Outdoor car cover for all seasons

[Vaidhy]

I bought a 2009 Genesis 3.8 just eight days ago and I am now in need of a good budget car cover. I live in Jersey and I don't have a garage so the car will be exposed to the elements. It is my daily driver so I am looking at something that I cover the car with every night and take off every morning. I read few reviews and comparisons and realized I need a waterproof and breathable cover to protect my Horatio. I was looking up reviews on Amazon for some of the popular ones like OxGord Executive, Leader Accessories cover, Overdrive PolyPro seem to be a hit or a miss and at least 10% of the buyers have given just 1 star with only about 50% of buyers giving it 5 stars. I am completely confused at this point and would very much appreciate if I could get any recommendations.

Requirements:

All weather outdoor cover
Protection against: Rain, Snow, bird droppings and wind
Daily use
Budget: under $100

 

[JohnRa]

Hi. I personally wouldn't put a car cover on a dirty car. Are you planning on cleaning it before putting the cover on every time? I'd be afraid of causing scratches in the clearcoat, and plus debris will be transferred to the inside of the cover, causing potentially more scratches as you pull and rub that cover over your paint.

 

[dougmcp]

I use Budge covers on most things now. My concern about an outside vehicle you drive daily aside from putting a cover on a dirty car like JohnRa said above is what about when it's raining when you remove the cover, where are you going to put it or when it's raining when you get home. What about snow? I live in California where we get very little rain and used to cover my car weekly when parked at the airport long term park. I'm not sure given your location that you are a good candidate for a car cover.

 

[Vaidhy]

Thank you JohnRa and dougmcp for your response. It is not realistic for me to clean the car every day before putting on the cover. I didn't think of either of those issues you both mentioned and it seems like a cover might do more harm than good on a daily basis. So is my only option to let Horatio brave the elements? I don't feel too comfortable doing that and I am not sure what the alternate is in this case. I think I can cover the car before it starts snowing if I see prediction for overnight snow or even rain for that matter. I am lost otherwise as to how to protect my car.

 

[EdP]

It is not realistic for me to clean the car every day before putting on the cover. I didn't think of either of those issues you both mentioned and it seems like a cover might do more harm than good on a daily basis. So is my only option to let Horatio brave the elements? /QUOTE]

Millions of us have to leave cars out. Step one is a good coat of wax to give you some barrier. I never found snow to be a problem, just an annoyance. Getting the snow off can be done safely with the right tool, like this https://www.amazon.com/BirdRock-Home-Extendable-Scraper-Scratch/dp/B075TWG8N1 Far better than a brush, does not scratch.

There are some other protective coatings aside from just wax so perhaps someone will jump in with more specifics.

 

[Vaidhy]

I never found snow to be a problem, just an annoyance. Getting the snow off can be done safely with the right tool, like this https://www.amazon.com/BirdRock-Home-Extendable-Scraper-Scratch/dp/B075TWG8N1 Far better than a brush, does not scratch.

There are some other protective coatings aside from just wax so perhaps someone will jump in with more specifics.

Thank you so much for the suggestion EdP! I guess I'll look for a good cleaning tool.

 

[Gunkk]

re: covers
Good ones ain't cheap, and cheap ones ain't good.


Easiest way to keep a car clean: keep dirt off the car. When it does get on the car, make it easy to clean it off.

A good hydrophobic paint sealant like Carpro Reload can be had for about $30 (500ml) can be applied wet (during drying with a plush 300+ g/sq-m microfiber towel after a 2-bucket or pressure car wash). Can be applied to glass and plastic (won't stain). Lasts 2-3 months for my garaged Florida Genesis, and will be less for outdoor winter-stored cars (1-2 months?).

This stuff is magic. Like RainX for the entire car that lasts much longer. You'll see water beading up and carrying off dirt.

Reload can be applied on top of ceramic coatings and paint protection films without any issues (helps protect them as an added layer). But on top of very strong hydrophobic coatings it may streak at full strength so should be diluted with distilled water (I use a 5:1 distilled:reload dilution on my EXO/Crystal Serum Black coated & PPF'd ZL1 as a quick detailer with the above MF towels).

Reload doesn't stop grease and oils from getting on the paint, so you'll still want to use a PH balanced shampoo like Adams car wash.

But it will allow you to just hose off the car most days and reduce the need for washing which helps greatly in the winter.

 

[Vaidhy]

Awesome! Thank you for the suggestion Gunkk! Also I got a nice snow broom from Amazon - Sno Brum - thanks to EdP!