So I just picked up my new 2010 Sport FIT this week. I have the blue sensation color. I'm wondering if I should get the car cover for it. I have to park my car outside with zero shade 24/7 due to living in an apartment. I live in Seattle so low sunlight but lots of moisture + leaves and junk from nearby trees. Oh and F'ing Seagulls because the moron house next door feeds them bread.

Is a car cover, specifically the Honda one, appropriate for me or should I just wait for a dry day and wax the car?

I would like to keep it looking as nice as possible since this is my first new car and would like to keep it looking that way for as long as possible. I've seen a few other posts about the car covers but none of them seem very definitive.

 

I'd be concerned about the cover putting scratches on it as it goes on and off. I use one for my motorcycle, mostly so it attracts less attention (also parked in an apartment parking lot) and so that my butt doesn't get wet on dewey mornings.

Keep a good coat of wax on it, and you should be fine.

 

I've never had access to a garage so unfortunately I park on the street.

Here are my thoughts.

As much as I'd like a cover or the protection of a cover, using them takes dedication. Think about the reality of consistently putting the cover on and taking it off. There is great advantage to simply being able to get in your car and drive and not having to worry about removing a cover.

As already mentioned I think useage does come with some risk of scratching your paint.

I also think a cover in the open can actually attract attention. It's argueable that a thief or simply kids are going to see a "something" covered and want to know what might be covered. You see parked uncovered cars all the time....being the covered vehicle can backfire on you...

I to live in the NW. My choice is to simply wash, wax, perhaps more agressively than many people.

The Fit being a subcompact is pretty easy to wax. Wax occasionally and wash frequently...which is also easy given The Fits small size and I think you will be fine. I wash weekly and Wax about every 6-8 weeks and I would say that at any given time my vehicle looks better than most vehicles on the road.

Once you have put down some Wax/Polish...and buy some good car wash..then maintenance is actually pretty easy.

 

Think of it this way. Say your car is dirty and you go out with a dry towel and start rubbing your car down. What are you doing to the paint? That might be an exageration but a car cover can accomplish the same thing over time. Even if the car was spotless, the continual rubbing on certain wear points (all the high or pointed areas) will eventually damage the paint. The only safe place for a car cover is in a closed garage.

 

I had a black civic a while back with honda's car cover. The cover is made not to scratch the paint when the car is dirty. I don't know how, but it worked for my car and at the time I was a detailer so I noticed every little imperfection. With that said, with the moister you get up there the car will always look dirty as the dew and water will get through and leave the texture and pattern of the car cover on your car. Once you drive for a bit the texture goes a away but any dirt on it will now be more apparent as it is matted on. All in all, the cover will protect it from birds, anything falling from trees, or anything ingeneral that could hit the car and damage the paint, but it will not keep your car clean. Hope that helps. And oh yeah, taking it on and off just becomes a hassle that isn't work it imo. You have to pull it over each corner kind of like a fitted sheet, and it is a bit snug from what i remember.

 

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. Taking the cover on and off isn't much of a problem for me as I actually walk to work so my driving is basically weekends only at the moment. Am I correct in understand that the cover is not fully waterproof, so the only real benefit I will get, until the summer returns, is some protection from wind tossed items and aerial bombings?

 

Yeah that's my experience. if it were water proof then you would still get condensation coming up from underneith it. My civic was an '04 so maybe they changed the cover since then, but I don't think so.

 

Wax on wax off newbieson this will protect the best. Megqiar's 1 coat of NXT and then on top of that 1 coat or 2 of Carbuna Gold! And the pelican crap will slide right off! The cover is detication and $ up front.
Welcome to FF's

 

Welcome to the freakworld Wolf - Forget about the cover. Collectibles stored in a barn need covers - Fit's to drive do not. Too much downside as mentioned above.

A guy across the street from me brought home a spanking new Mustang last year and began keeping it covered with one of those dealer covers. Lasted about a week and a half and the cover has been relegated to the shed. Many a Fit is kept in the elements and a seasonal waxing will keep it nice and shiny.

K_C_

 

Yea, but moisture is the downfall.