Is a Car Customizer App Worth the Download?

Shoppers browsing around the internet for a new car might also look through their phone’s virtual store for apps that serve as tools for previewing vehicles. A car customizer app might allow shoppers to view different cars and change out their features.

Is a car customizer app worth the download, though? While most phones and devices might not take a lot of time to download an app, every new app does take up memory and space on a device. When shoppers want to preview vehicles they can find a tool online for free thanks to RelayCars…no download required.

Using a Virtual Showroom to Customize

RelayCars offers an online virtual car showroom for shoppers to preview a massive inventory of cars. The onsite virtual showroom is not an app. Anyone can use the virtual showroom, and, yes, it’s free!

RelayCars isn’t an app; it is an online tool…or car visualizer resource. While an app might be free, they require users to download the application data to a device like a phone or tablet. RelayCars is available online, and the showroom is a website-based offering.

To access RelayCars, just visit the website. From there, the site will direct users to enter the showroom. Then virtual shoppers can choose their favorite vehicle to explore. With the virtual showroom, users can change out the color of the car, look at the vehicle from different vantage points and even peek inside.

Car Customizer Apps

What about an app that lets the shopper fully customize a vehicle? Do these apps exist? Yes! Although they aren’t apps that necessarily need to be downloaded. For example, Porsche offers the Car Configurator, which allows shoppers to choose a model and customize it to their specifications. Other manufacturers may offer similar options via their websites. Ferrari also lets site visitors create their own dream car via their Car Configurator tool.

Shoppers looking to customize a car should visit the major auto brands’ sites to find similar tools. Car configurator or build tools are available via Toyota, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Nissan, Subaru, Honda, Hyundai, etc. In addition, Ford lets site users customize their order.

So What Can Shoppers Customize?

With the build or customize tools, customers or site visitors can select a model and choose different options. Each build or configurator tool may provide more or less options for customization. However, these tools are all about letting site visitors build their own model.

While it may be incredibly time consuming to preview every build tool for all the manufacturers, Hyundai’s could be a good example of what to expect from a car customizer app or tool. Site visitors choose their model then select their trim and the vehicle’s color. The interior color can be selected, too (based on the options available for each model). The build tool also lets shoppers select the powertrain and accessories (like a cargo package, hitch, etc.). After the options have been selected, users will see the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for their vehicle. Hyundai’s tool also gives users the option to schedule a test drive or to check inventory.

The Benefits of a Car Customizer App or Tool

Car customizer tools can be used for shoppers who want to estimate the price they might pay for all the options they want for their vehicle. The tool also can be used just to preview a specific vehicle before visiting the dealership. 

Like Hyundai’s customizer/build tool, brands also might let shoppers or site visitors check inventory at their local dealerships. After building that dream car, they might be able to find it locally and have a better understanding of the price they might pay. 

Car customizer tools also can be a fun option for individuals who are just beginning their new car search. Maybe there is an uncertainty regarding what model or brand they might prefer. Since so many major automotive brands provide car customizer tools, shoppers can build different models to gain a better understanding of pricing and features/options. 

Luxury Brands and Car Customizer Apps and Tools

Luxury brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Rolls Royce may provide a next-level car customization experience. Why? Buyers of these brands may simply want what they want…and not worry about the price associated with those customized options.

One Bugatti owner wanted a very specific paint job. The diamond patterns were eventually achieved, but the process took two years! The car was the Bugatti Divo, which now costs about $6 million. The custom car was dubbed the ‘Lady Bug.’

Are Car Customizer Apps Free?

Shoppers visiting manufacturer’s sites or dealership sites may wonder if they can use the build or customizer tools for free. The tools online are often free. Auto brands likely provide these tools to help those who are shopping at home.

During Covid, for example, most consumers were stuck inside. Dealerships also might have been closed, too. These online tools provided a way for brands and maybe even dealerships to help customers preview their new car and find price estimates, too.

Shopping online—even for vehicles—may be the future. Many car shoppers begin their search online, and these build/customizer tools might be a vital part of the online research process. Shoppers might want to make a list of their favorite models or even print out photos of their vehicle to show to dealership sales professionals.

Providing online info when visiting the dealership could make the buying process a bit easier. And some manufacturers also let customers schedule test drives from the website. Not only can shoppers customize their vehicle and build it online, but they also can plan to drive one of the models on the road. However, dealerships might not have the exact custom model in their inventory available to test out.

What About the Dealership?

While car customizer tools can help shoppers find an estimated price of their future new car, the dealership might be the best place to experience certain features. Test drives of models are an important part of the car buying process; seeing a vehicle online doesn’t help the buyer understand how it feels and maneuvers on the road.

Sometimes pictures don’t and can’t tell the whole story. Maybe the seats don’t feel quite right when driving. Maybe the car doesn’t have the ‘oomph’ on the road that the buyer wants. That test drive at the dealership or even a virtual test drive (that allows the car to be delivered to the customer’s house) can help provide more insight about the vehicle.

Other details about the vehicle might need to be experienced in person, too. For example, the feel of the interior (cloth and leather) might be a make or break issue with some buyers. Sound systems and navigation systems also might need to be experienced in person. Some buyers really want to explore the features of the vehicle to determine if they like it.

As restrictions have eased up, buyers also may head to the dealership to finalize a deal. If there is a trade-in that the buyer will use to lower the price of their dream car, a visit to the dealership might help the buyer better understand the value of that older car. Buyers also might secure their financing at the dealership.

Some buyers may consider the dealership their only source of shopping. It’s possible that some new car buyers might have waited until dealerships opened back up to go shopping for their new car. The in-person shopping experience might be their preferred method. Maybe they enjoy strolling around the lot and looking at different models. Or the in-person buying experience might just be familiar to them and maybe they are uncomfortable researching online.

Car Customizer Apps for the Future

Car customizer tools and/or apps might be an option that most brands/manufacturers now provide to shoppers. Many major automotive brands offer a build or customizer option on their website for shoppers to better create their own dream car and find the price, too.

Online virtual showrooms like RelayCars also offer shoppers the tools to preview cars…even older models. With RelayCars, shoppers can explore a huge inventory of makes and models in 3D. The virtual experience doesn’t even require any special equipment, although high-speed internet is recommended for better viewing. A virtual showroom like RelayCars allows shoppers the option to switch out paint colors and even turn the car around for a different view. Shoppers can even peek inside to get more information about the interior space. And, yes, RelayCars is free! 

These customizer tools may become more advanced in the future. Maybe these tools are accessed using augmented reality glasses or virtual reality goggles. Maybe shoppers can build their car in 3D and even virtually sit in their car to gain more insight about the space. Perhaps shoppers will be able to walk around their customized car as they would in the dealership. Or maybe the dealerships offer these virtual experiences.

For now, though, shoppers can utilize the many customizers and build tools available online. Compare prices and find the car that best suits both the lifestyle and the budget!