Q: I’ve got a Mazda5 minivan with integrated side rails on the roof and am looking for a roof rack set to load a soft carrier onto. Looks like you guys have several options and expert advice. Can you advise on an option for me?

A: We actually offer a cargo bag (the Yakima FarOut Pro Roof Bag) that can mount directly to the roof of most vehicles without any additional racks. However, your Mazda 5 has sliding rear doors, which I believe may not allow this, though you may be able to mount it through the front doors. This would be the best option, since you will only be using it once in a great while.

Otherwise you will need a base rack to attach a cargo bag. The least expensive, yet still quality, option will be the Inno IN-XR Roof Rack System (includes IN-XR stays, B117 cross bars and TR120 fit hooks). NOTE: this assumes your Mazda 5 is a 2006-2010. If not then the actual fit and components may be different.

Using this base rack will give you many more options of cargo bags to choose from. Here are a couple to look at:
SportRack Sherpa 13 Car Roof Bag – bare bones, budget bag.
Thule 846 Quest Roof Bag – middle of the road in features and price.
Thule 857 Caravan Roof Bag – best bang for your buck.

Picture of the all-new Inno Racks BRA130 Flex Top Aero roof bag, an all-purpose car roof rack cross bars mounting cargo luggage storage bag.

Just released to Inno Racks dealers across North America is the unique and innovative BRA130 Inno Flex Top Aero roof bag, a fully-featured multi-purpose cargo luggage carrier bag for transporting a wide variety of gear and equipment including luggage, sports gear (even holds up to 4 snowboards), golf clubs, baby strollers and baby joggers, camping equipment and much more. And with a 14 cu/ft cargo carrying capacity there is plenty of room for hauling gear for the whole family. The 65 inch length is also the perfect size to fit any vehicle, from small 2 door cars on up to SUV’s. The universal mounting Inno Racks Quick Mount hardware fits any factory rack crossbars and any aftermarket multi-purpose base roof rack cross bars from Inno, Thule, Whispbar, Yakima and others. Plus, the base of the Inno BRA130 Flex Top Aero roof bag has built-in tracks to allow the mounting clamps to variably position forward and backward for finding the ideal position on the vehicle roof top (especially nice for cars that have a rear hatch door and ensuring it won’t contact the back of the roof bag when the hatch door is opened up). What really makes the BRA 130  Inno Flex Top Aero roof bag stand apart from all other car rooftop cargo luggage bags is the integrated folding frame system that supports the structure of the bag. This serves to keep the bag aerodynamic and fuel friendly on the vehicle and looking good at all times, as well as making it easy to access the contents transported in the bag. Plus, the full zippers on both sides of the bag provide convenient dual access from either side of the vehicle. When the Inno Flex Top Aero is not needed, the frame can fully collapse flat, eliminating the need to remove the bag and also ensure optimal fuel efficiency and aerodynamics. Locks are also included for locking the zippers and protecting all items from theft when left unattended.

Picture of the Yakima Racks 8007173 FarOut Pro roof bag, a car rooftop soft-sided cargo luggage storage bag. Besides being a waterproof roof bag, the Yakima Far Out Pro fits all vehicle roof top configurations - those with factory rack crossbars from Yakima, Whispbar, Inno, Thule etc, even cars with totally bare roof tops -- as opposed to the barely covered bottom on the model in the photo

Yakima Racks has you totally covered (as opposed to the barely covered model in the picture above) when it comes to gearing up to hit the road for all your summer vacation destinations. Besides offering hard plastic cargo roof boxes and cargo roof baskets, they now offer a line of premium waterproof roof bags. Headlining the series is the all-new 8007173 Yakima FarOut Pro roof bag, which features a host unique innovations such as a 9 cu/ft cargo storage capacity that optionally expands to 12 cu/ft when you need to bring luggage, camping equipment and other cargo gear for the entire family. The Yakima FarOut  Pro bag also attaches to cars with totally bare roof tops, a unique feature not offered on other competitors’ models. Of course it also works on factory racks, with or without cross bars, and any roof racks from Yakima, Whispbar, Thule, Inno and more. It is a great alternative to much more expensive and more difficult to install and store hard-shell cargo roof boxes. The Yakima Far Out Pro roof bag folds up for easy, convenient storage. 

see all Yakima car rooftop soft-sided cargo luggage storage bags

Great photo of a 2006 BMW 325 Xi roof rack cargo storage bag with the Yakima RailGrab roof rack system, a 38" wind fairing/noise deflector, and the Yakima GetOut cargo bag.

Here is a great shot of an easy and affordable way to transport extra cargo on your next road trip.  This 2006 BMW 325 Xi rooftop rack system and cargo bag is using the Yakima RailGrab base rack system, which attaches to the BMW factory roof rails, with a 38″ wind fairing/noise deflector and the Yakima GetOut cargo bag. 

More details and info for 2006 BMW Xi roof rack luggage bag.

Picture of 2004 Nissan Armada hitch rack for 4 bikes and roof bag for Nissan Armada. Setup consists of Thule 867 Tahoe Rooftop Cargo Bag and Yakima Double Down 4 bike hitch rack.

