Vehicle Interior Essentials
Getting a new vehicle is a great feeling. Whether it is a new-to-you pre-owned vehicle or it is straight off the dealership lot, there is an excitement that comes with hopping into that fresh, clean car, not yet soiled with french fries and spilled coffee, and months worth of receipts and spare change. While your vehicle is still in that new state, let us suggest a few things to help you settle in and protect your new investment. These are our vehicle interior essentials; sure to help set up you and your new vehicle to be ready for anything.
Floor Liners
Now is the time. Before your carpets are soaked with snowy shoes and your cargo area is filled with dogs. Floor Liners and Cargo Liners are a great way to protect your vehicles interior. While factory floor mats have come a long way, WeatherTech is still the number one option for keeping your vehicle’s floors protected.
Sun Glasses
This might not feel like a vehicle interior essential, but it is, and while you may have a favorite pair of sun glasses that rides with you in your purse or back pack all the time, having a pair that stays in your vehicle is a must. This doesn’t have to be the most expensive pair, just something functional and comfortable. We also highly recommend snagging and extra pair to keep in the glove compartment for your front seat passenger. It’s just a nice touch.
Tissues
Sure, it’s not always pretty, but we all need tissues. Having some in the car is good for you, your travel companions, and you can always use them for small spills or napkins as well. We recommend ones in a tubular housing, like the Kleenex Perfect Fit. These are designed to fit in a cup holder or a door pocket, so you don’t have to have a box of tissues sitting on your dash or rattling around on the floor.
Trash Can
Following up on tissues, let us also suggest a trash receptacle. The last thing you want in your vehicle is trash everywhere. We love these small collapsible types, because they are convenient, easy to empty and clean, and fairly inexpensive. The small size also intentionally limits the amount of trash you can keep in the vehicle. With vehicles with larger center consoles, you can even keep these hidden away inside of your console for a cleaner look.
Phone Holder
These days your device is as much a part of your vehicle as your radio is, but handling your device while driving is unsafe. Having a dedicated place for your phone that allows you to use it with your vehicle integrations, offers a place for charging, and keeps it safe in transit is important. We love the CupFone products from WeatherTech if you have a spare cup holder, or the Mob Armor MobNetic device holders (shown left) are a great option if you have limited space or prefer a dash-mounted view point.
Lint Roller
Just grab one and stick it in your driver’s door pocket. That way when you hop out of your vehicle for a business meeting or a date, you can make sure that you are on point. Also great for doing quick interior detailing on your seats and carpets, especially if your pet is your favorite co-pilot.
Sun Shade
A good sun shade is a great addition to your vehicle’s interior. Keep the interior cool on those blistering summer days and prevent breakdown and fading of your dash and upholstery. The SunShade from WeatherTech is a great option, but we’re all for a novelty version with the interior of the Millennium Falcon or the DeLorean from Back to the Future as well.
Cargo Caddy
Maybe after all of the items that we mentioned, and some we didn’t (jumper cables, tool set, blanket), you need a place to organize some spare items. Consider a cargo caddy. Collapsible designs, like the LEER Gear Cargo Caddy, offer maximum storage space, but also fold flat for storage under a seat. A cargo caddy is also great for items that you only carry periodically, like loads of groceries or sports equipment.
Mascot
To help you settle in to your new vehicle, we highly recommend choosing a mascot. Now this doesn’t mean you have to name your car after a character, or go all-in with matching seat covers, but feel free, if that makes you happy. What we are suggesting is a small inclusion to your vehicle interior that makes you smile or gives you a reminder of why you are driving to work. Choose a small figurine of a Cross, a favorite movie character, or maybe a small picture drawn by your child, and give it a special place on your dash. Something personal to you will instantly help your new car feel like home.
Those are our ideas of vehicle interior essentials. Many of those items are things that we stock in the showroom at our store, and we have lots of other items to help you customize your new car, truck, or SUV. If you think that we have missed something important, contact us, we would love to hear from you. In the mean time, remember, whether you’re dropping the kids off at school or you’re headed to the top of the mountain, every drive is an adventure.