Trying to decide between Whispbar crossbars and Thule 450r w/ Aeroblade. Advice?

[saullyb]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to get a roof rack setup for a B7 A4.

Deciding between Whispbar flush crossbars and Thule 450r w/ Aeroblade.

Anyone have experiences or compared the two side by side? How does the wind noise compare for both? I'm primarily going to be throwing on and taking off a surf rack every other weekend during the summer and have a roof box on during the winter season.


Thanks for the input!

[DirtD1ver]

not sure about the B7s, but on the B8s the whispbar flush crossbars dont allow the sunroof to open.

not sure if this will help you, but it might help

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...1#post11709997

[C-Lo]

I have the Whispbars on the B7 and no it won't allow the sunroof to open (tilt) :(

Love how low profile it is though:





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[drewgold]

Edit: I didn't realize that Whispbar was a separate model and company, always just assumed that was the model of the Thule bars I have being as they look almost identical. My reference below is to the Thule Aeroblade Edge bars.

I really like the Thule Aeroblade Edge bars, they are also a lot quieter than even the 450r aerobar. And day and night over a standard bar.

I have no trouble with my sunroof opening, it's tight but you just have to position the bars so there's enough clearance. I guess this is different with the Whispbar.





The 450r will offer slightly more bar mounting space which can be handy for hauling a canoe, etc. or more than two roof mount bike racks. They are also higher which means more wind drag, more wind lift under a ski box, and more wind noise.

The Aeroblade Edge and Whispbar are super sleek, as low profile as you can get, and fits a double wide ski box or two bike racks without issue.

It's really up to what your intended use is and how concerned with looks you are. I'd definitely recommend the Thule Aeroblade Edge though.

[C-Lo]

Edit: I didn't realize that Whispbar was a separate model and company, always just assumed that was the model of the Thule bars I have being as they look almost identical. My reference below is to the Thule Aeroblade Edge bars.

I really like the Thule Aeroblade Edge bars, they are also a lot quieter than even the 450r aerobar. And day and night over a standard bar.

I have no trouble with my sunroof opening, it's tight but you just have to position the bars so there's enough clearance. I guess this is different with the Whispbar.





The 450r will offer slightly more bar mounting space which can be handy for hauling a canoe, etc. or more than two roof mount bike racks. They are also higher which means more wind drag, more wind lift under a ski box, and more wind noise.

The Aeroblade Edge and Whispbar are super sleek, as low profile as you can get, and fits a double wide ski box or two bike racks without issue.

It's really up to what your intended use is and how concerned with looks you are. I'd definitely recommend the Thule Aeroblade Edge though.

Is that full-open tilt on your sunroof? I'm gonna correct myself... With the Whispbars, I can open my sunroof but since it's so low-profile, there's not much room at all when the roof box is on top


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[drewgold]

Is that full-open tilt on your sunroof? I'm gonna correct myself... With the Whispbars, I can open my sunroof but since it's so low-profile, there's not much room at all when the roof box is on top


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Yep, that's full open tilt.

[saullyb]

That looks ridiculously good!! OMG! I love the factory Audi boxes. How much was that and where did you buy it!?!?

[saullyb]

I have the Whispbars on the B7 and no it won't allow the sunroof to open (tilt) :(

Love how low profile it is though:





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That looks ridiculously good!! OMG! I love the factory Audi boxes. How much was that and where did you buy it!?!?

[C-Lo]

That looks ridiculously good!! OMG! I love the factory Audi boxes. How much was that and where did you buy it!?!?

Lol thanks! It was an arm and a leg at Audi ;)

I believe it's about $800 Canadian + tax for the 360L version... But I got hooked up so I paid less than that :)


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[saullyb]

@DrewGold You're making me take a second look at the Aeroblade Edge. The thing is, I really like the look of 450r w/ Aeroblade the most when it has no attachments, but the wind noise sounds like is much more than Whispbar/Edge and is going to be annoying since the bars will stay on basically year round.

Considering I'll have a box during most of winter and will be on and off with a surf rack every other weekend during summer, I guess it comes down to the Arroblade Edge or Whispbar.

