Black Monster Mats with Sierra Stone Interior?

[GuyContinental]

How does this end up looking? I bought a 2012 SE this w/e and think that the stock mats are cheap as heck (as is the center console- I already ordered the SEL one). I like Monster mats but they don't seem to come in beige.

BTW- I couldn't believe how much of a discount VW was willing to give me on a 2012 SE RSE ($9K off MSRP and 1.85%) I was looking for a 2011 CPO and walked out with a new and better equipped one for about $2K more.

[58kafer]

The monster mats only come in black and are 100% worth it. That's a good deal you got.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

[Briman1974]

Yeah the Black Monster mats are amazing! We have them in our 2009. I got a great deal on ebay for them.

[Chedman13]

Everyone happy with Monster Mats? They are significantly cheaper, almost 1/2 the cost of WeatherTech (especially since I have to pay tax in IL).

The WeatherTech's do look better though, they match my interior in Grey (have black and tan too) and also have much better coverage.

I'd like the WeatherTech's but can't justify the $289.09 ($267.85 for non-IL residents) vs. $152 - $200 shipped (depending where you buy them from). I'd save $137.09.

We'll see. I'm definitely getting the OEM rear cargo liner, since the Gorilla Blocks seem functional.

[58kafer]

We have the Monster mats with the grey interior. I like the contrast(grey/black). I also like that they don't look dirty. What I mean by that is, in my 58 bug I have the original style grey rubber mat. They look mint even after 10 years (but barely driven 2000 miles), but the drivers side front mat shows all the tar from a parking lot that your shoes picks up, not gooey tar but the road surface oils, and it doesn't come off. It also shows all the regular dirt stains. I digress, I would be weary of that color just for that reason, it's the first thing I look at when I drive my bug, and to this day it still pisses me off. But the weather techs do have killer coverage for sure, and may not have the same problem as my bug mats(not weather techs) possibly a cheaper material too. I wish you the best of luck, I'm sure you'll be satisfied in which ever you choose.

[Zambee500]

Wow, I was really digging those WeatherTech mats as I was scrolling through the pics. They look like a much better fit. I also have gray interior and was hoping to find something that was a closer match. But then I noticed the 2nd row mat on the WeatherTech looks like it would interfere with the upgraded console on the SEL/SEL Premium from sliding back to the captain's chairs. Does the center square portion punch out on those, like where it's missing altogether on the Monsters? Or does WeatherTech sell different versions for S & SE compared to SEL/SEL Premium?

'58 brings up a good point as well. The Monsters coming only in black is partly to blame for me failing to pull the trigger to date. But perhaps I'll reconsider and look at it as a plus.

[Chedman13]

WeatherTech mentions for the Routan that they are "designed for all trim levels." You need to just make sure if you have only a single retention hook on the driver's side or also on the passenger side. They make two different ones for that (I believe only 2011-2012).

I'll report back shortly, I went with the WeatherTech's and I have a SEL Premium.

Wow, I was really digging those WeatherTech mats as I was scrolling through the pics. They look like a much better fit. I also have gray interior and was hoping to find something that was a closer match. But then I noticed the 2nd row mat on the WeatherTech looks like it would interfere with the upgraded console on the SEL/SEL Premium from sliding back to the captain's chairs. Does the center square portion punch out on those, like where it's missing altogether on the Monsters? Or does WeatherTech sell different versions for S & SE compared to SEL/SEL Premium?

'58 brings up a good point as well. The Monsters coming only in black is partly to blame for me failing to pull the trigger to date. But perhaps I'll reconsider and look at it as a plus.

[Chedman13]

Really good points here. I traded in a tan interior BMW and I bought black OEM mats vs tan OEM mats for that reason (looks "clean" most of the time).

The WeatherTech's do have a warranty, as long as you don't use bleach, harsh chemicals, gasoline on them that might discolor them. I've only heard good things on WeatherTech so went with grey to color-match vs. the black.

We have the Monster mats with the grey interior. I like the contrast(grey/black). I also like that they don't look dirty. What I mean by that is, in my 58 bug I have the original style grey rubber mat. They look mint even after 10 years (but barely driven 2000 miles), but the drivers side front mat shows all the tar from a parking lot that your shoes picks up, not gooey tar but the road surface oils, and it doesn't come off. It also shows all the regular dirt stains. I digress, I would be weary of that color just for that reason, it's the first thing I look at when I drive my bug, and to this day it still pisses me off. But the weather techs do have killer coverage for sure, and may not have the same problem as my bug mats(not weather techs) possibly a cheaper material too. I wish you the best of luck, I'm sure you'll be satisfied in which ever you choose.

[Zambee500]

WeatherTech mentions for the Routan that they are "designed for all trim levels." You need to just make sure if you have only a single retention hook on the driver's side or also on the passenger side. They make two different ones for that (I believe only 2011-2012).

I'll report back shortly, I went with the WeatherTech's and I have a SEL Premium.

