As cars gain more and more features, it seems there are endless opportunities to experience new-fangled conveniences and niceties for new-car buyers – if you’re willing to pay for the appropriate option packages or trim level or (ugh) subscription. Most of have to decide what we can live without, feature-wise, in the name of a more handle-able monthly payment. “Do I really need the new-fangled thing? I’ve been pretty content with the standard fangle level, maybe I can skip that.”
I will confess, I have come late to a lot of luxury and convenience features. Air conditioning? Not until 1991 – in a 1980 Honda Accord I got for $500. I bought it because it had air conditioning. It was a revelation. Bluetooth? Never had it until my wife got her 2015 RAV4, and boy, that would have been nice to have sooner. Aux cable? What am I, a neanderthal? I’m still waiting for heated and cooled seats, those sound nice. And massaging, hoo boy. Maybe next time. Let’s see where the gang lands on the “luxuries they wish they’d sprung for earlier” question, as clearly I’m still way too far behind in car tech:
Mark Tucker
Memory settings for power seats. My wife and I are both a little territorial about our cars, and when we do have to borrow each other’s cars, we both get annoyed by the seat/steering wheel/mirrors being out of position afterward. For the entire time she owned her Explorer, I drove it scrunched up too close to the steering wheel, because the one time I adjusted the seat for me, it took her a week to find that magic spot again. Now, we just have to hit our own button, and presto, everything is back to normal – in the Chrysler, at least. I still put up with her seating position in the Yukon, because it doesn’t have memory settings.
Stephen Walter Gossin
Keyless entry. You don’t realize how much more efficient/time-saving and convenient it is until you’re manually fishing for a key in your pocket to try and insert into a frozen lock in the dark, in a snowstorm, in a sketchy part of town, while running late, with your hands full.
Laurence Rogers
Can I go the other way? I’ve had heaps of 70s cars, but until I got my ute I hadn’t owned a car with vent windows. What a great thing, you can use them to de-fog the windscreen and get some nice directional air at speed!
Thomas Hundal
When I bought my Infiniti G35 soon after arriving at college, I was thrilled to have a car with an auto-dimming rearview mirror. It made a world of difference, but it was merely the opening to the rabbit hole. My 3 Series doesn’t just have an auto-dimming rearview mirror, it also has auto-dimming exterior mirrors, and they are the absolute shit when you’re in the right lane with the cruise control on just trying to drive economically through a monotonous superhighway hellscape and some poorly modified crapcan with LED bulbs in reflector housings comes screaming up behind you at Mach Jesus with the high-beams on. As far as I’m concerned, auto-dimming exterior mirrors are relatively cheap safety features that ought to be standard on every car, because the first line of defense is always the driver’s vision.
OK, we’ve weighed in – now it’s your turn! What luxury and/or convenience features do you wish you sprang for earlier?
A heads up display. Sadly our current car lacks this feature, but our previous Mazda 3 had it and it was great, meant you never had to take your eyes off the road to check your speed. Probably the one feature I really miss in our current car
All of them because I went from a 1989 very analog SWB Montero to a ’14 BMW 335ix GT which was all sorts of digital. Winter weather package w/heated wheel and seats, Harmon Kardon stereo, non key ignition Start/Stop button, the good mid range engine, 60/40 split AWD, power everything, big ass sunroof, deployable wing that auto pops at 70mph, GPS, screens, phone connectivity with bluetooth connectivity to spotify, voice search, hands free calls, MPG and other trip computer calculations, frameless windows, launch control, paddle shifters, more airbags per person than the Montero had wheels, adaptive dampers, ABS, traction control, throttle by wire, electronic adjustable steering rack, 3 zone climate control, wow this is a list.
Ventilated front seats are why I got top trim on my ioniq 5. I wish it was an option in 16 for my Odyssey. It has heated seats, but living in San Jose I never use them.
The only correct answer! So good just not having a sweaty back.
This. Close the comments because vented seats are the only acceptable answer.
ejector seats.
My Lexus ES350 has a heated steering wheel. Absolute game changer, I never drive that car with gloves. Also just the general design/feel of that wheel, the way its shaped, the extremely high quality of the wood and leather, its just NICE. Much nicer than a leather wrapped Camry wheel.
This is also my first car with the fob/push button start/keyless entry/lock. Didnt think it was a big deal until I drive my old Chevy truck with two keys and realized what a PITA it is when you have your hands full.
As for what I wish I had. The Lexus doesnt have the Mark Levison stereo. Still sounds good but wish it was the next level up. Thinking of replacing the aged door and dash speakers and putting in a small 8″ sub so I can really feel/hear the bass guitar and double bass kicks.
