Rola vs. Inno Rack?

[Cackalacka]

Folks,
I want to buy a roof rack for my 2012 M5 Sport. Both Rola and Inno racks seem well-reviewed and comparable in price.

Any real-world opinions on one or the other?

Also, are the more expensive ones, like Yakima, Thule or the OEM (which is also Thule?) demonstrably better in some way to justify the higher price? IOW, would I be sacrificing some important functionality if I "settled" for an Inno or Rola instead of a Yakima or Thule?

I would use this infrequently for camping or long trips to visit relatives for the holidays and don't have a moon roof to worry about.

I might also get a waterproof roof cargo bag unless people here feel strongly that they're no good.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Orangutan]

I've been thinking about the same thing.

 

[DKaz]

I had the Inno Rack, it was $219 and it did the job. They were noisy unloaded but when I put a rack on, I couldn't hear a thing. Installing fairings would likely achieve the same result. My moonroof was able to fully open with the rack unloaded, I think it hit the carrier support bracket when loaded.

 

[Davicho]

I had a ROLA and I loved it. I decided with the ROLA over the Inno simply because the load bars were oval and more aerodynamic then the Inno round bars. I ended up selling my ROLA and buying an OEM Mazda rack because I wanted to have a full functioning moonroof which I can with the OEM one even with anything loaded on the rack. The ROLA sat nice and low but would hinder the moonroof operation. You don't have a moonroof so either rack will work for you.

 

[Nybiomed]

I bought the INNO 50" roofrack with MED fairing in December from ORS Racks Direct for $270 shipped. I had already bought the ski attachment from Amazon in November when it went on sale for $69.99. I installed everything myself, pretty easy really. I have a Thule rack on my Honda Fit Sport and I would say its every bit a sturdy and secure at half the cost. I even have 2 of the bike racks that I've yet to install, plan on getting around to that in a couple months when things warm up here in the Hudson Valley, NY. I believe they recommend the 46" size, but I went with the next size larger so I don't have to put quite so much stress on the back when getting things loaded, some peeps even go with the 54" size and I can't say I blame them...I have no regrets and would buy the INNOs again without hesitation, nice not have to blow extra dough on expensive locks like with the Thule and I think Yakima too. I got the silver IN-XR base kit and 50" bars in silver, but I think I should've just gone with the black base kit in retrospect- they're really only covers and I'm thinking about trying to buy black ones to switch out, it doesn't seem like the 4 should cost much...
The beauty of the M5 is the low roofline, making a rack highly functional- I'm 5'"11, but I think even my wife at 5'8" should be able to load the mtn bikes without trying to balance on the doorsills. If your shorter, I think the 54" bars would make it even more accessible and still look good, any larger and they would begin to look like outriggers or eye pokers...

I'd post pics, but alas, I don't know how...

 

[JMJinNC]

I'm watching this thread. FWIW, I have 2 old-style Thule fork-mount bike trays to mount, and may mount a Yakima Basketcase or Rolo cargo carrier.

I like the Rolo aerodynamic load bars and towers, but don't see an easy mounting option for my Thule trays. I used to have an adapter to mount them on top of my Toyota OEM T-slot type load bars decades ago, but those adapters got sold.

The Inno load bars are rectangular like the Thule bars, so they should fit the Thule bike trays fine.

I have a 2012 Sport, so no moonroof clearance issues - the lower the better (especially since my wife is 5'2").

Best prices I've found so far is $268 for Rolo, about $198 for Inno (autoanything.com with coupon code).

JMJ

 

[z00mbaby]

First post! I am looking for a roof rack for my 2012 Mazda 5 GT. I measured the rise of the sun roof tilt last night and it was 4.5" (5" to be safe). And I think the Yakima Skybox (which I have) brackets also come down a little more. Any roof racks out there other than the OEM rack that fits the bill? I couldn't find any without making the sun roof useless. Thanks.

Oh and if its the OEM rack, any deals/places offering cheaper than $438? Thank you.

