Should you buy car and bike accessories from showroom? Pros and cons explained

Who doesn't want a fully loaded new car or motorcycle? When we opt for new vehicles or even pre-owned ones, we often try to get the best deal and one part of it is buying the fully loaded version, which is often the top-end trim. However, while many customers buy the top-end variants, some restrict themselves to lower trims, which lack some of the high-end features. These restrictions often come due to the higher premiums the top-end trims command over their lower variant counterparts.

But, there is a solution for the car and motorcycle buyers who end up buying the lower variants. They can purchase and equip their vehicles with accessories that can close the gap between the top-end model and lower trims. These accessories serve different purposes, ranging from aesthetic to utility. While many buyers opt to buy accessories from aftermarket shops or online platforms, many others purchase the accessories from car showrooms only.

Should you opt for accessories from automobile showrooms? Here is a quick guide detailing the pros and cons of buying accessories from showrooms.

Automotive accessories: Key factors to consider

While buying accessories from a showroom or aftermarket, four parameters should be kept in mind, which are - quality, cost, warranty and safety.

Quality

While buying an accessory, irrespective of from a showroom or aftermarket, quality is one key aspect a buyer should keep in mind. The showrooms generally sell the accessories that are sourced from the companies with whom the automakers have an agreement. These products are usually of good quality. However, aftermarket accessories can be of similar or even better quality too, but for that, the customer needs to do some research and check user reviews.

Cost

The automobile showrooms usually sell accessories at a higher premium. For example, an in-car air purifier that costs about ₹3,000 in aftermarket, would cost about ₹4,000 when bought from the showroom. The automobile showrooms command a premium for the accessories over their aftermarket counterparts by taking a higher profit margin into account. Hence, consider this factor along with quality when purchasing an accessory.

Warranty

This is one vital factor that must be considered when buying and installing an accessory. While a larger number of accessories including the aesthetic enhancement ones don't compromise the electronics and electrical components of the vehicle, utility accessories such as auxiliary lights, dashcams, rear parking cameras, and reverse parking sensors among others can impact the vehicle's electrical and electronic components' performance. In such cases, the vehicle and its components' warranty could be void, if the accessory is purchased and installed from aftermarket. Hence, take your decision judiciously if the particular accessory is something that may compromise the vehicle's electrical, mechanical or electronic setup.

Safety

This is another important factor one should keep in mind when buying and installing accessories. Accessories such as bull bars may seem to enhance your car's safety, but they actually make the vehicle more vulnerable in case of a crash. This not only impacts the safety quotient of a vehicle but also it can result in legal trouble for the vehicle owner.

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