The way Honda has been producing simple and reliable models lately has been quite impressive but it has also gone under the radar for many people. The same can be said for the HR-V, Honda's subcompact SUV. The new redesign has made it more stylish and its interior, although a lot more minimalistic than before, makes a lot of sense with plenty of physical controls.
The fact that the HR-V has Honda's Sensing suite of active safety technologies is great but the vehicle seems slow especially when it comes to its acceleration. Not all vehicles are made perfect but there is something you can change about your HR-V and that's its boring interior, especially the footwell.
Benefits of Aftermarket Car Mats
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Affordable
An aftermarket accessory of any sort is always more affordable than an OEM one and the same goes for HRV car mats. They are definitely going to cost a lot less than the ones Honda offers as aftermarket Honda HRV floor mats are made for many different HRV models and not just one make.
Maintenance
Depending on the type of mat you go for you can easily make it a lot easier to keep the floor of your HR-V clean. A proper Honda HRV mat will keep the floor clean and it will make it easier to keep the mat clean too as aftermarket mats are usually quite easy to maintain.
Appeal
With new car mats, you can change the interior appeal of your Japanese subcompact SUV. Although it may seem like a small change it can be enough to make your HRV's interior a bit more interesting. Plus you can get another set of mats so you can change the mats from time to time and make things more interesting.
Protection
The primary goal of floor mats is to protect the floor and keep your feet planted on a firm yet comfortable surface. This is exactly what you can get with aftermarket Honda HRV floor mats as long as you know what to look for in one since not all are made the same and thus they don't provide the same qualities.
Types of Car Mats
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Fabric
Knowing what to look for means being aware of what's being offered and one type of car mat that you can find everywhere is a fabric mat. These car mats are the most affordable but also rather easy to clean while being able to retain dust and grime pretty well. Don't expect the same for spills as well as for durability.
Rubber
If you want more durable mats then you should go for ones made of rubber as they are able to retain spills very well and don't wear out nearly as quickly as fabric mats. Rubber mats are easy to clean too but they are a bit heavier than fabric ones which makes replacement a tad more difficult.
Vinyl
Similar to rubber HRV car mats in construction, vinyl mats are more durable, so much so, that they're known as all-weather mats. They also don't emit any strange odours like rubber mats do and can retain spills better than rubber mats alongside being easy to maintain. Vinyl mats also come with a rubber backing that keeps them from moving around.
3D
With 3D mats, you can expect the best coverage when it comes to spills as these mats have high sides which cover part of the centre console and behind the pedals too. They can be on the expensive side but 3D mats make cleaning a walk in the park but they are not made to be used in hot weather like fabric mats.
Nomad
The most modern mats you can go for are nomad or curly mats. These are fabric mats that have thick fibres curled up to make for a soft cushion that can also soak up spills. Nomad mats are also able to retain dust and grime extremely well but they're not as easy to clean as some of the above-mentioned mats such as vinyl and rubber ones.
Basic Mat Maintenance
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Vacuum
Every type of Honda HRV mat no matter what it's made of needs to go some level of cleaning and each one starts with vacuuming. You can go over your mats with a soft brush while vacuuming them especially if they're fabric or curly mats, in order to loosen up the dirt. The same doesn't apply to rubber, vinyl or 3D mats. Once you've collected the dirt and dust it's time to get things wet.
Wash
You can wash your mat with some soapy water if they're rubber, vinyl or 3D but if they're fabric or Nomad mats you should use the right cleaner. Any cleaner will do as long as it's made for fabric mats. Once you apply the solution, rub it in with a sponge to make sure it gets down to the base of the mat. For synthetic HRV car mats, you don't have to rub it in as much.
Dry
Once you've washed your mats, it's best to leave them to dry and then dry them off with a hair dryer or vacuum. For synthetic mats, you can use a hairdryer but it's best that you use a combination of both the vacuum and a hairdryer for fabric ones.
