Thule Aeroblade Edge fitment

[MizikeTSK]

I just picked up my 2015 MSport and ordered the Thule Aeroblade Edge, are they a perfect fit? My brother in law said he had to trim his with a dremel for it to fit correctly. The Thule site said I needed to go with the Large size which is what I ordered. Just curious to know since I’ve seen others on here with the same setup.

[kj71109]

2017 M Sport 35D. I have Thule 7603B Front and Rear with fit kit 4023, and they are a perfect fit. No trimming of any sort. Also have Thule Motion XT Alpine, and the whole setup is top notch. Ran out to Colorado a few weeks ago (2000 mile round trip) running 85mph most of the way, and only had to close the sunroof blind to eliminate the wind noise at that speed.

[MizikeTSK]

Thanks kj71109 for verifying. I ordered the exact same kit minus the Motion XT.

[Florida-X3]

FYI .... the OEM crossbars have very specific locations to installed them. A specific distance from the front window and then a specific distance from the front one for the rear. I assume it's because of the large sunroof and those spots are deemed the strongest by BMW.

[redline9001]

Originally Posted by Florida-X5

FYI .... the OEM crossbars have very specific locations to installed them. A specific distance from the front window and then a specific distance from the front one for the rear. I assume it's because of the large sunroof and those spots are deemed the strongest by BMW.

I run the stock bars and don’t run them in the recommended location and I have had no issues. Too much noise with my Thule hyper xl box. There are serveral threads on here about different bars, locations amd boxes.

If I was too buy bars again, I think I would buy whisper bars.

[yewlock]

Originally Posted by redline9001

I run the stock bars and don’t run them in the recommended location and I have had no issues. Too much noise with my Thule hyper xl box. There are serveral threads on here about different bars, locations amd boxes.

If I was too buy bars again, I think I would buy whisper bars.

I agree that Whisper bar is a lot quieter.

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by yewlock

I agree that Whisper bar is a lot quieter.

Y'all talking about "whispbar"?

[Zagga]

Originally Posted by redline9001

If I was too buy bars again, I think I would buy whisper bars.

I used to use Whispbar's on my E91 and thought they were great. When I changed to an F31 they didn't product a fitting kit for it and still after two years of ownership there was none. I was forced into purchasing a whole new set of Thule bars and my investment into Whispbars ended up stashed at the back of my garage gathering cobwebs.

Whispbars were the biggest waste of £300 I've ever made, where as the replacement Thule Wingbars from my F31 will go straight onto my F15.

I never noticed any difference in sound between the Whispbar and the Wingbar so my advise would be stick to Thule as they update their fitting kits much faster when new cars are released.

[skim7x]

Thinking about getting the Thule AeroBlade ARB53 (https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/roof-...b53-_-arb53999) and the Motion XT XXL (https://www.thule.com/en-us/us/cargo...-xxl-_-1691183)

I've always had a "go-big-or-go-home" kind of mentality... But would the XXL be really too large for the X5? Should I maybe just go with the XL?

Currently have 1 child, but planning on growing to 3 in due time -- buying for the future... And Thule should be compatible with a larger SUV as we upgrade SUV's in the future as well.

[DuSh]

FWIW I have OEM crossbars with Thule Motion XT L. I've tested it up to 160mph and no issues, aerodynamics is top notch and the box is very strong. Gloss black finish looks much better in person then on photos. Box volume is more than enough for me. So on my photos the position of box is that it allows about 4-5 inches to be left when rear hatch (trunk door) is open up maximally. Anything longer than this box and you will need to either have it hanging over windshield or you'll need to adjust trunk door maximum opening height. So I think Motion XT XL will still fit without issues, but XXL may start to hang over the windshield. Not that it's not possible to drive like that - many do.

[redline9001]

I think the motion xxl will fit fine... it’s only a couple cm longer then my hyper xl the extra volume comes from the width not length.

[skim7x]

For the Hyper XL, how far over the windshield does it go? You're right, the Motion XXL is only about 1.5" longer. Do you happen to know the major difference between the two models besides the size? Hard to tell the difference between all their different cargo box models aside from size.

[redline9001]

The hyper is the top of line box, more aero, more structural rigid, for less noise

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by skim7x

For the Hyper XL, how far over the windshield does it go? You're right, the Motion XXL is only about 1.5" longer. Do you happen to know the major difference between the two models besides the size? Hard to tell the difference between all their different cargo box models aside from size.

They are both good cargo boxes, both have dual open system (can be opened from either side), both have good locking system (you just turn the knob on the lock to tighten clamps around crossbar - very easy), both are rigid (no play in the plastic, very sturdy on any highway speed/winds), both have locks with keys, both look good (especially in black gloss finish that suits X5) and both have good aerodynamics (less noise and saves a bit mpg). IMHO the main difference is only in shape and size/weight. Minor differences are Hyper has LED light built-in, while Motion has convenient SlideLock mechanism.

I only chose Motion XT L - because it's lighter and I am able to mount it myself without seeking help of another person AND imho it looks very good on X5 (pics don't do it justice).

IMHO nowadays there is no excuse to choose ugly old style cargo boxes, unless cargo volume is the only thing that matters to you.

[classic_erik]

Not sure if anyone ever solved the wind noise with the Thule Aeroblades, but I'm trying a new pushed back fitment since I can't handle it. I actually found this handy diagram in the user manual so fingers crossed!

[CatalinP]

Make sure your trunk is still opening...

[classic_erik]

Originally Posted by CatalinP

Make sure your trunk is still opening...

[skoold2003]

Originally Posted by classic_erik

Hey did you ever find a good spot? I just put on the aeroblades and the whistling is gonna make me pull out my gun too.

[classic_erik]

Originally Posted by skoold2003

Hey did you ever find a good spot? I just put on the aeroblades and the whistling is gonna make me pull out my gun too.

Sadly no.

[adonnan]

If you want less wind noise, place the front crossbar right in line with the b pillar. That’s the spot between the two doors. The OEM location is way too loud on the highway with a Thule cargo box.