Rooftop Cargo Box For 2018 Acura MDX With Best Hatch Clearance

Question:

Thanks for the great specific response. I measured both my front and rear crossbars to the open tailgate and got 45.5" and 17.75". It looks like the thule pulse large will just be a bit too close. I wanted at least 16 CF, do you think the thule force XT large will fit my situation? It looks good to me. Also, is the force more rugged than the pulse, I use this a lot and would prefer that? i also just noticed the yakima skybox 16 might fit. Do you think that will fit and clear the tailgate? I love the yakima brand...

asked by: Peter R

Expert Reply:

So we can get you a rooftop cargo box for your 2018 Acura MDX that will likely give you the ability to completely open your tailgate, but there isn't a way to move the SkyBox 18 # Y07336 forward or get it to allow you to clear the tailgate. Since you did mention that a different cargo box would be a better option, there are a couple that have a much better chance of allowing the tailgate on your '18 MDX to fully open:

- Thule Pulse Large Rooftop Cargo Box # TH615

- Thule Pulse Medium Rooftop Cargo Box # TH614

Here's why: the SkyBox 18 will only allow your tailgate to fully open if there is a measurement of 57(!) inches from the center of the front crossbar to the point where your hatch and roof meet. That's...a lot. The Pulse cargo boxes offer a much more forgiving distance.

You'll want to measure that distance (center of the front crossbar to where your hatch is when it's up) and if you have MORE than 42-5/8" you can use the Thule Pulse Medium # TH614, or MORE than 46-3/8" you can use the Pulse Large # TH615.

Both are high-quality, easy-to-use cargo boxes, with the Pulse Medium giving you 14 cu. ft. of cargo space, and the Pulse Large giving you 16 cu. ft. of cargo space. So while you'll be losing just a bit of space compared to the SkyBox 18, you'll actually be able to access the rear cargo space of your MDX, which is a pretty good trade-off.

expert reply by: Kyle S

Peter R.

2/1/2022

Kyle S.

2/1/2022

Thanks so much for those measurements that was very helpful. And the SkyBox 16 # Y07335 is close, but requires 47" of hatch clearance, so it won't allow you to fully open your hatch. The Force XT L # TH6357B is similar in that it requires 47-1/2" of clearance. That said, there is one cargo box with 16 cu. ft. of space, from Yakima, that does allow you to open your rear hatch: - Yakima CBX Rooftop Cargo Box - 16 Cubic Ft # Y66FR The CBX # Y66FR requires 45" from the center of the front crossbar to the rear hatch to allow it to fully open, so you'll just be able to get the hatch of your MDX open. This is a stellar cargo box, with a really low-profile due to its crossbar cut outs underneath, a lid that opens from both sides for easy access, and a scratch-resistant finish, which is great for your needs since you mentioned using the cargo box quite a bit.