Do you want to find roof racks or crossbars for Toyota Prius? If you do, you can find compatible roof racks in this article and learn how to install them on your Toyota Prius to carry all you need for outdoor journeys.
Why do you need roof racks on Toyota Prius?
There are several reasons why you should add roof racks or crossbars on your Toyota Prius or any vehicle:
1. Additional Storage: After installing roof racks or crossbars on your Toyota Prius, you can create extra storage space on the car roof and carry items like bikes, luggage, camping equipment, golf clubs, skis, snowboard, kayaks, canoes, spare tires, mattress, furniture, and more.
2. Reduce the drag from air moving past: modern roof racks or crossbars are better with aerodynamic designs and shapes to improve gas efficiency and minimize wind noise. Consequently, with modern roof racks installed, you won’t waste extra money on gas or hear too much wind whistling.
3. Safety: Most high-quality roof racks or crossbars are sturdy enough to hold up to 165 pounds of items, but you should always follow the car roof loading limit to pack things on the car roof. When choosing roof racks or crossbars, you better use OEM or high-quality third-party products to prevent unexpected accidents during trips. Modern roof racks or crossbars have locking systems to keep your belongings safe, and you can follow another article to find more strategies to add security to rooftop cargo carriers. You can find roof loading rate in car manuals.
4. Versatility: With roof racks or crossbars on your Toyota Prius, you can use a variety of roof-mounted cargo carriers to transport almost everything you need on outdoor adventures. Most outdoor enthusiasts use roof racks to carry items for road trips, camping vacations, skiing trips, kayaking events, bike hiking trips, and more.
5. Convenience: You can free up the passenger room and trunk space in your Toyota Prius by packing belongings on the roof racks with a rooftop cargo box, a soft cargo bag, or a roof-mounted cargo basket. You can invite more friends on a road trip and bring enough luggage for your road needs.
These are the five most-mentioned reasons for people who wonder whether they should use roof racks on their Toyota Prius.
When choosing roof racks or crossbars for Toyota Prius, you must know that your Toyota Prius has a bare roof without existing roof rails; thus, you must select compatible crossbars and mounting kits to build a roof rack system for a Toyota Prius. If you don’t have time for the DIY installation, it is better to contact your local Toyota dealer to order OEM crossbars and accessories to make everything easier. However, If you decide to use third-party crossbars, you should use suitable and high-quality roof racks.
Roof Cargo Boxes For Toyota Prius
Quick-Pick List of 3 Roof Racks or Crossbars For Toyota Prius
We found some options for Toyota Prius with bare roofs: Option 1
| Image | Items | Links |
|---|---|---|
 | Rhino-Rack Vortex Aluminum 49-inch Crossbars with lockable End Gaps | Check Price on Amazon |
 | Rhino-Rack 2500 Mounting Legs with locks – you need 4 legs to build up a roof rack system | Check Price On Amazon |
 | Vehicle Fit Kit For Toyota Prius | Check Price on Amazon |
Roof racks or Crossbars For Toyota Prius with bare roof option 2
| Image | Items | Links |
|---|---|---|
 | Thule WingBar EVO 53-inch | Check Price On Amazon |
 | Thule EVO Clamp Legs for WingBar EVO | Check Price On Amazon |
 | Specific Vehicle Fit Kit 5029 For Toyota Prius | Check Price On Amazon |
Roof Racks or Crossbars For Toyota Prius with bare roof Option 3
| Image | Items | Links |
|---|---|---|
 | Yakima CoreBar Aerodynamic Steel Crossbars 50-inch option | Check Price on Amazon |
 | Yakima BaseLine Mounting Towers For CoreBar – you need four | Check Price on Amazon |
 | Vehicle Fit Kit 8006169 | Check Price on Amazon |
| Vehicle Fit Kit 8006123 | Check Price on Amazon |
Compare Price on Ebay:
Search Rhino-Rack Vortex Crossbars on Ebay
Search Thule WingBar EVO roof racks on Ebay
Search Yakima CoreBar on Ebay
Detail of 3 Compatible Roof Racks or Crossbars For Toyota Prius
Rhino-Rack Vortex Aerodynamic 49-inch Roof Racks
You can consider using the Rhino-Rack 49-inch model and two designated accessories on Toyota Prius with bare roofs. Vortex crossbars are two aero and aluminum-made rooftop rack bars that can stand on top of the car roof and hold cargo weight up to 165 pounds.
The Rhino-Rack Vortex roof racks work on many car models with different sizes, but you should use the 49-inch option on your Toyota Prius to perfectly match the width of the car roof. You can use long crossbars, but you should ensure the ends of a bar don’t extend to exceed the edges of two side mirrors. Therefore, the 49-inch model is the best choice for Toyota Prius drivers.
Rhino-Rack Vortex roof racks are one of the most aerodynamic crossbars on the market because of their thin and oval body, which effectively cuts the airflow and pushes airflow around the bars to minimize the waste of gas consumption. In honesty, there is not too much worry about the extra gas mileage or the wind noise because most modern rooftop cargo carriers have aerodynamic designs to eliminate the wind effects and free up users from the wind noise issue.
After having Rhino-Rack Vortex crossbars on your Toyota Prius, you can mount almost all kinds of roof-mounted cargo carriers on these bars and enjoy different outdoor activities. Rhino-Rack builds the Vortex bars with lightweight aluminum materials and an H-shaped internal structure, so the crossbars are sturdy, anti-dirt, waterproof, ultra-light, and a protective and anti-slip platform for your cargo.
