Genuine or Aftermarket: Choosing the Best Accessories for Your Vehicle
Posted in Buyer Advice
Genuine or Aftermarket: Choosing the Best Accessories for Your Vehicle
Upgrading your vehicle with the right accessories can take it to the next level, but do you go genuine or aftermarket?
Each path offers something unique, and the choice isn’t always straightforward. In this blog, we look at the advantages of both options, so you can make the best decision for your car.
Benefits of Genuine Accessories
Choosing genuine OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) vehicle accessories offers several advantages over aftermarket alternatives. Here are the key benefits:
Compatibility & Reliability
Genuine accessories are designed specifically for your vehicle to the manufacturer's specifications, ensuring a perfect fit and compatibility with existing systems.
This ultimately leads to better reliability and durability resulting in longer lifespans for the accessories.
In Harmony
To take compatibility a step further, genuine accessories are often harmoniously designed in parallel with the model for which they're designed. The accessory is designed for the car and the car is designed for the accessory.
This leads to products that fit seamlessly to the vehicle where an aftermarket option may require a bit of "fine-tuning" to work with the vehicle in question.
One primary example of this is with bull bars where aftermarket options sometimes require segments of the car's exterior panels to be cut away to fit as intended.
Factory Quality
Trained factory technicians spend every day with cars like yours therefore they develop a deep understanding of the models under their respective brands.
When you opt for a genuine accessory fitted at the factory, it's installed by a technician who is expertly familiar with your vehicle and its accessories.
Financed
Auto finance is a critical factor for many people looking to own the car they desire.
By adding genuine accessories to a new build from the factory, you get the benefit of including the cost of these accessories in your finance obligation allowing you to pay for them over the life of your loan rather than in one large lump sum.
Warranty
When fitted to a new vehicle from the factory, the vast majority of automakers back their genuine accessories with the same warranty coverage as the vehicle itself.
This means you get peace of mind knowing every part of your car is covered as one.
Niche Accessories
Automakers often have access to detailed vehicle information and invest in their R&D capabilities - both of which allow them to create some very niche accessories for their vehicles.
Here's a few of our favourite examples of niche accessories for models available from Motorama:
Trunk Sub-Floor Organiser
This Nissan LEAF has an organiser that's specifically to fit the space under the boot floor for greater storage flexibility.
Portable Projector Screen
The Kia EV9 has a projector screen designed to fit perfectly to the rear roof clips. Ideal for the EV as you can power a projector straight from the car's 76.1kWh battery.
Car Box Lid Set
You can increase your Mitsubishi ASX's flat storage space with these lids that are designed to fit the oddly shaped cargo boxes on either side of your boot floor.
Console Illumination
Interior lights seamlessly integrated within your Mitsubishi Outlander to illuminate the cupholders, side pockets and rear seat footwell.
Benefits of Aftermarket Accessories
Aftermarket vehicle accessories offer several advantages over genuine OEM alternatives, making them a popular choice for many car owners. Here are the key benefits:
Cost-Effectiveness
The diverse range of accessories on the market from a multitude of brands means there's plenty of competition amongst suppliers, which can only lead to one thing: value for customers.
Suppliers are forced to be competitive to stay in business and there's a whole segment dedicated to price-leading brands that cater specifically to budget-conscious consumers.
The other cost benefit here is the potential to avoid Luxury Car Tax (LCT).
On some vehicles, by purchasing a car free of accessories from the factory, you'll keep the price of the car below the threshold that triggers the LCT. This then gives you free rein to add the accessories you like from the aftermarket without being taxed for it.
For more info on what the LCT is and what types of cars it applies to, check out our blog here.
Variety
Aftermarket accessories come in a vast array of styles, designs, and functionalities, allowing car owners to personalize their vehicles extensively.
These accessories are the bread and butter for these aftermarket manufacturers so all their resources are invested in developing desirable accessories for consumers.
Availability
Due to the variety of aftermarket accessories and the myriad suppliers, you'll generally find that aftermarket options are more readily available than genuine OEM accessories.
This is especially important for older vehicles where the manufacturer discontinues the supply of accessories five to ten years down the line.
Innovation
As mentioned earlier, accessories are the bread and butter of the industry, so it's no wonder they're highly innovative, frequently introducing new technologies and designs. This continuous improvement means that you can often find advanced materials or enhanced functionalities for your car.
If you're considering adding accessories to your car and would like to know more about which ones would be best for you, speak to the team at your local Motorama dealership today.
