Topic: Why the hell do they put carpeting in cars?

[sparky]

It's a mild day, so I thought I'd pull the floor mats out of my cars, roll down all the windows and hope the winter-soaked carpeting will dry. It's looking like it'll take several warm days. My question: Why on earth do they put carpeting in cars in the first place? They don't enhance comfort, the driving experience or anything else, as far as I can see. All they do is collect water and salt stains, promote rust and make cleaning the vehicle far more difficult than it needs to be. My old F-150 had rubber floors you could clean with a mop. I miss that.

[nifty6]

It's a mild day, so I thought I'd pull the floor mats out of my cars, roll down all the windows and hope the winter-soaked carpeting will dry. It's looking like it'll take several warm days. My question: Why on earth do they put carpeting in cars in the first place? They don't enhance comfort, the driving experience or anything else, as far as I can see. All they do is collect water and salt stains, promote rust and make cleaning the vehicle far more difficult than it needs to be. My old F-150 had rubber floors you could clean with a mop. I miss that.

good point, you can always invest in Weather Tech mats, google it..
They are the best but pricey.

[Mitlov]

It's a mild day, so I thought I'd pull the floor mats out of my cars, roll down all the windows and hope the winter-soaked carpeting will dry. It's looking like it'll take several warm days. My question: Why on earth do they put carpeting in cars in the first place? They don't enhance comfort, the driving experience or anything else, as far as I can see. All they do is collect water and salt stains, promote rust and make cleaning the vehicle far more difficult than it needs to be. My old F-150 had rubber floors you could clean with a mop. I miss that.

They don't put it in ALL cars 

In all seriousness, it's a combination of sound deadening, perceived comfort, and perceived luxury.

[tpl]

I always take them out as soon as I get the new car home. I replace them with either the best manufacturers "winter" mats or with WeatherTec.   When the car gets sold on then it goes with clean unused carpet mats in it.

[ovr50]

I always take them out as soon as I get the new car home. I replace them with either the best manufacturers "winter" mats or with WeatherTec.   When the car gets sold on then it goes with clean unused carpet mats in it.

Exactly what I do also. 

[safristi]

....doofus......'cos they are SHAG_MOBILES................................ ..so wot if the carpet don't match the drapes.............

[kardood69]

I've wondered the same thing and it bugs me.  Probably a cheap way to battle some NVH...

I think it's really a throw back to the 70's or something when carpet equated class...

Seems stupid since the first thing you have to do is cover it with rubber.. They should at least rubberize the "bowl" part under your feet.

Snow, salt, mud, coffee and chicken nugget bbq sauce seem to stick to carpet really well...

[dr_spock]

Sound insulation. 

You can try to speed up the drying process with a wet/dry vac. 

[Rupert]

Cars...OK but trucks? Then again most trucks are used as cars or for towing trailers...requireing car like comfort. Actually I take out the floor mats too. After using them a bit. Little used floor mats are better than new ones when selling.

[sparky]

It's the wall-to-wall, non-removable stuff that I hate. Sound-deadening could be accomplished with something that doesn't suck up water like a sponge and hold it until mould and mildew set in. My old truck with the rubber floors was plenty quiet, and every bit as comfortable as it would have been with broadloom-lined floor pans. Winter mats do some good, but they always end up with water underneath, where the rubber toppers just keep it from drying out.
My Dodge minivan has seat fabric that repells dirt, stains and pet hair. The carpeting, on the other hand, attracts and holds dog hair like a magnet. Not good when you have three dogs.

[Wolverine]

Some people would disagree. There's a customer at the shop who has Persian carpets on her car...

[dr_spock]

Some people would disagree. There's a customer at the shop who has Persian carpets on her car...

Does she drive bare feet?

[Wolverine]

Some people would disagree. There's a customer at the shop who has Persian carpets on her car...

Does she drive bare feet?

I wouldn't doubt so, heeheheh.

[wing]

^ Yeah but it's a little different here in Canada.  The slush and salt is really gross, summer spring and fall I can manage to not get any dirt on the carpet for the most part, but winter forget it.

[initial_D]

I could not see any carpet in my car ... just 3 sets of floor mats ...

[tenpenny]

I always take them out as soon as I get the new car home. I replace them with either the best manufacturers "winter" mats or with WeatherTec.   When the car gets sold on then it goes with clean unused carpet mats in it.

You cut the carpeting out of your cars?

 

[tpl]

Not the fitted carpet!  Two of my last three cars have had separate carpet mats on top of the fitted carpet. These I replaced with winter mats.   The GTI does not so I got the VW best winter mats and use those 365 days a year.

[Turbo Bob]

It's a mild day, so I thought I'd pull the floor mats out of my cars, roll down all the windows and hope the winter-soaked carpeting will dry. It's looking like it'll take several warm days. My question: Why on earth do they put carpeting in cars in the first place? They don't enhance comfort, the driving experience or anything else, as far as I can see. All they do is collect water and salt stains, promote rust and make cleaning the vehicle far more difficult than it needs to be. My old F-150 had rubber floors you could clean with a mop. I miss that.

They don't put it in ALL cars 

I didn't spec carpet for the lotus, bare aluminIum for me.



Could be a bit cold and unforgiving in the Winter though...

[initial_D]

^^ All the floor mats you would need, just go to the closest Toyota dealer. Might not fit correctly tho.

[dr_spock]

I've been cleaning mine once a year with the steam carpet cleaning machine.  It gets all the salt and crap out.   12 years later and they're still black.