 

[Silentnoise713]

I bought the INNO 50" roofrack with MED fairing in December from ORS Racks Direct for $270 shipped. I had already bought the ski attachment from Amazon in November when it went on sale for $69.99. I installed everything myself, pretty easy really. I have a Thule rack on my Honda Fit Sport and I would say its every bit a sturdy and secure at half the cost. I even have 2 of the bike racks that I've yet to install, plan on getting around to that in a couple months when things warm up here in the Hudson Valley, NY. I believe they recommend the 46" size, but I went with the next size larger so I don't have to put quite so much stress on the back when getting things loaded, some peeps even go with the 54" size and I can't say I blame them...I have no regrets and would buy the INNOs again without hesitation, nice not have to blow extra dough on expensive locks like with the Thule and I think Yakima too. I got the silver IN-XR base kit and 50" bars in silver, but I think I should've just gone with the black base kit in retrospect- they're really only covers and I'm thinking about trying to buy black ones to switch out, it doesn't seem like the 4 should cost much...
The beauty of the M5 is the low roofline, making a rack highly functional I'm 5'"11, but I think even my wife at 5'8" should be able to load the mtn bikes without trying to balance on the doorsills.- If your shorter, I think the 54" bars would make it even more accessible and still look good, any larger and they would begin to look like outriggers or eye pokers...

I'd post pics, but alas, I don't know how...

I guess if you are comparing the Mz5 to full size vans or trucks it has a low roofline but it is still high overall. The high roofline is part reason why I'm thinking of selling my OEM Mazda rack roof mount bike carries for a hitch instead. On a sedan, that is what I call a normal roofline, which is lower than the Mz5, and a low slung sports car is what I’d truly call a “low” roofline.



A couple of points that may help in the OP's decision.

-The square bars can carry more weight than the more aero oval bars. The difference isn't hugh and may not be an issue if you are going to carry light stuff.
-If you do get a square rack, make sure you use a flaring or wind diffusers (I think diffusers are only avail on OEM racks). I have the 1st gen OEM rack and thankfully have all of the wind diffusers. I tried driving without the diffusers and it can loud at high speeds, even misplacing them makes a bit of noise! Properly placed, the diffusers seem to mostly eliminate the noise.
-If you plan on carrying a large object, your OEM antenna may get in the way. I moved a large dining table (legs poking up, quite a sight) and a few piece of large plywood but both still touched and bends the antenna (using s shorty antenna from S2K as well but very flexible). Point is, if you are going to carry large things, consider a shorty/shark fin antenna or get the taller 1st gen OEM rack (I could be wrong in that both gen OEM racks are the same height). Then again, you can simply just take the antenna off but I'm too lazy to do that b/c I believe the car should work for me, not the other way around

 

[Cackalacka]

Thanks for all the feedback. Any thoughts on what width fairing to get? The options are 39" (med) and 48" (large) for 46" wide bars. It seems that the medium size is commonly recommended but that doesn't seem to cover the rack towers. Is that still OK? The prices seem the same for either size.

 

[Cackalacka]

-If you do get a square rack, make sure you use a flaring or wind diffusers (I think diffusers are only avail on OEM racks). I have the 1st gen OEM rack and thankfully have all of the wind diffusers. I tried driving without the diffusers and it can loud at high speeds, even misplacing them makes a bit of noise! Properly placed, the diffusers seem to mostly eliminate the noise.

I'm leaning toward the Inno at this point. In your above quote are you talking about a fairing? Are diffusers different or is that just a generic term for anything that makes the apparatus more aerodynamic and thus eliminates wind noise?

 

[Silentnoise713]

I'm leaning toward the Inno at this point. In your above quote are you talking about a fairing? Are diffusers different or is that just a generic term for anything that makes the apparatus more aerodynamic and thus eliminates wind noise?

I trust you know what a typically roof rack fairing looks like.

I use the term "wind diffusers" b/c that's what the Mazda install manual calls them. Here’s what it looks like. 3 small ones in front, 1 larger one in the back. The orientation and placement makes an impact. Little contraptions but makes a heck of a difference!
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/philadelphia20110919001.jpg/

 

[Silentnoise713]

BTW, not sure if you got a chance to check out the How-to thread on 1st and 2nd gen OEM racks install guide but I find that for all racks, the devil is in the details. In particular, the way how the 1st gen rack's mounting tool is integrated is ingenious! The 2nd gen definitely looks better aesthetically but if you want to remove it frequently, it seem to be more of a hassle.

 

[Cackalacka]

I trust you know what a typically roof rack fairing looks like.

