I too have the Forester, but I opted to by the hitch and a Thule bike rack. The hitch cost about $115 and the rack was $95. About an hour + to install both. Was originally going to just do a roof rack, but I like the idea of having the 1-1/4" hitch for whatever/whenever I need to tow something. IMHO, well worth the money. Also, the rack I got pivots away from the car, so you can still get into the back hatch.