Premium car features you would pay extra NOT to have

[gg1]

Indeed. You probably wouldn't want the window to auto-close, after inadvertently pushing the 'close' button, on the neck of a child poking their head out of the window.

Electric windows nowadays have an auto reverse safety feature for exactly that reason when they detect an obstruction. It shouldn't make any difference whether or not the windows are closed from within the car or remotely.

 

[BenS123]

"Automatic locking as you walk away" - i'm in two minds about, i like not having to bother about getting the fob out of my pocket when returning to the car, especially if i got me hands full. Though its annoying when you do something on the driveway like putting the bins out and you forget the fob is still in ya pocket and you unlock the car.

I know the newer Mazda CX-5s do this well, to unlock the car you need to push a small button on the handle and then the doors unlock, an audible beep is heard and the indicators flash. When locking, it beeps once when all doors are shut then again once the fob is far enough away, and it locks on the second beep.

 

[8A Rail]

May be a simple solution for some of you is not to purchase a car in the first place!

Clearly 'touch screens' is one of the main bugbears but my car has some features on the driving wheel as well as the option of talking to the nice lady to change some things! However, I have learnt to adapt that if I need to change anything on the touch screen then I wait until I stop then change what ever.

Now 'Low Profile Tyres' is the funny one though as they are tend to be fitted to cars which have slightly lower / harder suspension with suitable wheels too. Generally the more mid / upper range of models have that option so your best option is not to choose a car that does not have that suspension, wheels, tyres in the first place! 'Low Profile Tyres' give you a better grip but it is the suspension which dictates the 'ride' qualities.

As regards to other features mentioned, generally you have the option to switch the settings e.g. off / mid option / on, just a case of going into the car's program (usually via the touch screen ) and amending.

The likes of Leather Seats, you generally keep them clean. via hoover and suitable 'leather' cleaner / wipe, then they should be fine. As for heated seats / heated wheel / side mirrors, you only use them a handful of times each year but nice to have in the very occasional cold weather.

One thing I do agree though, is that all cars should have a spare wheel even if it just one of those 'thin' ones, limited to 50mph but at least you are able to carry on to your destination. As for the 'tyre filler foam' you simply do not use it as it is a waste of time and possible additional expense. Within that last 15 months, I have had two new tyres fitted due getting a sharp object on the edge / wall of the tyre and when that happens, you have no choice to replace even the tyres are virtually new, very frustrating but I had insurance to cover that with the policy now having paid for itself! Bonus and lucky!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not safe to need to stop to e.g. control the demister or set to recirculate because you're approaching smoke or similar. HVAC should all be on physical controls.

 

[dangie]

Tinted rear side & back windows.
The rear windows on our Kuga are so dark that it’s almost impossible to use them when reversing on anything but the brightest day. If it wasn’t for the rear camera I’d struggle. May as well be driving a van.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Tinted rear side & back windows.
The rear windows on our Kuga are so dark that it’s almost impossible to use them when reversing on anything but the brightest day. If it wasn’t for the rear camera I’d struggle. May as well be driving a van.

Learn to reverse using your mirrors with the occasional check back that nobody has walked into the way. I find it much easier to judge than looking back (and due to an injury I find it hard to turn all the way round anyway). In particular reverse parking using the side mirror with it tipped down slightly so you can see the back wheel is super-easy.

The tint is handy if you've got stuff on the back seats as it makes it less visible to potential thieves.

 

[InkyScrolls]

When it becomes relevant in about twenty years, I'll happily pay extra to  not have an electric!

 

[cactustwirly]

Not safe to need to stop to e.g. control the demister or set to recirculate because you're approaching smoke or similar. HVAC should all be on physical controls.

I've never had to do any of that in my car

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've never had to do any of that in my car

Lucky you. I've certainly had the windscreen start to steam while driving and had to put the fan on (less so with aircon, but before that was universal it happened a number of times), and I've also driven past a roadside fire and wanted to turn to recirculate to stop it stinking inside the car.

I suspect though that voice control will provide a different solution to this issue.

