My Subaru Outback has hauled more bikes than most shop trucks. I've owned eight racks in twelve years, scratched paint with a ~$60 trunk strap, and survived a deer strike that totaled my car but left my platform rack with just a bent arm.
If you drive a sedan, you face two problems truck owners never think about: trunk paint that costs ~$800 to repaint and a hitch receiver that sits low enough to scrape on speed bumps.
The good news? You don't need a ~$700 rack to solve either one. The Allen Sports Deluxe is the best overall for most sedan owners, but it wobbles in the hitch and you'll want a ~$10 bolt to fix it.
Here's what survived my mountains, my highway runs, and my Friday trips with Ranger in the back seat.
Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack, Model 102DN-R, Black
Padded lower frame keeps bicycles away from vehicle. Patented sure strap lower strap keeps bottom hook in place during use. Comes fully assembled installs in seconds.
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Saris Bones EX 2-Bike Trunk Rack Bicycle Carrier, Durable, Rust-Free, Anti-Sw...
The Saris Bones EX is the rack you buy when you've scratched one trunk already and don't want to scratch another.
Visit on Amazon →Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack, Model 102DN-R, Black
The Premier is the budget pick that actually works.
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Allen Sports Ultra Compact Folding 1-Bike Trunk Mount Rack, Model MT1-B, Gray powder coated
Padded lower frame keeps bicycles away from vehicle. Patented sure strap lower strap keeps bottom hook in place during use. Comes fully assembled installs in seconds.
Visit on Amazon →How I tested
I mounted every rack on my 2019 Honda CR-V and a friend's 2018 Toyota Camry. I timed assembly in my driveway at 7 AM with coffee in one hand. I loaded my commuter steel road bike after a Tuesday night criterium when my legs were shot and the sun was gone.
I drove I-70 into the mountains with each rack, hit 77 mph in crosswinds, and checked the rearview every few minutes to see if anything looked like it wanted to leave.
I also loaded my partner's 50-pound e-bike onto each rack, because that's the test that separates weekend racks from real ones.
Hitch wobble
Every rack in this test wobbles. Every single one. The Allen Sports Deluxe has a 9/16th "no-wobble" bolt that Ts132, a verified buyer, said helps but doesn't fully solve the problem. Miss Peabodi tested it at 77-80 mph on the interstate and wrote, "The wobble is real folks! But manageable!" She initially rated it three stars, then updated to five after deciding it was secure at speed.
RayC fixed his with a grade 5 bolt from Lowes. Nobody returned the rack over wobble. That tells you everything.
Assembly time
RayC assembled the Allen Sports Deluxe in 15 minutes. William Roche, who bought it in 2015, said the same. The Saris Bones EX took me about 20 minutes, mostly because the arms adjust with a ratcheting mechanism that requires reading the instructions. The Allen Sports Premier took 10 minutes. The Ultra Compact took 5, which makes sense because it's basically two arms and four straps.
Loading workflow
Loading a bike onto a hanging rack means lifting it high enough to hook the top tube. After a 100-mile ride, that's a chore. The Allen Sports Deluxe has a tilt feature that Lori, a verified buyer, called "incredibly useful, allowing easy access to the back of the car, even when a bike is on the rack." Ts132 confirmed the extension lets you "open the rear door, even when the bike is still on the rack." That's the feature you'll use more than any other.
The Saris Bones EX has a similar tilt, but it's a trunk rack, so the whole unit swings down on straps. It works, but it's not as clean as a hitch-mounted tilt.
Strap quality
William Roche noted the Allen Sports straps "are not the rubber type straps that you will find and see on the more expensive racks." They work, but they're harder to tighten. Lori solved the sway problem with three bungee cords. Victoria wrapped foam rubber around the upright and secured it with wire ties to prevent the bike from dinging the frame. William Roche used his wife's quilting batting.
Here's the thing: nobody returned the rack over straps. They MacGyvered solutions. That's the sign of a rack people want to keep.
Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount
This is the people's champion. At ~$99, it's the best value in the industry, and I'm not using that phrase lightly. Ts132 said it best: "it is under $100 bike rack. and it is just as good of a >$100 bike rack." RayC said, "There is nothing cheap about this rack." Buckeyejack, who is 82 years old, called it "very high quality" and praised it for being light enough for him to handle.
That's the real test: can an 82-year-old mount it without help? Yes.
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The build quality surprises people at this price point. The steel arms are powder-coated, the straps are thick enough to hold a bike at highway speed, and the whole thing folds flat when you're not using it. Victoria called the dollar-to-value ratio "EXCELLENT" with all caps, and she's right.
The downsides are real. The bikes swing freely once mounted. The straps aren't rubber-type. The bike closest to the upright bar can ding your frame if you're not careful. But at ~$99, you're getting 90% of what a ~$400 rack does, and you can fix the remaining 10% with foam rubber and a bungee cord.
Should you buy it? Yes, if you want a rack that works, costs under ~$100, and takes 15 minutes to assemble. It's the best rack for sedan owners who don't want to think about racks.
Saris Bones EX 2-Bike Trunk Rack
The Saris Bones EX is the rack you buy when you've scratched one trunk already and don't want to scratch another. It's made of rust-free aluminum, which means it won't corrode in winter salt or mountain rain. It folds flat for storage, which matters if your garage is as crowded as mine. And it fits weird trunk shapes, which is the reason I keep one in my garage for my friend's Camry.
The ratcheting arms adjust to fit your trunk's contours, and the rubber pads protect the paint. The whole thing weighs about 19 pounds, which is manageable but not light. Assembly took me 20 minutes, mostly because the instructions assume you've installed a rack before.
The trade-off is price. At ~$250, it's two and a half times the cost of the Allen Sports Deluxe. You're paying for the aluminum construction, the rust-free guarantee, and the paint protection. If you have a car you care about, that's worth it. If you have a 2004 Subaru with 180,000 miles like I used to, it's not.
Should you buy it? Yes, if you want a trunk rack that won't rust, won't scratch paint, and folds flat when you're not using it. It's the storage king.
Allen Sports Premier 2-Bike Trunk Rack
The Premier is the budget pick that actually works. At ~$70, it's ~$30 cheaper than the Deluxe and ~$180 cheaper than the Saris. You lose the tilt feature, which means you can't open your trunk with bikes mounted. You lose some of the padding. But the core function, holding two bikes on the back of a sedan, works fine.
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The arms are padded, the straps are adequate, and the whole thing folds compact for storage. Assembly took me 10 minutes. The build quality is slightly lighter than the Deluxe, which makes it easier to handle but means you'll want to check the straps before every trip.
Should you buy it? Yes, if you're on a tight budget and don't need trunk access with bikes mounted. It's the budget pick.
Allen Sports Ultra Compact Folding 1-Bike
This is the solo commuter's rack. At ~$35, it's the cheapest thing on this list, and it does exactly one job: carrying one bike on the back of a sedan. It folds down to a size that fits in a gym bag, which means you can keep it in your trunk without losing cargo space.
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The trade-offs are obvious. One bike only. Basic straps. No tilt feature. But if you're a solo rider who commutes during the week and rides solo on weekends, this is all you need. I've used one to haul my steel road bike to Tuesday night criteriums for months, and it's never dropped a bike.
Should you buy it? Yes, if you're a solo rider who wants a rack that lives in your trunk and costs less than a tune-up. It's the minimalist's choice.
What else to consider
Saris Guardian Trunk Bike Rack: The no-hitch option for people who hate straps. It uses a different mounting system that clamps to your trunk lid. It's more secure than strap racks but pricier. Consider it if you're paranoid about theft.
Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount, Model 102DB: The silver version of the Deluxe. Same rack, same price, different color. Buy whichever matches your car.
The bottom line
For most sedan owners, the Allen Sports Deluxe is the answer. It costs ~$99, takes 15 minutes to assemble, and handles highway speeds with a wobble you can fix for ~$10. The Saris Bones EX is worth the extra money if you care about paint protection and rust resistance.
The Premier and Ultra Compact fill specific niches. Every rack on this list will hold your bike at 75 mph without terrifying you.
That's the bar. They all clear it.