I'm asking about your general opinion first. What do you think about factory installed side strips? Do you like them? Does the car look better with these or not? Does the car really need them?

 

Secondly, I'm asking about how do they look on Forman?

 

First and most common option:

Short side strips aligned to bumper line. From personal experience, they are not very protective because they are not installed on the apex point of the panels.

 

Second option:

On some models, (GLX maybe?) longer side strips are installed. These are also installed on apex point.

 

Third option:

No side strips.

 

Fourth option:

Painted or vinyl side strips as an aesthetic replacement for physical ones.

I couldn't find a picture for this but I saw cars on the street like this.

 

Which one would you prefer?

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

One - but it does depend on the colour of the car.  Any clean black item makes what's around it look better and cleaner, note the rear tyre and bumper on the white car compared with the front tyre and bumper.

 

Large black items like tyres, bumpers, roofs if black and clean really standout even if they're fully noticeable as such.

 

I didn't get a chance to clean my wife's Fabia today (would have been about second or third time this year if I had) so I just cleaned the tyres, wheels - always noticeable, lights, number plates, windows (except windscreen) and door mirrors and lights as all these are bright and reflective areas so look good clean.  From a distance the car looks clean, it is not as the paintwork is very dusty and a bit dirty but luckily blue is good for not showing the dirt too much.

 

Also a safety thing, see and be seen to clean the lights, door mirrors and lights and number plates, along with the windows but they're not usually very dirty being on the side and rear has a wiper.

 

Edited 12 September, 20223 yr by nta16

I prefer the 1st option (i already have them in my Felicia) and many times they ''saved me'' from scratches etc from other cars.

Yes, those protective stripes plus those doors protectors are not ''good looking'' but if you live in a city with lot of traffic, with no easy to find parking space and you park in the road side many times you will need them.

In this case Practicality beats Beauty.

Design wise, side strips are absolutely necessary for any car that have large featureless side panels - like Ibiza 6L for example.

 

Favorit has features that break large flat area, but the strips are definitely convenient on a parking lot. I'd go for 1st option.

A random example: VW Polo GTI

Trying to park it in small spaces in a big city the scratch on the bumper it is inevitable, the same applies to the side of the doors if the road is not wide and there are parked car in both sides.

Yes is very nice looking, new design but not practical in the today's ''Hell'' of big cities with not enough parking spaces available.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

4 hours ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

Yes is very nice looking, new design

Each to their own, that and the all black one I see down the road look very plain and stubby particularly in those colours.  Personally I think you would need a big hammer to add interest to the body and panel shapes.  A difference to what appeals in different areas and countries perhaps.

 

ETA: I think your car looks fine and the protective stripes lined up with the bumpers looks fine too.

Edited 15 September, 20223 yr by nta16
ETA:

Thanks for all the answers.

First option is the winner.