I've been looking to get a roof basket for a while now. Surprisingly, google didn’t pull up ANY pics of X1's with roof baskets installed so I was really curious how it would turn out. This didn’t turn me off from the idea at all though since it seems I'm blazing a new trail with this car either way (figuratively and literally, sometimes even
). I was lucky enough to score some crossbars for a fair price a few months back (although now craigslist seems flooded with them in my area) so it was only a matter of time before I made it happen. I had my heart set on the Thule Canyon 859 due to the shape and style. It wasn't a traditional 'off road' basket but my car isn't a traditional off-road vehicle either. I wanted something that wouldn't look too out of place and I thought the Thule Canyon's lines would be at home on a Euro CUV:
Apparently Allroad Outfitters thought the same and put the same rack on their Q3 in April. Great minds think alike! I had the idea first though
Their Q3 looks BAD-ASS but I'm curious how that fitment would work off road, looks pretty aggressive for full compression. Would love to see that thing in action
After endless debating and hunting I, by chance, came across the Kuat Vagabond X. This basket was similarly shaped and has a couple big features the Thule Canyon does not - it has 2 built in bike skewers and includes locks to ensure your basket stays put in the presence of a thief. These two features were a slam dunk and very useful for me, so I went for it! The real bronze badging is a nice touch. Oh, it's also a bit longer than the Thule as well
I was excited to pick this up just in time for a 1000 mile round trip to Sonoma, CA this past weekend. I knew I would be hurting my MPG but I wanted to see just by how much. When passing Tracy, CA on the 5N I noticed a sign for Carnegie SVRA (State Vehicular Recreation Area, AKA OHV/Off Highway Vehicle Area, AKA Legal Off-Road driving area
http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1172) and while I didn't have time to stop on the way up, I knew I would have to make time on my way back down and that's exactly what I did. This OHV area is mainly intended for dirt bikes and quads but they do have a "4x4 Playground" with various man-made obstacles of different sizes to test your vehicle. Again, the X1 surprised me. It doesn't have much of articulation and ground clearance is lacking, but really, this vehicle can do more than most would guess. I took a couple videos of a little hill climb I did with a rutted entry and loose terrain; I may upload to show the AWD system in action along with some loud turbo spool thanks to the AFE intake but for now IÂ’ve just included a few crummy screen caps.
Front passenger wheel is clear off the ground here. The “electronic differential” kicks in and sends the power to the other 3 wheels and pulls you up and over. Here the passenger rear traction was a bit light so you see a little dirt kicked up before the e-diff slows the speed of that particular wheel, sending the power where the firm traction is.
Other side angle, note passenger front wheel! This entry would not have been possible without the lift + tires to improve my approach, break-over, and departure angles.
Lastly, these perspectives donÂ’t do the grade and pack justice. It really was decently steep and pretty loose, not something you would want to try to walk up & down by foot.
Various shots just before getting back on the road.
The basket is pretty big relative to the size of the X1, too big for many. Due to the downward arch of the rear half of our car, combined with the rear shape of the basket, the back portion looks gigantic from some angles. When I first put it on, I was skeptical about the size. The Thule Canyon would have definitely been a bit more understated, though any basket may look high due to our cross-bars sitting high above the roof due to moon roof. Still, I'm a fan of the style and don't plan on removing this basket in the near future, and look forward to loading it up with gear.
Next up, I am going to Jawbone Canyon (
http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28617) for a 4th of July camping trip. Lots of dirt bike areas, not a whole lot of 4x4 but more options than Carnegie. Maybe this time I will bring out a real camera and take some actual shots.
Until next time!
