My road bike fits with the seats down but I do have to remove them if I ever want to transport my beach cruiser. A rack would be more a matter of convenience. I'm short, so my arm reach isn't very long. I tend to have to put the bike in the car, and then crawl inside to pull it all the way in. It's a little awkward and I probably look pretty funny.
I'll try REI and my bike shop. I was just in REI today. Wish I'd thought to ask them then!