# 1
SportRack Vista XL Cargo Box - Roof Mount - 18 cu ft - Black
Our SportRack cargo box has worked as hoped / advertised since we bought it over a year ago. What initially attracted me to this particular product was the size and design - it holds A LOT, and the way it opens from the back has helped protect our stuff from getting wet and damaged.
The sportrack vista xl is great! This was our first attempt at a roof mounted cargo box and it has preformed exceprionally well! I purchased this as a gift for my wife, to go on her Subaru Crosstrek. We live in western NC, and have used this to go to the outer banks of NC, eastern Tennessee, and even to bring home supplies from Sam's Club! It's super easy and quick to install, even for one person, and we've been fortunate enough to not have a single leak yet; even though we've been through heavy downpours! And there's plenty of room! If you're in the market for a rooftop cargo box this is the way to go.
# 2
Malone Cargo16 Rooftop Cargo Box - 16 Cubic ft - Gray
Pro: This box is a perfect option to add to the cargo capacity of my Toyota RAV4. Great for camping, fishing or skiing trips (but watch out that your XC skies don't exceed the length capacity of the box!). Pro: The box fits onto Malone cross bars very securely: once screwed down it's solid. Install and removal is very easy. Con: The front arm that holds the box lid open is attached with a rubber-covered pin at the front, and a metal retainer at the rear, see photos. Without the locking metal retainer, the front arm pops loose off the lid's pin. Initially I thought this was a mfg defect, but this is how it's built. etrailer contacted Malone and both provided great support. Malone sent me a new rubber grommet to insert on the pin at the front arm. But that didn't fix the problem at all. In the end, I replaced the rubber grommet with a metal bolt that permanently attaches the front support arm with the box lid. Would I buy this product again? Probably not.
We received our Malone Cargo Box and are very happy with it. It was installed on a 2016 Subaru Outback. For us, it holds two complete sets of golf clubs, golf shoes, balls, a bag of miscellaneous tie downs, and a small metal carrying case with wheels. We haven't used it on a long trip yet, but locally it's very stable. There is some strong wind noise when the sunroof is open. We also needed to use shims on the rear crossbar to prevent the pod from hitting the antenna. You can access this Box from either side which is nice. Overall we're happy with our purchase.
# 3
Yakima SkyBox 18 Rooftop Cargo Box - 18 cu ft - Black Carbonite
I replaced an old Thule box with this. My opinion is that the locking mechanism, the clamping system, and the hinges are superior to the Thule's. Especially the locking mechanism. I used to have to wrestle the Thule box to get things lined up so that I could close and lock the box. And the bonus is that this box was less money (than an equivalent Thule) and eTrailer shipped it for free!
We have not yet taken the Skybox on a road trip so I can't talk about the box itself. But I can talk about the buying experience at etrailer. 5 stars!. There was a wealth of helpful information about the various choices for cargo carriers, including dimensions and clearance requirements, and I found the installation videos extremely valuable. Great personalized follow-up after the order was placed and after arrival. The Skybox arrived on time, well packed and in great shape.
What our customers are saying:
"The hitch and the carrier came in much earlier than expected. The cargo carrier assembled in a few minutes. The hitch went on like a glove. I was very satisfied with it's quality. My salesperson was very helpful and made sure that I had the right things. Overall, I was very pleased."