The Seven Best Exterior Accessories Upgrades for Your Mitsubishi
Your Mitsubishi is an expression of your style, of everything you need and want in a car or an SUV; of course you want to equip it accordingly. One of the best ways to get your ride some well-deserved attention while getting a little more utility out of it: customize it -- and start with a few key exterior accessories.
Of course, there are a lot for sale online these days. That can make it hard to tell what to upgrade first. We've got the info you're looking for, and we'll be glad to help you make an informed buying decision.
Here's more than a few popular ways to kick things off.
Seven Must-Have Accessories for a Mitsubishi Exterior Mod
1. Car Covers
If you store, say, your Mitsubishi Lancer in a busy shop, in your garage, or outside, then you probably already know just how easy it is for everything from bad weather to flying debris from to nick or scratch the sports car's body. A car cover is investment protection, against this, and installing one is often as easy as throwing it over the car and anchoring it -- in the case of an exterior car cover, anyway; for best results, get both kinds, an interior car cover included. Together, they'll shield your vehicle's windows, its paint job, body parts like side mirrors and spoilers, the upholstery on your seats, tools and equipment like car jacks, electronics like infotainment and audio systems -- you name it.
2. Emblems
An emblem can let other drivers know how much you love the Mitsubishi brand, showing off the name of your favorite model -- say, Mitsubishi Montero -- plus the SUV's trim level, or even the kind of engine or drivetrain it has, among many other features. Putting one on is a breeze, too -- all you need is a level, usually, along with some painter's tape, rubbing alcohol, and an everyday adhesive, and you can apply it in minutes, to almost any body part -- everything from a grille or your hood to a hatch or fender, the trunk decklid, or even the dash.
3. Running Boards
A running board can go by many names -- a step rail, for example, or a step bar, a side step or side rail, or even, in the sports-car community, a nerf bar; its job, as a more reliable surface to step on than a plain door sill, is to make getting into and out of your ride easier, especially if it's lifted (e.g., a lifted SUV like Mitsubishi Outlander. A set's a snap to install: all you'll need in most cases is a pair of safety glasses, a flashlight, a wax pencil, some basic tools (like wrench, ratchet, and socket sets, an impact driver, a drill and drill bits, and a flat screwdriver or punch), some wheel chocks, and a little touch-up paint.
4. Air/Wind Deflectors
Something as simple as an air/wind deflector or two can make a ride much more enjoyable, by helping cut wind noise, air resistance, and UV glare. (Consider that benefit for cruising the highway in, say, a sports car like Mitsubishi Eclipse.) A lot of the time, installing a set is just a matter of sliding each into every one of the window channels in your vehicle's door frames (or directly inserting them); grab a microfiber cloth for the job (or another soft, window-friendly kind). Along with some paper towels, a window cleaning spray, and any window clips needed to fasten the deflectors to the windows.
5. Splash Guards, Mud Flaps, and Mud Guards
A good set of splash guards can help minimize grime buildup, both in and on your vehicle's wheel wells and wheels and on underbody parts like its fenders and rocker panels. Change all four at once for best results -- the job's easy enough to do -- but we recommend doing one better and upgrading to mud flaps, because of how ruggedly durable they are. Tougher than your average splash guards, they're ideal for pickup trucks like Mitsubishi Mighty Max, SUVs like Mitsubishi Endeavor -- any vehicle that regularly goes off the beaten path, through the worst weather.
6. Roof Carriers and Roof Racks
Like towing accessories, a roof rack or roof carrier lets you haul more gear, but on top of your vehicle instead of behind it. They're different from crossbars, however; where both are made of steel, aluminum, or another sturdy, load-bearing metal, "roof rack" refers to the rails that support cargo weight and offer tie-down points for securing things, while "crossbars" are accessories, perpendicular rails that distribute that weight evenly. Get both for best results; they make great adds to the utility of, say, a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
A carrier, on the other hand, can be something like a platform or cargo box, for everything from luggage to outdoor equipment like bikes and kayaks. Either way, installation's no problem -- just a matter of cleaning your vehicle's roof to help make sure the rack's attachment points can lie flush, then connecting the towers and feet with the right mounting hardware from any included fitting kit.
7. Wheels
If you want a perfect blend of aesthetics and functionality, wheels (or better yet, a custom wheel & tire package) is one of several hot ways to go. Your options range from steel wheels, like the kind you see on tougher trucks, to alloy wheels made of aluminum and another metal -- iron, copper, or silica, for example, or zinc, or even magnesium -- like you might see on cars like Mitsubishi Mirage. There are even carbon/graphite fiber wheels available that are made of a filamentous high-resiliency crystalline polymer; you see them on sportier sedans like Mitsubishi Galant.
Wheel size, measured in diameters, ranges from 15 inches to 20 inches plus, and styles span the gamut between single- or twin-spoke and multi-spoke. You can even get wheels designed for a certain climate specifically, not to mention for different weather. Just as with any customization, though, you'll want to get the right type and size for your model, and install things right (i.e., follow any directions in your owner's manual, or have a Mitsubishi dealer take care of the job).
Most importantly, however, you should choose genuine OEM exterior accessories vs. aftermarket. With wheels, for example, proper fit determines wheel alignment, reliable speedup and braking, and speedometer calibration, dramatically lowering your risk of getting into an accident; it's similar with other accessories: sticking with genuine Mitsubishi means getting top-quality, a guaranteed fit, and most importantly, the peace of mind of warranty coverage in most cases.
Shop OEM Exterior Accessories at Mitsubishi Motors North America
You can start with these updates, but there are plenty more where they came from; take advantage of competitive pricing and fast US shipping and order today. Contact us with any questions.