I don't really like how the Aeroblade Edge looks raised when there's no attachments on it. So I think I might go with Whispbar, since unloaded it's so discreet.

How hard is it to take on and off the accesories on the Whispbar though? Do they slide in from the side? Do you have to take the bars off in order to add accesories?

[saullyb]

Lol thanks! It was an arm and a leg at Audi ;)

I believe it's about $800 Canadian + tax for the 360L version... But I got hooked up so I paid less than that :)


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That's crazy expensive!! Too poor for that gotta save the money for skiis to put in the box haha Looks unreal though!!! Jon Olson status (y)

[drewgold]

@DrewGold You're making me take a second look at the Aeroblade Edge. The thing is, I really like the look of 450r w/ Aeroblade the most when it has no attachments, but the wind noise sounds like is much more than Whispbar/Edge and is going to be annoying since the bars will stay on basically year round.

Considering I'll have a box during most of winter and will be on and off with a surf rack every other weekend during summer, I guess it comes down to the Arroblade Edge or Whispbar.

I don't really like how the Aeroblade Edge looks raised when there's no attachments on it. So I think I might go with Whispbar, since unloaded it's so discreet.

How hard is it to take on and off the accesories on the Whispbar though? Do they slide in from the side? Do you have to take the bars off in order to add accesories?

You really can't go wrong, with any of those choices, it really comes down to preference. I'd go with whatever you can find cheaper between the Whispbar and Aeroblade Edge.
The Aeroblade Edge is higher than the Whispbar but really only 1/2" or so. My pics may make it look like it sticks up more than it does. To me the height of the Aeroblade Edge is perfect, still have full use of my sunroof, there's decent room to pass ties underneath the bars for surfboards, kayaks, etc. when tying them down and when there are no accessories installed it doesn't look out of place. My Audi service rep actually commented on how well the bars fit the look of the car.

To be clear, the wind noise of the 450r isn't too bad, it's just noticeably better with the Edge.

If it were me and you were considering going the 450r route, I'd just go for the OEM Audi cross bars (Made by Thule)



They are not as 'aero' but I didn't notice any wind noise difference between the OE Bars and the 450r.
The OE Bars have a slightly lower profile, smaller 'feet' where they attach to the roof rails and the bar is an exact fit so the ends of the bars don't stick out as much. Doesn't look out of place at all to run just the bars.
I think you'll find with the 450r that they are very noticeable when installed without any accessories. The aero bars are nice but overall they're more bulky looking than the OE bars in my opinion. Plus you can usually find used OE bars for a steal!

[dropshadow]

I just wrote up a post about this in my allroad megathread, comparing my Whispbar S45 railbars to the Thule AeroBlade Edge bars. Below is just a couple pics from the much longer post with more pics in the thread. I never had Whispbars on my B7, but the B7's raised rails are pretty similar to the allroad's raised rails, so I'll bet the fitment would be similar. The Whispbars sit pretty low between the rails, while the AeroBlades sit a little bit higher.

Whispbar S45 Railbar:


Thule AeroBlade Edge:


Front bars:

[Copen-cisco]

Audi B7 Avant with Thule Aerobladed Edge and Thule Canyon XT Cargo Basket

[4rings2turbos]

I had 450r with rapid aero bars and now 450r with aeroblade. The aeroblade is much quieter. It's real quiet even when I tried it without the fairing.

Style preference I really do not like bars that don't extend beyond the rail and the aeroblade with 450r looks the cats pajamas. I don't think you would regret going that route.

[4point2]

I have the whispbars, got them used off craigslist for 350. best looking bar imo by far. wind noise is minor, and if you set it up back a little as shown above the sunroof still opens.

One limiting factor is the bar to accessory attachment method. Some boxes and other accessories use a claw style that grabs around the bar. with most of these the bar is too close to the roof to allow the fitment therefore reducing your available choices for accessories.

Oh and it's also tough to wash under the bars with a sponge so I use a cloth instead.

hth

[dropshadow]

One limiting factor is the bar to accessory attachment method. Some boxes and other accessories use a claw style that grabs around the bar. with most of these the bar is too close to the roof to allow the fitment therefore reducing your available choices for accessories.

