Car Dealership Upgrades You Should Never Buy

Cars are one prime example of our ability to create and to innovate. These beautiful machines are not less than masterpieces of technology. The only drawback, however, is that they often come with a costly price tag. And if they come at a lower-than-market-value price tag, then you’re bound to raise a few eyebrows in suspicion.

But those types of market values aren’t the only things you should be wary of. Picture this: You’ve found the perfect car for you. It’s within budget, it runs well, and most important of all, you want it. But this is where things get tricky.

An old friend of mine shared an observation with me once. When buying a basket full of eggs, the most likely moment that you trip and drop those eggs is when you’re almost home. And in this car purchase, this is exactly when you’re almost home with your basket of eggs. This is exactly when car dealerships try to get you to drop some eggs.

I’m talking about the car upgrades that they try to sell you in an attempt to get more cash out of you. So, what exactly are these egg-wasting upgrades?

Extended Warranties

These may sound like essentials at first, but they are frivolous at best. This is because most modern cars already come with warranties that are good enough for their usage. Modern cars are very unlikely to suffer from a failure of non-essential components. What’s more is that these non-essentials can be repaired by third-party shops that won’t charge you as much as your car dealer would.

Weatherproof Paint

Much like extended warranties, most modern cars already come with weatherproof paint. You’d essentially be buying something that already comes standard with every modern car. Don’t waste your money.

Nitrogen Tires

Sure, nitrogen-filled tires may sound really cool but these wouldn’t be of much use for the average car. Their usefulness comes into play during F1 and rally races. If your car isn’t meant for either, then it would be like putting afterburners on a turtle—useless.

Roof Racks

Roof racks are relatively inexpensive if you buy them from a third party manufacturer. What’s more is that most off-road vehicles, like Fords, already have these as a stock option. Car dealerships often put a premium on these upgrades and the installation fees do not justify what you get out of it.

High-End Entertainment Systems

You don’t need them. Simple as that. Driving is a big responsibility. The driver is responsible for the lives of the passengers. Anything that can cause a distraction is a bad addition to your car.

But, if you must insist on getting a high-end entertainment system, remember that you’re going to pay a lot less for better hardware and more customizations from a professional auto sound system shop.

Rust Proofing

Rust protection already comes standard with most modern cars. However, this upgrade might have been relevant for old models. This upgrade does not only costs a lot of money (an average of $1,250), but some manufacturers even void warranties if this “upgrade” is applied because it can weaken the paint job.