Door Ding Protectors

I looked at those online a year ago while feeling the same as you about a new car. Decided to park and see how it goes.

I can offer a few tips to help with your parking -

If you park the car with front slightly downhill, bigger chance door next to you might swing into yours.

Be extra careful parking on really windy days, door more likely to get away from person in next car, into yours.

If in a slanted parking space (to the left) put the nose of car slightly to the right. It buys a little space to stay away from other car. I got a little scratch by putting car a little left with nose of car downhill a bit.
I moved nose of my car to the right. 4 people came out to car on my left. I said please be careful when opening your doors, I got a scratch and that's my blue paint on your white door. He opened door, showed how it didn't reach mine to which I said, that's because I moved mine right. Left it at that and learned. I'm glad I said something and expressed displeasure in something I didn't like.

what else .... I'm pretty choosey about where I park. I look for the best space and advantage for every time.

If you must park in tight spaces between strange cars, that's a recipe for a door ding.

I bought the body side moldings but never put them on. They kinda look a little like a 'scar' on side of car to me. If I get a bad ding they could have saved, that might wise me up.

I've seen cars with side moldings and dings above and below the moldings.

If you try the magnetic guards, let us know how those work.

Oh, 1 year later, knock on wood, I have zero door dings. I don't expect the car to stay showroom forever. I just try to keep it looking good and accept the little scratches that happen.

 

I will never park in 'stalls' next to other cars. I prefer to park parallel to curbs where you only have to be concerned with your bumpers. I will never let a valet park my car. I don't mind walking blocks to find a 'safer' spot. Besides, the exercise is good.
I personally do not like any after-market products applied to my car, and rub strips ruin the nice clean lines designed into a car, imo.

 

All my previous cars with side moldings still collected dings, but the rate was about an order of magnitude slower than the one without moldings. However, my different parking environments over time complicate any real comparison.

Rear doors of 4-door sedans (and now SUVs) are the worst offenders. The edges are always curved to miss any molding, and these doors are more likely to be opened by nondrivers (mostly children) who have no concept of not bashing it into the next car.

 

Dings Happen; Relax.

I had my Gen II for 3 1/2 years and 71,000 miles and never a scratch. I used many of cycledrum's techniques and a few of my own.

A week after I had my Gen III, I parked in a corner spot of the last row of a half empty parking lot. Some idiot in a dually pick up (you know the type) backed out of his spot for about 100 feet with a extremely wide turn, hit my baby and took off. Witnesses got a partial plate and the local police were very helpful, but I really couldn't expect a $250 rear bumper cover repair to be their priority.

Thankfully, no body damage and I'm the only one that can see the repair.