I used to be a Yakima guy, but since I've installed a few racks working at REI, I now say go Thule. Yakima's quality seems to be dropping - we've had some problems with Q-towers not wanting to work properly. Also, I had a Viper and the metal clip that clamps the front of the carrier to the bar snapped off. If this had happened while my bike was on it, I would be extremely pissed off. I returned the Viper and got a V2 (which will fit either system). Much better design. If you are concerned about where they are made, Yakima is an American company but the parts are made in Mexico. Thule is Swedish but has a factory in the USA.