Hi! I was just wondering if a few fellow MINI friends would mind dropping their opinion on the THULE rack system on my MINI, Winston.

I kind of like the athletic look it gives my MINI, but have noticed that my gas efficiency has DROPPED STEEPLY, lol..I'm talking going from 340 miles on a full tank to close to 200-210 miles with the rack on.

I am a vain sum ma ma b*tch, lol, and am willing to forego fuel economy for aesthetics for the winter, but was just wondering which look ya'll think looks better...

edit : I DO use it to go snowboarding each weekend, so functionality is not a question...

Thanks for your thoughts! Sincerely, Bri

 

I like it better without. Do you USE it? Do you NEED it? Do you also own the truck in your sig.? If so, use that for carrying such things that a rack could carry. Cha ching, .02$

mb

 

yeah @ what MbCoops said, and furthermore I think you meant consumption increased - it's fuel economy that went in the tank, likely...

Now altogether you got $.04. Good luck - and I do recommend doing what turns YOU on. Roof racks on MINI's don't look bad at ALL! In fact I think Yakima has one with a very car-friendly mounting system. Maybe worth a look.
Tatt

 

I agree that it looks better w/out. You made the effort to put on the Union Jack, why would you want to cover it up?

Cool car either way.

 

Well, here's my input (from experience)

1. order a 2"x24" or so strip of xpel (the clearbra stuff) from their website and trim out 4 'footprints' just larger than the rubber feet that sit on your roof, and stick these to the roof under the rubber feet. This will keep the rack towers from scuffing the paint on your roof. (that happened on my last MINI)

2. take the time to rinse off the rubber feet befor re-installing the rack after you've had it off.

3. I've carried all kinds of stuff with my Yakima rack and never a problem, but keep in mind that the MINI rain gutter is held on only by double-sided tape (and thus the roof rack as well)

I think it looks cool, I like the deflector at the front. I usually mount the rear rack back just in front of the antenna.

 

In terms of the rack, I would go with whether or not you use it. I like the look of the car better without it, but if you use it for things you could not take with you without it, then keep it.

 

It's only cool if you actually use it on a regular basis.

Otherwise, keeping an unused roof rack on your car and knowing that it is causing you a 30-40% drop in your gas mileage is pretty silly.
vin

 

[QUOTE=BartMack]Well, here's my input (from experience)


keep in mind that the MINI rain gutter is held on only by double-sided tape (and thus the roof rack as well)

Yikes, only double sided tape holding that thing on, no way my Madone is going roof riding! I think I'll get some kind of rear rack!

 

Unfortunately I've sold the Expedition in the sig...

 

Yep :smile: use it every weekend to go snowboarding

 

Thanks everyone for the very helpful thoughts on the roof rack. BARTMACK - thanks especially for the advise on using the 3M material before remounting...after taking off the rack, i noticed that the footpads have rubbed off a line of color from the union jack decal but i will surely do the 3M thing asap.

 

Well the post title asked "which looks better"

without.

But, aside from that, if you use it keep it on. Lifes too short to miss out.

Snowboarding where?

 

We ski and snowboard and I am thinking about getting rid of our SUV. I have seen a MINI with a fiberglass shell ski carrier and it looks great. The carrier looks so big it looks like if the MINI fipped upside down it would float on the roof carrier.

 

well, i would definitely say it looks better with it off, but if you use it often it's probably not worth taking it on and off. if you don't use it for anything during the warmer months, i would just leave it on for the season.

 

You mispelled Fortunately

As far as the rack goes....what ever floats your boat

Earl

 

I think it looks better with the racks...especially because you have

a lot of stuff on your car already it goes well with ornaments. :smile:

 

Appearance is one of my fave topics. And since you asked here is my HO:

Your MINI's color scheme puts you at an advantage to start.

The racks hint at the adventurer within (we assume within both the MINI and you). So from that viewpoint (allure) they complement your lifestyle and boost your image. The auxiliary lights contribute by suggesting your adventures might take place in a wide range of venus including dark wilderness areas or, at the very least, leafier gated communities that have banned cobrahead luminaires (scoring points with what could be the same target audience). The dark color of the wheels (anthracite?) appears to have been selected for devil-may-care backroading where one might be deprived for days on end of a touchless carwash.

Sans racks your car looks ready to win a rally, especially with the iconic paint scheme, memorialized numerals and emblem from Tony Blair's undies. The auxiliary lights reinforce the purposeful rally look. Even the dark color wheels take on a different character--one of precision-cast efficiency in the service of strength, unsprung weight, and ventilation. And the sunroof's wind deflector contributes to the rally feel by suggesting that cockpit ventilation is a necessity as, at times, windless in-car communication (remember Denis Jenkinson and Sterling Moss with their toilet paper?).

But all of it together puts one in mind of a presidential candidate at the hustings--mixed messages. Your car has on so many outfits at once that you ought to be able to strip off bits with impunity. For example, the most egregious visual conflict may be between the roof racks and racing numbers. They are fine by themselves, but in combination they conspire against you--go fast racing numbers cancelled by anti-aero roof racks. Yet overall you have everything you need. So with minimum circumspection you should be able to dress your MINI to complement your roadtrip of choice.

 

May I just say, 'Nanu Nanu" to you, Mork. Thanks so much for such an amazing and inciteful message. You're absolutely right about the conflict between the rally numbers and the roof rack.

Speaking of impressive 'color schemes', your command of the written (wait...typed, lol) word is nothing short of impressive.

Again, thanks so much for a wonderful reply...