Roof Rack Vs Hitch Rack Fuel Economy

That s why you ve decided to invest in a cargo carrier.

Roof rack vs hitch rack fuel economy.

Adding any rooftop carrier cargo box or ski rack doesn t come free. The empty roof rack had a nearly 2 percent impact on fuel economy which. Hitch racks by the time you get the whole family loaded up in your vehicle there s no room for all the luggage and gear. With a hitch rack carrying the same two bikes the suv had a 12.

Hitch racks or roof racks which one should you choose. In fact it significantly cuts your highway mileage all the time it s installed whether there s weight up there or not. But that s where you ve found a dilemma. Beyond that the two items tested with the least impact on gas mileage were the paddle board and thule luggage carrier both of which caused about a 19 percent decrease in fuel economy or 5 5.

He compared the gas mileage of his car at 54 7 mph 88 kph with 1 no roof racks 2 an empty roof rack and 3 a mountain bike on the roof rack. For comparison the additional fuel consumption caused by roof racks is about six times larger than anticipated fuel savings from fuel cell vehicles and 40 percent of anticipated fuel savings. As we found when we tested roof and hitch mounted bike racks the suv s mileage on the other hand showed less of a drop. For some people the.