Ford can have some good ideas too...

[Sootchucker]

Had another business trip yesterday so another pool/hire car. It was another brand new Ford Focus. A I said in a previous post not a bad car at all, just the interior looks far too busy and cheap looking for me...........anyway I digress.

What I noticed was that it had some little door protector on the very edge of the door that protects it when opened from damaging the paintwork against walls / other cars etc. It's an automatic flap that retracts when the door is closed and automatically springs out as soon as the door is open, and has a nice soft rubber edge to it.

Pretty cool really and if every car had them I'm sure it would vastly reduce the chances of getting dings in shopping centre car parks etc (obviously minus white vans and 4 x 4's that actively go looking for victims  ).

Just thought I would share here, lets hope VW look into something like this ?

Link here for those interested

http://www.ford.co.uk/experience-ford/AboutFord/News/VehicleNews/2011/Edge-Protector

cracking video here showing it in action. Well done Ford.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr7S_fp0xVc

[JoeGTI]

Good idea... but I think it's only useful for protecting your own door edges against scuffs and scratches and not for avoiding damaging the car parked next to you. Even with the protector there it will still ding the other car's door if you open the door with enough force, as the child does in that video! The MK7 doors ding very easily IMO!

[Mark V GTD]

I applaud the idea - but winced watching the video. Does this system actually encourage people to to be less concerned - or are we dealing with drivers who simply have no concept of the damage they are causing? Anyway, what responsible parent would allow a child to be in a car without child locks (ie can open their own door from the inside)?

[Sootchucker]

I agree guys, but for me at least, the idea appeals as I park alongside our garage at night (the wife's car gets the garage), and I have to be really careful when opening the doors that I don't touch the brickwork of the garage.

Something like these would just mean I wouldn't have to have the carpet off-cuts I currently have attached to the wall.

With the propensity of manufacturers these days to go for clean lines on their cars (i.e. no bump strips on the doors that we had just a few years ago), it does leave the doors very vulnerable.  Actually looking at the bump strips yesterday, they are made of soft spongy (but not too soft) rubber rather than hard plastic, so do think they would offer a reasonable amount of protection.

Of course if the car next to you doesn't have them or doesn't give a toss about their vehicle (or yours), then these will do nothing to guard against these sort of people.

[Mark V GTD]

i agree its still a clever and worthwhile idea - will look out for it next time I see a Focus parking!

[adekil]

Along with the over sensitive MK7 proximity sensors this should be installed on Supermarket trolleys as that's where most of my dint's have come from! 

[JB GTI]

They do look like a good idea but I won't be parking anywhere near a focus from now on. I would be removing teeth if someone opened their door onto my car like that !!

[dave7268]

Good idea but are they really going to protect your car if you get hit by them? I don't fancy getting any dents in my door panels just because a Ford owner thinks they can swing their door open wide without fear of any consequence because of them - they can only absorb so much of an impact.

[Snoopy]

Would have been much easier to just fit rubber rubbing strips right along the doors like cars 10-15 years had 
Rubbing strips also have the advantage of protecting the ford focus door from other cars doors.

[Rhyso]

Clever idea but I suspect it would be expensive to renew when it breaks.......