Hands-On the Thule Wingbar Edge 9582 Roof Rack

Just as I have written a review on the Thule EasyFold XT2 this spring, I would like to write a compact check-up, suitable for the start of the winter season, about the Thule Wingbar Edge 9582 (B) black edition that I purchased for little below three hundred Euros.

Even though the aesthetics of such setups are usually not the focus, i still usually make sure it fits the car. Therefore, the Wingbar was the only suitable roof rack for me because it almost looks like a series design part.

As I am driving a 2021 Volkswagen T-Roc, the front as well as the rear mount are in size M! Please be careful to choose the right size suitable for your car as there’s several combinations available.

Technical Details

I took this information from the Thule homepage for size M!

Unboxing

Out of the box the Thule Wingbar Edge 9582 comes in several pieces: two main bars with fitted footplates at each end, a rubber strip that needs to be cut with scissors to the appropriate length for your car (the rubber strip sits in a groove on top of the bars to provide a non-slip surface for anything on the roof), four rubberized caps that fit on top of the footplates. Additionally, there’s four locking cylinders and four very heavy-duty rubber straps to secure the bars to the rails, and finally a tool to tighten them. There is a short but understandable manual included.

Getting Ready

Mounting the beams is very simple. Basically, you just put them on your railing and hook the rubber bands in the appropriate place. Then you pull the band around the railing and hook it on the top of the Wingbar. Using a special torque-sensitive tool, you then tighten the bands. The tool clicks when the right torque of 2nm is reached.

In any case, you have to make sure that there is still enough space between the roof rack and the car roof. The bars sit really close. Depending on the box or accessories you want to fit this might even be a little bit too close. My plan is to use the rack with the Thule Pacific 600 or alternatively with the Thule SnowPack.

Appearance

I think the rack blends in perfectly with the look of the car. Due to the flat design, it could even be mistaken for an original component. But here you can already guess that you might have problems with the distance to the roof later.

Driving & Noise

I have been pleasantly surprised so far. Under 120kph you do not notice any difference whether you are traveling with or without the rack. Above 120kph you perceive the additional wind noise. All in all, however, still in the very pleasant range.

Additional Fuel Consumption

Without additional structures like a roof box, consumption is only minimally higher than normal. This is certainly due to the flat and streamlined body. With a roof box mounted, the whole thing looks quite different, of course… but that should not be the topic here.

Verdict

I really like the product… as far as one could like a roof rack 😀 The part fits into the design of the car and is way less noisy than the “standard-design” roof-mounts in my previous cars (when driving without a box). In fact, i leave the carrier on the car longer than necessary… simply because it fits so well and does not interfere the looks and noise. Mounting is easy and the quality corresponds to other Thule products.