2010-2012 RX350 and RX450h Roof Cargo Box Guide

[chado33]

Hi All, 

I wasn't able to find a definitive guide to choosing a cargo box for my 2010 RX450h on the web, so I thought I'd outline what works for the RX350 and RX450h 2010-2012 body styles and possibly the 2013-2015 models as well (tbv by someone with that model car).  Today, I took my car to a rack store and we tried several different models and the Thule 628 Force L fit and looked the best.  

If you have the standard roof bars installed, you have to remove a small rubber (EPDM) bulb seal that is installed forward of the cross bars to protect the point where the front to back rails intersect with the roof supports and move the crossbars all the way forward.  After removing the seal, reinstall it tightly against the back of the crossbars.  Do the same on the rear crossbar and move it all the way to the back.  After you've done that, you'll have exactly 48-1/4" of clearance from the FRONT EDGE of the FRONT CROSSBAR to the REAR HATCH DOOR CREASE.  This is the critical dimension to determine which boxes you can fit on your vehicle.  Note that the fin on the back hatch rotates to stand 90 degrees vertical, meaning straight up, so cases with angled back ends will not help clearance.  

 

Based on the following documents linked on 6-Jul-2016, the following boxes will fit your RX model from 2010-2012 and possibly your 2013-2015 (someone please verify):

 

Thule Hatch Clearance PDF: https://cdn3.static-tgdp.com/assetloader.axd?pimid=1680039&id=506801&brand=Thule&market=CA

 

Model Number         Model Name         Volume                        Recommended?

 

634                           Sonic M                 13 cu. ft / 368 L          50/50 - very high ratings and reliability (4.5 on Amazon.com from 45 reviews), looks small / short on roof

628*                          Force L                  16 cu. ft / 453 L          YES! - very high ratings and reliability (4.5 on Amazon.com from 223 reviews), fits roof line perfectly

624                           Force M                 13 cu. ft / 368 L          50/50 - very high ratings and reliability (4.5 on Amazon.com from 223 reviews), looks small / short on roof

615                           Pulse L                   16 cu. ft / 453 L          YES! - very high ratings and reliability (4.5 on Amazon.com from 83 reviews), fits roof line perfectly

615                           Pulse M                  14 cu. ft / 396 L          YES! - very high ratings and reliability (4.5 on Amazon.com from 83 reviews), looks ok on roof, but not perfect

682                           Sidekick                 8 cu. ft / 227 L             NO - you can afford a Lexus, then you can afford one of the boxes above.

 

Yakima Hatch Clearance PDF:  https://yakweb-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/HatchClearance.pdf

 

Model Name                 Volume                        Recommended?

 

Showcase 15               15 cu. ft / 425 L           Maybe - very new box, only 1 review on Amazon.com, fits roof well

Rocketbox Pro 12       12 cu. ft / 340 L            Maybe - a bit small and reviews are mixed (4 on Amazon.com from 66 reviews), looks ok on roof but not perfect

Rocketbox Pro 11       11 cu. ft / 312 L            Yes for skies up to 210cm / 82.5" - reviews are (4.5 on Amazon.com from 29 reviews), looks good on roof

Rocketbox Pro 14       14 cu. ft / 396 L            YES! - very high ratings and reliability (4.5 on Amazon.com from 99 reviews), close to perfect roof line fit

 

I hope this will act as a guide for all to follow.  Please add to this as you see fit. 

 

Thanks, 

 

-chad

HatchClearance.pdf

Hatch_Clearance (1).pdf