nodoors

That is an interesting rarity, when aftermarket parts cost more than the porsche equipment, hahaha.

gnat

Can't remember if it was more, the same, or just under. It was +/- $100 either way for the rails. Though now that I think about it that would have included the cross bars for the aftermarket option so not an entirely fair comparison, but the factory rails also can carry 100lbs more.

As I recall the "cheap" square bars from Yakima/Thule were right about what the OE bars from Suncoast cost. The "whisper" bars (low profile for less noise) which are more akin to the OE bars were considerably more even on sale and with an outstanding discount we had at REI.

Getting the hitch installed as part of the build was also a significant savings over doing it after the fact ($800 vs $2k+ as I recall).

Now the fire extinguisher that I hope to never need but can't replace due to it being a size not found in the US, that's a different story...

nodoors

I have never enjoyed strapping things to the roof of a car. It never feels right to me. When I need to carry things that are too large to fit inside the Cayenne or I am packed to the gills and don't want to take a larger vehicle I use a hitch basket. It is a bigger pain to install being so bulky and getting the hitch pin is always a bit of a challenge, but totally worth it for many reasons.

With a hitch basket you keep the weight lower, have less chance of scratching up the paint on the car while loading and unloading, can hold 500+ pounds, you can put things back there like paint or gas cans without fear, there is less chance of cargo blowing off on the highway since it sits in the low pressure zone of the slipstream, has little to no effect on gas mileage, maintains easier access for packing/unpacking (provided you can still get things in and out through the rear hatch window, and with my newest mod I can now use my reverse camera to keep an eye on the cargo!

I may be different, but generally when I strap things to the outside of my car these items are very important and pricey toys/gear and not just a duffle bag full of dirty laundry, toilet paper, and twinkies.

Many years ago, my sister absolutely destroyed a very expensive carbon fiber road bike when she forgot it was mounted to her roof and went into a drive-through. I have not forgotten that either, LOL. I just don't think roof racks are worth it and that might affect how I feel about their appearance as well.

What kind of stuff are you guys putting up there other than snowboards/skis and bike racks? I guess there is a case for a kayak which won't do well on a hitch rack unless it is one of those badass, stumpy whitewater ones, haha.

gnat

I generally agree with you, but I had a few factors in my decisions.

First is that Porsche in their infinite wisdom decided to remove the ability to open the hatch glass on the 958. The impact is that anything packed against the hatch is effectively inaccessible with a hitch basket on and packed (mine is just tall enough to keep the hatch from opening). True you can get some that swing out of the way, but they typically support less weight.

While the basket is aerodynamically better, it can start "wagging the dog" when you get a stretch of road that gets bouncy (over bridges is where I notice it the most). The Cayenne is way more stable (being heavier and bigger) than my old Escape, but it's still noticeable.

The basket pisses off the already obnoxious parking sensors which start screaming as soon as you crank the car and before you can turn it off.

I've seen the results of people forgetting that their bike rack/basket is back there and whacking it into things.

I had 3 50lb dogs and a 9 month old that occupied the majority of the cargo area and rear seats.

I bought a cargo carrier for the roof which negates many of the downsides of putting stuff up there. It's certainly noticeable in cross winds, but the one I got (just a basic Yakima) is about as aerodynamic as you can make a 16 cubic foot box and I still pulled 27-28MPG out of the diesel doing 70-90MPH down i-95 and back. Without the box the same trip gave me 31MPG.

All in all the hitch carrier is my goto option as it's easier, but it is nice having the flexibility when needed

nodoors

That all makes a ton of sense. The lack of hatch glass opening on the 958 was definitely a bonehead play. It definitely removes more 'utility' from the Cayenne than Porsche realizes. The vast majority of the time it doesn't matter, but when it comes time to 'pack up the car' for a large haul it makes a big difference with things like this. I have not experienced the rack wag the dog yet in my Cayenne. Had it the tiniest bit in my 45 year old lifted truck over bumpy roads, but it has a much looser suspension.