[Tim182]

What are everyone's thoughts on car covers? My car will be parked in the driveway and is only used on weekends. Hence I am considering getting an outside car cover to protect it, especially during winter. I'm also getting the Gtechniq ceramic coating, so there should be less risk of the cover scratching the paint while the cover will hopefully making the coating last longer. Thoughts?

Does anyone have experience with the BMW OEM outdoor cover? I used to have one for my E85 a while back and that was pretty good!

[Soul_Glo]

I love my car cover. Use my car everyday. Stow it in the boot when I drive off. If it's wet then I leave it in a bucket in the utility room.

It's most useful in winter but I started to use it more regularly after my car suffered some kind of cat or fox scratches at the dealership.

I brought a £45 one off Amazon. Currently not available. I didn't want the official one in case it was stolen or some how managed to fly away with the wind.

My cover has a soft microfibre type inside. No scratches. I have Gtech CS on my car and I hardly see any scratches after a two bucket wash.

[320dAsh]

I have no personal experience but I did look into getting one but all the forums said any cheap cover will sand paper your paintwork on a windy day. That put me off. If you regularly park under a tree or get cats on your car, it might be worth investing in one with a fleece lining but then people were saying the car doesn't dry when you put them on wet. Most of my research was on the detailing forums.

[rossm]

I have bitter experience of a cheaper old cover doing the sandpaper thing on an older car. Also it wasn't breathable despite being advertised and sold as such so it allowed moisture to sit inside. However it did provide cover from birdcrap and most tree debris apart from conkers :/

If forced to park under a tree now I would put up a proper hard roof

[Tim182]

Originally Posted by rossm

I have bitter experience of a cheaper old cover doing the sandpaper thing on an older car. Also it wasn't breathable despite being advertised and sold as such so it allowed moisture to sit inside. However it did provide cover from birdcrap and most tree debris apart from conkers :/

If forced to park under a tree now I would put up a proper hard roof

I was only really considering the proper BMW OEM cover, not sure if that is any better?

[rossm]

Not familiar with that particular one sorry

[BimmerMad]

Scratches will always me the main concern.

[Racing Teatray]

My car lives under a semi-fitted waterproof and breathable outdoors "Stormforce" cover. I had no option but to do that because the local foxes started using the car as a handy ramp to get over our garden wall, and had left some annoying scratches on my old M135i, so I wasn't taking any chances with a new car! It's a bit of a ball-ache taking it on and off every time you use the car, not least because it's bloody enormous and folding it carefully enough to (a) fit it into the supplied case and (b) understand which way is which when unfolding it again, but mercifully I really only use my car at weekends.

I'm not noticed any problems with scratches or sandpapering so far (4 months in) and I do like the added bonus that the car stays much cleaner for longer (we have a lime tree by the driveway annoyingly). The main issues are that you shouldn't put a cover on a dirty car nor, ideally, a soaking wet one, nor a hot one (irritating if you come home late at night).

[Romeo190]

Originally Posted by Tim182

What are everyone's thoughts on car covers? My car will be parked in the driveway and is only used on weekends. Hence I am considering getting an outside car cover to protect it, especially during winter. I'm also getting the Gtechniq ceramic coating, so there should be less risk of the cover scratching the paint while the cover will hopefully making the coating last longer. Thoughts?

Does anyone have experience with the BMW OEM outdoor cover? I used to have one for my E85 a while back and that was pretty good!

This is my car cover

[Tengocity]

I used to use a cover on my old MX5 as it was only used a couple of times per month.

The issue for me was what to do if your car is dirty when you want to put your cover on, it makes the inside of the cover dirty, so then creates the chance to scratch or mark the paintwork in the future, even if the car is spotless.

It was still worth it for me as it was under trees and sap, leaves, and bird crap was the issue, but otherwise I wouldn't bother.

[ricobrumsey]

Originally Posted by Romeo190

This is my car cover

Where did you purchase your car cover from?