#Parts-Accessories

It’s an unfortunate part of owning a vehicle, but there’s always the possibility your bumper will get scratched or even hit. If you live in tight urban areas, like New York City, for example, you’ve likely seen bumper guards on vehicles. Designed to protect the bumper from substantial damage, a bumper guard may not be the best-looking part you can add to a car, but it looks a lot better than a bumper maimed by scratches and dents.

Car seat covers are a practical, stylish accessory; they can also add value by keeping your interior in top-notch shape. A removable car seat cover can have fancy patterns and colors that spice up your interior, but its main purpose is to keep your car’s seats clean. Whether you want to protect protecting against spills, dirt, mud, or sweat, car seat covers come in a variety of prices and materials, so they’re not as easy to shop for as you may initially think. If you have a truck or large SUV, we cover those in a separate article.

One of the best parts of owning an electric vehicle is never having to go to the gas station to refuel. Instead of finding a pump, you can charge at home every night. Not only is having an EV charger at home convenient because you can charge any time you want, but you’ll also never have to worry about waiting in line if all public chargers are occupied. Wake up every morning to a fresh and fully charged battery. You can even pre-condition without reducing your range.

Windshield wipers are an often overlooked maintenance item on your vehicle, but they’re one of the most important features when it comes to safety. Both for summer and winter driving (see our Winter Wiper blade picks). Poor wipers can affect visibility in bad weather and you don’t want to wait until you’re caught in a storm to realize your wipers are worn out and you can't see through the rain on your glass. Fortunately, now you don’t even have to navigate the confusing rack of indistinguishable versions at an auto parts store to buy the best windshield wipers for your vehicle.

Most brand new cars leave now the factory with USB ports inside the cabin, allowing you and your passengers to charge your mobile devices. While USB ports come in handy for daily use, they don’t offer enough power to charge larger accessories, or sometimes even quick charge phones. The best power inverters give you household AC power ands plug to charge laptop or camera batteries, and even run small appliances like a coffee maker while you’re camping, or a TV for tailgating.

The best roof rails, cross bars, and roof racks should be high on the list for anyone looking to add storage capacity to their car, truck, or SUV. You can put any odd-shaped cargo that won’t fit inside—or that’s dirty and you don’t want inside—up and out of the way, and still have all your interior room. You can use roof racks and rails to attach a secure, weatherproof cargo carrier; use as a rooftop attachment for kayaks, surfboards, snowboards, skis, fishing rods, bicycles, or just about anything else you can think of.

Entering your car without any kind of car window shading when it’s in direct sunlight, even for an hour, can be a real nightmare. Not only can metal trim pieces in your car get hot enough to burn you, but those with leather or vinyl seats are also in for a very uncomfortable surprise. This happens because the windows of your car turn your vehicle into a greenhouse, trapping hot air and making it far hotter than the outside temperature. Infrared light is present even when there are clouds, or you’re under cover, so in very hot areas, the best car sun shades will even keep your car cooler in the shade.

While we do not condone speeding, we acknowledge the fact that drivers do exceed the speed limit from time to time. Whether it’s in a rural part of the U.S. with a long and uneventful freeway, or the road has just opened up after being stuck in traffic, drivers like to stretch their car’s legs every now and then. That’s where a radar detector comes in handy, so long as they’re legal in your state (they’re currently illegal in Virginia and Washington, D.C., and only legal in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia in Canada). They’re also illegal throughout the US on any vehicle weighing over 10,000 pounds.

Car owners who live in areas where there’s cold weather know how inconvenient it is sitting in a frozen car waiting for it to warm up. That is unless you have a remote starter on your vehicle. In the most basic sense, a remote starter allows you to start your vehicle’s engine remotely, this way you can warm up your car and its interior before getting inside. It also works great if you live in warm weather climates, allowing you to cool off your seats and cabin before getting on your way.

A surprising number of modern vehicles still don’t come with the best car speakers, since it’s an invisible way for manufacturers to save money. Audio upgrades, which can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars, are one of the most profitable options when ordering a new car. And older vehicles and used cars may either have come with basic stereos, or have had unknown and maybe mismatched speakers installed by a previous owner.

We get it, seeing in the fog and night, or even snow and rain, is tougher than seeing in the dark on a clear night. Because while your headlights are designed to throw light far down the road to light up any possible dangers, that aim makes them bounce light right back in your eyes when the air isn’t clear. That’s where fog lights come in. Either as an add-on or as a factory feature, fog lights are designed to keep their light low. That way it projects down the road instead of lighting up just the raindrops. Picking the right fog lamps isn’t easy, so we’re here to help.

Looking to add some bass to your car? There are plenty of subwoofers out on the market in a variety of sizes and power ranges, making it difficult to narrow down your choices. But if you’re shopping for a subwoofer or two for your car, take a look at our recommended top 10 list below.

It’s true that newer, modern vehicles come with impressive stereo systems straight from the factory, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be better. For many car owners, the stock stereo just won’t cut it and thankfully there are plenty of cost-efficient ways to upgrade.

Few things can make you more furious than a rock flying up and chipping your windshield. Not only does it make your car look janky, but it can also impact your visibility and be a safety hazard.

Sometimes your factory rear lights just aren’t enough. They could be dim because of age, or because your vehicle didn’t get the fancy LED optional lights, or maybe you just want an upgrade because you’re tired of other drivers not seeing you at night. It could also be that you just want a style upgrade. Whatever the reason, there are LED light bars that can offer you more. More turn signal, more brake light, more running light, more marker light, and even LED rainbows.