I'm thinking it shouldn't matter the more I do think about it. I think that center console slides back only on the top-half, so the mat shouldn't catch it if the bottom half stays in place. The lower latch release on the console at the floor is to remove it altogether, I believe, and the base doesn't slide. It's my wife's daily driver, so I don't have it in front of me to compare. But I think that's right.

And thanks for the heads-up on the retention hooks. Only have one on the driver's side on mine ('09). Partly why we need to replace the mats already. Somehow, my wife pushes forward with her feet on the mat, so on the passenger side it's not only creased/folded, but it's also broken off a majority of those black plastic gripper "feet" on the underside of the mat. We have little black pieces of plastic all over the place. In addition to durability on the tops, I'm hoping either the Monsters or the WeatherTeks (whichever I go with) will grip better to the underlying carpet underneath.

[Chedman13]

$152 shipped, amazing deal for OEM's. I just wanted to match my interior and went with WeatherTech -- and the coverage of spilled items from my kid -- seems to save me some $$ in the long run in clean-up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190651391644...#ht_1881wt_813

I'm thinking it shouldn't matter the more I do think about it. I think that center console slides back only on the top-half, so the mat shouldn't catch it if the bottom half stays in place. The lower latch release on the console at the floor is to remove it altogether, I believe, and the base doesn't slide. It's my wife's daily driver, so I don't have it in front of me to compare. But I think that's right.

And thanks for the heads-up on the retention hooks. Only have one on the driver's side on mine ('09). Partly why we need to replace the mats already. Somehow, my wife pushes forward with her feet on the mat, so on the passenger side it's not only creased/folded, but it's also broken off a majority of those black plastic gripper "feet" on the underside of the mat. We have little black pieces of plastic all over the place. In addition to durability on the tops, I'm hoping either the Monsters or the WeatherTeks (whichever I go with) will grip better to the underlying carpet underneath.

[Chedman13]

Returning the WeatherTech's. They don't account for the seat belt behind the passenger 2nd row seat being on the floor vs on the side.

It also bunches up when you move the seats forward and back.

The first row is good. Second and third row are not.

I'll post pictures when I get a chance. But I ordered OEM monster mats today.

[taxman100]

I looked at the Weather Tech mats a year ago, and if I recall, I read somewhere they do not fit the Routan due to differences in the console at bottom of the dash, but apparently it is a seatbelt issue.

I went with the Monster mats with my Sierra interior.

I also have to put in a plug for the left foot rest being sold by a member here - it is stainless steel, and it keeps a very heavy wear area of the carpet clean.

[58kafer]

I also have to put in a plug for the left foot rest being sold by a member here - it is stainless steel, and it keeps a very heavy wear area of the carpet clean.

Thanks, It does compliment the Monster Mats very well!

See my signature for the Dead pedal link. Hope to have the next batch cooked up late this week or next.

[Chedman13]

I looked at the Weather Tech mats a year ago, and if I recall, I read somewhere they do not fit the Routan due to differences in the console at bottom of the dash, but apparently it is a seatbelt issue.

I went with the Monster mats with my Sierra interior.

I also have to put in a plug for the left foot rest being sold by a member here - it is stainless steel, and it keeps a very heavy wear area of the carpet clean.

It's a seat belt issue for the 3rd row WeatherTech, and also design of 2nd row for sliding the captain chairs and center console (both bunches it up).

The 3rd row also has a hump for a center table, which the Routan doesn't have. If I had to guess, it was based off a Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country. VW made some very slight changes that makes it not work.

But the kicker is the WeatherTech's don't work for the Dodge or Chrysler if you see the posts on their forums.

I got my WeatherTech Monster Mats and couldn't be more happy. Now just on the wait list for the custom foot rest!

[Chedman13]

In case people want to see where the WeatherTech's don't fit properly, they also have a hump in the 3rd row which is unnecessary.

[58kafer]

Boy that's a shame, they are some really nice mats. But I guess they're trying to cheat, that hump is for the table in a T&C with the swivel n go seats, an option that hasn't been available for a few years now. Thanks for posting up so that other can see your results and them make a judgement call on them.

In my eyes this is the best fitting mat, only thing they messed up on is it should have gone all the way back to the Umberella tray for full coverage, and same for the passenger side.

[Volvos Rock]

From CMV.net, the weather techs get worse when stow n go is in, I guess they bunch relly badly. It is a shame weather tech is known for quality. I have the Monster mats and a Husky liner for the well behind third row. The same poster on CMV was pleased with the other Husky liner mats as well.

[Chedman13]

I wanted to add a few comments.

1) WeatherTech customer service is great, they gave me a full refund.

2) The front two and rear cargo liner (behind 3rd row) fit perfectly. Coverage is awesome. Now having the Monster Mats (like all other weather mats I'm used to), I like the Monster Mats.

Less coverage, but the WeatherTech's are slippery and do shift a bit, even with the driver's side hook. If WeatherTech made a more non-slip top and also those rubber "spikes" on the bottom to prevent from sliding -- they would be perfect due to much more coverage.

3) Second row works still, but it will bunch if you move the SEL Premium center console or the captain's chairs forward or back.