Rhino-Rack offers plastic locking systems on Vortex crossbars to prevent stealing. However, If you don’t have confidence in plastic locks, you can find metal replacements and add security to your properties. The Vortex crossbars’ dimensions are 49 x 3-1/8 x 1-3/16 inches (long x wide x high), and you can use these numbers to estimate if the bars fit your Toyota Prius’ roof size and the clamps on your existing roof-mounted cargo carriers. You can adjust the distance between two crossbars to meet the requirement of specific roof-mounted cargo carriers.
If you consider making the Vortex roof racks work on your Toyota Prius, you must get two more accessories: four Rhino-Rack 2500 Mounting Legs and Custom DK Fit Kit DK467.
The Rhino-Rack 2500 Mounting legs also come with locks, and these mounting towers are nylon-made components, which are UV-resistant and waterproof. After getting the Rhino-Rack 2500 mounting legs, you must also order the DK467 Fit Kit to make the Vortex bars compatible with your Toyota Prius.
The DK467 Fit Kit has 4 pads and 4 clamps to connect with the 2500 mounting legs and hook on your Prius’ door jambs with the protective rubber pads underneath. When you don’t need the roof racks, you can disassemble them and store them in the garage with proper protections for better future outdoor enjoyment. However, before storing roof racks, you must clean and maintain them to increase their lifecycle and improve smooth working functionalities.
With these three items, you can build a roof rack system on your Toyota Prius to carry cargo on the roads.
What you need
Rhino-Rack 49-inch Vortex Crossbars – a pair
Four Rhino-Rack 2500 Mounting Towers or Legs
Vehicle Fit Kit DK467 For Toyota Prius
Thule WingBar EVO roof racks or crossbars
It is the second option that you can use to equip your Toyota Prius and build up a roof rack system for carrying cargo on the car roof. When choosing the Thule WingBar EVO crossbars, the 53-inch option fits your Toyota Prius’ roof width; additionally, the Thule WingBar EVO bars have two color options: black and silver. You can pick an available color to match your Prius’ style and make your sedan looks attractive with the roof racks on.
The Thule WingBar EVO is another ultra-aerodynamic option that won’t produce unbearable wind noise and create extra waste on gas mileage. If you decide to use aftermarket products, the Thule racks are trustworthy, reliable, durable, and reputable. When we make a choice between Rhino-Rack and Thule roof racks, it is hard to make a choice because both of these options are high-quality crossbars that are strong enough to handle heavy-duty jobs; however, you must know your Toyota Prius’ roof loading limit.
The Thule WingBar EVO crossbars’ dimensions are 53 x 3-1/8 x 1 inch or 134 x 7.93 x 2.54 cm. You can use these numbers to check if you can clamp your existing roof-mounted cargo carriers on the bars.
When installing the Thule WingBar EVO roof racks on your Toyota Prius, you must purchase specific mounting legs and vehicle-fit mounting kits to finish the hassle-free installation in under half an hour. With the proper measurements in the installation manual for specific vehicle models, you can place the mounting legs on the bars and attach the vehicle fitting clips on the mounting feet to complete the entire assembly process. During the attachment of roof racks, you must be aware of the bar spreads and make sure you set the distance between two roof bars meets your existing rooftop cargo carriers’ requirement.
The rubber-coated fit kits protect your Toyota Prius’ door jambs from scratches, and these clips are easy to place on the mounting towers with a torque tool; however, when twisting the torque tool, you can hear an indication sound that tells you when the tightness is in good condition.
What you need
Thule WingBar EVO roof racks – a pair
Thule EVO compatible mounting feet – four
Yakima CoreBar Roof Racks Or Crossbars
It is the third option that we pick for your Toyota Prius. You can use a pair of the Yakima CoreBar crossbars with compatible Yakima mounting legs and Prius-Fit mounting clips to build a complete roof rack system and transport gear or luggage on an empty Toyota Prius roof.
The Yakima CoreBar roof racks or crossbars are oval-shaped, aerodynamic, vinyl-coated, alloy-steel-made rooftop crossbars with multiple length options for different vehicle models, and you can choose the 50-inch option to be the roof racks on Toyota Prius.
The Yakima CoreBar’s dimensions are 50 x 2-3/4 x 1 inch or 127 x 6.98 x 2.54 cm. With these measurements, you can clearly understand how long it will be on your Prius’ roof and if it fits on your existing rooftop cargo carriers’ mounting hardware.
The CoreBar is a heavy-duty option because it is sturdier than aluminum crossbars. You should combine a pair of Yakima CoreBar crossbars, four Yakima BaseLine adjustable mounting towers, and four compatible clips to get an entire Yakima roof rack system for your Toyota Prius.
On each Yakima BaseLine mounting tower, you can find a BarSeat to work with all Yakima crossbar series. After fastening specific adapters to the mounting legs, you can secure each bar on two mounting towers. Then, you can attach the vehicle fitting clips to mounting towers and get ready to set the Yakima roof rack system on your Toyota Prius.
What you need
Yakima CoreBar Crossbars 50-inch
Yakima BaseLine Adjustable Mounting Legs
BaseLine compatible vehicle clips 8006123
BaseLin Compatible Vehicle Clips 8006169
Conclusion
You can use this article to find compatible roof racks or crossbars for Toyota Prius and make your vehicle ready to haul luggage, gear, furniture, and equipment on its roof with rooftop cargo carriers like cargo boxes, bags, baskets, and more. It is always a good idea to contact the local car dealer for advice and order OEM items for your vehicles; however, there are aftermarket, high-quality, and trustworthy car accessories with friendly price tags to increase your Toyota Prius’ storage capacity.
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