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Buying a 2019 EX - Buy the Honda hitch and roof rails as options? Or buy third-party?

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I'm going to buy a 2019 CR-V, EX trim over the next week or two.

I'd like to be able to put as a big a box as I can get away with on the roof, ideally in a configuration where there would be room for both the box and a canoe (or a bike.). I assume this may necessitate crossbars that stick out a little on the sides.

Additionally, I'd like to have a hitch-mounted bike rack that can fit four bicycles.

In buying my CR-V, should spring for having the roof rails ($399) and the trailer hitch ($508) added? Or are there better/less expensive third-party options I should look into?

Also, what are my best options for adding a big box, and a hitch-mounted rack for 4 bikes?

All advice or input appreciated! Thanks!
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Aftermarket hitches are the best bet since you can get a Class III hitch with a 2" receiver. It's more flexible in what you can use in it. I have a Curt hitch on my '09 and it cost less than half what the dealer would have wanted for one. It was a one-person 30-minute job to install it.

I'm using a Thule 2-bike rack, the 990XT Doubletrack. I think it also came in a 4-bike model. The manager at my bike shop had to modify it slightly since one of our bikes is a Specialized Roll with a step-through frame, and the tube that secures the bike from the top would not go down far enough to secure it. But it is a simple fix--two screws hold the tube on, and it can be moved further down in its mount, and redrilled in its new location. Beyond that, it's so easy to load up and it is way more secure than the old Trek trunk-mount rack I had from the 90s.

This particular Thule comes with a receiver adapter (which is bolted to the rack) so that you can use it in either a 1¼" or 2" hitch receiver. Very secure, no rattling or moving. I've used it at highway speeds with no issues.

(Strange that the 990XT is $100 more than when I purchased it two years ago.)
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