Roof Rack For The Mazda5 Thread

Scott at cracksandracks might have some 3080 kits around Aug 20th. Pretty good place to order from. Free shipping in the states, and they will ship to Canada via USPS, so all you end up paying is pst/gst. Email them and see if you they can hold a kit for you. They should have all the other stuff in stock.

I think the 3080 kit is worth it based on how well it fits.
 
What are your thoughts on the Thule fairing with the 3080 kit?

Would it interfere with the sunroof or do you think there would be other issues with it?
 
Use Thule TK1/TK2 feet

Hello everyone,

You all have been a wealth of great informaiton- well researched, tried out, and well thought.

I recently purchased a 2010 Mazda5 up here in Boston area, knowing that it wouldn't hold all the cargo we needed to take on long trips, but okay for everyday use with the 3 little kids.

After reading all the posts here, and looking at the Thule and Yakima websites, and being turned away from the dealer (who no longer sell the 2010 rack because of quality issues) I decided to go with the Thule TK1 feet- which normally would go in tracks on a track roof, or can be permenantly mounted to a roof (which I've done in the past with a Honda Fit and a Civic with great success) and it works wodnerfully- so easy, looks great, and takes moments to take on and off. Plus, with this installation, the rack is only on when you want it, rather than pushing the rack through the wind all the time reducing your gas milage... can you tell I'm cheap?

So- used TK1 feet on craigslist, with bars: $40
brand-new yakima SkyBox 16 (perfect size!): $308 on craigslist

The installation was a charm- the bases bolt (with one bolt in the center) through the middle of the TK1 foot, and right into the bolt hole in the roof rack port of the 5. Exact bolt thread, everything. Torqued it to right setting, and it has worked without a hitch. Now- one note. The neat aerodynamic covers that go over them are $2.50 off the thule website, I think. The rubber bases also- like $1.50 each? As you can see from the pictures, it looks pretty good. Let me know what you think- good or bad?
 

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Sounds like you got by with a decent deal. I don't think I'd want to drive around with those nubs sticking up on my roof though - but that's me. You must have had the 430 foot pack though right?
Quality issues? The rest of my INNO rack is due to arrive this week, but so far, the quality looks well worth the $195 I paid.
As far as the Skybox is concerned, that is more than I'd be willing to pay for a used one that now has no warranty.
 
darkphart, you got a great deal! looks like it works great. i didn't get as good a deal, opting for the OEM kit (at $280). but i'm happy with it.
 
FLcruising- You are right, the "nubs" look a little strange, but definately preferable to me in comparisson to having the entire rack on all the time, or the effort of putting it on and off. And yes, as I forgot to mention, I used the 430 bases- which were included in the deal I got with the bars and feet. I like the whole thing because it was simple and cheap. Let us all know how you like your Inno rack.

One thing i might do too is measure the bar height off the roof- see how it compares to the INNO and Thule racks, OEM. I remember seeing the Mazda racks looking so high off the roofline, hoping to get something more low-profile.
 
Thule and Yakima do not come with locks by default. I believe the OEM rack comes with locks and I know the Inno comes with locks. Since a pack of 4 locks is normally around $50 this can add up.
 
Do the rest of the Thules not come with key by default? The OEM rack is a Thule rack (freak)
 
Tsuru said:
Thule and Yakima do not come with locks by default. I believe the OEM rack comes with locks and I know the Inno comes with locks. Since a pack of 4 locks is normally around $50 this can add up.
Click to expand...
So locks are add-ons for some. Does this mean they are not well integrated into the rack system or there holes if you don’t have locks (I have no idea so can’t visualize it)?? Kinda silly if you have to pay an extra $50 for a ball and chain (meaning not well integrated) locking system. I wonder if different models, from the same manufacturer come with different lock packages.

Can the owners of these rack post pics of how/where the locks are?


In summary:
OEM = come with locks
Inno = come with locks
Thule (provides Mz5 OEM racks)= no locks, add-on option
Yakima = no locks, add-on option
 
When I looked at the Thule options they have a plastic insert that goes where the lock would go to make sure the rack components stay in the right place. The insert just pulls right out. The advantage of the lock is that you need a key to get the insert out thus making it much harder to steal your rack.
 
Silentnoise713 said:
Can the owners of these rack post pics of how/where the locks are?
Click to expand...

Just go up a few posts, to my post #242. The second picture shows the locks. Beside the fact they get to sell you locks, Thule will sell you lock packs ie. 2 locks, 4 locks, 6 locks that are all keyed alike so that you can use the same key on the rack(4 keys), cargo box, etc...

The lock holds the outer cover onto the rack (the part with Thule on it). After you take off the rack, you can loosen a small nut to remove the rack from the car.
 
This is us filling up last night after picking up the Skybox 16s you see. $200 with the bumper stickers! (I've removed those now BTW)

darkphart - you're right, this thing is HUGE. We drove to look at two different carriers yesterday, clocked about 120 miles. First one was a Volvo badged Thule that barely held our 2 suitcases. This one could hold 4 of 'em.

The INNO rack goes one nicely. We are actually driving now with the covers on too. Just left the mounts in place. My order with ORSracks was originally placed beginning of July, finally cancelled and ordered through Autoanything for $195 shipped about 10 days ago.
 

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Looks great on your 5- great deal on the box!

Quick question- the tint on your 5- did it come with it (as some do, I've heard, in southern states?) or did you have that aftermarket?

Last question- did you calculate your mileage difference on the trip home to see how the box influences your gas use? I haven't yet on mine, but we're running 29-30MPG right now on our 5, with the manual trans. Would you let us know what your experience is?
 
The tint is the legal limit for Florida. Got it done a week after purchase. I believe it's 20% rear and 35% front.

We only drove 25 miles home after purchase. The box won't get used until mid-October on a trip to Texas, but I'll definitely report back mpg details then.
 
Just got my inno rack in. Installation was pretty easy but the instructions for the stays were in Japanese so I had to just got by the pictures. It does clear the sunroof (just barely), but as you can see in the pics it would not clear an attachment such as a box on the rack. I haven't been at highway speeds yet so I can't comment on the wind noise.

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Looks good on yours too. I'm very pleased with the purchase.

I downloaded the install for the IN-XR feet that showed another fit kit in English. The only thing to remember is the arrows (->) on the hook plates point toward the center of the vehicle. The EPDM pads were labeled, but they all seemed identical to me. I was considering drilling a small hole (for the allen wrench) in the center of the hook plates to get to the 1 screw that attaches them to the anchors on the roof. This way removal is only 4 screws, not 12. I don't think it will compromise structural integrity at all.

BTW, the tilt of the sunroof is only about an inch for ventilation which doesn't even come close to hitting, it looks like you opened your sunroof for that picture. How often are you going to open the sunroof when you have cargo up there really? For us - never as a big box will be in the way. I don't see why people are so concerned about clearance.
 
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