The extras that are worth getting with a new car

dr.fuzzenstein

duffman3833 wrote: »

power steering i would have for safety, easier to maneuver while driving and avoiding objects but i could live without electric windows. But if all these fancy options are available in my budget yea would be nice to have but wouldn't spend more to get them

I have a sore left shoulder. Driving the GF's MX5 with keep fit windows, I really started appreciating electric windows when I had to wind the passenger window up and down a few times. And its sticky, so extra hard to operate.

La Fenetre

Now one "extra" that's worth having on any car, and I believe all new cars sold in the EU since some time in 2014/15, have to have it, is electronic stability control. It really is a fantastic safety aid.

mickdw

La Fenetre wrote: »

Now one "extra" that's worth having on any car, and I believe all new cars sold in the EU since some time in 2014/15, have to have it, is electronic stability control. It really is a fantastic safety aid.

A high performing system, yes but some in the past at least have been very limited.

mickdw

I have a reasonably spec'd car,
xenon lights
auto lights
Auto wipers etc
I am looking into retrofitting mainbeam assist.
I think it would be a great system to have if driving long distance at night. Dipping headlights gets pretty tiresome. I have not been able to get a solid opinion from other owners as to how good the system is so im holding off on it. It's not worth doing unless it actually works solidly.

La Fenetre

mickdw wrote: »

A high performing system, yes but some in the past at least have been very limited.

Lots of now excellent things in the past were limited and not high performing, from seat belts to crash protection, that does not mean they always remain so, and things constantly improve, hence the EU did not make it compulsory then, but now have. Accident statistics and comprehensive testing prove ESP does make a significant contribution to road safety on any car fitted with it, and if I was buying a newer used car, I'd go with the one that had ESP versus the one without any day of the week.

dar83

mickdw wrote: »

I am looking into retrofitting mainbeam assist.
I think it would be a great system to have if driving long distance at night. Dipping headlights gets pretty tiresome. I have not been able to get a solid opinion from other owners as to how good the system is so im holding off on it. It's not worth doing unless it actually works solidly.

I have this but I'm skeptical about using it, which I bet everyone is when they first have it as the last thing I want to do is blind anyone. :P

I have heard/read that it generally works better than you would have expected and exactly how it should, so I wouldn't be worried if it's something you're interested in putting in.

Henry Ford III

La Fenetre wrote: »

Lots of now excellent things in the past were limited and not high performing, from seat belts to crash protection, that does not mean they always remain so, and things constantly improve, hence the EU did not make it compulsory then, but now have. Accident statistics and comprehensive testing prove ESP does make a significant contribution to road safety on any car fitted with it, and if I was buying a newer used car, I'd go with the one that had ESP versus the one without any day of the week.

I turn the esp off when I want to do a bit of spirited driving. The manners of the handling mostly go missing.

La Fenetre

Henry Ford III wrote: »

I turn the esp off when I want to do a bit of spirited driving. The manners of the handling mostly go missing.

But sure if you were a real man, you'd disable the air bags and remove the seat belts as well, for real seat of the pants driving. In fact, get a motorbike instead of driving around in a cage.

mickdw

La Fenetre wrote: »

But sure if you were a real man, you'd disable the air bags and remove the seat belts as well, for real seat of the pants driving. In fact, get a motorbike instead of driving around in a cage.

The fact remains that esp by nature will attempt to deaden any movement of the car that it sees as being near the limit.
My experience of these systems is varied but you are right that they are improving all the time.

Stallingrad

Things I would hate to be without on my next car:

Auto handbrake
Hill hold assist
Parking sensors
Auto lights and wipers

They sound like fripperies but once you've lived with them they seem essential.

MetzgerMeister

dar83 wrote: »

New cars without alloys are like new girlfriends without big boobs. Sure they operate the same way and offer the same functionality, but there is always something a bit 'off' looking about them that niggles away at you and eventually leads you to look for a new one.

FYP

For me, must haves are:

Powerful engine
Leather
Cruise control
A good sound system (I'm into my music)
Alloys
Xenon lights (I will actually lose interest immediately in a car without them)
Auto wipers
Auto/manual depending on the car

dar83

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

FYP

They are more a matter of taste and take away from my more generalised comparison for higher inclusivity. But way to miss the nuance. :rolleyes:

Marty McFly

Stallingrad wrote: »

Things I would hate to be without on my next car:

Auto handbrake
Hill hold assist
Parking sensors
Auto lights and wipers

They sound like fripperies but once you've lived with them they seem essential.

I may be on my own but give me a good old fashioned handbrake every day of the week over an auto one.

Yea the auto may look neater and leave room for a better centre console but I just don't like them.

dr.fuzzenstein

Marty McFly wrote: »

I may be on my own but give me a good old fashioned handbrake every day of the week over an auto one.

