I have a Neon and I rarely use my roof rack for bikes (all the time for kayaks though). Get the hitch mount, you will be glad you did! It might cost you extra, but it is a lot less hassle. I personally use a trunk mount, but...my car has a trunk. If I had a truck/suv I would get the hitch mount, for sure.
I used to load my MTB on top of my s10 blazer I used to have...I'm 5'8 and can easily lift my bike, and it was not very easy to do.
Actually, most of the time if I am just taking my bike, I will take off the front wheel and put the bike in the back seat