I use the term "wind diffusers" b/c that's what the Mazda install manual calls them. Here’s what it looks like. 3 small ones in front, 1 larger one in the back. The orientation and placement makes an impact. Little contraptions but makes a heck of a difference!
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/philadelphia20110919001.jpg/

Ah, I geddit. You wouldn't think little things like that would make a difference.

Anyway, yeah, I know what a fairing looks like and would appreciate any opinions on fairing width. Most of the stock pictures show them covering the towers but the recommended width doesn't seem to be wide enough to actually do that. Perhaps I'm over thinking things but I'd rather ask questions before I drop $300. Thanks!

 

[Cackalacka]

I think I've figured this out. I guess the cross bars extend out an inch or two beyond the towers anyway, so maybe the 39" is OK. Thanks again for the feedback.

 

[Davicho]

I trust you know what a typically roof rack fairing looks like.

I use the term "wind diffusers" b/c that's what the Mazda install manual calls them. Here’s what it looks like. 3 small ones in front, 1 larger one in the back. The orientation and placement makes an impact. Little contraptions but makes a heck of a difference!
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/philadelphia20110919001.jpg/

Hey silent, maybe it's just me but I have messed with my diffusers and I found a better set up. At least to me it seems quieter. I put two small ones pushed all the way out at each end, the large one dead smack in the middle and none in the rear bar. I also have the moonroof visor which could direct wind differently then no visor at all which in turn can also aid the diffusers being placed in that order. I want a fairing but I can't convince myself to give up the full function of my moonroof which I enjoy a lot.

 

[Silentnoise713]

Hey silent, maybe it's just me but I have messed with my diffusers and I found a better set up. At least to me it seems quieter. I put two small ones pushed all the way out at each end, the large one dead smack in the middle and none in the rear bar. I also have the moonroof visor which could direct wind differently then no visor at all which in turn can also aid the diffusers being placed in that order. I want a fairing but I can't convince myself to give up the full function of my moonroof which I enjoy a lot.

I enjoy the moonroof too! Closest thing till I can get back into a vert. Pipedream, but wouldn’t it be nice if it was a sky roof + all glass roof?. I like the sun and breeze

The moonroof visor prob would make an impact. I have only played with placement a few times and so far I find the recommended setup worked best on the Sport. I haven’t put the rack on the GT yet so I’ll see if/how it differs with the moonroof in tilt (no visor).

I'm leaning toward the Inno at this point. In your above quote are you talking about a fairing? Are diffusers different or is that just a generic term for anything that makes the apparatus more aerodynamic and thus eliminates wind noise?

How did you conclude towards the INNO? Keep in mind the Rola aero bars don’t require a fairing and the stock ones come with wind diffusers, which is additional $$ if you got with the Inno; unless you don’t care about the noise.

Another tidbit: most accessories that come with attachment for square bars seem to be cheaper than those that come with attachments for the aero bars. Larger selection too but you can convert most of the accessories to fit one or the other.

 

[JMJinNC]

I've used Yakima WindJammers on a Thule rack - They're clip-on airfoils and they will work on square bars (at least the old ones did).

JMJ

http://yakima.com/shop/racksystems/naked-roof/windjammer

 

[Cackalacka]

How did you conclude towards the INNO? Keep in mind the Rola aero bars don’t require a fairing and the stock ones come with wind diffusers, which is additional $$ if you got with the Inno; unless you don’t care about the noise.

Another tidbit: most accessories that come with attachment for square bars seem to be cheaper than those that come with attachments for the aero bars. Larger selection too but you can convert most of the accessories to fit one or the other.

I didn't know that about the Rola bars not needing a fairing. I went with the Inno b/c it seemed cheaper - I got the rack and fairing for $255 including shipping w/ promo code. Perhaps the Rola would have been cheaper because I wouldn't need a fairing as you say. Typically how I roll is to agonize over decisions and make sure I get the ABSOLUTE best deal and this time I just didn't want to do that; I just wanted to order the thing and move on. Given that you say I can likely use a wider selection of cheaper accessories with the rectangular bars I think I can live with that. Cheers

 

[Davicho]

Don't mean to divert from topic on ROLA vs Inno but... I've hear that Mazda has a new OEM roof rack but with aero bars instead of square ones. Anyone know about this? Link? Or part number?

 

[JMJinNC]

I just ordered the INNO rack (w/o the fairing though). I'll wait & see how much room I have for bike trays and/or a basket. If I find a screaming deal on a box locally, I may go that route.

JMJ