Honestly, you gotta be sooo careful with that glass roof!! I HIGHLY recommend the Thule WingBar Edge paired with the Thule Motion XT L because they're super aerodynamic and quiet. I saw about a 12% hit to my efficiency, but basically, just make sure you dont exceed the weight limit to protect that glass... seriously! gl with the trip!

Yo, congrats on the ID.4! I've been driving mine for over two years now and honestly, its been a total game changer for family trips. Coming back to this, you might find this useful—check out the website for A Better Route Planner (ABRP). You can actually add a roof box to your car profile in their settings to see how it affects your range and charging stops. It is SO helpful for peace of mind.

I've tested a few setups, and here is how they stack up imo:

* Volkswagen ID.4 Base Carrier Bars: These are the budget-friendly choice. They're super sturdy and fit the rails perfectly, but they sit kinda high, which creates more drag and wind noise than the premium stuff.
* Yakima JetStream Black Crossbars with Yakima SkyLine Towers: These are MUCH quieter. They have a teardrop shape that's way more aero. Ngl, they look cooler too.

Regarding the glass roof... dont stress! As long as you stay under the 165 lbs weight limit and use the included torque wrench to avoid over-tightening, it is totally fine.

For the box, if you want an alternative to the Thule mentioned earlier, the Yakima SkyBox 16 Carbonite is a beast. It’s super rugged and fits the ID.4 proportions really well. I usually see about a 12-15% hit to my mi/kWh efficiency when cruising at 70mph, but basically, you just plan for an extra charging stop and you're golden. Gl with the summer trip! 👍

In my experience, you gotta be so careful because I once saw a rack fly off after someone ignored torque specs on an ID.4... terrifying! For total safety:

- Install Yakima JetStream 50 inch Aerodynamic Crossbars.
- Use Yakima SkyBox NX 16 Carbonite Cargo Box.

Basically, dont ignore dynamic load ratings or you'll crack that glass tbh!! gl!

Jumping in here to give the DIY perspective because honestly, you can save a ton of money installing these yourself instead of paying the dealership. I’ve been researching the technical specs to find the lowest profile possible to help with drag. Here are a couple of options I’ve looked at for a self-install: * Rhino-Rack Vortex StealthBar: These are great because they have a super low profile and fit the flush rails of the ID.4 perfectly. The DIY install is pretty straightforward, though you gotta be careful with the T-track measurements. Pros: looks integrated, less drag. Cons: might have less clearance for some older accessory clamps.
* Inno Shadow 16 Cargo Box: This one is super sleek and aerodynamic, which is huge for EVs. I think it’s only about 11 or 12 inches tall? Tbh, I'm not 100% sure on the exact mi/kWh hit, but it should be better than the bulky square boxes. Ngl, if you’re doing the work yourself, definitely grab a decent torque wrench. I was nervous about the glass roof too, but as long as you hit the exact Nm specs in the manual, it’s fine. Basically, just don't over-tighten or you'll be asking for trouble, imo.

Just saw this thread and wanted to chime in because I actually had issues with my first DIY setup. Honestly, I tried a cheaper kit at first and it was not as good as I expected... the whistling was driving me crazy and the fitment felt risky next to that glass roof. It was pretty disappointing to realize I had to start over just to feel safe.

• always use a dedicated torque wrench to avoid over-tightening on the rails
• double-check your clearance if you use the tilt-function on your sunroof I eventually went with the Whispbar Through Bar Roof Rack for the extra width and it feels way more secure than the generic stuff. For the box, I use the Thule Force XT L Rooftop Cargo Box which is built like a tank. Unfortunately, even with a premium box like that, I still saw my efficiency drop from 3.4 to about 2.7 mi/kWh on the highway. It is a bit of a bummer but totally worth it for the extra space. You got this tho!

jumping in here... unfortunately, i had issues with my first budget rack setup—the wind noise was seriously annoying and it highkey tanked my range. not as good as i expected for the price, right?? check out the 'ID.4 Accessories' section on the VWIDTalk forums... there's a massive thread there with real-world efficiency data. honestly, just get any carrier from Yakima, they're usually solid for the money. gl!!