Permanent hitches - do they affect MPG's?

It almost certainly does, I suspect not enough to be noticeable over the uncertainties in the equation.

 

I've had one for the last 20,000 mi. ....can't say I can tell any difference.....but, I would agree; it probably doesn't help......

 

Certainly the weight is < 30lbs, so weight is no issue. Since the the thing is attached under the rear bumper, I can't imagine ant impact on the aerodynamic, my thought is there would be so small, if any impact it's simply no concern. There are other concerns but not MPG's.

 

The Tork hitch is mostly tucked inside, so it should have less impact than those where the crossbar is exposed. I haven't noticed any reduction, but am not in a position to do rigorous A/B tests. It is more expensive than others.

With the rack and bike attached, highway mpg does drop quite significantly.

 

I can't tell any difference in mpg. I have a Curt hitch. I think the weight is a much bigger factor than aerodynamic drag but the tow anchor that is removed from the left rear when installing the hitch is a heavy piece of steel so that mitigates the weight of the hitch somewhat.

 

on longer distance drives (most of my commuting is short) i can still achieve above 45mpg. I've had my hitch on "forever" and i also have 17" tc rims... shrug.. i notice no difference. with a bike rack attached, i noticed a big difference.

i tend to not speed on the highway... my brother does get better mpg than me when he travels at high speeds... so maybe in the end it only really effects at higher speeds (i rarely go above 70mph)