[ObsidianX]

I'm bringing my M2 home from PCD this week. I can't wait, but that also means my 2011 335i xDrive loses its spot in the garage. I'm keeping the 335xi (E90 LCI) to be my year-round commuter here in the Wash DC area as it only has 40K miles, has 4 doors for the HOV-3 requirement , and is paid off. I'll cruise up and down I95/395 a couple times a week. Virginia gets four true seasons with hot, humid summers and some winter snow.

Does anyone have a year-round outdoor car cover they would recommend? I see BMW offers an old style outdoor cover and a "new" car cover. Are they worth it or is there a better non-OEM alternative available? I want to protect my car as best I can while it sits outside year-round. Thanks!

[WhiteBeard]

Originally Posted by ObsidianX

I'm bringing my M2 home from PCD this week. I can't wait, but that also means my 2011 335i xDrive loses its spot in the garage. I'm keeping the 335xi (E90 LCI) to be my year-round commuter here in the Wash DC area as it only has 40K miles, has 4 doors for the HOV-3 requirement , and is paid off. I'll cruise up and down I95/395 a couple times a week. Virginia gets four true seasons with hot, humid summers and some winter snow.

Does anyone have a year-round outdoor car cover they would recommend? I see BMW offers an old style outdoor cover and a "new" car cover. Are they worth it or is there a better non-OEM alternative available? I want to protect my car as best I can while it sits outside year-round. Thanks!

My 328xi e90 pre-lci was sitting on driveway for 3 years under cover that I bought after researching best cover for e90. It even had a driver door zip cutout for times when you need to start engine once in a while. From experience, I can tell you, that it helped, but no cover can substitute a garage. I still got lots of dry leaves under the cover from wind probably, dead insects, mice poop, roof damage from hail, flat spot on tires and my gaskets dried up - now I have to replace valve cover gasket, OFHG and still haven't checked oil pan gasket. Battery died and it was a AGM OEM white BMW battery. So to sum up - IMHO a car that will be sitting without a cover on a driveway, but will be used once or twice a week - is much better than keeping it protected for long period of time without driving it

[StevenY.]

I have been using the OEM outdoor car cover for the past 3 years and it has been used year round, rain or snow. It's held up pretty well up until this past winter, I now have a couple of tears on the cover. I have since patched it with duct tape but will likely buy a new one soon. Three weeks ago a tree branch fell on my passenger side fender and ripped 5-6 holes on the cover, my fender was scratched but could have been worst without the cover (definitely will be able to buff the scratches out). My only gripe with the OEM car cover is the big "BMW" logo on the front of the cover, it attracts a lot of unwanted attention in my case.

[tlow98]

Agree on the logo. What were they thinking with that.

[Reznick]

In my experience, a long term outdoor car cover can do more harm than good. Especially going through extreme weather. Sitting through drenching rains and then high heat can etch the cover right into the clear coat. Unless you are in an area where it isn't very windy, constant flapping of the cover will scratch the paint along areas where the cover fits tight. This happened to me with an expensive chamois lined cover. I've gone that route and decided it was better to leave the car uncovered but put sun shades in the windows. But, the car I left outside was sitting where I could wash off debris. The elements alone,were doing less damage to the car then the cover was.

[avocet]

If you are driving it on a regular basis using a cover will be a pain in the ass. I won't ever put my cover on unless I have just washed my car and given it time to dry. Also, putting it on and taking it off and having a place to put it... more pain in the ass.

If you have a drive way or yard what about something like this? Then you can just hop in and drive away, and park and walk away.



http://barns2go.com/product_info.php...2029c37ea7ba29

[ObsidianX]

Thanks all for the comments. My E90 will get mon-fri daily use. It will either drive 5 miles to a commuter lot or it will take the full trip 40 miles each way. I'll do the lot 2-3 days a week and the drive the opposite number.

The cover would only be used in my driveway at night and on weekends. I can store it in my garage when I'm at work. I cannot use a tent as the HOA would not allow (and I am ok with that).

So it sounds like the best option may be just to keep the car clean, waxed, and get a sun shade for the windshield. I was also concerned about scratches from the cover due to wind. Mild hail and sun damage to the clear coat is what I wanted to prevent most.