Side Body Molding???

yes or no, help me decide, thanks!

 

Yes.......it breaks up the large door panels and adds some protection from dings (I hope!)

 

Ugly. Sorry, but I really don't like them.

 

That's kind of what I think, but I'm so undecided. I would have never considered it but the loaner I had, had it on there, so now I'm thinking about adding it!

 

Looks awful, but it is there for a reason. I would take my chance on a door ding personally.

 

I went for a few months without them, I was at the dealer and saw it on one of the showroom cars, I really liked them so I jumped on them, think they were under $200 installed which wasnt horrible and I think it adds to the appearance IMO

 

It's the bomb and really breaks up the large doors, especially in black and white.

 

Never liked them on any car. The idea works but in execution its flawed.

The ONLY time the side molding would protect your parked car from door dings is if the exact same car with the exact same ride height hit your car, or if another car with its side molding at the same exact level hit your car. Think about it. Hell, if you have two different cars in the garage, go out to your garage right now and open the door of one of them and move it close to the other car. Where is the point of contact to the other car - the side molding, or the door skin?

If you give a crap about door dings, you would watch how you open your door anyways so they're pointless. Just another item the dealership gets to tack on for the likes-the-look/paranoid/clueless/wants-every-single-option folks. But hey, if you like the look, then its a reasonably cheap mod, but like I said....

 

I don't understand your logic...what does how I open my door have to do with door dings??? Other than the fact that I am going to ding someone else's car, in which case I would be buying door edge guards and not body side molding...



I do agree that body side molding has it's limitations, but I think you are being WAY too general saying that is the ONLY time the body side molding woudl protect your car. The body side molding is completely useless when it comes to dings from someone's rear door (because of the shape of the door around the wheel well), but, unless you are comparing an SUV to a passenger car, I think the body side moldings do have a good chance of protecting your car from a ding from the front door or from the door of a coupe.



Although I do like the look, I added mine for the possibility of protection...I understand it's not guaranteed, but I also don't consider myself paranoid or clueless...

 

The look only works on some cars and in the case of the TL, it doesn't work. The big doors kind of add to the sportiness of the car and I think breaking it up with a side molding ruins it.

My last car was the Passat and I think it works well on that. The chrome molding kind of gives it a luxurious look.

Oh forgot to add, I can’t stand door dings too so given the opportunity, I park my car far far far from the entrance to decrease the chance of getting a door ding.

 

Would you be willing to post a side view pic of your black TL with these, I would like to see them on a black one, the loaner was burgundy and color can make so much difference with anything. Thank you!!

 

Crissy -

I have a black TL with the side moldings on...I will post a picture for you tonight when I get home...

 

I don't understand your logic either. I went out to the garage and touched the driver's front door of my sister's ES350 to the passenger side front door of my mom's TL-S. Surprise, the ES350's door touched the TL's door rather than the side molding. So lets say someone with an ES350 parked next to the TL and they didn't care.... the side molding wouldn't be getting dinged, the door would.

IMO the factor of protection of side moldings is so little and unlikely that its like wearing football thigh pads everywhere you go, just in case.... that way no one can sneak up on you and give you a charlie horse. But if someone punches you in the face, then well, those thigh pads are pretty much useless, aren't they? You seriously can't think that most sedans have a door contour that meets at the same point.

Like I said, park next to a Corolla or something. Even better, a Corolla with side moldings. Then open your door and make the doors touch, gently. I think that's all that needs to be said.

 

body side molding looks like pure shit...whens the last time you saw a mercedes bmw or audi rollin around with some kick ass body side molding. let me think.....NEVER! dont do it.

 

My old '98 BMW 540i had side moldings.

 

I never liked them for protection as the molding gets dinged up and looks bad. I use these for real protection.


http://www.doordefender.com/howtoo.html

 

What the...I'm sure this thing works buuuuutttt putting this thing on the car while parked? Nevah!

 

Looks like it really works but who's gonna spend the time putting this thing on? Just park the car away from the rest of the other cars.....problem solved.

 

Being that your from jersey you know when you go into the city people have worse contraptions then this. Some people look like they take a bed and lean it up on the side of their car.

 

Here's a better idea:







Now nobody wants to park next to you!

 

They don't look like they are supposed to be there. They look like a add on.

 

it takes 30 sec. I know you can be that lazy. I do park away,but sometimes that may not be possible. I keep them in the trunk, and IF I NEED them I use them. No one this group is as anal as I am about my cars. If I go to a mall I park my car in the closed bank drive through, so no one can get near me.

 

 

I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow, its been pouring in NY all day. I have front and rear angled pictures in my profile album which give a pretty good representation of what they look like

 

after being undecided for awhile.. after giving some more thought i think i like it with it. like someone else said it adds to the overall look... lets see how that goes in person.