Optics: genuine parts vs. aftermarket
Each car driver, who takes care of technical condition of the car, periodically meets the issue related to selection of parts for repair. There is extensive range of products, represented in the market, from various manufacturers and of different price categories. The simplest solution is to undergo maintenance in the local service centre of the car manufacturer, and to install only officially approved genuine parts into the car. However, not all of drivers will consider such approach as rational and financially reasoned. At the same time, choice of alternative parts is often related to the risk of buying of low-quality parts.
What are genuine optics?
These are optics, the quality of which is approved by the car manufacturer’s imprint. Parts have been manufactured by the companies of the most famous brands, verified by the car manufacturer, in full compliance with all technical requirements and standards laid down with respect to applicable materials, technologies and parameters of products manufactured and packing thereof. Strict control over the quality at each stage guarantees to the buyer that all optics labelled as a genuine one, will perfectly suit his car.
Advantages of genuine optics
- Recommendations of the car manufacturers
Each car manufacturer is interested, so that cars produced by him would serve for a long time, without failures and would obtain only positive feedback from the owners. One of the main methods of achieving this goal, is control over quality of parts being installed. Awarding of the status of genuine products means that the car manufacturer recommends to use exactly this part for installation into your car. - Guarantee of compliance with respective car model
Right to be named as an official distributor of genuine parts is very prestigious for any manufacturer. To obtain such status, the factory must undergo very strict verification and guarantee compliance with all technical requirements, which, in their turn, have been developed based on documentation and drawings used during process of designing and manufacturing of particular car model, ensuring full compliance of parts. - High quality
Manufacturer’s imprint guarantees that during manufacturing of optics parts the most qualitative materials and technologies were used, which were chosen in accordance with criteria of maximum compliance with particular car model. - Long term of exploitation
The higher is the quality of the part, the longer the term of operation thereof may be expected due to use of more durable materials. Moreover, perfect conformance of all parameters will guarantee that optics will operate in normal mode without temperature loads, inter alia, to nearby nodes, reducing speed of wear as well. - Parts have been perfectly inserted instead of damaged optics
If the part was manufactured at the highly technological lines, fully complying with car project documentation, then external and internal parameters and fittings thereof will perfectly comply with place envisaged for the part. It means that, when installing genuine optics, there will be no need to carry out long and expensive adjustment, where there has always been a risk of damage of fitting s of the new part and nearby nodes. - Standard design
Use of genuine parts guarantees that after replacement the look of new headlights or other optics will not differ from the look of headlights on the other side of the car, of course, except for signs of natural wear. Therefore, there is a guarantee that there will be no need to replace another headlight, so that look of parts would not differ.
Disadvantages of genuine optics
- High price
Use of the best materials, development and implementation of the latest manufacturing technologies, constant control by the car manufacturer, and right to put imprint to parts demand for large financial contributions. Moreover, genuine parts have been often distributed through the network of official dealers, ensuring significant mark-up. Thus, the genuine part may never be cheap. - Parts are not always available
Status of genuine part means that it stands beyond competition. The manufacturer must not constantly introduce large quantity of such parts in the market, to ensure permanent existence thereof for purpose of competition. Due to this reason, official dealer centres prefer to keep only the most saleable items in stock, and to order other rarer parts only upon necessity. To the car owner it means longer period of car downtime. Moreover, if the part has been manufactured of stored in other country, the term of delivery thereof may be long.
In our shop you can always buy genuine optics from leading global manufacturers Audi & Volkswagen, Mercedes–Benz, BMW, BMW Motorrad, HONDA, Land Rover, Suzuki, Skoda, Seat, Volvo.
What are the aftermarket optics?
These are optics, which do not have manufacturer’s imprint thereon. However, it does not mean at all that they must be manufactured in factories of different companies, or in other countries: the same factory, which manufactures parts of original equipment, may produce part for direct sale in the aftermarket. In addition, since such optics does not reach the car manufacturer’s dealer network, imprint of car brand has not been put thereon, but it may not affect the quality of manufactured products.
At the same time, many factories work in the aftermarket; however, the quality of their products may not be considered good. If large factories of global brands, when manufacturing parts, try to ground on technical documentation developed by car manufacturers, small merchants may limit themselves to relative copying of external parameters, and use of different materials, which does not guarantee qualitative result at all.
Of course, any manufacturer, which puts his imprint to optics being manufactured, provides certain guarantee of quality and safety of his products, but their perception may differ much, depending on desires of owners and country of production. Only experienced shop sellers and experienced professionals employed in car services, really know much of this range of products being offered.
Advantages of non-genuine optics
- Price of optics is much lower than that of genuine parts
Many manufacturers do not have the most modern manufacturing premises, and they use cheaper raw materials. Due to such economy and optimization of some manufacturing processes, price of parts may differ significantly from prices of genuine optics. - Good correlation of price and quality
If speaking about goods made by factories, producing parts of original equipment or aiming at obtaining of such title, lower price does not affect quality of manufactured optics, therefore, such purchase is completely justified. Moreover, market competition makes price of parts more affordable. - Wide choice and permanent availability in the market
Contrary to genuine optics, parts for aftermarket permanently compete with analogues made by other manufacturers, and factories try to ensure constant availability of all articles. Due to this reason, optics for aftermarket is constantly available, and the buyer may choose preferable brand. - Often good length of operation
Many car parts have been manufactured in quality, which is very close to genuine; therefore, it is easy to find optics in the market, length of operation of which would not be much less than of genuine product. - Alternative design
Not all manufacturers of optics for aftermarket are aiming at ideal copying of the sample. In some cases, one may choose optics of interesting alternative design, thus granting interesting look to the car and making it differ within general traffic.
Disadvantages of non-genuine optics
- Quality is lower than that of genuine parts
Not all of optics manufactured for aftermarket has quality that might be compared to original. There is a high risk to buy analogues of low quality. - Length of operation is less
Length of operation directly depends on quality. Length of operation of cheap product of low quality may be short, thus – annoyable. - Differences from original; parameters are possible
Not all of small manufacturers have access to complete technical documentation of the car manufacturer. Due to this reason, parameters of non-genuine parts may slightly differ from standards, which may require additional time and efforts during installation, and may cause damages of nearby nodes. - Subjective opinion of professionals during selection
When choosing from among extensive range of products in the aftermarket, one often has to ground on recommendations provided by professionals and other car drivers. One should only hope that professional, whose opinion affected your choice, is experienced and competent enough in this issue.
In our shop you can buy qualitative parts for aftermarket by Cars245, DEPO, ULO, Valeo, Magneti Marelli, Loro, TYC.. All products for aftermarket undergo additional verification by our employees; therefore, we guarantee compliance of quality of products with their price category.
If you have any questions regarding purchase of genuine optics and optics for aftermarket, we recommend to communicate with our experienced managers, who will help you to choose the best correlation between price and quality of the part, in accordance with your desires and possibilities.
