pavsci2003

I have a yakima quickback that I've used for years. It's got a flexible fabric wrapped steel cable (similar to a laptop lock) that attaches to the rack and feeds through the back of the deck lid on a sedan trunk that makes it so you can can't pull the rack off the car without opening the trunk. It's not going to stop a pair of bolt cutters, but it's enough of a deterrent. There are also a few places that you can wrap a good cable lock to secure the bike to the rack for security on pitstops.

Ajkollme

I have used both Yakima and Thule products, and have been satisfied with both. My Thule roof rack has been on my car for fourteen years and is bombproof. Plus, most Thule products are manufactured in CT, while Yakima is made mostly in China (if that sort of thing matters to you).

leob1

I only use my trunk rack in an emergency, once or twice a year, maybe. It will scratch your paint, even if you clean were it touches before you mount it. And NEVER take it to the beach.
IMHO a hitch rack is the best option. There is no chance of wiping the bikes off the top of the car. That's not an if, but a when. It's also more areo for the car to not have the bikes on the roof, and they won't get as dirty and bug splattered.
I looked up your cars on e-trailer, the hitch for the Nissan is just over $100.00, the one for the KIA about $130.00. Both had an install time of an hour or less. Probably cost $50 - $75 to have it put on, or do it yourself for free.
As for hitch rack, I'd strongly recommend a tray type, one that doesn't touch the frame. No scratches on the car, no scratches on the bikes, and you can remove and sell the hitch when your lease is over. And you can use a cable to lock your bikes to the hitch. That's a win, win ,win, win!
Good Luck, and Enjoy the ride.

dbrook67

Kurt NV - hitch mount, but works great on my Toyota Camry Hybrid.

jfowler85

Had a couple bikes on a Yakima trunk rack, driving from L.A. to Denver, and it took days to clean out all the crap that accumulated in all the threads and bearings. Get a roof rack.

Walter

We've been doing that for years. Certainly wouldn't leave the bikes unwatched for a long time but deters the opportunistic thief who would snatch and ride.

As far as the rack goes the Saris is excellent.

inspclouseau

I've had a saris bones for years. Never scratched the paint on two new cars now. The straps do scratch the bikes though, but problem solved with some rags on the contact points.

The straps that strap the unit to the car wear though in the Florida sun.

Also watching the bike jiggle on the highway freaks me out and scared the top tube will snap one day so I only use it when I have more than one bike to deal with. Otherwise my bike goes in the back seat.

twodownzero

Thoughts: You can put a hitch on any car. There are hardly any cars for which there are not hitches available that require NO modification of the car to install.

Trunk mounts are not secure, ruin your paint, and are a pain in the butt. Get a hitch mounted carrier. A hitch is the ideal platform to install a bike rack--it's secure and made for the weight, even on a car you'd never tow a trailer with.

Get a bike rack that doesn't touch the frame if you have a carbon bike.

WorldIRC

Probably leaning that route. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm debating between the Yakima Holdup and the Thule T2 Pro. Both have the same MSRP, but I can get a substantial discount on the Yakima through my LBS.

inspclouseau

Is it possible to get a rack that doesn't touch the frame?

I guess roof mount, but I thought only the fork mount roof racks are secure - in which case the rack touches the frame again.

WorldIRC

The two models I listed do not touch the frame (hitch mount)

inspclouseau

Touche, remembered those "platform" styles right after I pressed post. Those probably do make the most sense. Also protects the bikes from debris.

bitingduck

Fork mounts touch the frame where it's supposed to be touched, I generally prefer to use them if possible.

There are also various mounts that only clamp on the wheels rather than the frame. I've used a few and they've all been quite secure. I have a yakima frontloader that I use for bikes where fork mounts don't work well or to avoid having to pull wheels off.

Billy1111

1 up rack