We park our car in a carport that pretty well protects it from sun, wind and rain but not dust. I've been using a car duster and it works "ok" but lately we've been kicking around the idea of getting a cover instead. We don't use the car on a daily basis so I don't think it will be too inconvenient to install and remove. We're not looking for a classic car quality cover, just a basic cover that will help with the dust and not scratch the paint.
Does anyone have any experience or tips about different brands or features to look for or stay away from?

 

First of all, don't use a car duster. Second of all, don't use a car cover. Both will cause scratches, if that's what you're worried about. You unfortunately just need to wash your car regularly. Again, this is only if you really care about your car paint in an OCD way. If you don't really care that much, you can use any car cover.

 

Whenever I park my RDX in the carport or outdoors for an extended period of time, I always reach for my Covercraft Evolution 4 car cover. It protects from sun, wind, rain, and dust, and DOES NOT scratch the paint. If you are looking to protect your RDX from dust mostly, you may want to choose from some of the other less expensive offerings from Covercraft. Good luck and enjoy your ride.

 

I would avoid it. The shiny black trim paint scratches very easily and all the micro scratches on the rest of the paint.

I rather have a dusty car than use a car cover.

 

There's no car cover that doesn't cause scratches because that's impossible. The issue is not how soft the car cover is or whether it's lined with microfiber, which I've seen advertised. The issue is it's still rubbing the dirt on your car when it moves. You can take a microfiber cloth and rub it against your dirty car repeatedly and it's still going to cause scratches. When I say "scratches," I don't mean scratches like when someone keys your car. That won't happen. I mean scratches like swirl marks that are very fine and only visible in the sun.

 

Also, if washing your car regularly is too much of a hassle, which I can understand, then you can also use "waterless" cleaners that just let you spray on the solution and you wipe it off. I've never used those, but my understanding is that they won't scratch the car and they can be used to clean cars in between a wash if they're just sitting around, like yours is. I make no guarantees about the products, however. You can look them up online.

 

I have to respectfully disagree with all of you anti-car cover people. I have used car covers for years and they really help protect the paint, interior, and plastic headlight covers. They keep bee poop, bird poop, and hard water off the car. After 5 years the paint on my other car is still pristine - no swirls or scratches.

As pointed out, the only gotcha is you should not put the cover on a dirty car or even a slightly dusty car. I keep my car dust free day to day by using a Kozak dusting cloth. I can hear the gasps! When I get to work the car is still clean and I can use the cover. I also use a detailer spray (Adam’s) a couple times a week to keep the horizontal surfaces slick and shiny. My car is garaged every night.

Of course, this is something you have to really want to do. It’s a pain. My wife thinks I am a nut job. But keeping all of the normal crap off of my paint is worth it to me.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies, I'm sure a cover will help with our dust problem and I would only use it after the car has been washed. We're not all that concerned with minor imperfections in the paint and it would sure be nice not to have the car covered in dust every time we take it for a drive.

I can't find the Evolution 4 covers that EXCALIBUR1 mentioned so I'm leaning towards the Noah cover from Covercraft. It looks like they're made in the USA to which we like.

 

It looks like the Covercraft Noah would be the best choice for an all weather car cover. I bought my Covercraft Evolution 4 car cover back in 2018 and it is no longer available. If you are going to buy a car cover, it makes sense to invest in the best one you can afford. Yes, always be sure to install your car cover on a clean car. Good luck and enjoy.

 

Here's my Covercraft Evolution 4 car cover pulling weekend duties protecting my 2019 RDX Tech from sun, wind, rain, and dust, and it DOES NOT scratch the paint.

 

Thanks EXCALIBUR1, that looks good. I ended up ordering the Covercraft Block-it 380 cover but it probably won't ship until late Oct. at the earliest.

I washed the car yesterday morning and by the afternoon you could already see dust on it so I'm quite sure the cover will be a big help.

 

Congratulations on your investment in a Covercraft Block-it 380 car cover. It should be very good in protecting your ride from dust, which is your main concern. I rely on my Covercraft Evolution 4 car cover to mainly protect my ride from the intense sun and rain.