I put the color matched ones on my ‘22 Tacoma & loved them. Might do the same for my ES.

 

Everyone has an opinion.... it appears aesthetics is the only reason not to install the side moldings...
Here is my take....if you 100% trust that others will carefully open their doors whenever you park your car in all parking lots ....dont get them

Regarding aesthetics..... lets imagine how your side door dings will look? You decide.

I purchased Lexus side molding directly from Lexus matching the color of the car. There are instructions on exactly where to stick them.....

Its true, a side door molding may not protect against every possible errant door opening .....but it will protect against "most"

 

Vinly edge guard works great as any other PPF but will eventually show the dirt line on the edge. I think they sell cheap options on Amazon you can practice with.

The OEM metal edge guard will indeed show the dings even at the slightest tap on concrete wall. Against another vehicle, idk, haven't done that yet. Definitely more protection compared to the vinyl but more prone to showing the dents but you can just fill it in with a touch up pen.

I tried getting generic universal rubber ones on Amazon before and it looked like total crap compared to the OEM ones. You'll also run across the the adhesive failing as well. The OEM ones are stuck on by compression of the metal

 

Door edge film
pros: protects the edge
cons: none, if done right. invisible clear ppf

body side moldings
pros: nothing
cons: looks ugly and costs money

 

Bottom line: It ONLY matters what YOU think.

Personally, I love both the hard, color-matched Door Edge Guards and Body Side Molding — purchased both OEMs from Bell Lexus during holiday sale.
I also love the Window Visors/Rain Guards and got those OEM from Japan - they are sleek from the back profile

• First time my husband and I became DIYers for installing all three of those — watched videos and followed instructions, not that hard - Yay for us!!

I also got Running Boards/Side Steps (also OEM from Bell Lexus) because I’m vertically challenged and always get them for my SUVs.

I’ve read all the pros and cons for each of these on this forum and beyond, but in the end, all that matters is if YOU like them — do what makes YOU happy!!

YES, the door edge guards helped when the wind took my door and flung it open against…
YES, the body side molding helps as people on CL can attest to having dings in the molding — better the molding than your door!!
YES, the window visors helps block the wind and rain
YES, the running boards help people get to their roof better to load their skis, wash their car, etc.

Here is my decked out (to me) NX below ⬇️ — Does it look tacky? Maybe. But I like it and that’s all that matters…
I will say, my NX is the only one in town with all these add-ons.
The interior is another story…😉


I Love everything about this NX!!


The window visors/rain guards look sleek and the running boards don’t stick out as it would seem from the first pic.

 

The NX looks neat with all the accessories! And even the molding looks sleek; I like how it has those pointy edges! Enjoy!

 

My experience with vinyl door edge guards has been good. They were applied at the dealer. A passenger accidently had a light "battle" with a brick wall. Left what looked like a slight mark in the paint down to primer. Upon closer inspection is was simply a rip of the vinyl coating. When I pulled off the edge coating the paint was pristine underneath. I took the car to shop that does protective wrap on some very high end vehicles. They took less than 10 minutes to replace the edge coating and refused any payment (I ultimately paid it forward through a positive review of their shop online).

TLDR: Vinyl edge guard saved my door's painted edge from being scuffed by a brick wall. Peeled old off and replaced with new.

 

i wouldn't buy a car without door edge guards and body side molding installed plus the protective clear shield on the front end.
bj

 

Thanks so much‼️

Forgot to specify I used the hard, color-matched door edge guards and NOT the clear film one (I corrected my post) and they were shaped to the edges of my doors which made it a bit tricky going on as you had to place it just right to follow the contours of the edge.
But otherwise very easy to DIY.

Good Luck with deciding on these options for your car!!

 

Unless one has a habit of full force slamming their door into objects with the intent on causing damage, the clear PPF strips (DIY) are way more than enough, at least in my experience

I want my protection to be as invisible and seamless as possible. Already bad enough that anything needs to be applied to the car.

 

I completely agree with this. On my RX I used the clear door edge guards. I would say the appearance of the body side molding is very subjective, but I would also say it looks better on some colors than others.

 

Geez, this thread has become very contentious. As others have previously said, it's all a matter of taste. Like a red car? Go buy one. Like a white car? Get a white one. I don't like the door edge guards but they came with the car. Same for the pano roof. Didn't want that either but still have it. However I offer a big yes on the BSM... I think they make the doors look nicer although not offering any large degree of protection.

 

Nawww — it’s all good. People are going to have opinions and feel strongly one way as the others feel as strongly the other way.

And that’s okay — As long as it’s not disrespectful, mean-spirited or rude, we can all agree to disagree.

This particular topic has been debated, ad nauseam, all over CL forums with different models.

I’m open to other points of view and opinions — but also, I’m all about “you do you” and “I’ll do me”.

 

Exactly. I'm reminded of a phrase that was presented at a business conference, "we can disagree without being disagreeable". That is kind of heart of a discussion forum and the OP's was asking for opinions after all. We become very invested/passionate in our own opinions, and it can be hard to step back and appreciate another perspective.

 

I emailed my salesman about adding door guards to my incoming order. This was his response:

and then:
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