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Canada Outside Accessories

So how are you going to keep your new car looking great? See below.

Tires & Wheels - 1010tires.com - the absolute tire and wheel authority
http://www.1010tires.com/

A good site with helpful information, excellent search tools and good customer service offerings. There are some neat extras - like the Tire Size Calculator and the glossary - that boost this site from average to good. This site is for shoppers in the US and Canada - make sure you have the right Currency flag selected in the top right-hand corner of the site.

Pros:
A wide selection of tires, wheels and springs that can be searched in a variety of ways. A comparison of items is available within the search results listing. Items can also be sorted within the results list by a number of different criteria. There are forums and a tech section for any questions you might have or issues you want to discuss with other shoppers. Shopping is secure and you can contact 1010 by a variety of methods including a toll-free phone number.

Cons:
It would be nice if live chat were available on the site to assist shoppers but this is a very small criticism.

TireTrends : Save on tires, wheels, suspension & brakes
http://www.tiretrends.com/

A fair site that offers a variety of methods for finding the wheels, tires or other items that are right for you. The method for displaying tires is not that great and can not be manipulated. Details are also not that extensive on individual items. Shopping is secure and there is adequate customer service.

Pros:
You can search for items using any of the options in the product search box in the top right hand area of the page. There is toll free help available. The site links to a Tire and Wheel forum on Canadian Driver which could be helpful. Another kind of cool feature is the TestTrack which allows you to see graphically what your vehicle could look like with specific wheels and tires.

Cons:
The way the list of items you have chosen is displayed is rather cumbersome and can not be re-sorted. Details could certainly be more extensive on individual items and you can't compare items to one another.

PermaBag storage bag for humidity controlled protection against rust, corrosion and humidity
http://www.permabag.com/

Another site that is hard to categorize - yes it is an accessory site but it only sells a few very select products. All the PermaBag products are to protect your vehicle while it is in storage. There isn't really any searching to be done on the site as the six product names are self-explanatory and can each be accessed from the main page. Ordering is secure but customer service is somewhat lacking.

Pros:
Secure ordering and a simply laid out site with good information on the products in the PermaBag line.

Cons:
No toll free help although email help is available. Pricing only available in Euros and Pounds on the site and the shipping cost may make this item prohibitively expensive for North American customers - surely they can find a distributor in Canada or the US?

Canadian Tire Online: Shopping in Canada
http://www.canadiantire.ca/

If you want anything for your car Canadian Tire is most likely going to have it. There are good search options but the site doesn't offer you any options for data manipulation. There also aren't any 'extras' on this site that would allow you to learn more about an item you might be shopping for or get instructions and assistance on how to choose or install an accessory.

Pros:
There are lots of items online and there are a variety of search tools and drill down methods available. There is toll free customer service and you can easily find out if an item is in stock at your local store and/or order it online.

Cons:
Information on individual items is not extensive and there are no tools to allow you to re-sort the items you have found or compare them to each other. There is no customer review ability or learning centre on the Canadian Tire site.

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