 

[MotCO]

Indeed. You probably wouldn't want the window to auto-close, after inadvertently pushing the 'close' button, on the neck of a child poking their head out of the window.

I had this feature on a Cavalier in the early 90's - it had an auto reverse function if the window hit something. Such is progress!

 

[cactustwirly]

Lucky you. I've certainly had the windscreen start to steam while driving and had to put the fan on (less so with aircon, but before that was universal it happened a number of times), and I've also driven past a roadside fire and wanted to turn to recirculate to stop it stinking inside the car.

I suspect though that voice control will provide a different solution to this issue.

I just have the AC on all the time so it doesn't mist up

 

[E27007]

I have a 10 year old mid-range Zafira. The intermittent wipe seems to be more than it says - it seems to adjust the gap between wipes depending on how wet it is. Sometimes it is almost continuous, at other times it is every 5 seconds or so. I was expecting a regular timing, but this seems better - maybe it was from the parts box of a more expensive model.

Back to pet hates - car headlights which automatically come on when it is dark. Except they come on when going under a railway bridge, and then stay on for longer than just passing the bridge.

Several years since i drove a Vauxhall, so memory has dimmed, the cycle time for the intermittent operation of wipers is easily controlled by the driver, I recall it is set by the length of time you hold the control for the wiper in the intermittent position, check the drivers handbook

 

[dangie]

Learn to reverse using your mirrors with the occasional check back that nobody has walked into the way…

I do, but there in lies another problem. The shape profile of the mirrors is such that when they are adjusted for normal rear view mirror driving, it’s difficult to see the rear of the car and ground when reversing unless you lean forward and crane your neck like a giraffe. A pain to keep adjusting them. My old Ford Focus with its flat glass mirrors was much better.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I do, but there in lies another problem. The shape profile of the mirrors is such that when they are adjusted for normal rear view mirror driving, it’s difficult to see the rear of the car and ground when reversing unless you lean forward and crane your neck like a giraffe.

Mirrors? You've obviously not paid extra for the premium car rear view cameras / auto parking gizmo / proximity alarms!

 

[baz962]

Re the last point, I used to own a 2008 bottom of the range Golf which had a handy feature, holding down the lock button on the remote for a few seconds closed any open windows. No car I've had since has had the same feature.

Both my old G reg astra GTE and my Skoda fabia 2011 vrs had that feature.

 

[swt_passenger]

Indeed. While I don't really use my heated seats all that much, I do use them as a sort of radiator when it's very cold just to heat up the cabin quicker. Once I'm driving I usually turn them off.

My last new Focus had been ordered for someone else, with an extra fitted, the optional heated front seats. I wasn’t expecting them, and the list of gadgets in the manual for my trim level didn’t include them. So they were never switched on in 3 years. I never even noticed the switches. When I took it for part exchange the chap doing the once-over at the dealership was the first to point them out…

 

[dgl]

My last new Focus had been ordered for someone else, with an extra fitted, the optional heated front seats. I wasn’t expecting them, and the manual for my trim level didn’t include them. So they were never switched on in 3 years. I never even noticed the switches. When I took it for part exchange the chap doing the once-over at the dealership was the first to point them out…

My grans Volvo 340GLE had them, didn't realise what the switches by the handbrake were for until the car was gone.

 

[MotCO]

check the drivers handbook

What's that

 

[Intercity110]

What's that

Quite An interesting read, actually.

 

[joncombe]

I certainly agree about the lane guidance system. I had a VW T-Cross as a hire car in Norway last year that had this "feature", the first time I encountered it and on that car it doesn't just beep but applies force to the steering wheel. My first encounter was on a narrow road going to the edge of the road to allow a bus coming the other way to pass, but the system picked up the white line at the edge of the road and kept trying to steer me back to the middle of the road (I.E. into the path of the bus).

Similarly when driving on another narrow road with no white line down the middle in heavy rain the car in front's tires were forming dry lines in the road and it kept picking one of these up thinking they were the central white line and trying to steer off the road! Also when overtaking a cyclist and it was trying to steer me back towards them as I crossed the white central line. As others have commented it, it could be turned off BUT always came back on the next time. It might be useful on a motorway or dual carriageway but on most roads it just seemed dangerous.

