OEM Carpet Car Mats Vs Aftermarket

OEM Carpet Car Mats Vs Aftermarket

November 10, 2017

Buying a new set of carpet car mats for your vehicle can be a tricky journey to navigate. There’s a bunch of options on the market and of course everyone uses stupid car jargon that is A. hard to understand (what’s OEM again?), and B. makes it hard to buy with any real confidence …

So this article aims to break all that down by looking at 17 key points of comparison between a set of OEM (don’t worry, we’ll explain ?) and aftermarket car mats. Already got your head around the lingo and want to skip to the comparison results? Click skip to results

Breaking down the lingo

What do the terms OEM, Genuine, and Factory mean?

Ok so the first thing you need to know is OEM is an acronym for Original Equipment Manufacturer.

The second thing you need to know is ‘OEM’, ‘genuine’, and ‘factory’ all mean the same thing. They’re interchangeable terms.

And finally, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) OEM, genuine and factory parts can be defined as “parts made by the vehicle’s manufacturer that are rigorously tested as an integral component of the vehicle to meet high quality, safety and performance standards.”

In a nutshell, it’s the original copy of the part you need and it is made by the vehicle manufacturer.

What does aftermarket mean?

It’s anything not made by the original vehicle manufacturer. According to the Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA), aftermarket parts are also made to a high standard to ensure performance and safety standards are met. They are extremely common in the Australian and U.S automotive scenes and chances are you’ve driven a car with aftermarket parts in them before.

The Results

OEM Vs Aftermarket (FitMyCar) Car Mat Comparison Report

Mat Feature OEM Aftermarket by FitMyCar
Availability

In most cases limited to the most current model

Includes early to current models

Colour Options

In most cases limited to black and grey

7 colour options available. Also mix and match bind and stitch colours.

Carpet Quality

Pass

Grade carpet usually matches the quality of vehicle. Inexpensive car = low quality mats. Opposite also applies

Choose the grade of carpet YOU want or need. Note: the high-end option is of the same quality used in some high German vehicles on the road today

Fit / Cut

Exact fit to shape and contour or floor

Exact fit to shape and contour or floor (guaranteed). Check out how we make the mats, here.

Retention System

Confused? It’s that thing on the mat that hooks, clips, twists onto the anchor point on the vehicle floor. Basically, it’s the system that holds the mat in place.

Includes retention system

Will fit over existing fitting points. If no fitting point present, an easy to use installation kit is provided at no additional cost

Manufacturer / Model Logo

Always appear as specified by carmaker

Pass

None. Not even our own; allows for a clean factory look

Carpet Protection

Maximum floor coverage

Maximum floor coverage

Matches Carpet

Exactly

Pass

Extremely close, but not guaranteed

Stain Resistance

High. Synthetic fibres used

High. Synthetic fibres used

Cleaning

Easy. Straight fibres used. Clean as required.

Easy. Straight fibres used.

Shopping Experience

At the dealership

Online, free delivery

After Sales Experience

Through the dealership

Local customer support from fitment specialists

Manufacture Location

Pass

Overseas

Australia

Standard Warranty

Product must be fit for purpose. Mandated by law

Product must be fit for purpose. Mandated by law

Wear-Through Warranty

No

Up to three years

Price

High

Can range from low to moderate.

 

So how do they compare?

 

Total Score OEM 59% (Aftermarket)
FitMyCar 94%
Scoring was calculated as ✘ = a score of 0, Pass = 1, and a ✔ = 2. The total possible score is 32. OEM achieved a score of 18 (59%) and Aftermarket by FitMyCar 30 (94%).

 

Pricing Comparison

Common Models OEM Aftermarket by FitMyCar
Mazda CX5 $155 From $99
(save up to 36%)
VW Golf $177.55 From $99
(save up to 44%)
Mercedes C Class $206 From $99
(save up to 52%)
So how do they compare?
Final Say Yep. They’re expensive Save at least 36%

 

Find your fit

How do aftermarket mats look?

One of the big benefits of aftermarket car mats is their ability to be customised just the way you like them. You’re not locked in to a certain colour or combination of colours like you are with mats from the dealership. It’s all up to you. You can choose from 8 different colours.

How well do aftermarket mats fit?

Perfectly. The floor mats are cut using high tech machines to ensure a precise cut for your make and model. We guarantee a 100% fit for each set of floor mats sold.

Don’t aftermarket mats slip around?

No. The mat will fit the manufacturer retention system to keep it in place. If no existing retention system is available, don’t stress, we send out an easy to install fitting system with every car mat set sold. The last thing you want is for your car mat to move around or get stuck in behind the pedals.

What is a retention system?

It’s that thing on the mat that hooks, clips, twists onto the anchor point on the vehicle floor. Basically, it’s the system that holds the mat in place. Typically there will be anchor points pre-installed on the vehicle floor. The Original Equipment Manufacturer fits these in place prior to the car rolling off the factory floor. In cases where this isn’t the case, we’ll supply an easy to fit retention system to keep things safe and tidy.

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