2020 Subaru Outback Roof Rack Driveway Test | Double cross

There is only one vehicle on the market with a roof rack system like the 2020 Subaru Outback. Literally everything else has either flush-mounted or raised rails where some form of crossbars are connected with "towers" (OK, so there's whatever you'd call this on the 4Runner TRD Pro). While car manufacturers will sometimes include crossbars, quite often it's left to the accessory catalog or third-party companies such as Yakima and Thule. In any event, keeping crossbars on your car regardless of how they are affixed increases wind noise and can harm fuel economy. They can also sully the view out your sunroof, but that's obviously a lesser concern.

The Outback doesn't have to worry about any of that, including buying aftermarket pieces. Its roof rails are the crossbars.

Making this transformation could not be easier. Simply lift up on a little tab, pull the rail out of its round socket and swing it over to the other side. Repeat with the other bar. Plug the rail into a socket on the opposite side. Done. You have crossbars.

Compare that to the process of mounting the Yakima Timberline towers and bars on my 2013 Audi Allroad.

Find bars and towers in garage. Move Christmas tree. Find special Yakima screwdriver thingy. Line up bars to roughly the 32-inch gap Yakima products are designed to fit to. Wrap rubber "band" connectors around the raised side rails and tighten two screws with Yakima screwdriver thingy. Repeat three more times.

Of course, none of that is especially hard. In fact, it's incredibly easy and intuitive once you've set the bars/towers up to fit your car. It is, however, far more time consuming than what you can accomplish in the Outback. You're less likely to take them off, which again, isn't ideal.