2012 Mazda 5 roof and + Cargo Box

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2012 Mazda5 Touring
Hello there

When I have the 3rd row seat up, there is obviously no luggage space.

Thus I am looking to get a roof cargo box (I see them all the time on other cars).

1) Is it possible to fit a stroller in cargo box?

2) THere are so many kinds of cargo boxes, it is scaring me, or overwhelming. Any recommendations?

3) Sometimes I see cargo boxes on cars to each side. Is it possible to get a big one that fits in the middle?

4) do they come body colored? (I have copper red)

5) Also what rack do I buy to hold the rack one?


Its my first time, so please go easy on me.

Help appreciated.
 
1) That would depend on what type of stroller you use and what kind of box you want. There are massively tall ones and there are long and sleek ones. Nonetheless, yes, there are a few options that fit a stroller.
2) Yakima or Thule. Pick based on size you need and price you are willing to pay. Yakima seems to be the best dollar wise. I like the longer/lower profile ones b/c they can fit skis and are more aerodynamic which minimizes noise/turbulence/balance/MPG lose.
3) Come in all shapes and sizes
4) Aftermarket boxes typically come in black or silver. Some OEM options (from what I can tell are all rebranded Thules) come in gray and cream. That said, no reason you can’t rattle can it or plasti-dip it. Personally, I’m thinking more along the lines of torpedo/missile stickers :D
5) See rack thread. ’06-’13 Mazda5 have the same mounting points and are interchangeable, only OEM racks allows full use of sunroof.

Not many store fronts in my area carry cargo boxes for a real in person touch/feel. You can look at numbers all day long but until you physically touch/feel them, I really didn’t know what to expect. I went to a large Sears with an Automotive department this past weekend to check out two; they are MASSIVE, IMO. Both below can easily fit my Joovy Caboose Ultralight double stroller (flat folding) with LOTS of space to spare.
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123830133-Show-me-your-roof-box!
 
I can't speak too much on the actual application relating to the Mazda 5 as I just got one a week ago, but I have a SportRack cargo box. I think it is the equivalent of the Vista XL which is about 18 cubic feet. I have fit a double stroller/travel system in there with plenty of room for beach toys, umbrellas, and other items, mostly to keep the sand out of the cars. I was actually amazed how much I could fit in that thing. Anyway, hope that helps. I'll have to try it on my M5 soon...
 
Thanks. I am going to order the rack this week, then get the box. I would like a long and sleek box. The wider/longer the more stuff, the better for my current needs.
 
-How much do you want to spend? Are you looking for a nice quality one or cheapo box? Quality used boxes can be found on craigslist but the great deal go FAST.
-How many cubic feet do you need?
-Any idea what you want to put inside (suite case, skis, strollers)?

I spent a great deal of time looking into boxes and here are some pointers that I’ve learned.
No matter how aero dynamic, fancy badge, pricy, expect a 1-2 MPG lost -more if you use the big/tall square ones. It boils down to Yakima or Thule but there are a few specialty makes that are not as well known but equally or more expensive. Simple go to there sites and see for yourself. I spent time looking at the design diagrams. For any given make, the main difference between their cheap line compare to the top line is bracing. The high end boxes have more cross bracing to make the box much more sturdier. Also, the newer/pricier boxes have integrated lock and release mechanisms whereas the old/cheap ones require you to use a wrench and hand tighten ever time. Pay for convenience –makes sense to me.

The Yakima Skybox end up being my fav but I went hitch instead. All that research for nothing...
 
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Sorry, not really answering your Qs but if you are interested in knowing which strollers firt in the Mazda5 with 3rd row up, here's my personal experience:

1. Baby Jogger City Micro (other single Baby Jogger stroller might fit since they are similar). Baby jogger has many attachments from newborn and it's folded so compact.
2. Evenflo Umbrella Stroller (old style), it snugs fit without any problem.

Some people have mentioned the following but I never try myself.

1. Quinny Zap
2. Peg Perego Si
 
aha said:
Sorry, not really answering your Qs but if you are interested in knowing which strollers firt in the Mazda5 with 3rd row up, here's my personal experience:

1. Baby Jogger City Micro (other single Baby Jogger stroller might fit since they are similar). Baby jogger has many attachments from newborn and it's folded so compact.
2. Evenflo Umbrella Stroller (old style), it snugs fit without any problem.

Some people have mentioned the following but I never try myself.

