Cargo Box on a Small Car

Let us know how you do with the gas milage with the add-ons.

Loaded, it does subtract 2 – 4 miles per gallon.

I love the 92x! It’s a great stealth SUV. I have an auto that averages about 28 mpg. What do you get in your 5-speed?

GJ – I’ve always had bike carriers that required the front wheel to be attached. In the photos of your experiment you use bike racks that require the front wheel to be removed. I’m going to be buying new racks soon, which should I get?

Al: 92x, yes. Fun little car. I knew nothing about this model before going on the car hunt last spring. My wife and I got the 2005 version, and it is a 5-speed. With the Thule box, there’s enough room for our two kids and camping gear for a weekend or longer. We do have to leave the dog behind in those situations, however. . .

Darryn: Good question. My preference to the fork-mounting bike carriers stems from a bad experience with an old two-wheels-on rack. A cheapo one I used years ago just seemed very unstable and it was a cheesey, low-grade design, over-engineered with too many parts, etc. I have not used a high-quality “upright” bike mount. The fork mounts are extra stable, though you do always then have to find a place to put the wheel. One solution: use large zip-ties and cinch the free wheel in two places to your bike frame. I do that for longer trips.

Would be interested to hear from other readers regarding the upright vs. fork mount debate. . .

Upright mount vs. fork mounts are a personal preference but uprights are
better for bikes with wheels that are hard to get off (i.e. Cannondale
Lefty or mountain forks with thru-axles). Plus, uprights keep both
wheels on so you have more cargo room in the vehicle.

This one goes to the guy in the picture of the Saab with bikes and a cargo box on the roof. How wide of a cross bar does that require? I have two bike racks on my 30” cross bars for my Subaru Outback and I hope to buy a thule box to place inbetween (like the above picture). I beleive the box is 22” wide.
By the way, in regards to the fork mount vrs. the upright discussion; I have found it much faster and easier to load the entire bike in my uprights. Bad experience loosing a wheel on the Interstate towards Moab…I didn’t get to ride my bike in Moab that trip.

I’ve personally always been a fork mount fan. Bikes with quick-release front tire do lend to this design (as does a car with the extra room for the front tire). But I like being able to lift my bike over my head (as I’m a tiny little gal) and onto the rack easily. I also like that the fork mounts don’t touch my frame – no scratches. :)

It is a Subaru Impreza labeled as Saab. Yakima skybox Pro16 is what I use.

Great article on having a cargo box! I liked how you showed different options to choose from. Are they very durable? Are they able to withstand bad weather usually? http://www.stowaway2.com/store/c/154-StowAway-Boxes-Only.aspx