We are taking a few trips this summer in our Mariner and with four people plus a dog we need to buy a car top carrier. Would prefer a bag type style for ease storage when not in use.
Any experiences on types / brands? We are now just averaging over 33 MPG as the vehicle hit 7,000 miles and with warmer weather. Will a carrier kill my MPG? Have thought of a hitch type to limit drag but no experiences with them. Appreciate any thoughts.

 

My experience: no matter what I put on top I suffer a 2mpg or greater hit in FE - I would assume a greater hit if a large bag-type was on top. I installed a hitch and use that for bikes now. Haven't tried the cargo carriers that can be used in the hitch.

 

I picked up a Thule (nomad?) on a shopping trip to Kalispell, MT last summer. I think it was around $70 on sale from $100 or so. We had every inch inside used up with four adults and a newborn. The carrier was absolutely stuffed full too. It rained on the trip home and we were going east, through but down the mountains NE back to Canuckada. Mind you we would of had a tail wind, I didn't reduce speed below traffic flow but, I don't recall much of a hit to the MPG, perhaps 3mpUSg at most.

FYI, The bag, though it was the weather resistant but not water tight one kept everything dry. It's very well built and stays tight to the roof. I'd reccomend Thule. I keep the bag in the back all the time now, we live pretty far from city centre and...it's nice to have the extra room should we impulse by something big.

 

Anything that makes a vehicle higher and/or wider will cause a hit on fuel economy. How much is debatable but I have read of reports 5mpg for rigid cartop cargo carriers on the Escape Hybrid. I have not tried using my Thule carrier yet.

If you are thinking about "hitch" carriers, Thule makes two rigid enclosures for hitches with prices starting around $350.00 This does not include the price of the hitch. If you are thinking of soft carriers, you will need a rigid platform to mount in the hitch. The soft carrier will sit on this rigid platform. You have to secure everything in place.

 

I have a large dog that we take spring/summer weekends to our vacation spot 112 miles away. We like to keep the dog isolated in the back cargo area for the ride. When my wife and I have anyone else traveling with us (Kids-friends), we need extra space for luggage etc. On my wife's car (04 Chrysler Pacifica), we use a 16 cubic foot roof top carrier. With my 08 MM hybrid and its small 4 cyl gas engine, I was concerned with the negative impact on gas mileage from wind resistance with a roof top carrier. Consequently, I found and bought a hitch carrier. Not cheap - but now after using it - I think a great option. First I needed to install a 2 inch receiver hitch. UHaul has one for the Mariner Hybrid, including special wiring, for approximately $300 installed. I DO NOT intend to tow with this hitch - just use hitch carrier. (Note: 2 inch class III hitch gives you 300+ punds of tongue weight - which accomodates a large capacity hitch carrier) As someone else mentioned, Thule has hitch carriers, but I was most impressed with a "swing-away" model I found. This large - 16 cubic foot hitch carrier allows me to load the carrier, and when I need to access the cargo area (let dog in and out), I can swing it completely out of the way - while still on the hitch. The hitch is a "StowAway2 MAX Swing Away Cargo Carrier" that I purchased online from "Proline Products, Inc.(A1-AutoRacks.com)" for $678.00 total - including shipping and handling. Here is a link to a very good demo of its use: http://www.racksforall.com/index.asp...n=Custom&ID=14
Now you may think spending approximately $1000 is a bit much - and for some it is. I plan to keep this car for 9-10 years as my wife have done for every car we have owned for 30 years. And with the maximyzing my use of this high gas mileage car - it was worth it. Plus - the carrier can be used with other (future) cars. SO - we used it Memorial Day weekend. Loaded up the Mariner - drove up 112 miles on Saturday, drove around town Sat., Sun. & Monday then drove 112 miles home. Filled the tank at beginningand end of trip and got 30.87 Miles per gallon for the weekend. With a new car (1100 miles) I think that is great and based on what I can see the carrier had no (or very minimal) negative impact on gas mileage. I am verry happy with the carrier and the car! By the way - you can get smaller, non swing away, less expensive carriers if that suits your needs. BUT I think a hitch carrier is thw way to go for extra space on our small hybrid SUVs. Also - this is mutch easier to load gear/luggage in and out of than a roof top carrier. Hope this helps.

 

That would be more helpful if I could read it

 

Thule 665C Transporter Combi $399---tilt down version

Thule 684 - Terrapin $549.00 ---swing away version

Other options from other companies?

 

Sorry for the bad font on my ealrier note. I am a new MMH owner and it was my first response in the database. I am using the default font here - hope it works.

 

We use AeroPACK for all family and camping trips. It fits on sedans and minivans, even hatchbacks. Research shows rooftop carriers & baskets steal 20-25% of MPG! (Edmunds, Consumer Reports). They are heavy, a pain to load on a roof, hard shells plus hardware can cost $350-$650 and are bulky to store. Hitch mounts stick out 2-3 feet behind the car and cause an unstable cantilever and hard to store. AeroPACK is a fraction of the cost, fits on the lift gate behind the car, easy loading, folds flat, saves MPG, gas and time.

AeroPACKusa.com.

 

Posting a link on your first post. I bet Mike works for AeroPack.