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Thread: Carrying Kayaks on roof (does antenna come off roof?)

  1. #1
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    Carrying Kayaks on roof (does antenna come off roof?)

    Hi
    I am a couple of months away from purchasing a new car and am considering a mirage es+ with a cvt. I've already test driven it and really like it however I do have one concern: My wife and I are avid kayakers and I am concerned about how having two 54lb, 14 foot kayaks would affect the car given its lack of power. Has anybody driven with a roof carrier or boats on the roof? Do I have any reason to be concerned?

    Thank you



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    I am an avid paddler of both canoes and kayaks. Should you be concerned? No.

    Here is the long answer: The mass of the kayaks is insignificant, less than just one adult passenger. The wind load is much more of an issue. Wind resistance increases exponentially, so if you were on the US interstate and insisted on keeping up with the fast lane you might have to work the car pretty hard. Even still, I think it could do it. Kayaks are quite streamlined, so while there will be considerable extra resistance, it isn't that bad. Your fuel efficiency will suffer, but the car will have ample power. The Mirage can do 180km/h, so 100km/h with the boats won't pose a problem.

    I hauled an Old Town Tripper XL across the West with my Oldsmobile which had less than 100hp. That canoe was 20' long, 130lbs, and we went though a decent storm. I also put 3 canoes on top of a Dodge Omni and went 80mph.

    A tip - open the hood, find where a machine screw holds the sheet-metal on, cut a loop of nylon webbing and put a hole in it, then screw that loop back in (one on each side). Use these tie-downs with parachute cord to anchor the boats to the front of the car.
    Another tip - Yakima does not yet make a fit kit for the Mirage - Thule does, and perhaps other less famous brands.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.0 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.1 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member fatcat's Avatar
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    another tip...there is a plastic plate on the front bumper of the mirage...remove that and you can screw in the tow hook(it is just a bolt with an eye end found in with the jack tools). you can then hook your front straps to this. I have a few 16+ foot kayaks that I will be transporting once I get a roof rack...It might look goofy since the car is so short, but it will work!

  5. #4
    Quick question, plinko: why are you considering the CVT instead of the manual?

    If it's for convenience/driver ability, fine. If it's for fuel economy, get the manual. Despite the CVT's better official ratings, a well-driven manual will outperform the CVT in real world driving. Check our fuel log stats.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Thank you or the responses, I feel much more confident getting a mirage now. My current car is an old Chrysler town and country with the 3.8L so it doesn't even notice the boats but I have no experience with such a small light car. I'm planning on keeping the mirage until its ready for the junkyard so I want to make sure it meets all my needs.
    @metroMPG
    Thanks for the info, I would get a manual but this is going to be my wife's and I only car and she is a very new driver who has no interest in learning to drive stick and I have no interest in teaching her lol. She is Irish and always took the bus or train everywhere so just learned at 24 when we dicided to move back to Canada. When we go to two cars in a few years when she is finished university I will be getting a manual for myself since I prefer the extra control. Hopefully it will be another small car as I'm super stoked about them after testing the mirage and Micra. It was such a downer to get back into the big lumbering van after feeling like I was on rails during the test drive.

  7. #6
    Well, please keep us posted whatever your decision.

    When I read "Irish" I was at first surprised she didn't drive stick... until I read that she didn't drive at all!

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    You can easily carry a Kayak or two on a mirage. If this car can do it, the mirage will have no trouble.




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    Uber Mirage alex16's Avatar
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    Saw this the other day! Name:  image.jpg
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    2014 ES F5MBD aka 5MT. I am a full time Uber driver, if you want to drive for uber DO not sign up without my referral code for a bonus .

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 44.8 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


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    On the 2015 can you unscrew and remove the radio antenna in order to place a kayak on top of the roof?

    Also will 1 ratchet strap in the front window, 1 ratchet strap in the rear window and a rope tying the front of the kayak down to the eye hook on the front bumper be enough?

    ie: No rope needed on the rear?
    2015 Mirage DE 5 speed Manual - 30k miles

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 44.9 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


  13. #10
    Delayed answer: yes, the antenna unscrews.

    And I would say yes, the above tie-down approach is fine. I do that all the time (not on the Mirage specifically).

    Plinko, if you're still getting notifications from this site... what car did you end up getting?


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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