This hitch mount bike rack for a 2004 Nissan Armada can carry 4 bikes and the  Thule 867 Tahoe rooftop cargo bag is an excellent choice for transporting the rest of your cycling related gear.  The Yakima 8002424 Double Down hitch bike rack in this picture is also using the Yakima Deadlock bike rack lock to lock the bikes to the hitch rack and lock the hitch rack to the trailer hitch receiver. A perfect  roof cargo bag for 2004 Nissan Armada , the Thule 867 Tahoe has a huge amount of storage space and can be attached to all styles of roof racks as well as cars with no factory cross bars ( just siderails).

More product info on 2004 Nissan Armada Hitch Bike Rack and Roof Bag.

Image of factory roof bag for 2008 Ford Taurus X. Consists of Thule 846 Quest roof top cargo bag. Cargo bag attaches directly to 2008 Ford Taurus X factory rack siderails.

Sometimes simple works best –  a roof cargo-luggage bag for a 2008 Ford Taurus X that attaches directly to the Ford Taurus X Factory roof rack side rails is perfect if you need a little extra room inside your vehicle.  No need to install additional attachments or base rack system.  Just load the Thule 846 Quest roof bag with your gear, attach roof bag to your Ford Taurus X factory rack and go!

More 2008 Ford Taurus X Roof Bag details.

Hearwarming shot of two happy folks standing in front of thier 2010 Toyota RAV4 with Thule 630 Ranger 90 Cargo Carrier attached directly to the RAV4's factory roof crossbars.

A simple and affordable way to increase your cargo space is with a roof moutned cargo box or cargo bag.  The Thule 630 Ranger 90 cargo bag  is a cargo bag with a hard bottom that attaches to factory crossbars much like a cargo box.  This 2010 Toyota RAV4 with factory crossbars is a prefect match with the Ranger 90 cargo bag. 

More info for ’10 RAV4 Roof Cargo Bag

2001 Ford Econoline Van canoe rack and luggage bag. Combination includes Inno IN-AD Raingutters roof rack , Inno BRA120 Flex Top 18 Cargo bag and Inno IN762 Canoe Pads.

If you want to carry a canoe on a 2001 Ford Econoline 250 Van roof top canoe rack and still have room for all your other gear this set up works well. It consists of the Inno IN-AD RainGutters Roof Rack with an extra pair if IN-AD Stays and an extra  single Inno crossbar, the Inno BRA 120 Flex Top 18 Cargo Roof Bag and Inno IN762 Canoe pads. The Inno BRA 120 Flex Top 18 roof bag for a 2001 Ford Econoline van has 18 cubic feet of storage space and folds up when not in use.

Read more info on this setup of a roof top canoe rack for 2001 Ford Econoline Van…

An excellent photo of a 2010 Subaru Outback roof rack cargo box and bike racks system using the Thule 450 Crossroad car rack mounted to the 2010 Subaru Outback wagon factory rack side rails. Thule 685XT Atlantis 1200 roof box and two Rocky Mounts PitchFork bike racks connected to the 450 CrossRoad base rack load bars.

Another fantastic example of how easy it really is to rack up the new 2010 Subaru Outback wagon. There has been much discussion regarding the new factory rack on the 2010 Subaru Outback wagon. Many owners are unsure exactly what roof rack components are acceptable for this vehicle (We highly recommend visiting this 2010 Subaru Outback factory roof rack article for complete details on what is available). The picture above is a superb 2010 Subaru Outback bike roof rack and cargo luggage box solution. With the Subaru Outback factory rack cross bars in their stored position, they cleverly serve as the factory side rails that then allow you to mount the Thule 450 Crossroad multi-purpose base rack system to the side rails. You can then attach any gear carriers to the 450 Crossroad car rack load bars. The photo above shows two RockyMounts PitchFork bike racks and a Thule 685XT Atlantis 1200 cargo roof box connected to the load bars.

2010 Subaru Outback roof rack cargo box & bike rack install details

Nice shot of a 2009 Nissan Versa luggage rack set up using the Inno IN-SU Roof Crossbar System (Inno IN-SU Stays, Inno B127 Cross Bars, and Inno K313 Fit Hooks, locks/keys included) and the Inno BRA120 Flextop 18 Roof Bag.

This is a great example of the multi-use versatilty of a base rack system.  Here we have a shiny 2009 Nissan Versa roof rack luggage carrier system using the Inno IN-SU Roof Rack System (Inno IN-SU Stays, Inno K313 Fit Hooks, and B127 50″ Cross Bars, and included locks/keys)  for its multi purpose base rack system.  The Inno INA262 Medium Wind Fairing can be seen attached to the front crossbar not currently doing what it is designed to do, which is quiet wind noise at higher speeds.  On top of the cross bars is the Inno BRA 120 Flex Top 18 cargo carrier roof bag, or luggage carrier, or whatver you may call “a highly weather resistant roof mounted cargo carrier that has an interior frame with a soft bag stretched around it that mounts to existing crossbars and carries a alot of gear and whose frame can be folded down flat when not in use.” The Inno BRA120 roof bag combines a hard-shell roof box and a soft-sided roof bag into one superior product. Delivers the versatility of multi-purpose gear transport, even skis and snowboards in winter, not to mention camping equipement and all the luggage you need for a family vacation. Folds flat when not in use for dramatic fuel efficiency.

complete details for this 2009 Nissan Versa Roof Rack Luggage Carrier