audi dealers on eBay. I don't think he can touch those prices.
Best I can tell, an OEM rack for two bikes will be $700, a Thule (hard to find discounts) will be about $900, haven't priced Yakima yet, and I am just not leaning towards putting a hitch on my car.
That's where I am as of now. Thanks for all the great input!
Apologies in advance if this isn't answering your question, but have you considered a hitch rack instead?
The A3 supports a hitch (example). Note that I'm not sure if the RS3 is compatible, but assuming that it is then I'd suggest you consider the hitch instead. Like many people, I've carried bikes on cars for years and here's what I've learned:
1. You have to be pretty careful and it can be avoided, but a roof rack is prone to scratching when installing or removing the rack, or mounting or un-mounting your bike
2. If you're not used to driving with a bike on the roof, then you run the risk of driving into things too low (like your garage)
3. If you run into your garage, you damage your car, your bike, and your house all in one accident
By comparison, a hitch means that:
a. Your rack doesn't touch your paint
b. Your bike doesn't touch your paint
c. You don't have to worry about driving into things too low
Good luck!
I had a hitch installed at my LBS to use with a Thule rack. It would tend to bottom out at the end of my driveway due to the grade. I had my buddy who owns a machine shop modify the Thule to give it more clearance by cutting/angling & rewelding the horizontal bar to give more of a vertical rise to the rack. Works like a champ.
Thanks for sharing! I have carefully considered both a hitch and a roof rack, and as of now, I am still leaning toward the roof rack. For me, both has pros/cons in almost equal amounts.
I want to do a bit more online shopping when I get the chance, then I'll make a purchase.
I really appreciate all of the help I've received here!
Thanks to everyone here that offered advice. I just installed an OEM roof rack with bike rack attachments. It's a beautifully designed product (thanks to Thule, who builds this gear for Audi). Also, who would have guessed that buying an OEM Audi product was actually less money than the equivalent Thule product!
Came back to offer a little more advice to anyone buying the OEM roof rack and bike rack attachments...
First off, somehow adding the roof rack really compliments the sporty look of my A3 Quattro. Unlike buying a generic Thule or Yakima, the bar ends don't stick out and the OEM is quite beautifully integrated into the lines of the car.
Next, it is so well-designed (thanks Thule!) that it's the easiest/fastest method I've seen yet to transport my bike. It takes no time to attach and go. I love it.
It's quite secure, Audi includes all locks with the purchase - Thule doesn't. Still need to use a first-class bike lock on your bike if you are going to leave it for any period of time though.
Tips:
- Buy a foot stool. I purchased a metal stool from Amazon. Although it's pretty easy to get the bike on the roof without a stool, having one makes it a freakin' breeze. It also makes it less likely that you'll bump your bike into the car.
- Secure your front wheel. I use a simple stretch band and I secure the front wheel to the main down tube on the bike before stepping up on the stool. This keeps the front wheel perfectly aligned when putting the bike up.
- Keep an eye on the rubber slot covers. Those rubber strips that cover the slots in the roof racks keep the racks near silent, but they can come off at speed. I lost one already. If this happens, go to etrailer.com and buy a replacement (a generic Thule replacement) for 90% less money than buying from Audi. If you are OCD like me, consider putting small velcro straps around the bars to secure the covers. Works great!
Hope this helps the next Audi owner wondering about a bike rack purchase.
-bk
05-11-2018, 07:38 AM
The bike was only about an inch overheight so the saddle hit a steel beam and pushed the suspension of the car downward so I made it through, of course, with force. I got lucky because the only damage was to the saddle of one of the bikes.