Also radar adaptative cruise control would have been nice. If you opted for the “ultra luxury” package you got that and the Mark Levison system. You also got a panoramic sunroof that likes to break and 18″ wheels. So more road noise, firmer ride, more likely to blow a tire on our shitty roads. Sounds like a really great option on a nose heavy FWD car with the handling tilted towards ride comfort. Also wish the car didnt have a normal sunroof, no problems so far but IMO its stupid to cut a hole in the roof
My Leafs (Leaves) had heated steering wheels. I live in sunny So Cal and I still liked them.
AC heated seats and steering wheel.
Way back in 2015 I had a baby on the way and I was just burned on a used ford escape. I decided I was going to bite the bullet and buy a new car. My mind set back then was get the cheapest most practical thing available in my area. (I’m remote so my town doesn’t have a dealer for every brand.) I landed on the Nissan Versa Note S. The second cheapest (the Micra didn’t have room for my dog in the cargo area) car on the market at the time. I came with the basics, power nothing (well steering), seating for 5 and only a mandated bluetooth PHONE CALL only connection.
And of course every day I open the used car ads I pine about what else I could have purchased for 16k.
Alas after 10 years and almost 85k km I’m still driving that basic bitch around. And here are the things that I wish the car had. Power locks, my ex would never open the door from the passenger side. Heated seats and steering wheel, I live in the Yukon and have a 6 km commute, my car does not heat up even to operating temperature in the coldest months and I resort to a small room heater in my car to make sure I’m not clearing the interior of the windshield from ice.
Just think of all the things that could have failed in that time, had they been there!
Hopefully it’s been a reliable little hairshirt.
Its only required regular maintenance, new belt, new battery and new tires summers and winters last year. My winters I only replaced because of age and sidewall cracking and summers tires cost 50 bucks each. I also spent a day detailing it this summer and after getting all the grim off the interior, its like a new car!
A/C. I never spring for anything that’s a convenience feature, so that was more luck of the draw with the used cars I was buying back in the ’90s, but now that’s one thing I’d pay for if it didn’t come standard. Mostly, every new car adds a bunch of standard crap I’d pay to lose or electronicifizes things I prefer manual (sunroofs) or hydraulic (steering, not under the manual category because cars got too heavy, though I fully understand that hydraulic assist by no means guarantees good steering feel) or mechanical (electrical switches/dials—annoyed by the lag and usual poor feel of modern switches that confirm with the BCM for permission). I like keyless entry more than I don’t, but I’d lose it to have a keyed ignition back as I’m over the button and bulkier fob, though I understand why they’re there (even if I have the manual transmission antitheft device).
I regret not springing for heated seats, a sunroof, and an auto-dimming rear view mirror. That would have put me in a higher trim level, with bigger wheels and other crap I didn’t want, so I didn’t go for it. And in 2013 headlights that look like staring into the sun weren’t as common.
Also agree on proximity keys being pretty damn convenient.
I’m diabetic and always have cold hands when the seasons change. Even my Maverick has a heated steering wheel!
I agree with SWG. There’s something special about never taking the key out of your pocket, even before getting to any reason to be in a hurry about it.
I assume most (not all, but most) cars have cruise control today. I’ve only used adaptive once on a rental, not long enough to have a full opinion on it.
But at a minimum, dumb cruise control is mandatory for me. Saves money on gas by keeping your speed constant, and saves money on speeding tickets when that song (yes, definitely whichever one you are thinking of) comes on.
Heated seats were the big game changer for me. I’ve had cooled since as well, but I don’t think thats nearly as good as heated can be.
Head Up Display. I thought it was silly until I had it. Now I would like it in everything. So nice, especially at night.
Agreed!
After doing multiple car audio upgrades across almost every vehicle I’ve owned, I finally learned to spring for the premium factory audio in the first place, and I’ve never regretted that. My Mach-E has the upgraded B&O sound system option and it sounds fantastic.
360-degree cameras are also a must-have for me. Can I parallel park without them? Sure, but they make tucking in close to a curb or backing up around close obstacles absolute cake. I’ve never hit anything without them, but being able to see the exact position of the corners in real time is so handy. My wife’s 2015 Leaf was the first car we had with that, and we’ve optioned it on all vehicles since.
Heated seats are basically standard these days, but it’s something I’ve had since my first car I bought myself: a 2003 WRX. Heated steering wheels are great too, and just like heated handlebar grips, having warm hands really tricks your whole body into feeling warm.
Heated seats are definitely nice to have during cold, upstate NY winters. But for me, it’s heated sideview mirrors. It’s so nice to be able to get them clean and clear without messing up their positions clearing them by hand.
My first car lacked AC, keyless entry and cruise control. Every vehicle since has had all three.
