Cheap or tailored car mats
Cheap or Tailored Car Mats?
Q: I’m looking for rubber car mats online to go in my VW Golf. The cheap standard car mats cost only ?5 but tailored car mats cost almost 10 times as much! I’m now slightly worried about getting the really cheap ones. What’s wrong with them? What’s so special about tailored car mats? Is it worth it?
A: Firstly, well done for doing the research. It is always good to get a good deal but you want to know if it is truly worth it. Unfortunately, from my experience, the deal really is too good to be true.
Universal car mats can be bought very cheaply from a number of familiar retailers. They fit all car makes and models. But bought that cheaply you’ll find that their condition very quickly deteriorates. Universal car mats tend to slip and slide around under your feet. After buying some cheap car mats, every time I got into my car I had to rearrange them. This is not only a complete nuisance, but it is also potentially dangerous. If your car mats slide forward they can cause pedal entrapment; you can lose control over the brake or accelerator. There are some DIY things you can do to secure them, such as using Velcro, but this cannot guarantee safety, and it can end up looking messy.
Tailored car mats are definitely a better option. You can still look around for the best deal but consider that the better the quality the less frequently you’ll have to replace them. Some tailored car mat manufacturers provide fittings to properly secure them into place. This is ideal.
It can seem like a lot of money to spend at once on rubber car mats. But consider what you need them for. If you are looking to properly protect the carpet underneath from dirt and moisture then only tailored car mats will do a proper job. Water can still seep around unfitted car mats.
Buying really cheap car mats is a false economy that can also potentially be very dangerous. Weigh up your options before you make a decision.