Proud owner of a white 2012 base AT Fit, not a week old. Have any of you put in a dash mat to protect the acre of dashboard plastic? Happy or sad you did? Do they stay in place and look ok, or are they just "too much"?

Finally, if you do like them, color and manufacturer?

My concerns are even with the appropriate vent holes it might cause the somewhat weak AC (and I assume the defroster is also "challenged") to be even weaker. I don't think there would be an airbag concern...mats and airbags have coexisted for a long time now, and mat designers appear to take the airbag into consideration.

I am already buying a windshield sunshade, and considering Clazzio leather-insert seat covers. (I miss the leather seats I've had on many previous vehicles.) While Amazon has a dashmat in grey that looks ok from what I can tell, I also wonder if sunshield and seat covers and dashmat will end up just plain being "too much." I appreciate feedback from those who have gone down this road, or considered going down it, before.

I know myself very well...I have a tendency, loved by aftermarket vendors, to see something and it's nice and shiny and well written up (by the vendor, not exactly an impartial source) and I buy it. And the next trinket. and next. By the time I stop I look at what I have created and rue the long gone simplicity and plain lines I started with.

On the other hand, although I have 303 protectorate on order, I'd hate in a few years to have a sun damaged dash. (My car sits in CA sun and rain year round...no garage space. And again from past experience, even if I buy a high quality car cover, after a month or so it will become too much of a hassle and seldom go on the car.)

Thanks,
Paul H

 

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...hmat-pics.html

I've been going back and forth with getting one; but to cut down on all the glare the dashboard produces.

 

FittedOnEm: Thanks to the link to the 2010 thread on the dash mats.

I think I'll wait until I see if glare becomes an issue before getting any dash mat at all. If I DO opt to get one, the DashMat Limited Edition seems to be the one to get...and I do see it listed still on Amazon for a Honda Fit. , after some creative spelling on my Amazon search.

But unless glare is an issue (even with a mat finish protective treatment) my dash will remain naked.

(BTW, I have had success with mat-finish treatments on other vehicles' dashboards to cut glare, but that was many years ago.)

Paul H

 

Polarized sunglasses should eliminate the glare.

They'll look way better than a dashmat too

 

Polarized lenses are the thing to get if you are concerned with glare; and imo the fit ends up having some of the worst glare I've seen in cars.

 

Thanks folks!

Paul H

 

You were right to ask about dash mats. The glare is really bad, but what is even worse is the static electricity on the plastic that attracts tons of dust. Dash Mats are the cure. Don't listen to the people who tell you that your grandmother's panties would look better. Other people have a right to their own glare and pounds of dust, but you don't have to put up with it if you don't want it. From my experience, avoid black (shows too much lint, dog hair, etc.). Grey is better (I will be buying a second, lighter colored dash mat).

 

Please don't do the dashmat. It looks like an elephant layed down, died, and gradually decayed in the sun

 

Advice from someone who LIKES glare and dust. Yeah, follow that.

 

I didn't say I liked such, I just prefer not to look create a visual catastrophe in the process of improving my "vision". Do what you want it's your car/vision/priorities. I was just being funny (or attempting to be).

 

I dunno. Dashmat seems a little 1987 Cutlass Ciera to me.

 

Dust? I just wipe the dash off every three days or so, takes like 10 seconds. Wear sunglasses (which I always do when driving during the day anyway).

You can't wipe the ugly off a dashmat unfortunately. Trisk why do you always get so defensive about your dashmat

If you like it that's all that matters, don't worry about us haha

OP could always flock his dash

 

Thanks all for the input, it was just like I was looking for. So glare is a problem, and some but not all think the mats are less than beautiful.

I think I'll just head to Home Depot and buy some sod, it should do ok on the dash under the greenhouse windshield. I'll reroute the windshield sprayer to the inside rather than outside.

All this depends of course if my landscaper can fit his lawnmower inside the fit for a weekly trim. If he can't I'll just go with a naked dash til it bugs me...maybe w/a beach towel up there if parked in direct sun and I don't put up my new sunshade for some reason. Now to find a suitable beach towel! (JK)

Paul H

 

Hey Wand-
Simply having the opposite opinion of yours is not in the least defensive. It isn't even wrong. It is simply my opinion.

If the OP turns his Fit dash into a golf course, great. Eventually he will also have weeds, dandelions, moles and gophers. Then his Fit will really be unique.

 

Was talking about this^

You're entitled to your opinion as I said previously no offense intended.

OP if you plan on keeping the car a long time you could have the dash flocked. It's not coming off though ever haha




I want to do mine but it's a lot of area to DIY, I might just take it somewhere to have it done. The kit is cheap, like $40 for adhesive and the flocking.

 

Would reply in more detail, but I'm too busy puking from seeing that photo.

 

I had a dash mat on my car for a little while.... The look beat the hell out of looking at cheap plastic.. I think I took it out because it took longer to bake cookies on the dash when I parked out of the shade.

 

With the flocked dash photo, this thread has become a really bad joke. Like discussing "style" with a bombastic, fictional movie character like "Borat".

 

Hi, Paul, welcome. Glad you mentioned 303 - I use it for virtually everything not metal on my '12 Base Alabaster. Surprisingly, it did not cause greater glare on the dash for me. But then, as mentioned above, I use polarized sunglasses.
In a call to the 303 office, I learned the owner of the company uses it on his classic Mercedes in lieu of wax. I'll stick to applying to plastic and rubber.

Will

 

just my .02 here, but I've not really had glare problems with dashes in this or anything else and it's been years since I've really seen massive sun damage on a dash (think it was an 88 ranger lol) - I do armor-all once a month on the dash to dust and protect (wipes make it easy, spray keeps the wipes usable when they go dry) - just continued my old regiment from my POS ford taurus to the new Hotness I also recommend tinting the windows - not only do you get a more aggressive look, but it really helps keeping the interior cool (I live in NC... it's not the heat that gets to you... it's the humidity...)