jnejah

Getting ready to order a new wagon. Never had pano roof on a E class before. I leave a bike rack on the current wagon 365 days a year using the MB Basic carrier along with the Thule 594XT. I usually drive w the sunroof shade closed now because it reduces the wind noise that's created from the bike rack. Any experience while carrying something on a pano roof? Anybody using a roof carrier on a pano roof equipped car? Comments appreciated.

hyperion667

I have the large coffin box for my S class that has pano roof.......there is some noise but after driving a while it fades into nothing; you get used to it........just turn up the music a bit more

jnejah

thanks for that hyperion - can you actually open your pano with the cross bars attached?

hyperion667

^no prob


I cannot open the roof with racks up top, but I've learned they're very easy to take off after reaching your destination, once you get how they work it's a matter of minutes.....


I'll never forget the first time I got the basic rack carriers: the dealer told me it would take them about two hours to install them: yes you read correctly........2 hours LOL!!
I promptly popped them in the trunk and split

jnejah

Hmm. I wonder if you could put on a slightly taller carrier bar so that you can open the pano with it on? A big sigh on the 2 hrs. Like you, I can take off or put on our current one from the wagon in the time to loosen or tighten 4 allen keys. Here's a thread that I asked on the W205 forum where bensales informs that he can open his pano on a C Estate. A little more research is due here for me... Thanks again for your input. I appreciate it.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...6&goto=newpost

nycebo

Hmm, I just used the OEM bike rack on my wagon a week ago. It worked beautifully and was pretty quiet. However, I can't recall if I opened the pano roof with them on. As mentioned by the OP, I plan to leave them on the car in 3 out of 4 seasons since they are not that unattractive to my eye. Anyway, I'll try out the pano roof when I next drive the car and report back. For now, I think it could work.

jnejah

Nycebo - would love the feedback and any other observations on wind noise you may have with your wagon. Hyperion was talking about his S class with the coffin so I can imagine the issues where no roof bar is present. I leave my bike rack on the wagon 365 so I would love further input. Many thanks.

nycebo

From a noise perspective, the OEM bike rack and cross bars do not bother me at all. Even with the bike ON the rack, the noise is only modestly noticeable at speeds around 75/80mph.

Meanwhile, the car is in service fixing curb rash on one of the wheels so I won't be able to check if the pano roof actually open with the rack on until later on. No worries though, I will report back.

jnejah

nycebo - thanks for keeping me posted. Do you have any recollection of how the regular moonroof sounded on perhaps another MB you may have had? When I close the shade on my regular moonroof with bikes on the roof, it is completely tolerable. Without the shade closed, I think it's rather annoying. I'm hoping that the pano is designed with more sound proofing vs the regular moonroof. I hope it opens without any issues as well. If anyone else has moonroof vs pano roof noise observations, I would appreciate it. Thanks again.

nycebo

This is my first MB so I can't compare. My previous car, a Porsche Cayenne with pano, was also not too bad.

FWIW, I almost never drive with the shade closed. If the shade does muffle sound, it's not too discernible. Again, even with a bike on, the wind noise is not upsetting at all. Candidly, driving with the radio on makes it completely unnoticeable.

swift45

This is my second MB with Panorama roof. You get more noise, wind in your face with it open, then you do with a sunroof!

YYZ-E55

You can open the pano sunroof with the OEM crossbars installed.

nycebo

I can also confirm that I could both open the sunroof fully and vented (up). Net net, the rack is a good piece of kit.

jnejah

Thanks for the confirmations. Going to buy one with a pano roof.