[Blue Heron]

Hi. I'd appreciate your best recommendation for make and model of crossbars and kayak rack (for two 10' kayaks) for the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek Convenience with Eyesight.

I won't have the car until December or January, and I need the fold-down kayak rack to clear the 77 3/4" garage door height.

Thanks!

 

[Ender]

I suspect any set of crossbars and any brand of fold-down J-racks will work.

My garage door lifts to 76" and I use Subaru Aerobars and Malone DownLoader J-racks. Just have to remove the yaks and fold down the J-racks to park the car.

The bigger issue I had was making sure the garage-door opener would not hit an open tailgate. For this I had to get a jack-lift garage door opener so there wouldn't be a bar hanging down the middle to hit the tailgate.

 

[Blue Heron]

I suspect any set of crossbars and any brand of fold-down J-racks will work.

My garage door lifts to 76" and I use Subaru Aerobars and Malone DownLoader J-racks. Just have to remove the yaks and fold down the J-racks to park the car.

The bigger issue I had was making sure the garage-door opener would not hit an open tailgate. For this I had to get a jack-lift garage door opener so there wouldn't be a bar hanging down the middle to hit the tailgate.

 

[Blue Heron]

Thanks for the tips, Ender. I'm still waiting for my vehicle! Apparently, I now have to order a 2024. I'll revisit the issue once I'm close to actually getting the new car! Thank you and take care.

 

[Ender]

Hard to believe they are that backordered. But I think you'll love it. Handles great in the snow.

I'm on my second Crosstrek. The first one I got so I could get and transport a kayak. This time I got the Crosstrek Sport to have the 2.5L engine and yes, it really makes a difference. Now I have upgraded my kayaks (Delta 12.10 & an Eddyline Equinox.) They both fit great on the car with the Malone J-racks and I take them out regularly in the summer. Don't be suprised if your next upgrade is a longer kayak!

Kayaking by Ender4733, on Flickr

 

[Blue Heron]

That's a beautiful photo! The Cool Gray Khaki is the sharpest color, and it's the one I ordered back in July. The kayaks look great too. You're right about the clearance for the garage; the key is having folding j hooks. I should not have any issues. The previews of the 2024 Cross trek has Subaru dropping the clearance slightly, from 8.7 inches to 7.9 inches, apparently as part of its strategy for attaining certain fuel efficiency. There are numerous other upgrades too, such as an enhanced Global Platform, noise mitigation material in the roof and so forth. I love this, but of course it'll raise the price, probably quite a bit. Why can't they get the darn computer chips up and running? My sales person says I might be able to order in May, but I'm worried it could be a lot later in the year. I hope my 2013 Mazda 3 holds up until the switch!

Take care