After recent price increases, I recommend you look elsewhere for your auto parts.
Written: Jan 19 '06 (Updated Mar 20 '09)
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I have used DriveWire.com a couple of times to buy auto parts. My experience with them has generally been positive.
Web Site
The web site is rather well organized. You can research car prices and read reviews, but the most important (at least for me) areas of the site let you order car parts. They are split into two categories: performance parts and replacement parts. I have bought replacement parts for my two cars.
Finding the parts you want to get is easy. You specify the year, make and model of the car, after which you are presented with an ability to either search for the part you want by typing in the search word, or navigate to the part by clicking on the category it belongs to (e.g. Brake).
The site works fast, clearly states that the standard shipping is free for orders over $50 (in the continental US). The help section is well-developed and you can find information on shipping charges easily. Be advised that the shipping charges may also include so-called handling charges ($9.95 for P.O. Box, $14.95 for shipping to Canada or Mexico or for oversize and overweight items, $19.95 for other international orders).
Ordering
Both of my orders contained so-called “wear items”: windshield wiper blades, cabin and engine air filters. It was easy to find the parts I needed and the site correctly showed only the parts that belonged to my cars.
The checkout process was easy and I got an email confirmation of my orders as well as the follow-up emails when my orders were shipped (UPS tracking number included).
Selection
The site has a great selection of replacement parts. My 2000 Mitsubishi Galant requires a frequent in-cabin air filter replacement and the filter is pretty difficult to find. In the past, I had to go to a nearby dealership, pre-pay the full $45 price, wait for it to be delivered to the dealership and pick it up later.
I found only a couple of web sites that carry this filter (one of which is DriveWire).
Pricing
I ordered Bosch Micro Edge Excel wiper blades for about 40% less than what I would pay at the local AutoZone. The in-cabin filter for my Galant was $39, which is less than the $45 my local dealership wants for it. The engine air filter for my 2004 Infiniti G35 was $11, which is about what I would pay at other web sites. But I also was able to get the in-cabin microfilter for my G35 for only $12, whereas it sells for $30 elsewhere.
Both of my orders shipped free since they were over $50 each. I got both orders within one week (in fact, I got a part of my second order in 3 days). I had to pay tax, since I am in California, where DriveWire collects sales tax.
Overall, I am happy with the pricing and convenience.
Update 03/2009: The prices on this site increased recently to a point where I no longer use it.
Issues
The only small issue I had was the fact that the in-cabin microfilter for my G35 came slightly crumpled since it was not enclosed in a separate carton, but rather was sealed in plastic. But this is what you can expect if you pay $12 instead of $30. Aside from that, the packaging was superb with a lot of cushioning.
Bottom Line
After recent price increases, I recommend you look elsewhere for your auto parts.
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? wiper blades, filters
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Epinions.com ID:
dkozin
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 in Electronics |
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Location: California
Reviews written: 849
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About Me:
I love to push buttons on electronic (audio and video) equipment. It makes me happy.
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