As with anything the cheaper it is the worse it will be.
Go with a second hand Thule setup over a new el cheapo. 

We've had great mileage (!) out of a Roady 450, first on an Avenir, and then on a Prius (for which I had to buy new Whisbars).  Does the trick nicely.

jonathan18: I went through this same thing a few years back (and got good advice on here at the time, so do google for such earlier threads). Based on that feedback I bought a Hapro, as they are seemingly at the sweet spot between cost and quality. But I did buy second-hand and don’t regret it for a minute - way cheaper than new, and for something used 4-5 times a year to cart stuff - not to look stunning - it was a no-brainer to go s/h.

Many recommended purchasing the Hapros from roofbox.co.nz, which I would have done if I hadn’t gone s/h; the owner is most helpful...

Yes, they are the people I got the Roady from.  Very helpful.

We had a Thule roofbox on our Previa.  .  Quite a long one about 5 feet long.  Excellent product.  Lots of internal volume.  Easy to fit and remove, a sit had these claws that grabbed encircled the roof bars.  Lockable. No apparent wind noise.  Looked OK too.

I don't miss the Previa but I do miss that roof box sometimes.

Another vote for Roofbox.co.nz.  We purchased a Hapro and couldn't be happier.  

The chap at Roofbox was the only one we found that actually knew his stuff, and was the only one that was able to identify straight away which model fitted our vehicle and which didn't.  Even the other supposed 'roof box' specialist places didn't have a clue.  Ended up there was only 1 model that would fit our SUV ensuring the rear door could open fully, and even then it needed a small modification to the fitting system which they did for no charge. Shipped to us without any problems. 

Looked at cheaper ones (it wasn't that much more expensive to be honest) and they were floppy pieces of rubbish.   Ended up they wouldn't have fitted anyway. 

Looked at Thule and Yakima here:  www.roofrackcentre.co.nz  Very expensive!!!  

I got a second hand Prorack 450L and it is huge.  2300mm long

Be careful that the boot doesn't hit the back.  I had to adjust the mounting holes (i.e. drill new ones).  It is sitting a little further forward than I am happy with but seems stable.

The claw type mount ones appear much easier to use as the ones with the metal brackets are quite fiddly.

I have a Whisbar box - American I think.

It's quite a stylish design in gloss black. Got it discounted as last model etc from a roof box specialist in Christchurch. It's been very good, although up on a Discovery 3 it is pretty hard to load! It'll be going on my wife's Volvo XC 70 now I think.

I am sure you have thought of this but remember to have regard to the roof capacity of your vehicle and the changes in handling dynamics of your vehicle.

jonathan18: I’ve got the same bars, and also leave them on permanently. Only problem is I’ve lost one of those covers that slips over the connection points - does anyone know how easy and costly they are to replace?

We lost one and the Kayak shop at the bottom of the Ngauranga  Gorge got a replacement for us with in a week.

MikeB4:

jonathan18: I’ve got the same bars, and also leave them on permanently. Only problem is I’ve lost one of those covers that slips over the connection points - does anyone know how easy and costly they are to replace?

 

We lost one and the Kayak shop at the bottom of the Ngauranga  Gorge got a replacement for us with in a week.