Leaving a roof box on your vehicle on a regular basis could cost you big and if you need it often, maybe it’s time you look into getting a bigger vehicle. That said, roof boxes that aren’t completely necessary are costing you and the environment. Perfect for the family camping trip or any big haul. Many also now allow you to swing the crossbars of the rack lengthwise when it’s not in use if you have that feature, use it. You never know what all your happy campers are going to bring, so go big with the RocketBox 14. Some original-equipment roof-rack designs are better as they were designed specifically with that model in mind. Even though they might look like they ‘cut’ through the wind, they could be introducing some mileage-robbing turbulence and drag on the highway. The same, of course, applies to roof racks and other cargo accessories. This editor, many years ago, in a move across the country to Oregon from Michigan, found that the highway mileage of a four-cylinder Accord dropped from more than 40 mpg down to 32 mpg with a modestly packed roof carrier.Īny roof carrier will cut your mpg, significantly gallons) by European standards, it only achieved 26.7 mpg in real-world testing, “scientifically calculated by experienced engineers.” 16 cubic feet of storage space Handles a weekends worth of gear for 3 or more people, or enough skis and boards for a. Product Features: Convenient single lock SKS security included Product Dimensions: 92 in. The magazine found that while the Qashqai is rated 39.2 mpg (in U.S. The Yakima RocketBox 16 combines plenty of cargo space with enough length for skis, paddles, and jousting poles. What Car? used two models for testing-a Dacia Logan, and a Nissan Qashqai the latter is a model that’s somewhat related to our Nissan Rogue. Adding any roof box increases frontal area of your vehicle, of course but no matter how aerodynamic it might look, it also alters the flow of air around your carefully shaped, wind-tunnel tested vehicle-creating drag and turbulence that can, together, knock 10 mpg off the mileage of a smaller four-cylinder vehicle.