When winter comes along, many people think that cars now belong indoors. They know that leaving a car outdoors unprotected is not an option. It is a recipe for disaster. Any car that is left parked outside, without any form of protection, is guaranteed to get wrecked in some way or another. The fact remains; a car that is uncovered has a shorter life expectancy.
So the question remain, what form of protection to provide? There is a choice of two forms of protection; a garage, or a car cover. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages. They must be weighed up by the individual, to see which is the better of the two for him.
Garages:
The advantage of garages is that when parked in a garage, the car is completely closed off from any form of weather condition, and therefore cannot, in any way, be harmed by them. Garages are also very convenient for the car owner, as he always know where his car is parked, and never has to search for a space. Another advantage of garages is that they can be used by anyone. More or less any car can drive into the garage and be protected.
However, the disadvantages of having a garage largely lie in the money and space involved. Garages are expensive to build as they are not merely three wall and a door. There is more to a garage, and the money mounts up. Aside from this, a lot of people simply do not have the space to build a garage. Even if they did, they would much prefer to use that space for extending the house, rather than building a room to keep a car over night.
In addition, when a car is stored in a garage it is not dust and dirt free. Whilst the garage may be able to protect it from the detriments of nature, and car thieves, the car is still exposed to dust and dirt, and hence will still need constant cleaning.
Car covers:
The main advantage of car covers is the how compact they are. Car covers, when not in use, can be folded up and tucked away,out of sight. They can even be stored in the trunk of the car. This enables the car owner to take it along with him wherever he goes, so that he and his car are always covered. This is something that garages can never have – portability.
Car cover are also inexpensive, and cost effective. Cover covers are a drop in the bucket compared to the expense of a garage, and they also provide excellent coverage and protection. In fact they will even protect the car from dust and dirt, unlike garages. They will be able to save the car owner hundreds of dollars over the years that would have otherwise been used for cleaning, polishing and repairs.
On the other hand, the good car covers only come custom-made. This means that they are designed to fit the one car, perfectly. The cover will fit the car like a glove, maximising the protection, but it means that no other car can use it. Thus, it cannot be shared amongst family and friends, and when a new car is bought, the cover needs to be changed too.
In addition, car covers are not as sturdy as garages. Yes they will be able to protect the car from just about everything, including knocks and scrapes. Covers absorb the impact without leaving a mark on the car itself. However this is on a small scale, and should there be a more fierce collision, the cover will be inept at shielding the car.