1. Quinny Zap
2. Peg Perego Si
Click to expand...

Thanks. I had the car new since summer 2011. Our small umbrella stroller used to fit with rear seats flat. 3rd is down 95% of of the time for us.

Currently we put a City Mini Dual Back there. It barely fits in my Lexus CT200 but fits fine with the seat down in the m5.

Our issues are we do lots of road trips, and we just dont have enough room. I don't want to go and buy a new Escalade or something like that, thus looking for the roof options

Thanks for the info :)
 
Silentnoise713 said:
-How much do you want to spend? Are you looking for a nice quality one or cheapo box? Quality used boxes can be found on craigslist but the great deal go FAST.
-How many cubic feet do you need?
-Any idea what you want to put inside (suite case, skis, strollers)?

I spent a great deal of time looking into boxes and here are some pointers that I’ve learned.
No matter how aero dynamic, fancy badge, pricy, expect a 1-2 MPG lost -more if you use the big/tall square ones. It boils down to Yakima or Thule but there are a few specialty makes that are not as well known but equally or more expensive. Simple go to there sites and see for yourself. I spent time looking at the design diagrams. For any given make, the main difference between their cheap line compare to the top line is bracing. The high end boxes have more cross bracing to make the box much more sturdier. Also, the newer/pricier boxes have integrated lock and release mechanisms whereas the old/cheap ones require you to use a wrench and hand tighten ever time. Pay for convenience –makes sense to me.

The Yakima Skybox end up being my fav but I went hitch instead. All that research for nothing...
Click to expand...

I don't have a budget. I don't want a cheapo box. The trips we are doing are 900-2500 miles. MPG isn't a factor.

I don't mind buying used on Craigslist, but I never understand which leg fits on what, and it seems overwhelming.

No skis for us. Clothes and stroller can go in car. Yes suitcases can go up there, food we take with us. Tennis rackets, water stuff (body boards). Basically crap for 2 kids for a week.

Convinience is very important. Safety is very important (as I am taking it south of the border).
 
SILENT NOISE

I forgot to answer the size. I dont what size I want, but I want wide and long. I dont just want tall.


Here is one example of design I like http://www.racknroad.com/product/in...0.6&gpla=pla&gclid=COKqxJa_jboCFZKk4AodRUEA3g

Is it possible to put two long narrow ones side by side? Or are there ones that will cover most of the roof?

In addition, this box I linked above (found randomly) is 42lbs. With stuff in it, what would be the capacity of the bars? I don't want the bars to break.

Also any thoughts on Inno bars vs OEM bars?
 
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/show...e)-Aero-1300-Roof-Cargo-Box-Review&highlight=

We put a pretty large Peg Perego stroller in it with plenty of room to spare- one that barely fits diagonally across the back of the car with the third row down. It's about 1x1x3 feet folded up, and weighs easily more than 10 pounds. Looking at Peg's site, I don't even think they sell anything that large anymore.

You can put two narrow long boxes side by side if you have room (obviously), but I've never seen anyone do it. There are boxes that will cover the entire width of the roof. Yakima and Thule make quite a few different configurations of boxes. For mine since it's pretty skinny, I've actually put it over to one side of the room rack and mounted a Yakima bike rail on top to carry my road bike to continue training while on a trip. If you're going to try and mount two boxes, make sure they open from the front or rear. Opening on opposite sides won't help you since the hinge takes up a decent amount of space when you open the box, and opening both towards the center won't help at all.

As far as box mounting, the constraining dimension is usually the distance between the roof bars. Most boxes are listed with a range of bar spans that they'll work with- measure yours and buy the box accordingly.
 

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I was in the same boat. I bought an INNO rack and a Sears X-cargo 20 cubic foot box for a road trip.

The INNO rack mounts up easily and the attachment hardware can be left mounted on the roof. They supply covers that look okay.

The 20 cubic foot box was plenty large enough for 2 medium/large suitcases (larger than carry-on), the stroller, various supplies, even a folding step stool to aid loading, etc.

If I had to do it again, I might go down to a 16 cubic foot box.

JMJ
 
I have a Joovy Caboose Ultralight double stroller (sit (or infant seat) and stand OR two forward facing with a seat pad attachment) and it fits behind the 3rd row with the seats up but I do have to remove the sun canopy. :) You have to lay it side ways but there’s enough space, however, one of the rear wheels do rub on the head rest so I lay down a small towel.
Caboose%20Too%204.jpg

No, those are not my kids.


