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Rooftop cargo box

260K views 345 replies 159 participants last post by  ryank 
#1 ·
Hey guys/gals, any suggestions of the best rooftop cargo box for the 2015 OB? Best bang for the buck? The family has taken a trip to Florida, the cargo space in the back has been great but we usually make our way up to gatlinburg/ the smokies each year too. When we do we take our dog. We will need the rear cargo area for him and will need a rooftop system for our stuff.

Thanks for any help!
 
#2 ·
It's hard to beat the Sears xCargo Sport 20 in the "best bang for your buck" arena. It is a HUGE 20 cubic foot box for $200. It is made by SportRack/Thule. I have had one for seven years and it has been great. After some harsh winter use (salt/snow), I finally just replaced the mounting hardware for about $30. We have used it on a VW Golf, Scion xD, Mazda5, and the Outback.

 
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#11 ·
It's hard to beat the Sears xCargo Sport 20 in the "best bang for your buck" arena. It is a HUGE 20 cubic foot box for $200. It is made by SportRack/Thule.
I use a big, if not quite 20, SportRack from Autozone for under 250. It looks fine, if not as fancy as brand-name models. Extremely happy not to spend several hundred dollars on such an item!
 
#3 ·
Hello, I went with the Thule Hyper, for my 15 outback, the hyper is more expensive but built a little stronger than the others, I needed a little longer box for my skis , I think the next model down the Thule Sonic, looks great ( maybe better than the Hyper, because of the silver X on the top of the Hyper) and has the same amour of space! I picked it up on a 20% off sale, which helped a lot . note the Yakima boxes with the textured surface looks great as well and the texture also doesn't show hand prints , like the glossy paint on all the others.
another great choice is the Inno brand, but they are not as tall and do not hold as much cargo.....
 
#4 ·
Been really pleased with my Yakima Skybox 18. Tie downs in and such. You can get it in platinum and the black I have. Tons of room. Great price as well. Also have the Skybox 15 and sold a Rocketbox 12. Obviously been real happy with the Yakima brand. The Thule hyper Wasabi mentioned is extremely nice as well (Kind of a step up). Just didn't want to go that much money and I wanted more room (even thought they have a hyper 612 xl that is around 17 cubic feet but it is right at $1k). Here is the 18 on my 14 (and my rear gate did NOT hit box like so many people said they had problems with).

 
#5 ·
REI will periodically have 20% off sales on Yakima and Thule. I bought the Skybox 18 Carbon for about $430 incl. tax, and the Skybox 16 was about $370. They are made well and I preferred them over the equivalent Thule. Wait for the next sale if you can.
 
#7 ·
Hello again
Just a thought, I forgot to mention the main reason I went with the Thule versus the Yakima Box, The Thule box has a Nose that is more aerodynamic. ( gas cost enough).
both brands look great, and serve there purpose well!
Ill post some pictures one of these days.
 
#8 ·
Awesome, thanks for your help. I'm like most people, meaning that I want the most spacious box, that looks the best, but also cost the least AND has the best aerodynamics! :)

Unfortunately, that doesn't exist. I dont mind buying things new (Bought the OB new!), but for something that will be used only occasionally, I'd rather find a gently used one. I will probably keep an eye out on craigslist and see if I can get lucky on a nicely priced cargo box in good condition. If I dont find one before our next trip, I may end up just buying one that I think I would like new.

I guess one question I havent asked, is what would you guys recommend for size (cubic feet)? We wouldnt be using for skis (No snow in Alabama!). At the moment, It wold be my wife and I along with our 1 year old and a dog. Maybe plan a weeks worth of stuff. Minimum size recommendations? When does it become too big for practicality (I would like to be able to install and remove by myself or with some help from my wife)?
 
#10 ·
Fall Colors , My Outback with Thule Hyper Cargo box

I think the thule Sonic Large would have been a good choice for me except the box wasn't long enough for some of my skis, the Hyper is suppose to be 17 cubic I believe, Im not a fan of the silver X on top, But it serves my purpose!
 

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#92 ·
I think the thule Sonic Large would have been a good choice for me except the box wasn't long enough for some of my skis, the Hyper is suppose to be 17 cubic I believe, Im not a fan of the silver X on top, But it serves my purpose!
That looks like the box for me, too. Just a couple of questions...Noise?...Gas mileage reduction?...Interference with radio/Sirius? I have the same car, and snow on the roof interferes, so I'm concerned about that.
Thanks for the feedback!
 
#12 ·
The Yakima Skybox 18 is really big for the Subaru. It also takes two people to lift it (not heavy, but too awkward for one person to safely handle). I think the Skybox 16 is a good fit for the Outback. It should be as aerodynamic as any of them (insignificant differences), its build quality is high, has internal tie downs, good latches, lots of volume, and long enough for most skis (81 inches, if ever needed). You won't have to worry about the tail gate. After getting my 18, I would be OK with the 16. Again, when it goes on sale again at REI, its about $370. Its worth the extra over those costing $250 or so.
 
#22 ·
Great thread guys.
I'm finding outside dimensions for boxes but not so much on the interior. Can someone tell me if a 81" box could fit a 6' 6" fishing pole?
I see some saying what size skis they would fit, but not seen a 200cm ski!
I'm looking into a Yakima Skybox 12 or 16. The 16 is a lot shorter but was wondering if someone had one could they measure for me and see if I can get it in.
Thanks
 
#24 ·
I've got a skybox 16S - My 193cm x-country skis barely fit at an angle in it but they do fit.

The skybox 16S is my first Rooftop box and have had it for just over a year now. I am very happy with it. The skybox 16 fits my 2015 outback with no problem.
 
#25 ·
Can you guys share your Fuel Economy impacts of a roof mounted cargo box? I just got a 2015 OB Limited and I'm considering my options for additional cargo space for the few times a year (like Christmas or a Beach Vacation) when I need to load up and head down the road a few hours.

Just curious how much the roof box will ding off the 30+ rated MPG on my '15.
 
#29 ·
With my 3.6 I can't say that I noticed anything significant on my last trip of 500 miles with the skybox 16s. I wouldn't care too much about the box's mpg impact unless I was driving with it all the time. I will use my rooftop box maybe 3 trips a year, otherwise it's sitting up on a shelf in the garage collecting dust.
 
#40 ·
...can you go through an automatic car wash with box on top?
You are fine with touchless car washes as long as they are tall enough (check the height limit at your particular wash.) I've never been through a spinning brush style wash, but I'd be a bit nervous about those.
 
#39 ·
I have an older Yakima Rocketbox 11 (not beveled at the rear). I can only open the hatch about 3/4 of the way with it on the factory bars. Obviously this is very annoying, so I need to find a different box that will hold up to 190cm skis while allowing the hatch to open all the way.

As an aside, I cannot believe that the front bar on the factory rack is so far back (and not adjustable!) It is really impractical, even my old SG Forester's factory cross bars went further forward, and I thought those were crazy far back. I suppose it is better for aerodynamics, but it is lousy for carrying skis. I will definitely be looking into retrofitting the JDM rails if they ever become available.
 
#41 ·
Skybox 18

I'm using the 18 which I previously used on my 2013 Outback. The door will not open all the way unless you lift up slightly on the back end of the Skybox. I just reset the door so it doesn't hit.
 

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