I will be picking up my first brand new car on Friday :D . A Thunder Cloud Automatic XB. I live in so.cal. (Glendora) and there is condensation on my car almost every morning.
And I was wondering:
1) How many of you use a car cover?
2) Will the cover prevent condensation from forming on my XB?
3) Should I bother paying the $219 for the OEM cover? Is there a big difference in quality between other brands?
4) Is there a possibility of putting scratches in the paint if the inside of the cover is dirty?
5) Where can I find the best cover for the money?

This Board Rules. Everyone is so helpful.

(I did a search for a topic like this and came up with nothing)
Sorry if I posted in the worng area.

Depends on how anal you are. Most people I know use their car covers for a few months or less then get fed up with the hassle. Nothing like wrestling a soggy cover off your car in the morning. And slipping one on and off a waist-high Porsche is one thing, but getting it on and off a head-high box is probably a two person job. Then you have to stow the thing. Do you want a musty, dirty car cover in the back of your xB?

Besides, it's not the condesation that hurts your paint, it's the crap IN the condensation -- salt, smog, acids, etc -- which is in the air all the time. A lot of the most damaging stuff works its way into and through the fibers of the cover anyway, so you need to wash the cover regularly, which menas a trip to the laundramat to use one of their triple load washers. Seems a lot easier to me keeping the car waxed.

Car covers are made out of different fabrics, each trying to solve various problems with car covers while causing others in the process. Fabrics that breathe also let in moisture and the stuff in the moisture. Fabrics that try to block moisture coming in cause condensation between the cover and the car. Supposedly smart fabrics claim to let moisture out while keeping it from coming in. Yeah, right.

If you just want the car to look clean, well, TCM (gray) is essentially the color of dirt to begin with. That's why I got it. My gray cars have always looked much cleaner than any other color.

So, personally, I can think of better ways to spend my money than a car cover. But it's up to you.

Car cover are great as long as you know what they were made for. Its not a portable garage. Its good at reducing, and the key word is reducing dust,tree sap, pollen in the spring. If its raining out, unless you have a waterproof cover, which by the way ruins the paint(It can not breath), it should be taken off, Same with front end covers or bra's...great at reducing stone chips, and bugs on a long drive, but it should not be kept on all day and night. It should come off in the rain. I have seen people go thru car washes with them on. All of these things reduce the odds of getting chips, and getting seagull crap on your hood, which by the way, will eat right thru your clearcoat while it bakes in the sun while you are on the beach. When you come back you will have a nice dull rough spot where it digested your clearcoat. So weigh the cost vs the appearence of your car in 3 years. I think its worth all the hassel.

good investment all the way.....parked in the garage or even outside....make that paint flawless for years to come.....i need to freakin get one....but last time i got one i was lazy to put it on all the time.... :P

If you let the car sit for weeks at a time it might be a good idea. But if it is a daily driver than it seems like a waste.

If you let the car sit for weeks at a time it might be a good idea. But if it is a daily driver than it seems like a waste.


Exactly. If you cover/uncover the car everyday then you WILL do more damage to the paint then if you kept it uncovered.

Waste of money.

If you wax your car 3 times a year your paint will look great longer than you will even own this car.

Trust me.

If you want to maintain your cars finish, then I suggest putting the car cover on the back burner for a minute and go here instead:

http://www.prowax.com/

I suggest the Cherry Finishing Wax. It is the best balance between long lasting coverage and ease of use IMO. Smells great too, you'll want to taste it. :P

All of their stuff is high quality though, many

Just to offfer an alternative, you might also look at Klasse or Zymol. Both also very good. Stick to high grade pure carnuba waxes. The better quality stuff is worth the money vs. turtle wax crap you get in the store. It will last much longer and it's easier to remove without leaving residue everywhere.

:wink:

You guys are awsome, thank you for the input. I think I am going to not get the cover and maintain a good coat of wax. I drive the car daily, and I know that I will get sick of putting the cover on.

Thanks again.

I bought the custom xB cover. It's a good cover, but pricey...almost $200 after tax.

I also use the Cherry Finishing wax every other month. :-)

Have been covering our cars for years & after 10+ years, the paint still looks good. After a few years, you’d be surprised at how much the cover fades; imagine what the sun does to your paint & interior! The Hawaiian sun is really intense, so if you live way further north, you may not need one. I used to live in Seattle & ½ hr sun in Hawaii = 4 hrs sun in Seattle.

We just sold our 93 mr2 which had paint that looked like new.

you might also want to do a search of the term "car cover" on the Scionlife forum search bar -- there are a few other posts on the same topic