 

[cav1975]

I have never seen the point of alloy wheels, more expensive to make; difficult to clean & impossible to repair. Pressed steel wheels without a plastic cover are much more practical.

I also dislike a sun roof - more unnecessary complexity (especially if electrically operated), lets lots of heat in and is a potential extra leak path.

Sadly my nice efficient low pollution diesel car has both of these "features".

 

[Tetchytyke]

Problem I find comes on country lanes at night. I manually dip mine as I see another car's lights about to round the corner, whereas auto dim-dip cars don't seem to dip until there is another car's headlights shining at them

It must depend on the car, the lights on the Qashqai I have was quicker than I would be. Also one less thing to forget.

But then the auto-dip only operates when the headlights are in automatic mode. Switch to manual and the auto-dip switches off.

Also they often only activate the sidelights which have the same (lack of) effect.

No, they activate the main lights. What you’ll see is the daytime running lights that many cars have now, but those lights are always on.

The type I was referring to are where the wiper settings are off>auto>1>2, ie where an option to manually turn on intermittent wipe just isn't available.

It’s the same on my 2019 Qashqai and my 2013 Fiesta. But with both I can adjust the sensitivity of the auto wipers, I turn it right down so it normally only works as intermittent anyway.

 

[dangie]

Unfortunately the features you don't want in a car you only know you don't want because either your current car or a previous car has them or has had them.

 

[JohnMcL7]

Unfortunately the features you don't want in a car you only know you don't want because either your current car or a previous car has them or has had them.

No it's because I've driven other cars with these features and don't want them on my own car.

 

[cactustwirly]

I have never seen the point of alloy wheels, more expensive to make; difficult to clean & impossible to repair. Pressed steel wheels without a plastic cover are much more practical.

I also dislike a sun roof - more unnecessary complexity (especially if electrically operated), lets lots of heat in and is a potential extra leak path.

Sadly my nice efficient low pollution diesel car has both of these "features".

Because Alloy wheels are more aesthetically pleasing than steel wheels.

My car looks a lot better on 17in alloys, and I can't see the big brake discs through steel wheels.

A sunroof is very nice in the summer though

 

[dangie]

No it's because I've driven other cars with these features and don't want them on my own car.

Discounting test drives, I can't remember the last time I drove a car that wasn't mine. It's unfortunate that for features you may want on the car, you have to put up with features you don't.

 

[gg1]

I also dislike a sun roof - more unnecessary complexity (especially if electrically operated), lets lots of heat in and is a potential extra leak path.

I do like an opening sunroof on a nice summer's day but I think the currently fashion for a sealed glass roof is pointless.

It’s the same on my 2019 Qashqai and my 2013 Fiesta. But with both I can adjust the sensitivity of the auto wipers, I turn it right down so it normally only works as intermittent anyway.

Sounds the same as my 2011 Qashqai, I could adjust the sensitivity but even then there were times the wipers would either activate too regularly or not regularly enough. They might have improved it by 2019 though.

 

[JohnMcL7]

The last time I had a sunroof was on a Metro of all things and I've always missed it, I liked how it brightened up the cabin but the cars I've bought since have all been second hand and it's been an option almost no-one seems to have specced.

 

[Starmill]

My colleague recently collected me in a new Fiesta from Enterprise. The auto lights were working flawlessly and neither of us could believe it. They said that every other car they'd ever driven that had auto high beam was dangerous with it on, it would inevitably dazzle someone coming the other way.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

To be honest the only "modern" technological advance on cars that I'd actually want are the parking sensors, and even then I'd only really want the one on the rear end. In particular I absolutely hate the "auto stop-start" function that many cars have now, not least because if I'm in a jam I'll turn the engine off myself, and all the automatic feature does is take that decision out of my hands. It also has a tendency to shorten the life of your battery, and I suspect it has very little impact on emissions... but it is a good greenwashing feature.
I wish one of the manufacturers would take a punt on releasing a "no frills" model for those of us that just want something simple that isn't going to bleep at me every five minutes!