Cars are more than just a means of transportation for most of us. They are our fashion statement as well as our second home as we end up spending 3-4 hours in them on a daily basis. So how do we make our cars more comfortable and convenient on the move? This is where car accessories come into play. Now the market is full of cheap and so-called useful car accessories - which one of these should you invest into? We at CARS24 decided to make your life easier and have come up with 5 must have car accessories that you should not drive your car without. Here we go...
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Must Have Car Accessory 1: Mobile Charger
We can't live without our smartphones even while driving a car. This is because, from Bluetooth streaming of songs to using Google Maps for navigation, our mobiles are making our lives easier even while on the move. This also means the battery life goes for a toss. A mobile charger hence is probably one the most important car accessories. Make sure you get one of a reputed make and with a minimum output of 2 amperes - this ensures your phone will charge quickly.
Dent on the pocket: A good mobile charger will cost around Rs 500-700.
Must Have Car Accessory 2: Portable Tyre Inflator
Number two on our list of must-have car accessories is a device that is seldom used but when required, it can rescue us from an unwanted situation in the middle of nowhere. A punctured
tubeless tyre can be repaired
easily and post that, a portable tyre inflator can help you inflate the tyre by powering it through the power outlet of your car. A good inflator can refill a completely flat tyre in about 10-15 minutes. Further, you can also skip long queues at the filling station and check/fill air into the car tyres yourself at home.
Dent on the pocket: A good tyre inflator will cost about Rs 1000-1200.
Must Have Car Accessory 3: Car Perfume
A car that smells good, feels good. Invest into a good car freshener or perfume for about Rs 500-600 and take care of unwanted odour and bad smell from the car interiors. These are easily available and will surely make others take notice when they step into your car.
Dent on the pocket: A good car freshener will cost about Rs 500-600.
Must Have Car Accessory 4: Mobile / GPS Holder
As stated above, we are becoming more and more dependent on mobiles phones for various functions including listening to music and navigation on the move. Though we don't recommend you to use or even look at your mobile while driving, if you still want to glance at the phone every now and then, do so by using a mobile holder. Various kind of mobile holders are now in the market. These include the one that have a suction function and can be installed on the windscreen, magnetic ones that can be installed into the air-con vents and even the ones with anti-slip mat so that they can be kept on the dashboard.
Dent on the pocket: The cost for these can start at as low as Rs 300 and go up to Rs 1000.
Must Have Car Accessory 5: Pepper Spray
And finally one of the most important car accessories is a can of pepper spray. Do not have the notion that a pepper spray can will only be useful for female drivers. These cans can be used by anyone in emergency situations and for self-defense during unwanted incidents. Keep these handy in the door pocket. The best part about these cans is that they cost low (Rs 200-300) and can also be carried along outside the car easily.
Dent on the pocket: The pepper spray can will cost around Rs. 200-300.
Other Useful Car Accessories
Apart from the above, you can also invest in a set of
sun blinds
. However, do remember that as per law, even sun blinds are illegal to use. That said, Indian summers are scorching hot and we all end up using these. Next car accessory is something that you can use every day - a special
car cloth
. These have the ability to attract dust particles and are also useful in case you spill over that hot coffee around the cup holders. Lastly, a
tow hook
and a
torch
can come handy on long trips. It's not just you but in case you have to rescue a stranded motorist, you can use the tow hook to pull the other car. Ditto for the torch - these things show their worth when you need them one fine day! To read more such cool tips about car ownership, head over to our
car maintenance
section. You may also want to read 10 tips on
how to increase the resale value
of your old car.