Along with words like 'vegetables' and 'sport', the term 'car accessories' is ridiculously broad. If we take a moment to analyse what car accessory means, we can chisel down the intention of this guide so you know exactly what we're covering here.
An accessory is simply a non-essential add-on that (in theory) improves the thing to which it is being attached. In regard to cars, visual accessories are incredibly subjective, and therefore we're steering clear of items such bumper stickers and LED lights.
Instead, the car accessories we're recommending here serve a functional purpose, from safety to cleaning to luggage space. Think of this as CAR Products' greatest hits collection.
Although we wouldn’t recommend taking car accessory advice from a Premier League footballer, we say fill your boots. It’s your car – do what you want with it. Just make sure you remove the wheel spinners and headlight eyelashes before the end of the PCP agreement.
The best car accessories
CAR's favourite dash cam
Description
The 522GW strikes the best balance between value and performance on the dash cam market. It's packed with useable and useful features beyond the fantastic recording quality. It has Emergency SOS, GPS, Alexa Bulit-In, and can be used with a rear facing camera add-on. It's a tremendous dash cam.
CAR's favourite phone holder
Description
Drivers know that it's illegal to hold a mobile phone while driving, but you'll almost certainly spot somebody doing just that on your morning commute. A decent phone mount is affordable and eliminates that risk of instinctively grabbing your phone while driving.
The PopMount 2 from PopSocket is such a simple option. Paired with a PopGrip your phone can attach to the PopMount 2 but is also a useful, detachable stand for your phone.
CAR's favourite USB charger
Description
This USB charger sits in a 12V socket reasonably flat, which is certainly an aesthetic bonus. It’s not capable of undertaking simultaneous fast charging but it can charge two devices up to a combined output of 24W. However, it can fast-charge when only one device is connected to either port. We also applaud the sound build quality.
CAR's favourite smart device for cars
Description
Alexa can help organise your home life, but also on the road too. Echo Auto connects to your car via a smartphone app and talks to you via the speakers. Say 'Alexa' and you can use it to change the radio station, make a call or fire up your favourite playlist. Alternatively, you could ask your passenger to do it for you if they exist.
CAR' favourite aftermarket sat nav
Description
Our philosophy is that a sat nav should follow the same principles as steak. Done right and not over complicated. TomTom's GO Classic delivers on this. You get the first class TomTom Traffic, which is accurate and superb at avoiding congestion, plus TomTom Europe maps updates. You can get speed camera updates too, if you pay the subscription beyond the free first month. Choose between a five- or six-inch screen.
CAR's favourite aftermarket tracker
Description
A budget but effective GPS tracker from UK company Rewire Security. You hardwire this unit yourself and pay a £5 monthly subscription that gives you real-time location, speed, and route history, among other things via the GPSLive app. The DB2 also comes with a SIM that will automatically connect to the strongest available signal in 120 countries and is accurate to roughly two metres.
CAR's favourite RFID key pouch
Description
Disklok is a British company that produces products like steering wheel locks. Now, of course, it makes a Faraday pouch too and it's super. It's nice and small at 14cm x 9.5cm to house any key fob, plus cards if you need it and is fitted with a handy carabiner clip. It's made from durable polyurethane and looks a bit sharper than some of the other
CAR's favourite battery charger
Description
Trying to start a car with a flat battery can be a frustrating experience. Investing in a smart battery charger will keep a battery charged and preserve its life, avoiding the need to pop next door in search of jump leads. The CTEK MXS 5.0 is a fully automatic charger that also reconditions batteries. It's built to an extremely high standard and can be used on a range of battery types.
CAR's favourite jump starter
Description
A power pack is a valuable and compact addition to your glovebox. NOCO is one of the names and its new GBX45 is ideal for most. While it's only 20cm long and 600 grams, it's good for jump starting up to 6.5-litre petrol and 4.0-litre diesel engines. It's also a regular power bank too for charging other devices.
CAR's favourite roof bag
Description
A hard shell roof box is more aerodynamic and more stylish, but a roof bag considerably expands your car's luggage volume at a better price. CAR's top-rated roof bag is this one. It's about as aerodynamic as a roof bag gets and is built to a high standard. The Fischer has a solid base and a volume of 270 litres.
CAR's favourite bike rack
www.decathlon.co.uk
Description
Suction bike racks allow you to attack a bike to your car's roof without the need for roof racks. Therefore, you can attach your Avanti to your GR Yaris, Ford Mustang, or whatever it is that you wouldn't ever contemplate adding roof racks to.
CAR's favourite boot liner
Description
A boot liner not only protects the soft carpet of the boot but also acts as a sort of organiser for unorganised people. Cut it to size and lay it in your boot, then you can chuck what you want in there without any need for concern.
CAR's favourite car vacuum cleaner
Description
The Karcher WD2 Plus was our corded-against-cordless test winner. While the power cord was a bit short, it made car vacuuming a cinch irrespective of how neglected that interior might be, thanks to 1000 Watts and a long 1.8-metre suction hose.
What we really liked about the WD 2 Plus is the single-piece cartridge filter. You don’t have to change it for wet or dry vacuuming. Despite being quite small, the WD 2 Plus still has 12 litres of capacity, so it stores away without taking up much room, yet can tackle all domestic tasks.
CAR's favourite car cleaning kit
Description
This Autoglym pack contains everything you need to give your car the love it deserves. Autoglym says it's the perfect gift for a car enthusiast, but we reckon you can treat yourself. The kit includes bodywork shampoo, polish, extra gloss protection, clean wheels, tyre dressing, alloy wheel seal, interior shampoo, car gloss polish, vinyl and rubber care, a sponge, a drying cloth and a finishing cloth. Just add a mug of tea and away you go.
CAR's favourite quick detailer
Description
Ceramic coating is a relatively recent development to the world of car cleaning but has certainly staked its claim as one of the top exterior protectants. Oxide Hybrid Detailer will make your paintwork glossier, but also adds to your paint's protection. Like tea can be infused for more flavour, this detailer is infused with ceramic to boost its paint protection. We've tested it and were thoroughly impressed by it.