We all like our cars to look good, don’t we. By looking good I mean shiny exterior, fresh looking interior, even body, no missing parts, no dents, cracks or worst of all – rust. Buying a new car from a dealership or getting a new paint job on your old car gives you that feeling of freshness, cleanliness, perfection.
When you have a car that’s in a good shape, you want it to stay that way for as long as possible and the better the condition is the more you want to preserve it.
You may think that if you drive carefully and stay out of fender-benders there shouldn’t be much to worry about but that is not quite so. The thing is environment can be harsh sometimes. If your beauty has to sit outside a bit more than you would like, it becomes prone to faster aging and loosing its looks. No one likes getting old, or at least getting to look that way.
Like I said, environment can work against you, or to be more exact, against your car. I’m not talking about things like hurricanes or earthquakes here. Much more regular things like hot sunny days, snowy winters, winds or heavy rains can slowly but surely work a way towards what you do not want. Sun and heat can be enjoyed when cruising in a convertible with the top down but at the same time long exposure to sun and heat results in such things as clear coat damage, paint fading, leather and plastic cracking.
That said, sun is not the only thing to watch out for. Such a common thing as snow can melt on your car after a short ride and freeze back up an hour later. It is generally a good idea to not peel off ice from your car unless really necessary. Sometimes, however, you just have to break off some of that ice crust in order to simply open a door. But cracking ice on your car sometimes causes paint to chip and chipped paint generally leads to corrosion which needs no further introduction.
Wind is also an element which, when strong enough, can carry different kinds of debris, dust and sand. Not something you want to see.
Of course, a new car will not normally turn into junk overnight. You probably won’t be able to tell the difference in a month or two but on a larger scale like three, four or five years time will take its toll. Color fade out, minor scratches, chipped pieces, drying out leather and plastic. You start seeing it all.
Why do I have to remind you of some sad things you cannot avoid? Well, because to some extent you actually can! Protective car covers are no news but for some reason are often overlooked and underestimated.
A good cover will protect your vehicle from UV-rays and burning sun, from heavy rains and small debris carried by wind. Imagine if 10 years after a purchase your car still looked as new? Covering your car from ultraviolet and precipitation protects it from most of environmental damage cars normally take.
Everything in life has some kind of a price and putting a cover over your car does too. It costs you a few moments of your time to put it on! Of course, you won’t be using it when shopping for groceries but if you park outside for more than a day while sun is beating hard then it’s definitely worth a little effort from your side. Spend some five minutes of your time on a good deed and your car will reward you with it’s ever young looks.
When it comes to choosing a cover for your car there’s a lot of options from cheaper variants to some pricey ones. You have to remember that just like with about anything in this world, higher price stands for something. You can find a basic cover for under $50 but it will protect your car that much. A higher price generally means better breathability, better rain, snow and UV protection, better overall quality and durability.
If you decide to invest in your vehicle’s long life I recommend that you go for quality and look for something that works best. My personal choice would be a ‘Platinum Shield’ from carcovers.com For under $200 you get top level protection, quality and a limited lifetime warranty. Platinum shield covers are build to last. They also have some simpler and cheaper versions of covers but I would still go for their best. I see it as a long time investment because if you think of a situation where your car needs a new paint job you would much rather pay $200 or even more to not have that problem than having a car repainted.
Well, I hope you take your time and think. Think carefully and make your very best choice. Good luck.
