Car Mats Tested

A set of mats will protect your car’s carpets and help retain its value. But which is best? We try 10 for size...

August 2008

We bought 10 four-piece mat sets for our Volkswagen Golf MkV test car. With each product, we assessed how well it fitted, before checking for any movement when we got in or out and while driving.

We ground the heel of a boot into the textile to see what resilience the sets had, and assessed stain resistance by rubbing in a mixture of mud, grass clippings and oil.

Verdict

The Sakura Premium and Halfords Fully Tailored sets were identical in looks, performance and price. You can pick either brand off the shelf with confidence. However, Sakura wins as it has mats specific to our Golf MkV. The high street chain’s £9.99 Carpet Mat Set is a great budget choice – just make sure it will actually fit your vehicle first.

Top 3

1. Sakura Premium Tailored Carpet Mats
2. Halfords Fully Tailored Car Mat Set
3. Halfords Carpet Mat Set

Sakura Premium Tailored Carpet Mats

Considerably thicker carpet for an extra £5 over the brand’s budget Deluxe (above). And the additional outlay is worthwhile, we think, as our stain came out almost completely and the heel test left barely a mark. Again, the fit was exact and the fronts were anchored with the carpet pegs, yet even the rears stayed put, thanks to the incredibly grippy undersides. The finishing touch was that the edges were bound in a neat, co-ordinating trim.