Roof Rack Vs Hitch Rack Fuel Economy

He found that compared to the baseline of no roof rack the empty rack reduced his mpg by 12 7 and the roof rack with a bicycle reduced it by a whooping 27 3.

Roof rack vs hitch rack fuel economy.

With a hitch rack carrying the same two bikes the suv had a 12. With a roof rack and carrying two mountain bikes there was a 19 percent reduction in fuel mileage and 5 percent less when empty. 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. In fact it significantly cuts your highway mileage all the time it s installed whether there s weight up there or not.

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. 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. Hitch racks or roof racks which one should you choose.

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. But that s where you ve found a dilemma. Adding any rooftop carrier cargo box or ski rack doesn t come free. For some people the.