Your vehicle already offers you all kinds of ways to make your commute more comfortable, entertaining, and convenient, but many gadgets do the same. Let’s look at the vehicle gadgets that can do the most for you on every drive.
Dash Grip Pads and Phone Holders
Image via Flickr by markguim
Most infotainment centers can interface with your phone through services like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or a manufacturer-specific app mirroring program. Having easy access to your phone or other smart devices will make your drive safer. A phone holder mounts onto your vent, dashboard, or windshield and keeps your device in reach, so you don’t have to dig for it every time you need it. A dashboard grip pad can hold larger devices and other items you frequently use, making them safely and easily accessible.
Car Trash Cans, Vacuum Cleaners, and Upholstery Supplies
Keeping your vehicle’s interior clean is vital if you want it to look new for as long as possible and if you want to reduce maintenance costs. An onboard trash can makes it easy to avoid mess pile up. If you have a vehicle with three-row seating, consider getting one for each passenger row. One trash can should be enough for a standard four- or five-seat vehicle. In addition, carpet cleaning is expensive, and carpet replacement is far more expensive. To stave off these maintenance costs for as long as you can, get your hands on an onboard vacuum cleaner and use it regularly.
All kinds of dirt and debris can follow passengers into your vehicle, so it is best to clean the upholstery frequently. That will keep buildup from doing longer-term damage to your floor covering and seat upholstery. Make sure you have the right upholstery cleaner for your seats. If you have cloth or premium cloth upholstery, go with stain removal sticks and sprays.
If you have leather or premium leather upholstery, make sure you get vehicle leather polish and stain remover. Vinyl upholstery requires more careful upkeep. Using the wrong cleaner can ruin the material, so make sure what you buy is made specifically to clean vinyl.
A Cargo Net and a Cargo Area Cover
Newer vehicles with hatchbacks or liftgates don’t have much of a lip to keep things in, as car trunks do. Use a cargo net, and you won’t lose anything when you open your vehicle’s cargo door, even when the cargo area is packed. Cargo nets sometimes have pockets for extra storage space, so get one of that variety if you want a bit more.
When you make grocery runs and get frozen or cold items, keep them more relaxed by blocking sunlight from the windows with a cargo cover. This kind of cover can also help conceal valuable items that might be attractive to would-be thieves.
A Car Jumper Kit, Survival Supplies, and a Medical Kit
These may not be the most entertaining items, but they’re the most important. If something goes wrong when you are on the road, you need to be prepared. A car jumper kit will jump-start or recharge your battery if it dies far from another power source. Make sure you get one with a substantial battery unit. Jumper cables require another vehicle for use. A good car jumper and recharge kit can be used to fix the same issues without outside help.
Consider the climate in your home and work areas and pack survival supplies accordingly. If there is a lot of desert in the area, pack reflective clothing. If you are in a cold zone, pack heavy winter clothing. Survival supply kits are sold online and elsewhere. They contain fire-starting supplies, high-nutrition foods, water purification supplies, and other things that will allow you to get help safely.
Finally, get your hands on a fully stocked medical kit. Collisions can cause impact wounds and cuts that may need immediate attention. The suture kit, bandages, bleed-stopping sprays, antibiotics, and other items in a complete medical kit can stabilize your passengers and potentially ensure their long-term survival in an emergency.
Reflectors, Seat Covers, and Windshield Covers
To reduce the sun’s fading effect on leather, vinyl, and synthetic leather upholstery, purchase both seat covers and windshield reflectors. Covers are the best protection from sunlight, and they come in many exciting designs that you can use to personalize your vehicle’s interior. Reflectors will block sunlight and prevent seat upholstery from overheating, so you won’t get burned when sitting on leather or vinyl.
To protect your windows from impacts from ice, snow, sleet, or falling tree debris, get your hands on a set of windshield covers. Replacing a windshield can cost between $100 and $400, and luxury windshield replacement gets as expensive as $1,500, so go the cheaper route with the covers and save yourself the money.
Console Inserts and a Center Console Net
To increase the amount of cargo space available in your used vehicle’s cabin and avoid losing items underneath and between your seats, consider getting cargo inserts and a center console net. The center console net stretches between the backs of a pair of pilot seats, so if you have more than one row of them, you can increase your cargo space even more.
These nets have multiple pockets, so you can fit all kinds of items inside them, including tablets, paperwork, books, tapes, CDs, and more. Console inserts fit down into the gaps between the seats, blocking items that might fall into them. They have containers at their tops so you can stow small things but still keep them within reach.
Portable Bluetooth and Wireless Camera Units
Not all vehicles come equipped with Bluetooth, but small units that do the work are available. To make your vehicle call-capable, all you need to do is attach the team to the dash and connect it digitally to your device and infotainment system. Most vehicles in North America don’t come with camera units that run at all times, but in the event of an accident, having a recording of the event could mean the difference between receiving a settlement and having to pay for one. People can be dishonest when trying to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, but they can’t get around the evidence provided by an excellent wireless camera system.
Huffines Hyundai of Plano, Texas, carries an incredible range of useful gadgets and items that will make every drive a better one. Contact us if you want something specific. If we don’t have it in stock, we can have it ordered and in your hands in short order.