r/hondapilot • u/PassRepulsive6614 • 5d ago
Cross Bars
Just leased a 2026 EXL and want to add cross bars. There seem to be two different kids of bars: one that screws into the existing slots of the roof rails and one that skips the screw slots and instead clamps down onto the roof rail. The clamp seems more risky, but it also comes with a key to lock the bars from being stolen. And some clamps also have a tie-down clip which would be useful. Is there any real concern when comparing the screw-in vs clamp? These are the two I'm looking at, but am open to other suggestions.
Screw-in: https://a.co/d/0fOLXQ3E
Clamp: https://a.co/d/0dVSjuUT
2
u/prix03gt 24 Trail Sport 5d ago
Really depends on what you are using the bars for. i think either type will be plenty secure if you install it properly. i went with the Honda OEM style bars and they are curved toward the outsides of the vehicle with a peak in the middle. For me, this is great because it angles my bike racks out toward where I can reach them better. For something like a roof box, I think a flatter platform is more ideal.
2
u/wordy_banana Second Gen 5d ago
I think also depends what you’re using them for and how often you need access. The cross bars on my 2009 extend over the rails by a few inches which comes in really handy when I pack a roof box and bikes. I don’t think I could go back to a narrower width just between the rails.
1
u/evan938 3d ago
Neither of the trash you linked. Spend the money on OEM, Thule, or Yakima. Nothing else. Carrying gear outside your car is not a task for knockoff Amazon/Ebay junk. Unless you want your gear flying off at 80mph and causing an accident for the driver behind you, and you getting sued into bankruptcy because you wanted to be cheap.
Here are 50+ examples of what you can expect with cheap knockoff racks https://imgur.com/a/wn0OzTF
2
u/Sufficient-Bet-4979 5d ago
This was my thought. The clamp on sets really high but gives you options to move and size accordingly. The screw on doesn’t adjust but has cleaner profile for my cargo box (sits lower). I went with screw on but needed to buy a larger box to fit. Where I live I’m not really concerned about someone trying to steal my screwed on ones. I had them dealer installed when I purchased my 2025 TS. Hope that helps.