Skipping ahead a few decades and now I’m spoiled with heated mirrors and steering wheel, heated and air-conditioned seats, and no need to even pull the key fob out of my pocket.
The climate controlled seats are probably the thing I wish I’d have sprung for earlier, ignoring all the stuff my first car lacked.
I live in Ottawa, so heated seats and wheel. The seats are lovely when my back is sre too.
I’m not a huge fan of a lot of today’s tech since it’s just more stuff to break but man, do I love backup cams and Apple Car Play/Android Auto.
Most unnecessary piece of tech I’ve ever seen on a car (thankfully a rental): a motorized lid for the center console.
Wait… auto dimming exterior mirrors exist? Had no idea that was a thing.
My van and my wife’s Forester are so devoid of luxury features that I’m more likely to tell you about what I wish they had versus sprung for earlier. So I will:
I badly miss heated seats, and with the van having black vinyl, I bet ventilated seats would change my life.
Rear views are pretty common now. There are also auto-dimming side mirrors, which is something I’d like, but is not very common at least in the $60k and under price range.
Yeah the rear view ones I’ve seen, but I guess I haven’t been in too many luxury cars at night lately to notice auto dimming side mirrors.
I have auto-dimming interior & exterior mirrors in my Subaru Crosstrek. They are optional accessories on that car and I specifically added them when ordering the car. They are soo nice to have, especially these days when so many cars have blindingly bright headlights.
Interesting. The slew of mid-size/large SUVs and minivans I looked at did not have them even as an option.
Yeah, I believe you. I think they’ll become more mainstream as times moves on. Subaru vehicles are kinda surprising at the amount of tech they quietly offer. The perception is that they are simple and utilitarian vehicles, but in reality they tend to have more tech & features than vehicles costing much more.
I’ve never used the memory seat settings in my cars… Am I missing out on something?
Yes. Yes you are.
If you are the sole driver, no. If you share the car with literally anyone else, yes.
Honestly, I use mine to set a position for highway cruising and a separate position for in town driving. If you have to work the clutch a lot there is a better position for this than just relaxed cruising at speed.
Especially important for couples who often share a car, and are vastly different sizes.
One of my friend’s main requirements for a new car was either manual seats, or power with memory. Power without memory is a giant PITA when you’re 6′-6″, your wife is 5′-3″, and you have to crouch next to the seat and hold a switch back for 10 seconds just to get into the car.
GPS. And when cell phone reception finally became reliable across the East Coast, CarPlay.
I learned to drive using verbal directions and maybe a map or later just a Mapquest printout. For someone who loved road tripping, GPS was a game changer. Absolutely had to have it.
Today, traveling to unfamiliar cities is a breeze. Barely any prep needed on my end.
4 wheel brakes. My 1917 Stephens just doesn’t stop well.
Agree 100% Was driving a 1924 Graham Brothers truck last weekend and the rear only wood block “brakes” were concerning. That, and the stick shift came off in my hand…
Should you decide to upgrade, remember to add the appropriate sign to warn others of your car’s new ability to stop suddenly:
https://live.staticflickr.com/7543/15883484480_aefb9dbe8e_z.jpg
Cars I don’t need to work on has been nice.
Ugh, I HATE auto-dimming rear-view mirrors. Absolute bloody garbage! Give me a lever any day.
Why?
They don’t dim enough at night- especially when some too-tall is behind me with warp-core powered headlights.
I agree that the dimming power could be stronger – don’t know what that limitation is – but IMHO, it’s certainly better than reaching up each time.
Depends on the car. The auto-dimming mirrors in my Subaru dim sufficiently for anything I’ve encountered.
I own both, and while I adore the low-tech ingenuity of the bi-mirror design, I have to admit auto-dimming works great in the area between all or nothing.
I will say that adaptive cruise control has spoiled me for life. As soon as I used it in my wife’s car, I knew that I wanted it in my next car. Not having to make constant adjustments while the NPC ahead of me in traffic bounces around between 50 to 40mph is a bigger luxury feature to me than heated seats. And I’m saying that as someone who loves heated seats for sore muscles.
Adaptive cruise is all the autonomy I need. It takes so much stress out of highway driving. I absolutely will not buy another daily without it.
I drive a manual with ACC and use it all the time on the highway, I do have to downshift if the traffic speed drops below 40 mph.
Those are hard to find. Many manuals aren’t available with ACC, which is what lead me to give up my hunt for a 6 speed Chevy SS. That’s how much I love ACC
This is a 2020 Civic sport hatch. I think a few recent Mustangs and the GR Corolla have a MT and ACC.
And the Integra. I hate it, in particular how the cruise doesn’t cancel when you tap the clutch.
For the longest time I thought manuals just didn’t come with cruise control, then I took a road trip to Vegas in a 1990’s Integra that had both.