Car cover for 2010? Any recommendations?

ehhhh, don't do it. Just wash it weekly. Less hassle.

 

Yes, I would be very interested in any reviews as well... Also looking for any 'dash cover' that anyone might have tried. Bring on those 2010 accessories!

radio

 

I would think all that dusting and on/off with the cover might marr the clear coat finish.

Better to arm yourself with quality washing, drying, waxing, claying, quick detailing tools from a local auto parts store.

I like how AutoZone lays out detailing gear - drying, polishing, glass cloths are clearly labeled.

Steer clear of any automatic car washes with those brushes - will micro-marr entire finish.

 

I had a cover a few years ago. I would NEVER put another one on any car. They will scratch the paint with the dirt and grit they accumulate. When they get wet, they are a real bear. Just taking them off will scratch the paint, and then what do you do with the wet soggy cover. You are much better off just washing it weekly.

 

I ordered my Gen III car cover at my Toyota Dealer Parts Department. It cost $112 and is made by Intro-Tech Automotive. It is a custom cover that fits tightly over the entire car, including the stubby, flexible, antenna. I use it to mostly keep the sun out of the interior and the dust and city dirt off the paint. I take it off if the weather is going to rain. No car cover is waterproof.

I am 6' tall and I have a little trouble getting the cover over the antenna without ripping the cover or excessively bending the antenna. The antenna is easy to remove, just unscrew it. But that is not very convenient. I thought about getting a Shark Fin antenna but I couldn't find any technical specifications on it or the original antenna to compare performance. I have the AT package and that includes GPS and Satellite Radio. So performance is important to me.

You can check out the car cover at Car Floor Mats, Car Covers, Auto Sunshades by Intro-Tech Automotive

 

If you have a garage, a better solution would be to clear the crap out of it so you can park in there.

 

I agree about using a cover. I've used them for years and there great. Never had any issues with the paint.

 

I recently did a photo shoot for California Car Cover's catalog and they gave me an awesome cover for doing the shoot. I love it. Best cover I've ever owned. They should be available soon. It is their Extreme Tech cover so it is lightweight, waterproof, breathable and silver to reflect the heat. It's like a form fitting real good quality rain jacket. Came with a nice storage bag, lock and cable and clip on straps to hold the front and rear of the cover on if it gets real windy. Keep an eye out for them as they should be available any day now. I'm just excited to see my car on their site or in a catalog.

 

I have the Classic Accessories Deluxe Four-Layer Cover (mid size) that works fairly well. It was $75 from AutoAnything and it does NOT let water through, even with 2 feet of snow on it. It's obviously not 100% form-fitting but its a close match (you'll have to make a small slit for the antenna).

Before that I had a Covercraft cover that was utter crap, plus their customer service was some of the worst I have come across in awhile. For the price, sounds like the cover from Toyota would be the best as long as it does the job. I do leave mine on for the rain, and had the same brand of cover on my older car for 2.5 years and not once did it create any scratching/leaking problems.

 

This is an update to my 1/16/2010 post. I have been using my car cover from Intro-Tech Automotive since August, 2009. I have covered my car every work day for the last 8 months. The hardest part of covering the car is getting the "antenna pouch" over the antenna. You have to pull on the car cover to get it over the antenna. The seam for the pouch came apart. Since the cover has a lifetime warranty, I contacted my Toyota Part Department and asked them if they would take care of the warranty claim. They said yes and I walked out with a new car cover. This was great customer service because I had tried contacting Intro-Tech Automotive and got no response to an email message.

 

Before you want to use a car cover, I recommend to replace the antenna to a shark fin antenna. The OEM antenna will snatch the car cover and break.

 

I'm looking at the "Toyota 2010 Prius Microbead Car Cover" by Microbead. Amazon lists it for $189. It's a bit steep, but it's supposed to be form fitting and very light weight with a Lifetime Replacement Warranty and Reflective Silver Water Beading Material (150 denier) with a soft underlining. I can see how a heavy cover would scratch the clear coat, but it seems that this one is so light that it shouldn't.

I'll post again in a few weeks after I've tried it.

 

For most of the years that I've driven automobiles, I've used car covers for vehicles that I've had to keep outside. During the hot summer months, the car cover has considerably reduced the exterior paint from fading. The interior of the cars (seats, dashboard and other plastic parts) have lasted longer than other cars which are not kept in a garage.

The cost of getting a new car cover every few years is a cheap price to pay for keeping a car looking good for a long time....

Keith