The car accessory market is huge. In fact, it is estimated that the Australian automotive parts and accessories sales worth is nearly £500 million! Once you realize that it is easy to understand why the market is so competitive.
Of course, that’s good news for the consumer as people generally love to accessorize their vehicles. It’s a great way of making your car feel like it’s yours, it’s unique, and allowing it to stand out.
If you are thinking about accessorizing your vehicle then you need to understand which car accessories are the most useful and practical. Choosing the right one will improve your driving pleasure, the wrong one will have the opposite effect and that’s not what you want!
1. Manufacturer recommendations
Before you start hunting around the markets for accessories start with your own manufacturer. For example, if you have a BMW then you would want to look at the BMW accessories listings. This will give you inspirational ideas and even remind you of what is useful in your vehicle.
Best of all, the accessories are custom designed for your vehicle, helping it to stand out from the crowd.
2. GPS
One of the most popular and practical accessories is a GPS unit. While many modern cars are arriving with GPS units built into them, this isn’t the case for all of them. Of course, plenty of people also have older vehicles that don’t have this luxury.
GPS units can be easily purchased in a car accessory shop. But, when you buy one don’t forget that you may need a power supply and you should have a bracket for the unit to sit in. This will make it much easier to look at the GPS and even adjust the settings while driving without losing attention from the road.
3. Mobile Phone Connectivity
A natural follow-on to the GPS is your mobile phone. It’s one of the things that people simply can’t go anywhere without. In order to enjoy your phone while driving you need to have a phone holder clipped to your car and you need to have Bluetooth connectivity that will allow the sounds from your phone to come out through your car speakers.
This is useful for calling people and for using your phone as a GPS unit.
Alongside this, you will need to make sure you have a mobile phone charger!
4. USB Charger
An essential accessory for most vehicles is the USB charger It can be plugged into a standard USB slot and the micro USB can be used to power a variety of devices. However, you will also need the adapter that plugs into your cigarette lighter and offers several USB connections. This will keep everyone in the car happy.
5. Hydraulic Jack
The hydraulic jack is an accessory that comes under the practical accessories category. It is an essential aid when you are dealing with a tire issue and need to jack the car up. It is also very easy to use, making it a great choice for all drivers!
Hydraulic jacks can be secured in the boot, ensuring they don’t roll around the vehicle and you’ll be grateful you invested in this accessory when you do need it.
6. Tool Kit
The tool kit is another practical but essential accessory. A tool kit will allow you to deal with small problems at the roadside, you can even use it to identify an issue and then decide what to do about it.
A basic tool kit should have several screwdrivers, some pliers, a hammer, a socket set, and a nice case to keep it all in. This is important as you don’t want the tools rolling around the back of your car. While your basic accessory tool kit won’t fix every roadside problem, it will be useful for many issues and you’ll be grateful you have it with you.
7. Seat Covers
Another extremely popular accessory is seat covers. The softer leatherette seats are warm to eh touch but never hot, they are available in a choice of colors and they will look fantastic in your vehicle. However, you should choose the seat covers carefully as some are softer and easier to keep clean than others. It is worth going for the slightly more expensive options.
8. LED’s
LEDs are becoming a popular option as they can provide additional light within your car and look good or they can be added to the underside of your vehicle and help it to look fantastic while being driven.
Of course, they must be installed properly and it is generally a good idea to stay away from blue lights as this can create the wrong impression.
9. Stereo
The stereo in your car is an essential part of your vehicle. It is likely that you crank the volume up whenever you’re alone in your vehicle. However, many vehicles, especially the older ones, have older stereos that offer poor quality audio.
That makes it worthwhile to add a new system to your car.
You can get carried away and boost the audio system with amplifiers and additional speakers or you can just enjoy the higher quality stereos. Naturally, you can also choose a stereo with Bluetooth and GPS built into it. This adds three accessories in one and instantly makes your car a more practical option and a more enjoyable experience.
10. Air Freshener
The air freshener is the most popular and most overlooked car accessory. Almost every vehicle on the road has one in them. Air fresheners are available in a huge array of colors and styles, you just need to pick the one that appeals to you the most and then put it into your vehicle.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of great car accessories for you to choose from and add to your vehicle. But, you need to remember that the final decision is yours and you should choose accessories that will benefit your driving experience while complementing your vehicle.
