Source
r/CX5•
Fuqwon

Roof racks

Does anyone have any experience with the cross bar roof rack for a CX-5 that doesn't use roof rails?

Any suggestions about brands or anything?

Posted May 27, 2021, 2:08 PM UTC

27
notfarenough•

Speaking from old experience with Yakima when very few cars had roof rails.

There apparently are 2017+ CX-5 models with no rails or mounting points- both Yakima and Thule have applications per their website for CX-5 without mounting points. These will clamp in between the door and the car frame using screw tension to keep the rack on the car. My experience with that mounting type is that they are sturdy (I accidentally drove my old bike into the garage - destroying the fork and denting the roof but the rack stayed in place), but have downsides in terms of aesthetics and cost. They also can leave marks - either within the Door jamb or on the roof itself.

Expect to pay $500 for basic rack and, possibly an additional $200-400 for the accessories (wind deflector, additional keyed locks, cargo, kayak, or bike carriers)

Pro Tip: Once mounted and carrying cargo, assuming you have a garage, keep your garage door remote in the trunk of your car.

3
Epcjay•

Any reason why you don't want to use roof rails? The screw holes are already there out of the factory.

1
FuqwonOP•

I don't have roof rails.

1
Epcjay•

Oh some how I thought you said you did not want roof rails.

I bought aftermarket roof rails and cross bars that look and install exactly like OEM. Worked out to be about 210usd delivered on ebay. Took about an hour to install myself. Had them for about 2 years now. No complaints.

2
evan938•

What year is your car?

1
FuqwonOP•

2021

1
Username_5000•

I’ve used roof rails on a car that had rubber feet, rather than screw mounts. It was sturdy and solid, but you should know that the mount locations will mess up the paint.

Over time dirt and dust collected between the feet and the roof. when I took them off you could clearly see where they used to be on the roof because the paint was all messed up. If that doesn’t bother you, any brand name’s universal kit will work well as long as you install it correctly.

1