Personally, I never understood all the criticism of the factory bars on Outbacks. I thought they were great and without any of the issues of the supposed aftermarket leaders. I have a Thule system on my trailer and I do not like it one little bit. I can understand that if you want to carry 4 bikes or the like, the factory crossbars won't cut it but who wants to carry 4 bikes on the roof anyway?
When it comes to baskets, the key to any setup is to make it as light as possible, doubly so on a Subaru (or a Wrangler) due to payload restrictions.
So, I used a big 150$ basket which I got for under 100 on sale. It could fit more than I had use for.
Now, this is in the US where over-landing is a choice, not a need when going out.
Even so, an overland style basket or rack can only justify its exorbitant (at least in the US) price if it increases the load capacity beyond the 150lb factory total.
If you are stuck with factory roof payload capacity, there is no point in replacing the rack or getting an expensive basket.
100$ will do just as well.
After all, if we are talking 2 people, the roof is only needed for gas, tools, and the like. If we are talking more than 2 people...unless you have perfected the art of minimalist overlanding, you will need something with more payload than a Subaru.
