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Roof Rack and MPG

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  • 07-04-2008 1:08pm
    #1
    The Machine
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    I am getting a roof rack for my car and was wondering if they increase the MPG by much?

    I'll only need it for weekends away so I was wondering if it is worth taking it off the car when I don't need it? Suppose the flip side of this is that taking it on and off the car all the time might wear it down etc...

    Any comments?


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    #2
    maidhc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,664 ✭✭✭maidhc


    The Machine wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I am getting a roof rack for my car and was wondering if they increase the MPG by much?

    I'll only need it for weekends away so I was wondering if it is worth taking it off the car when I don't need it? Suppose the flip side of this is that taking it on and off the car all the time might wear it down etc...

    Any comments?

    It takes all of 30 seconds to remove a roof rack?

    It does affect the MPG, but it is hard to say by how much. Not by enough for it to be clearly evident on the trip computer from what I have observed, but certainly the wind noise is good enough reason to take it off.


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    #3
    peasant
    Registered Users Posts: 17,819 ✭✭✭✭peasant


    Years ago the German AA equivalent (ADAC) did a study on this and found that a roofrack can affect fuel consumption between 0.5 to 1.5 liters per 100 km, depending on the shape of car and roofrack.

    It pays to take it off.


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    #4
    Eoin
    Registered Users Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    maidhc wrote: »
    It takes all of 30 seconds to remove a roof rack?

    It does affect the MPG, but it is hard to say by how much. Not by enough for it to be clearly evident on the trip computer from what I have observed, but certainly the wind noise is good enough reason to take it off.
    Yup, I had a roofrack on my 156 and it was very noisy over 80 KMH. My mileage varied quite a lot depending on my hours so it was hard to tell any differences in fuel economy.

    Not all of them are snap on, so it's not always a 30 second job though.


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    #5
    -Chris-
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,035 ✭✭✭✭-Chris-


    I had one on a Golf a few years ago for a bike rack. It was a 30 second job to take it on and off, but it was a two man job - if you did it on your own you'd be risking scratching/marking the roof.

    I never really noticed a big change in fuel economy, although it undoubtedly affects it. Leave the roof rack on full time and ease off the accelerator a little :)


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    #6
    Stephen
    Registered Users Posts: 18,484 ✭✭✭✭Stephen


    I wonder what kind of impact those big roof boxes you see on MPV's have on fuel consumption?


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    #7
    The Machine
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭The Machine


    Thanks for the feedback!

    Doesn't sound like it will make a massive difference to the MPG, so to start with I'll just leave it on permanently and see if I can notice a difference....


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