I have recently purchased the Whispbar system for my Prius. It does not make any noice. I have not gone so far as to check whether it is better on fuel economy. I am amazed that this rack does not make noise. There is no whistle, humm, or any sound that is normally associated with an aftermarket roof rack. Message me and I can provide pictures and purchase information.
psherman82, :welcome: to PRIUSchat. :cheer2: You can post links after 10 posts... or you can spell out the "dot" or put spaces in the address to get a link past the filter... no big deal. Anyhow, here's some info for the folks at home: Manufacturer: Whispbar - NZ's Quietest, Most Fuel Efficient Roof Rack System Long review from an Audi forum: LONG Product Review Whispbar - AudiWorld Forums Looks like it's worth considering if you need a roofrack. Thanks. [Edit] Please let us know what the MPG hit is. (Yes, I know, I am nice person-u-ming there will be a hit. I would be difficult to think otherwise... I also presume that you are not connected with the product in any commercial way... right?)
I am not affiliated with Whispbar. The only connection is that I sometimes work at a place that sells and installs Thule/Yakima/Whispbar/Inno racks. I have expert experience with all rack types so I know which ones work better than others. I have pictures posted in a folder in the photo albums. I tried to include them in my original post, but I could not figure out how to do that. I am offering my knowledge to anyone that has a question in regards to a Prius or any other roof rack/hitch question. My email is phillip@parkabikedotcom. This forum is new to me so please inform me if I am overstepping any boundaries. Thanks.
Psherman, Thanks for the come-back. As least on this forum, it is best to be open about any connection that you have with a product that you are introducing or making assertions about. Things have been known to get really ugly when a commercial relationship is revealed later in a discussion... I am not a Moderator, just a member interested in keeping things on the up-and-up. Just to be on the safe side, you should review our commercial seller policy: http://priuschat.com/forums/sponsor...uy-commercial-advertising-posting-policy.html Likewise, the owner of the company you work for may wish to contact our forum owner to get the Whispbar into the PRIUSchat store. You would be doing the Wispbar and our members a great service if you could do some A-BB-A type testing to determine the MPG hit of the rack. (Runs under identical conditions with, without, without, and with the rack.) It's a real pain in the butt, but a highly desirable baseline when the roof rack or the support bars are permanently installed. How to properly test modifications (AKA: don't believe every MPG claim you read)
Rokeby, Thanks for the reply. I too want to make sure my position is understood. What I am trying to do is offer my insight to anyone what has a question regarding any roof rack out there. I deal with it on a daily basis when people call and get upset because they have wasted their time and money when they were misinformed on their purchase. There are a select few companies in the US who specialize in the roof rack business. These are companies that are certified Thule/Yakima/Inno/Whispbar dealers. These are the businesses that forum members should be going to and trusting. Please let me know how I could be of assistance without crossing any lines. I want to make sure that I stay in the good graces of this forum.
The rack looks very nice and subtle, I really like it! Been going back and forth with a Yakima/Thule but they do look a little bulky on our Prius'. The costs is also up there as well. How much did that run you and does Whispbar have additional racks for attaching bikes? Hopefully this is a cheaper alternative to the Yakima/Thules....
Sorry for the time it took me to get back to you. The entire rack retails for about $390. It attaches with the Whispbar version of clips. In case some if you did not know, Yakima recently acquired the Hubco (Whispbar) brand. This might make some people more comfortable in choosing this or another rack option.