What’s the reason for wanting two narrow boxes? To separate his vs hers or parents vs kids?? There are long and narrow boxes (mostly for skis/snow boards) but they don't make practical or financial sense to me. Nonetheless, it exists. I’m not sure the OEM rack have enough space on the cross bar but since you want aftermarket, you can opt for a longer cross bar (looks goofy when unloaded).

Something to keep in mind about the roof rack. OEM racks come with wind diffusers that you have to take on/off when you need to mount something but keeps it quiet-er. I think there are universal fit diffusers that work on all square tub bars. Now, the aero foil bars are awesome b/c you don’t need to add anything to them to keep them quite. BUT they cost more, accessories generally cost more (b/c the attachments cost more), and they carry less weight. You can change the adapters and pretty much make anything fit. You would need to look at the manuals for each rack to see their listed weight limit. The install guides for the 1st and 2nd gen OE bars are in the how-to section and has weight in there. EDIT: Both gen racks have the same weight limit of 75kg or 165 lbs TOTAL. The aero bars generally carry a little less weight.

Regarding mount points, that can be a concern. The length of the fix mounting points on our cars is pretty common. The high end boxes have more adjustable points to fit bars whereas I’ve seen some lower end boxes that require you to mod a little (drill your own holes) to fit –no big deal.
 
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JMJinNC said:
I was in the same boat. I bought an INNO rack and a Sears X-cargo 20 cubic foot box for a road trip.

The INNO rack mounts up easily and the attachment hardware can be left mounted on the roof. They supply covers that look okay.

The 20 cubic foot box was plenty large enough for 2 medium/large suitcases (larger than carry-on), the stroller, various supplies, even a folding step stool to aid loading, etc.

If I had to do it again, I might go down to a 16 cubic foot box.

JMJ
Click to expand...

That sounds really good. Any pics to show how much of a20 cubic feet box covers on the roof? Thanks I appreciate it.

I am trying to guage the true size of the box.
 
Silentnoise713 said:
I have a Joovy Caboose Ultralight double stroller (sit (or infant seat) and stand OR two forward facing with a seat pad attachment) and it fits behind the 3rd row with the seats up but I do have to remove the sun canopy. :) You have to lay it side ways but there’s enough space, however, one of the rear wheels do rub on the head rest so I lay down a small towel.
Caboose%20Too%204.jpg

No, those are not my kids.


What’s the reason for wanting two narrow boxes? To separate his vs hers or parents vs kids?? There are long and narrow boxes (mostly for skis/snow boards) but they don't make practical or financial sense to me. Nonetheless, it exists. I’m not sure the OEM rack have enough space on the cross bar but since you want aftermarket, you can opt for a longer cross bar (looks goofy when unloaded).

Something to keep in mind about the roof rack. OEM racks come with wind diffusers that you have to take on/off when you need to mount something but keeps it quiet-er. I think there are universal fit diffusers that work on all square tub bars. Now, the aero foil bars are awesome b/c you don’t need to add anything to them to keep them quite. BUT they cost more, accessories generally cost more (b/c the attachments cost more), and they carry less weight. You can change the adapters and pretty much make anything fit. You would need to look at the manuals for each rack to see their listed weight limit. The install guides for the 1st and 2nd gen OE bars are in the how-to section and has weight in there, I THINK in the ~200-250lbs TOTAL range. The aero bars generally carry a less weight.

Regarding mount points, that can be a concern. The length of the fix mounting points on our cars is pretty common. The high end boxes have more adjustable points to fit bars whereas I’ve seen some lower end boxes that require you to mod a little (drill your own holes) to fit –no big deal.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the great info.

THere is no need for 2 separate boxes, as I don't need to separate the things. I didn't realize there are boxes that cover most of the roof (width wise), so I was thinking 2 narrow would cover the space.

I don't want the super high/tall boxes. I rather want wide/lower ones, thus I didn't know if they made that, is the reason I was asking for two boxes.


Now that I have learned from you guys, I find the two boxes are not really necessary.

I do want the front diffuser, as I heard the noise is much less with it.

So the question becomes I guess to go with the OEM bars vs the Inno bars.


Thanks for taking the time all of you for the help.
 
I'm pretty sure the OE bars say not to put more than 150 pounds up on the roof. My box was 33 pounds, so that limited my cargo to 117.
 
My memory is waay off. The official "maximum load" weight limit for both 1st and 2nd gen OEM racks are 75kg or 165lbs.
Maximum load = weight of base rack + weight of load + weight of accessories, as defined in the 1st gen guide.
 
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