Car floor mats - general advice on buying?

JohnB47

Just wondering if there is any advice on what to look out for when buying car floor mats. Just bought a second hand Honda Jazz from a main dealer and surprisingly, to me anyway, it didn't come with floor mats.

So, I've been looking around and know to buy ones specifically for my car and year but I'm wondering about quality. Some sites mention loop pile and cut pile options. Some also quote 'weight' of carpet (eg 650 gm/m2). Better to go for heavier?

So, any advice? Thanks.

motorguy

JohnB47 wrote: »

Just wondering if there is any advice on what to look out for when buying car floor mats. Just bought a second hand Honda Jazz from a main dealer and surprisingly, to me anyway, it didn't come with floor mats.

So, I've been looking around and know to buy ones specifically for my car and year but I'm wondering about quality. Some sites mention loop pile and cut pile options. Some also quote 'weight' of carpet (eg 650 gm/m2). Better to go for heavier?

So, any advice? Thanks.

Yes long gone are the days of "mats and flaps" being fitted free at dealers. That all costs money and prices are shaved to the bone to stay competitive.

As you say, fitted mats are best. Generally I go to ebay and (if your car has them) i get the ones with the fitting lugs so they stay in place. I generally avoid the entry level ones and go mid range, but they shouldnt be expensive.

JohnB47

Thanks. Yes, I'll make sure to get ones specifically for my model - with holes to match the two fixing lugs for each front mat.

I'm thinking along the same lines as you - middle price range, not the cheapest, not the dearest.

Crabman

I'd recommend rubber mats purely based on my own experience - so much easier to keep clean than carpet mats.

flashg67

I try to go for ones with a 'proper' carpet pile rather than a loop type pile.

Some dealers sell genuine mats on ebay at much less than retail

jimjames

As my car was missing them too I've just bought some brand new mats for my Fiesta from Ebay, £27 delivered and genuine Ford ones from a Ford main dealer. These are carpet type mats not rubber, fit perfectly

motorguy

Crabman wrote: »

I'd recommend rubber mats purely based on my own experience - so much easier to keep clean than carpet mats.

Seriously utilitarian looking though.

With carpet mats i hoover them regularly and if they start to fade a bit i spray them with black gloss spray paint. Sounds weird but it works. Keeps them nice and dark.

JustAnotherSaver

Crabman wrote: »

I'd recommend rubber mats purely based on my own experience - so much easier to keep clean than carpet mats.

Personal preference

Mine is to recommend totally against rubber mats as i find them slip slidey when i have wet feet.

I'd rather dirty mats that my feet didn't slip on that i could hoover when i wish than easy to clean slippy mats.

Crabman

Interesting idea about spraying with black paint! I'm a bit obsessed with keeping the car (interior and exterior) clean

Agreed the cheap rubber ones look awful (the types in poundstretcher for example) but I'm happy with mine.

jbainbridge

flashg67 wrote: »

Some dealers sell genuine mats on ebay at much less than retail

Good advice.

motorguy

Crabman wrote: »

Interesting idea about spraying with black paint! I'm a bit obsessed with keeping the car (interior and exterior) clean

Agreed the cheap rubber ones look awful (the types in poundstretcher for example) but I'm happy with mine.

Yes, i was surprised when it worked on carpet but it does - and very well. I'm a bit obsessed too with the inside and outside of the car. Mine gets hoovered out every week