If you put something on the roof using the roof rack, wouldn't it end up scratching the roof of the CUV?
Do you experience any additional wind noise with the roof rack?
How does the remote start work? Do you use a phone APP to start the car? Does it remain running until you get into the vehicle and put it into drive?
I'm a bit confused at your question here. The whole point of the roof rack is to allow you to carry things on top of the car with out having to put them directly on the painted roof. The stuff would sit a few inches off the roof on top of the roof rack. The rack also provides you with a way to secure the load to the rack and not having to run straps thru the car interior or something like that.
I don't currently have a roof rack but I have been researching them and trying to decide which one to get. The problem with the factory rack system (for me) is that it sits a bit to far to the rear to allow my bicycle carriers to be mounted to them with out interfering with the opening of the rear hatch. I'm considering getting either the Yakima Whispbar rack system or the thule aeroblade racks and installing the foot kits to were the factory side bars mount. That should allow me to place the rack slightly more forward then the OEM one allows.
I've had racks on other cars and have never really noticed additional wind noise, wind noise never seems to bother me, I just get use to it or tune it out or it isn't there to begin with. Some reviews say the CX-5 has a fair amount of wind noise even with out the rack but I've never noticed and it doesn't bother me. I recently went about repairing a playset system for my daughter and would have liked a roof rack in order to get the one 12ft 4x4 home by strapping it to a roof rack rather then having to borrow the father in laws truck or having it stick way out the back end.
I don't have a remote start but I'm considering it. There are two different remote starts offered from Mazda. One is a regular remote start system that uses a separate key fob to activate the engine start. That's my biggest gripe with that one, the need for a second remote. A lot of cars allow the regular key fob to reprogrammed to work with the remote starter, usually three "clicks" of either lock or unlock will start a car and no need for a second fob on the key ring. For instance, one click - unlock driver door, two clicks - unlock all doors, three clicks - lock all doors and start engine, it locks the doors for safety so someone can't try to steal the car even though if you depress the brake pedal with out the key in it will shut off. Now it get interesting with the keyless entry and push button start since there is no way to actually put the key into the ignition. I suspect that is why a second is necessary in the CX-5's case. I don't know exactly the working of the remote start and how it unlocks the car or if it shuts off when you unlock the doors. The standard remote start is a line of sight system much like the regular keyfob, the car has to be in range of the fob in order to start.
The second remote start is Mazda's Mobil start. This system utilizes an app on a smart phone to activate the remote start function and allows the user the remotely lock and unlock the doors. It uses a cell signal or 3g/4g connection, I'm not sure which exactly. Because of having to use some sort of cell signal there is an annual fee associated with using it, a subscription. The first year is free and then it's $65 per year after that. I like the idea of that system as it allows one to control the climate control from the mobile app, so there is no need to make sure you leave the climate control adjusted before exiting the car. I wish Mazda would offer some sort of discount plan for the subscription, something like $65 for one year, $120 for 2 years and $165 for 3 years or something. You can read more about the Mazda Mobil Start here:
https://www.mazdamobilestart.com/index.jsp
