Outdoor Car Covers

[amgarrety]

Has anyone had experience with outdoor car covers and can provide their thoughts? I'm trying to decide on something that is pretty water resistant, dust resistant, and has good, if not excellent protection from dings and scratches. Im not too worried about UV protection. I like the sound of the covercraft line of covers (http://www.carcoverworld.com/outdoorfabrics.asp), but they are so expensive. Does anyone have experience with a cheaper alternative that protects pretty well?

[Huffer]

Expect to pay at least $150 for a decent outdoor cover. If you want water resistance then you'll have to pay more, or spend some additional time scotchbriteing the cover. UV protection is a must, because anything outdoors will fade and crack if not adequately protected. UV protection should be standard on any of the $150-200 covers.

Anything under $100 will likely be a relatively thin cotton/polyester material with limited breathability. You get exactly what you pay for when it comes to the materials and quality.

For around $300 you can actually buy a 3-season car TENT from Harbor Freight. Use some additional ground pegs/weights and it would be a nice alternative.

[Okin DaVanh]

I have a Noah for my E36. Yes, it's expensive but it really does the job. No scratches etc... and fits snug (it's designed for it) and I almost never have to reset it, unless I'm working on it etc...

[amgarrety]

What I meant by not being too worried about UV protection is the protection doesn't need to be excellent. My car will be in one of those covered parking lots that has some protection from the sun, but I won't be using my car much (if at all) during the week, and I'd like to keep dirt, leaves, and scratches off of it. Scratches are what im most worried about, because its a college campus with tight parking.

[Bookem]

I'm not really familiar with car covers and have been looking for one myself, although I was looking for one just to keep the dust off. My car is always parked in the garage but would like to keep the dust off of it when it's parked for weeks without driving it. Anyways, here's one place I was looking, not sure how good they are but plenty of options. http://www.empirecovers.com/auto_covers ... =undefined (http://www.empirecovers.com/auto_covers.aspx?&make=Subaru&year=2001&model=Legacy&size=3&cs=undefined)

[Okin DaVanh]

.... I'd like to keep dirt, leaves, and scratches off of it. Scratches are what im most worried about, because its a college campus with tight parking.


Fixed my original post (dang spellcheck :smt011 )

If it's protection from scratches etc... then a breathable/good cover should do. Cars under covers usually get scratches from covers that shift or move and that are made w/ plastic etc... A good breathable, snug cover should do.