I upgraded from the apex 4. While I was thrilled with the more space, it's not enough. It could use 2 3 more inches.

The straps are a huge pain in the neck compared to the old model. It takes much work work to get bikes on and off.

Purchased this 9025 XT Apex a year ago. Had no idea that it would not accept a girls bike. Lost that one due to the straps coming undone due to road bounce. Thought it was me. Then I lost a Trek bike on the highway in VA. There one minute gone the next. Luckily no one was hurt or any other damage was caused. However, I am now looking at over $400.00 in bicycle repairs due to the inability of the straps to maintain the physical security of the bikes during transport. They just come undone. I don't know anyone who wants to stop every 10 or 20 minutes to check the security of their bikes when traveling. One huge headache to avoid. No confidence in this product.

I have had this rack for a year and it is great. It takes a bit to get used to but after that is was easy for me and my wife to put on 3-4 adult size bikes for our weekly outings with family. The rack keeps the bikes safe and secure. We use an adapter for bikes with angled downtubes. Highly recommend.

doesn't fit 4 bikes adult bikes no matter how i put them on very disappointed especially for the money spent .

We purchased this rack when we bought new bikes that wouldn't work on our old hitch rack. No way 4 bikes can fit on the 4 bike rack. Took it back to the bike shop where we bought it and they agreed; only 2 bikes fit. As we travel down the highway, using the 1st & 3rd spots, the more outer bike "slides" around on the bar and comes in contact with the other bike. The bike shop told us we could "glue" the pieces in place. For this kind of money, it should work much better than it does. We also purchased the hitch lock for more security but we really do hate this thing.

Happy to have a bike rack again that locks, last one was stolen from my car in front of my house.
Words of wisdom spend a few more $$ and get one that locks

The Thule Apex XT is a very well made rack. I like how it has an integrated hitch pin and a secure anti wobble wedge for the receiver. The operation of the rack is very simple as far as installation, tilt, and extending the arms.
Now why I don't like this rack,
There is no way to comfortably secure 4 bikes to this rack. Even with the wider space between the mounts. Most modern bikes have wider handlebars, they will contact other bikes. Plus mountain bike frames and most kids bikes will not fit on the arms. I'm buying a new rack that is a tray mount style, these are more expensive but appears to be the only way to transport multiple bikes securely and safely. I will however keep this rack for use in a pinch just because of the solid build quality. If you're needing more than a 2 bike carrier or ride modern geometry mountain bikes please save your money and get something else.

Great quality!!! 2 bikes rack served well for 7 years. And now serving well another family. While I upgraded to this 4 bikes rack

Just got back from a 460 mile round trip camping trip. After reading all of the bad reviews on here I?ve determined that A. people didn?t do their research and are blaming the rack that their bike?s geometry doesn?t fit. A frame adapter is needed for bikes with dropped/sloped top tubes. This fact isn?t unique to this particular rack; it?s simply the design of this style rack and the geometry of the bikes that work with it. Either get the $50 adapter or buy a more expensive platform rack. B. The ratcheting straps, when used properly, work flawlessly. I had 2 adult bikes including a women?s bike with an adapter) and a kids bike and had zero movement, flex, or them coming loose on the 230 mile trip up to our campground or the 230 mile return. This is because I actually used the straps properly and tucked the excess trap into the loop after tightening: there is NO WAY these straps just come loose without improperly securing them and the excess strap after tightening. In fact, I actually found it difficult to loosen the straps after arriving at our destination. People ?losing? bikes off the back while driving didn?t fasten their bikes on securely or properly. Think about it: for that to happen ALL 3 straps would have to fail, the nylon buckle strap that?s provided that you?re supposed to wrap around the frame of the rack and through the bike frames would also fail, as well as the integrated cable lock that you?re supposed to run through the frames. I?m guessing they improperly secured the 3 straps, didn?t secure the excess strap after tightening allowing the strap to move/come loose when hitting bumps in the road, and didn?t use the nylon buckle strap OR the cable lock. You can?t blame the rack if you fail to read the directions and strap your bike on properly. C. Bike geometry is changing year after year and full suspension mountain bikes may not fit this rack without using an adapter. Again, not the racks fault for a bad review, get a platform rack that accommodates all kinds of frames without modification. This rack is designed for bikes with straight top tubes. Don?t leave a bad review if you can?t understand the differences in racks or how to use them. This rack is awesome and I?m glad I chose it. Plenty of space between bikes if you stager them. Integrated cable lock is a great feature.

My previous Thule rack got damaged in an accident so I figured this rack was an upgrade and included a lock.

I was wrong. The cradles have a little flip down bracket for the seat tube with an additional strap. There is not enough room between the frame and shock for it to fit so I can use it. My bike then only has two points of contact that secure it on. That hasn’t been a problem on my previous racks but on this one the bike swings while I drive and eventually the ratchet tab that secured the straps pulls itself inside out and that end of the bike is now bouncing freely while I drive. Most of the time it just scratches the paint on my bike but if the other side lets go, the bike is going to be gone. I contacted support and they told my I needed to buy a $45 aftermarket bar, but that still only gives me two points of support. This is an awful rack, save the money and headache and buy something else.