Hi,

 

Excited to be taking delivery of a Skoda Superb estate next month. Thinking ahead to summer camping holidays with the family and a roof box that will be needed.

 

Currently looking at the Thule motion xt xxl

 

https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/cargo-carrier/car-top-carrier/thule-motion-xt-l-_-1691179

 

or hyper xl

 

https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/cargo-carrier/car-top-carrier/thule-hyper-xl-_-1680020

 

 

Anyone have ownership experience of either? Which bars did you go for? (Car will have pano sunroof)

 

thanks!

The Hyper XL (US Name) looks like the Excellence XT (EU Nane?) that I have.  It worked just fine on my Superb (as it does on the X6 and 2-series).

 

It holds 5 Thule soft luggage bags (I think mine came with them) with a little room to spare along the sides (for skis I suppose).  Easy to fit and weighs about 30kgs if memory serves.  It’s quiet in use and doesn't knock the fuel economy very much -maybe 1mpg?  Never had water ingress even in really torrential rain at motorway speeds, and it opens from either side.  You can’t shut it without locking it as the key is held in the lock.

 

Expensive to buy but has now been in use for 6 years. 

Edited 17 February, 20197 yr by FelisBengalensis
Typo

I don't have any of them. But I've bought last winter the Alpine Tourer 700, which seems to be replaced this year by this one :

https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/cargo-carrier/car-top-carrier/thule-pulse-alpine-_-1680041

I have the Evo WingBar.

 

Both match perfectly to the Estate version. This is very reliable, very simple to install.

The very first time nevertheless requires some extra time to find the perfect setting (distance between 2 racks / roof carrier not too much backward, so that the tailgate can properlly open / roof carrier correctly centred...)

Just one thing I dislike. It generates quite important aerodynamic noises (a kind of whistling) above 120 kph... It seems this can be reduced if you adjust the distance between both racks). This is well explained in the user's / installation instructions.

 

This is a really good product! I recommend. 

 

Hey fellas, bringing this back up as looking to buy Thule bars and roof box in next weeks, getting ready for summer hols with the family :)

 

Any of you with MKIII estate and pano runroof had Thule bars fitted - I assume with sunroof rising will have to be careful about any low profile bars?

 

Thanks

 

 

I'd go for whispbars myself. Have a set for my 330i touring and they're brilliant. No noise and very giod construction.

 

My box is a Calix low profile one so sits over the bars rather than on top. Not sure roofbox.co.uk still sell them but they do now seem to do the Packline boxes which is what i actually wanted at the time. 

@Grumpybeard

I personally don't like to open the roof because of noise (even without roofbox), but I think it should be possible, since Thule bars are above the side rails of the Estate version (at least Evo Wing bars). Additionally, anchor points of bars are stricly above and fairly on the outer side of the rails. I don't think there should be any interference risk of opening the roof. However, I didn't try.

Note: When driving to French Alps last year for the firt time with Thule Evo Wing bars and Thule Tourer Alpine 700 box , I found it quite noisy. I have to say it was my first time with a roof box. This year for the same drive, I modified my settings to increase the distance between front and rear bars. I kept the same setting for the rear one, but move the front one 2'' forward. I found it less noisy...  👍

Just to update - went with Thule raised feet, Thule Wingbar Evo bars (black), and Thule Motion XT XL box - rather chuffed - reasonably quiet (a little wind noise at 120kph) but certainly bearable, and rather pleasing to look at for what is a large roof box at 500 litres. Thanks for the earlier input all.

 

Nice pic  ! How did you find the installation? Quite easy, isn't it?

Edited 7 June, 20197 yr by Bap33

Yeah pretty easy - Put bars on too far apart for maximum distance hooks on box can manage, so off with box to brings bars closer together, then back on again. But yep, straight-forward, just one of the key barrels was a little stiff to lock at first but loosened up after repeated turns.