should I get the roof rack installed?

Hello all,

I just bought my new 2003 silver metallic PR5 2 weeks ago. Love it every single day I drive this baby especially with the leather seat. By the way, should I install the roof rack or not? I read some postings here and it seems to me the item is not really recommended to be installed. Is that true?

I got the car with the roof rack option. But right now, it's on order and it'd be installed next Wednesday. Will it really make a big noise above 40mph or it depends on how the item is installed.

Thanks, everyone.

Proud owner of 2003 silver metallic PR5.
options: moon-roof, 6 CD dash-in, polished alloy wheels, ABS.

hello Love_PR5 and Welcome to our happy little corner of the net, and to our Club. There are TWO BIG fridge'S in the corner with anything you can think of in them...help yourself...of course only take what you can LEGALLY have.

make yourself at home on one of the big fluffy couches, kick your shoes off, put your feet up on one of the tables, yes we are allowed to do that, mom don't care....and take it easy.

oh...btw....every once in a while a food fight breaks out...so you may not want to wear nice clothes here.

Welcome!!

the amount of wind noise you will hear from your roof rack is dependant on a few things....

1. do you have a moonroof? if so...and you are driving with the sunshade open just to let light in you will hear a bit more...if the roof is open you will certainly hear wind noise...but doesn't that make sence, due to the fact that you have a window open?

2. how do you listen to your music? do you crank it up? if so...it will certainly deaden ANY noise you might here...including the road noise from our tires.

Personally....I have a rack...it came with the car in 2002....I like the look of the p5 with the rack on....so make it a choice of style....and only you can make that choice.

I agree with Sir Nuke, I like the look w/ the rack.

I'm sure you drive with you driver side window down and moon roof closed once in a while. I know I do a lot and it's almost the same amount of noise than if I was just driving with my roof open. Okay, maybe a bit more with the roof but not that much. Either way just crank up the tunes and Zoom!!

i'd say its definatly a useful option, even if you dont like the look you can just leave the rails which IMO dont detract from the look at all.

I just got a ski rack.... mmmmmm ski rack.... so it may come in handy for you too.

What it comes down to is this, 1) do you like the way the car looks with the rack (my opinion is yes, but we all know the opinions/assholes situation), 2) do you need the rack. I do because my longboard wont fit in the car. If you dont need it and you dont like the way it looks why put it on. If your like me, It looks good and its great to have (I almost bought a rack for my last car then just decided to strap the damn board to the roof!)

Installing the factory load bars will add a bit of noise, and Sir Nuke is right about the sunshade thing. If you actually plan to use the roof rack to carry stuff you'd be better off skipping the factory load bars and spending that $250 on Yakima feet, clips and bars. The factory load bars are too far back and pretty much anything you put on them will interfere with the wing on the hatch when you open it.

It's very useful - We wouldn't have bought the car without the rack, as our last car also had one, and we knew we would need it. Our P5 is the "family hauler" (both other cars are convertibles) and we make use of the roof rack almost weekly - Couldn't hardly go to Lowes or Home Depot without it

As I understand it, the '03 rack bars are not as noisy as the early ones

Don

I am willing to sell my roof rack. Took it off 2 months after buying my P5. Willing to part with it (i.e. taking up space in my closet).

Any buyers?

Brian

i took my roof rack off the next day after i bought my P5

if your going to use it then yes, get it installed. if your looking for style, then i would suggest leaving it off. but thats my opinion, you may like the look of it on. either way you cant go wrong because its still going to look bad ass.