Yakima King Joe 3 Bicycle Rack Road Test

Well,
As much as I would have preferred a hitch-mount bike rack, I ended up purchasing a trunk mount.
Due to a last minute decision to bring our bikes, I needed a rack in a hurry, and the local bike shop had this Yakima King Joe 3-bike carrier in stock for around $130.
Long story short, the rack worked fine on a 1,500 mile road trip up the California coast.

The good:
Economical rack.
Mounts and unmounts easily.
Lightweight and easily stowed inside the car or in garage.
Highly adjustable for a variety of bikes and vehicles.
Fits the Prius well and straps clear the Prius spoiler (2006).
Pads mount on lower portion of back glass (stronger?).
After a few tries, found mounting or removing bikes fairly easy and quick (5 minutes or less).

The bad:
Bikes are not secured to the vehicle with this type of carrier. You can lock your bike, even lock it to the carrier, but anyone with a pocket knife or razor blade can simply cut the straps and take your bike(s) carrier and all. I recomend using an extended cable to lock your bike to the car through the steel eye under the rear corner of the Prius if the bike will be left unattended in an unsafe area.
I was not comfortable with the bike wheels left to swing to and fro. I used two small straps through the wheels to prevent turning of the bike wheels and forks during transport.
It took a bit of fussing around at first to find the position that kept the bikes from contacting eachother or the Prius.

Here's a link to Yakima's website: http://www.yakima.com/Product.aspx?id=107

Here's a link to my rack photos in the Priuschat Gallery: http://priuschat.com/index.php?act=module&..._album&album=76