Photos of what 4point2 is talking about:

SkyBox clamps:


Thule cargo box clamps:

[4point2]

yup exactly, a picture or 2 does literally speak a thousand words

[Samsonite]

I prefer the Whispbars, admittedly based solely on aesthetics, however. They simply look the sleekest and cleanest. I don't like when a box is sitting high off the vehicle and I don't like how the Thule bars have the extra piece that wraps further onto the rail. The sunroof and clamp issues are definitely issues, however I personally never use a tilt sunroof in any vehicle and I have a box where the "clamping" system was not an issue.

[billybob_lee]

Do you plan on using T-slot attachments with your bar? The Thule bar requires you to cut the black plastic insert that covers the T-slot. The Whispbar uses a different system where a rubber tube fills the T-slot channel. To insert a T-slot adapter into the slot you just need to press the end of the tube down and insert the adapter into the channel. As you slide the adapter along the channel, the tube presses up against the adapter. I don't know if I'm describing it right.

[saullyb]

Hey thanks to everyone for the input. I'm sitting here and am forcing myself to pull the trigger now. The Whispbar is surprisingly $80 cheaper.

As far as the sunroof tilt feature goes, what does the sunroof actually hit? It seems that the sunroof should be able to tilt up considering the bar mounting point is just behind the sunroof?

As far as box clamps go, which clamps actually hit the bottom? Do the Yakima wide plastic style hit the roof as shown in the first picture in the above post?

Do the Thule claw style clamps actually hit?

@pAid4 what type of box do you have that you are not experiencing issues with your clamps hitting your roof?

Last question, do the Thule accessories that normally fit in the Thule bar groove fit in the Whispbar groove? Or do they need adapters of sort? Is it still flush with the adapter if one needs to be used?

[saullyb]

Do you plan on using T-slot attachments with your bar? The Thule bar requires you to cut the black plastic insert that covers the T-slot. The Whispbar uses a different system where a rubber tube fills the T-slot channel. To insert a T-slot adapter into the slot you just need to press the end of the tube down and insert the adapter into the channel. As you slide the adapter along the channel, the tube presses up against the adapter. I don't know if I'm describing it right.

I do plan on using the T-slot for the Surf carrier, and I agree that the Whispbar rubber insert is superior in convenience to the Aeroblade for sure.

It seems that in general the Whispbar is just superior noise wise to the Aeroblade. However, it does seem that the Aeroblade is superior in build quality and robustness to the Whispbar.

I gotta say though, I still think the 450r with the Aeroblade looks the coolest, I like overhanging roof racks, but from the info I've read it, it appears that the Whispbar is inaudible at hwy speeds even with the sunroof down, while the 450r w/ Aeroblade is audible with the sunroof closed. I'm gonna have to go with less noise over looks.

[saullyb]

Just pulled the trigger on some Whispbar S53, only $360 form RackAttack. Literally $100 cheaper than any other base rack system

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'll post up a pic when I get them.

[callaghan.]

Just pulled the trigger on some Whispbar S53, only $360 form RackAttack. Literally $100 cheaper than any other base rack system

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'll post up a pic when I get them.

Bummer to here. The Thule Aeroblade Edge is the best option for avants for sure. For "casual" users that don't always have a box or attachments on the roof, it's REALLY nice to still have a fully-functioning sunroof. The Whispbar does not allow your sunroof to open, and you need to have them pushed far back just to have your sunroof vent. The Aeroblade Edge allows both of these while keeping the bars in the correct mounting locations. They also wrap around the rails, where-as i've seen testing videos of the Whispbars actually flying off the car in an accident since they just clamp on.

[callaghan.]

Hey thanks to everyone for the input. I'm sitting here and am forcing myself to pull the trigger now. The Whispbar is surprisingly $80 cheaper.


Last question, do the Thule accessories that normally fit in the Thule bar groove fit in the Whispbar groove? Or do they need adapters of sort? Is it still flush with the adapter if one needs to be used?

No, Thule products do not fit in Whispbar tracks. Neither do Yakima products, despite being the same company. You can only use the Whispbar attachments for these...which are few and far between and not ideal for sure.