How do you store luggage on top of your car?

Help me lug luggage and Costco stuff in my car

• Help me stow more in my 4-door Civic sedan. I've got a 2000 Honda Civic sedan. Two kids in car seats. Stroller (double or single, depending on what we're doing.) My kids will be in car seats for years to come (to age 9). When we want to go for a picnic or a trip to visit family, we have next to no storage space, if we take a stroller. We'd like to be able to take a big suitcase, diaper bag, diapers, possibly some gifts, etc. For the next couple of years, it would be nice to take a stroller with us, too. It would also be nice to go to Costco or a grocery store and take the stroller or some luggage. Christmas holidays are a real challenge. But we only drive 3000-5000 km per year. Our car is low mileage. We barely drive it. These storage issues are mostly weekend and holiday problems. We rarely go on long road trips. Most of our driving is in the city, although sometimes we go to the suburbs. We might like to go on a 500-km trip once or twice a year, but not necessarily. I'd like to avoid buying a minivan and instead stick with the Civic, if possible. Woiuld a roof top carrier help? Is there something I'm not thinking of? What else could help us store more in and around the car? It must be easy and secure. I'm willing to get creative -- maybe we should have something other than a big suitcase. Inspire me, please! We live in an apartment building and must fit through the garage door. We have no storage locker and no real room to store any car gear in our condo. Thanks for your help.

• Answer:

  Yakrack! I mostly use it for bikes, but my Yakima rack has carried so much crap it's amazing. You can get streamline carriers that fit on them, that you can stow pretty easily out of the way at your place when not using it. see http://ask.metafilter.com/92765/work-vehicle-ideas#1357923for a list of what I've put on my rack.