4) Rear works fine too, except you have to live with a hump in the middle that you might trip over and pressure from the mat on a seat belt! Cutting it is an easy fix, but who wants to cut $400+ floor mats?

[OneBrightGator]

Does anyone know if Weathertech has made any changes to the mats in the past couple of months? The pictures on the website still look the same so I'm guessing they haven't.

For the fronts, I think I prefer the weathertechs. The coverage seems to be much better, specifically going all the way to sill, under the accelerator and some coverage of the "dead pedal" area.

For the second row, I think they are both equal. The weathertechs may cover a little more, but they don't appear to go all the way to sill and they have issues with the seats.

For the third row, I think I prefer the monster mats. The weathertechs seem to just have too many issues, i.e. the hump in the floor and the conflict with the seat belt.

Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed in the weathertechs, I have had fantastic luck with them in other vehicles.

I'm wondering how it would look with weathertechs in the front and middle and the monster in the 3rd row? I would go with the weathertechs in just the front, but it doesn't look like you can buy just the second row monster mat. Or maybe I should just save $100 and go all monster?

Oh, and hi.

[Chedman13]

WeatherTech is fantastic -- I've always had them on my previous cars. Customer service is even better and gave me a full refund.

But yes, unfortunately for this application, it is not worth the premium.

I doubt they had any changes, but could be worth a call.

I am 100% satisfied with my Monster Mats. Coverage is definitely less than WeatherTech, but I'm not a huge fan of the slippery material vs. the standard rubber feel of common winter mats.

That being said, any sand my kids trail into the car all gets trapped with the monster mats. I haven't been through snow yet with this car, but I suspect it won't catch the salt like WeatherTech and may get the "salt line" around the edges -- that's where the WeatherTech is superior.

I use my Monster Mats all year round + OEM cargo mat. The cargo blocks are awesome for groceries and toys I throw back there, none of it shifts around. I had the WeatherTech cargo and my items flew around.

I move my seats forward and back a lot getting passengers in and the bunching of the WeatherTech's drove me crazy. Especially being so expensive and "custom".

I think a good combo would probably be for you WeatherTech fronts and get Monster Mat rears.

I have the custom DeadPedal by our member here, so I don't need that cover -- I love my stainless steel deadpedal cover!

Does anyone know if Weathertech has made any changes to the mats in the past couple of months? The pictures on the website still look the same so I'm guessing they haven't.

For the fronts, I think I prefer the weathertechs. The coverage seems to be much better, specifically going all the way to sill, under the accelerator and some coverage of the "dead pedal" area.

For the second row, I think they are both equal. The weathertechs may cover a little more, but they don't appear to go all the way to sill and they have issues with the seats.

For the third row, I think I prefer the monster mats. The weathertechs seem to just have too many issues, i.e. the hump in the floor and the conflict with the seat belt.

Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed in the weathertechs, I have had fantastic luck with them in other vehicles.

I'm wondering how it would look with weathertechs in the front and middle and the monster in the 3rd row? I would go with the weathertechs in just the front, but it doesn't look like you can buy just the second row monster mat. Or maybe I should just save $100 and go all monster?

Oh, and hi.

[OneBrightGator]

Thanks for the quick response. I think we are going to go with monster mats and probably pick up a dead pedal (they seem to be pretty popular) If I start to see wear/stains around the accelerator and the other areas not covered on the passenger side I might try to fashion some sort of additional protection.

My wife is concerned about the mats making it difficult to access the floor storage. I don't know how often she will be in and out of it. Also, right now she has to move the carpet mats to get access. Can anyone comment on this, frequency and/or added difficulty?

Thanks!

[cscsc]

Good choice on the Monster Mats - We've had ours for over three years and they're just great. We leave them in year-round. Our Lincoln MKX has their OEM version of the same mat and we are just as happy with that set as well.

Getting into the under-floor storage will be a bit of a hassle if you have to do it often. You have to move the front seat forward to open the full cover on the bin. The mats are heavy and a bit hard to lift out of the way. We keep our emergency kit under the floor and only use the additional storage when we're on a trip, that way we don't go in there often.

The Mats are well worth the hassle. Send a PM to 58Kafer and get the dead pedal cover - nice piece of work and also well worth it.

[Chedman13]

Monster mats are easy to get under vs weathertechs for the storage space because the weathertechs have more coverage, harder to pull it all out.

The monster mats are heavy so it still isn't "easy."

I also only have an emergency kit there with jumper cables, blankets and car tools. There is plenty of space everywhere else in the cargo and other compartments.

Thanks for the quick response. I think we are going to go with monster mats and probably pick up a dead pedal (they seem to be pretty popular) If I start to see wear/stains around the accelerator and the other areas not covered on the passenger side I might try to fashion some sort of additional protection.

My wife is concerned about the mats making it difficult to access the floor storage. I don't know how often she will be in and out of it. Also, right now she has to move the carpet mats to get access. Can anyone comment on this, frequency and/or added difficulty?

Thanks!