For those who have the oem roof rack, does it decrease fuel mileage? Is it noises at highway speed? Does it hamper the sunroof/panoramic roof? What are you thoughts? Thanks in advance!
For those that did not go the oem route, what did you get and why didn't you go with the oem rack base?
The cross bars themselves are not really noisy, it's what you put on top that creates the noise! Sunroof works fine but let's in more noise than is already there with nothing on top.
I have an aftermarket one that sits and clamps to the gutters and has supports where the weight is supported on the curved part of the side of the roof. It came with ski holder inserts. In the summer I just take the ski holders off. I don't usually have them on because my MINI hold enough as it is. I'll have to check the brand but I don't think they exist anymore. The only thing that worries me is the possibility of scratches on my roof so I have to very careful to clean the roof and supports before I mount it on. Not noticeably noisy at all.
Thanks guys. May go ahead and get one, just trying to decide wether the oem version would look and/or hold up better compared to an aftermarket version. Sounds like the noise from base bars alone shouldn't be an issue.
BTW, a roof rack is not so good for fuel economy. In rough numbers, expect ~10% loss at normal highway speeds and maybe ~30% if you have stuff on it. And since wind resistance is exponential with speed, if you never drive on the highway then it is not a big deal, but the faster you go..... They can look cool though.