BRIGHTLINES Cross Bars Replacement for 2018-2023 Crosstrek & 2017-2020 Impreza

I mounted these bars on a 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness Edition. As noted by another review, the roof rails on the Wilderness Edition are closer together than the roof rails on the other Crosstrek trim levels. Because of this the rear cross bar must be cut about 3/4 inch shorter and a new hole must be drilled and tapped. If that is something that you are comfortable with it is easy to do because the bar is an aluminum extrusion so it is very easy to cut, and it is safe and easy to drill and tap the new hole because there is a thickened section at the bottom center of the cross bar that extends the full length of the cross bar where the new hole must be drilled and tapped to attach to the uprights. That thickened section is what the original factory screws fasten to so it is designed to hold machine screws. The uprights perfectly fit the contour of the roof rails, and the design was clearly done with an eye toward a nice smooth aerodynamic fit that will not make wind noise as you drive on the highway. The bars are not especially strong or heavy duty compared to something like the round bars on the rack I had on my old car but they are plenty strong enough to hold skis or surfboards or a roof cargo box carrying clothes/luggage.

I mounted these bars on a 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness edition. I am not certain but, the Wilderness Edition roof rails may be mounted closer to center than on the other editions. It might have something to do with the way they are mounted which gives the higher load capacity. The rails have a provision to adjust for width but the range is not very extensive. The front rail will be at the inner limit (shortest position) and the rear rail will be too long. The profile of the rails is the same, it's the width of the rear rail that will be an issue. It's an easy fix if you have some basic tools. Cut about 1/4 inch off both ends of the rear rail. I did this with a hack saw. Wrap the bar with some tape before starting the cut. The tape will highlight a cut line and help to keep the blade in place as you start the cut. Now, when you attach the riser, the inner of the two mounting screws becomes the outer screw. Mark the location for the new inner screw, drill and tap. Even if you had to buy the tools to do this you will have spent less than the cost of a set of Thule bars. The bars are nice looking and sturdy, maybe not as high a quality finish as the other brands but really close. I have no doubts about their ability to hold the typical bike, kayak or ski rack.

These bars are great! Excellent fit and finish. Makes my 2019 CrossTrek look more like a Subaru. Quality materials and look like they will hold up overtime. They worked great with my Yakima ski rack. Only took about 5 minutes to install. Super easy. I only hope they stay looking nice and that the hardware doesn’t rust but it seems they used quality materials. I’ll report back if they don’t hold up but for the price these are an excellent choice. Additionally too they made no difference in ride noise. They are whisper quiet.

I own a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek The good: They look pretty nice and seem sturdy. Distance between front and back crossbars is approximately 24" Front and rear crossbars clearly labelled No major gaps and screws down tight Adjustable bar length if needed** The just OK....plus small issue: Adjustability issue on rear crossbar - the rear crossbar was extremely tight and somewhat difficult to put on. I adjusted it as small as it could go and really struggled to get the bar on....eventually I did get it on. I think if adjustability had been a 1/4 of an inch more (to make the bar shorter) it would have been much easier to put on - I feel like the bar is about 1/16-1/8 of an inch too long (even after adjusting to it's shortest setting). There is a grooved rubber bushing on the underside of the crossbar where it meets the top of the siderails of the car. I was able to squish it down so I could slide the crossbar mount onto the siderails but it was a real b*tch. If the bar could have been adjusted to slightly shorter, it would have been much, much easier to put on. The front cross bar fit nicely and I was able to put it on without any issue at all. *****One thing to note (NOT an issue with the crossbars) - The distance between the front and rear crossbar is only about 24 inches. So if you want to lay a soft roof top luggage bag onto the actual roof of the car and simply use the subaru side bars and these crossbars as tie-down you are sort of limited to a max width of 24 inches from front to back. This is NOT an issue with the crossbars but more an issue with the size of my car....the subaru. I bought a 15 sq ft rooftop luggage bag I was hoping to place within the perimeter of the crossbars and side rails directly onto the roof (along with a roof protector pad) but the bag is way too long front to back. So I may just take off the rear crossbar and leave the front cross bar on as a tie down as that is probably the important bar to keep on (crossbars are not actually required but I thought it would be a good idea.) The bag does also have tie downs for the subaru side rails also. Again, this is NOT an issue with the crossbars themselves but more concerning the size of the bag and fitment on my Crosstrek.

Got the package and 15 minutes later they are installed - very easy, fits 2020 Crosstrek well with no gaps, can shake the whole vehicle from them so they seem sturdy enough to me! There's just 4 screws per bar, all with the same 5mm hex socket (wrench included). Instructions are OK but I recommend not guessing on the adjustable length like they seem to suggest - loosen the adjustment locking screws, put the bar on where you want it, tighten the clamp screws, THEN tighten the adjustment locking screws underneath once it's mounted. This way the clamps will pull the bar to the correct length, no gaps. Looks just like the OEMs for 2/3 the price

I have a 2020 Subaru XV (RHD model for the Caribbean) and I recently installed these crossbars. They were relatively easy to install (by myself only), fit perfectly on the rails, and look good on the car. No additional wind noise when driving, except for when I drive with the sunroof open. I highly recommend these crossbars.

Good sturdy product. Takes a bit of patience tightening being that the screws are on the underside but opening the sunroof made the front rack easier.

Subaru crosstrek 2023, fit perfectly. Has adjustable features and is an easy install. Also compatible with my Thule.

These crossbars fit my 2024 Subaru Crosstrek (Wilderness) perfectly. They also look great, as they are all black and blend in with the side rails and car trim. I was looking for "light duty" only, so these crossbars are great -- in looks, function and price point. Shipping was very quick on top of it all!

Easy installation, good fit on my 2021 Crosstrek

At half the price of the OEM aerobars, these Brightlines do the job just fine. Not sure what the issue was for other reviewers; these were easy to install. As my dad used to say, “RTFM … read the f… manual” The instructions were pretty clear and in about 20 minutes the bars were secured to the rails and solid. They look fine and will work great with the roof box.

I have a 2018 Crosstrek. Took 10 minutes to install both. Super easy, look great, very sturdy. Why other people have problems installing these is beyond me.

Ces barres sont idéales pour mon Crosstrek 2021, elle s'installent vraiment facilement et il n'y a aucun espace, ça fit au mm près! Le look est très épuré et elles sont parfaites pour installer un rack de toit dessus.