Best Subaru Crosstrek Cargo Box [2024 Buyers Guide]

The Subaru Crosstrek is a popular small SUV, however it doesn’t offer much in the way of cargo space for larger items. It comes with 20.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 55.3 cubic feet behind the front seats (when the rear seats are folded down).

If you travel with kids and your dog in tow, there’s almost no room left behind for luggage. Getting an accessory like a cargo box on the rooftop of your Subaru Crosstrek can make all the difference in keeping things organized.

If you’re in the market for a Subaru Crosstrek rooftop cargo box but aren’t sure which one to go with, this blog post will help you make an informed decision. If you’re in a hurry, we recommend Thule Pulse Rooftop Cargo Box (Medium) as the best one.

We’ll explore some of the top-rated products on the market and give you insights into which one will work best with your vehicle. 

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See our reviews of the best cargo boxes for Subaru Outback and Subaru Forester.

Best Roof Cargo Box For Subaru Crosstrek Review

I’ve researched a handful of the best cargo boxes on today’s market and reviewed them for you. I hope this review will help guide your search to find the perfect one for whatever road trip adventures you plan.

Best Overall Cargo Box For Subaru Crosstrek: Thule Pulse Rooftop Cargo Box (Medium)

Specifications:

• Capacity: 14 cu ft
• Opening: Passenger-side opening
• Weight Limit: 110 lbs
• Dimensions: 67 x 35 x 16 inches
• Item Weight: 34 lbs
• Recommended Crossbars: Aero Aluminum Crossbars by StayThere

The Thule Pulse Rooftop Cargo Box is the best choice for compact SUVs like Crosstrek. With a 14 cubic foot cargo box size, it’s perfect for storing all your stuff and not looking bulky on the rooftop.

Thule is a dependable brand that you know can be trusted to transport your belongings when traveling down the road.

While there’s plenty of room in the box, it’s not intended to carry adult-size skis. It’s perfectly fine, carrying up to 5 snowboards no longer than 155 cm. It can hold up to 110 pounds of storage capacity, including the crossbars. 

It features the FastGrip quick-mount system that can easily attach to the crossbars. According to Thule, this cargo box has a front clearance of 42 5/8″ which means it can fit perfectly without interfering with the rear hatch. If you have adjustable crossbars installed, you can position the crossbars forward.

The Thule Pulse looks sleek and stylish with a black ABS material construction. Wind noise is unavoidable when having a cargo box on, but thanks to its aerodynamic design, many cargo box owners had no real issue with noise. 

The cargo box can only be opened from the passenger side, which is good because dual-side opening cargo boxes feel more flimsy with the lid opening and closing. However, not everyone likes the one-sided opening.

If you want a dependable and durable cargo box to hold your stuff for road trips, the Thule Pulse Rooftop Cargo Box is worth buying. It has excellent safety features when compared with other brands.

Best Alternative Cargo Box: Goplus Cargo Box

Specifications:

• Capacity: 14 cu ft
• Opening: Dual-sided opening
• Weight Limit: 165 lbs
• Dimensions: 63 x 31 x 15 inches
• Item Weight: 25 lbs
• Recommended Crossbars: CargoLoc 2-Piece 52″ Aluminum Roof Top Cross Bar Set 

The Goplus Cargo Box is the best alternative to the Thule Pulse in many aspects except the price. This 14 cubic feet cargo box has a better aerodynamic design and can handle up to 165 pounds of the weight limit.

It’s dual-side opening, lightweight, and very easy to install. Its length is 4 inches shorter than the Thule Pulse, and whether the rear hatch interferes with the cargo box won’t be an issue. 

Surprisingly, despite the Goplus not being a big brand like Thule and Yakima, its built quality is impressive. The material is made from durable and rigid ABS plastic that will be long-lasting and don’t easily get damaged.

The metal lid stiffeners have been added at the bottom part of the box to improve robustness and rigidity.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the Goplus cargo box is the lock mechanism. While a double secure lock system is great at securing your items inside, Some owners reported that the lock is hard to open that could risk bending the key in the lock.

The Goplus Cargo Box comes in three different colors (black, white, and titanium gray) that will give you better options to match the color of your SUV. 

Value Cargo Box For Money: SportRack SR7018 Vista XL Cargo Box

Specifications:

• Capacity: 18 cu ft
• Opening: Rear Opening
• Weight Limit: 100 lbs
• Dimensions: ‎62.5 x 39 x 19 inches
• Item Weight: 42 lbs

The SportRack SR7018 Vista XL Cargo Box is arguably the most spacious and the least expensive cargo box on our list. You store almost everything there, making it a perfect choice for a large family.

It measures about 62.5 inches long and can still have marginal clearance between the antenna and the rear hatch when fully open. But to make it work for your Subaru Crosstek, you need to position it as far back as possible.

The cargo box is made from decent quality ABS plastic construction and is not as sturdy and rigid as the Thule Pulse, which is why it’s not ideal for more than 100 pounds heavy loads.

Despite its decent material, the Vista XL Cargo Box is not too bad and can hold your items safely.

The box can be opened from the back. It can be difficult to load and unload things for a hatchback SUV like the Subaru Crosstrek. You might love it or hate it.

The positive point about the rear-loading cargo box is that when you forget to lock the box, it can close itself by the wind when traveling at speeds over 70mph down the roads.

The SportRack SR7018 Vista XL Cargo Box is ideal for a large family at a great price without costing you both arms and legs. 

Best Cargo Box For A Traveling Couple: YAKIMA RocketBox Pro Rooftop Cargo Box

Specifications:

• Capacity: 12 cu ft
• Opening: Dual-sided opening
• Weight Limit: Hauls gear for up to 2 campers
• Dimensions: 58 x 36 x 16 inches
• Item Weight: 30 lbs
• Recommended Crossbars: YAKIMA Whispbar Rail Bar Roof-Rack System

The Yakima RocketBox Pro is exactly the right size for your Crosstrek. It looks nice on the car and is not so bulky. Since it’s only 58 inches long, it won’t interfere with a rear hatch when fully open. Its height is low enough to fit inside the garage while mounted. 

The cargo box has 12 cubic feet of storage space, which is a fair amount of cargo freeing up space for two passengers and a dog. It can be opened from either side for easy loading and unloading stuff.

The assembly is required, but you’ll find it an easy task if you follow the manufacturer’s guide carefully. Installing the crossbars is easy by sliding the clamps along the tracks, and you might need a little adjustment to get the clamps lined up on the crossbars.

It’s made from a durable ABS plastic material with a Matte-black textured finish. Although its design is not the most aerodynamic, some owners reported that the wind noises are minimal and had less impact on the gas mileage.

One of the flaws I found after reading many reviews is that the locking mechanism can be tricky to use. One of the hinges failed to secure properly or was not easy to open, particularly on the passenger side. 

You should be aware of this when considering buying this cargo box. The Yakima cargo box comes with a limited lifetime warranty to ensure your peace of mind.

FAQ

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about cargo boxes for Subaru Crosstrek.

Our Verdict

The Thule Pulse Rooftop Cargo Box (Medium) is our top choice for anyone looking to get more storage on their Subaru Crosstrek. With this cargo box, you can easily store items like snowboards, suitcases, camping gear, and some bags.

You can’t go wrong choosing a Thule cargo box as they are one of the most trusted brands when it comes to rooftop cargo boxes. 

© Family Road Trip 2024