Should You Buy OEM or Aftermarket Upgrades For Your Ride?
When it comes to upgrading your ride’s performance, you might find yourself tangled up in a constant dilemma – whether to get OEM or aftermarket products. Indeed it is one of the most prolonged ongoing debates amongst car owners and enthusiasts.
Before you move on, it would be good to understand what these two are exactly.
Abbreviated for “Original Equipment Manufacturer”, OEMs are the parts or the products that match the same quality as the stock products. Usually, these products come from the same manufacturers that make the original parts.
Unlike OEM products, the aftermarket ones are cheaper and usually manufactured by a maker other than that of the original parts. Aftermarket products are generally not of the same quality as that of the OEM standard. They could be either better in quality or sub-standard, depending upon the manufacturer’s quality parameters.
So, you have a ballpark idea about what these two products are and how they are different. As such, both the products are pretty good to install when upgrading your ride. However, under specific scenarios, one could be better than the other. Keep reading to learn which one to choose.
Orginal manufacturers for many leading car brands offer several custom options to the buyers. However, most of these products usually don’t improve or significantly change the car’s performance.
On the other hand, aftermarket manufacturers offer a wide variety of performance upgrades. For instance, you can check out performance BMW parts from UroTuning, provided mainly by aftermarket manufacturers. But, they are not to be considered sub-standard, as most of the OEMs don’t even offer performance parts. In other words, there are usually no standards when it comes to performance upgrades.
Perhaps, when it comes to performance parts, it is better to seek aftermarket products.
Usually, autobody upgrades are only needed when there has been damage to the body of your car. But, people do seek other upgrades such as spoilers, decals, detailing, and even lighting. As already mentioned, OEM products are of the same quality standards as that of the stock products.
When thinking of autobody upgrades, aftermarket products might be cheaper, but they may also be substandard. As the experts explain, most of the time, aftermarket products might not fit properly or have the correct finish as that of the original product.
In short, it would be better to choose OEM over aftermarket products when it comes to autobody repairs or upgrades.
The most significant of all the upgrades are the mechanical ones. Notably, if chosen wrongly, the mechanical upgrades can significantly disturb the ride quality.
For instance, if you choose too stiff a shocker, your ride may easily lose control at higher speeds. On the other hand, too soft a shocker may easily damage other parts of your car. It is somewhat necessary to check the quality if you’re choosing an aftermarket product. Otherwise, you should go for OEMs.
Precisely, for intrinsic mechanical upgrades such as those concerning the engine, you should choose OEMs. Youshould consider your own experience for other mechanical upgrades to evaluate if they are a good pick.
The choice between OEMs and aftermarket upgrades depends on the situation. Besides, remember to check your state’s legal outlook on the upgrades when choosing.