Yea the auto may look neater and leave room for a better centre console but I just don't like them.

Auto handbrakes. The answer to a question nobody asked.

mickdw

Marty McFly wrote: »

I may be on my own but give me a good old fashioned handbrake every day of the week over an auto one.

Yea the auto may look neater and leave room for a better centre console but I just don't like them.

The electric brake has a few advantages.
As you say, it frees up space. Secondly, it is self releasing which is a major bonus for bad drivers and to be honest if I'm queued on a hill, I'm much happier if the car in front is a passat or something with electric brake as there is less chance of them rolling back and hitting me.
Thirdly, many of the electric systems incorporate a self tightening system that adapts to brake cooling meaning the parking brake will always stay securely engaged.
Fourthly, and this is generally overlooked but on the vw / audi at least, a long activation of the parking brake switch at speed activates emergency breaking to all 4 wheels via the hydraulic system. On cars where the button is
on the centre console, this amounts to a useful emergency system should driver get poorly etc.

dr.fuzzenstein

dar83 wrote: »

They are more a matter of taste and take away from my more generalised comparison for higher inclusivity. But way to miss the nuance. :rolleyes:

Look, you can't write big boobs here and expect anyone to be able to concentrate on the rest of your post. All I remember from your post is big boobs.

*Kol*

mickdw wrote: »

The electric brake has a few advantages.
As you say, it frees up space. Secondly, it is self releasing which is a major bonus for bad drivers and to be honest if I'm queued on a hill, I'm much happier if the car in front is a passat or something with electric brake as there is less chance of them rolling back and hitting me.
Thirdly, many of the electric systems incorporate a self tightening system that adapts to brake cooling meaning the parking brake will always stay securely engaged.
Fourthly, and this is generally overlooked but on the vw / audi at least, a long activation of the parking brake switch at speed activates emergency breaking to all 4 wheels via the hydraulic system. On cars where the button is
on the centre console, this amounts to a useful emergency system should driver get poorly etc.

I wasn't aware of the emergency brake function at all.
I must read that book in the glove box. I bet one of the million buttons around the gearstick operates the radio.

One thing I find handy which is a really old function is to be able to close up the windows with the key from outside the car.

Another stupid thing I like is the bonnet opening on gas struts. It's the simple things!!

Marty McFly

mickdw wrote: »

The electric brake has a few advantages.
As you say, it frees up space. Secondly, it is self releasing which is a major bonus for bad drivers and to be honest if I'm queued on a hill, I'm much happier if the car in front is a passat or something with electric brake as there is less chance of them rolling back and hitting me.
Thirdly, many of the electric systems incorporate a self tightening system that adapts to brake cooling meaning the parking brake will always stay securely engaged.
Fourthly, and this is generally overlooked but on the vw / audi at least, a long activation of the parking brake switch at speed activates emergency breaking to all 4 wheels via the hydraulic system. On cars where the button is
on the centre console, this amounts to a useful emergency system should driver get poorly etc.

The main point there for me is bad drivers I like driving I like feeling like I'm in control the auto handbrake doesn't give me that it may be silly but I like hearing it click on when I pull the handbrake up.

I had a Passat for about two months hated the auto handbrake on it. It never worked like it was meant to it decided randomly at times when taking off to stay engaged or disengage it had a mind of its own.

Plus your adding an uneccessary expensive repair bill when it goes for nothing really.

Marty McFly

*Kol* wrote: »

One thing I find handy which is a really old function is to be able to close up the windows with the key from outside the car.

I don't know why but u love that function to and being able to open all the windows on a sunny day to let the car cool down before you get in not that we haveany of those days.

Sh1tbag OToole

Thought you were going to say Flux capacitor

dar83

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Look, you can't write big boobs here and expect anyone to be able to concentrate on the rest of your post. All I remember from your post is big boobs.

Well you were indeed quite distracted, because I didn't write that. :P

Hachiko

*Kol* wrote: »

I wasn't aware of the emergency brake function at all.
I must read that book in the glove box. I bet one of the million buttons around the gearstick operates the radio.

One thing I find handy which is a really old function is to be able to close up the windows with the key from outside the car.

Another stupid thing I like is the bonnet opening on gas struts. It's the simple things!!

all decent cars have gas struts for the bonnet, but you are right its something you take for granted.

Hachiko

Marty McFly wrote: »

The main point there for me is bad drivers I like driving I like feeling like I'm in control the auto handbrake doesn't give me that it may be silly but I like hearing it click on when I pull the handbrake up.

I had a Passat for about two months hated the auto handbrake on it. It never worked like it was meant to it decided randomly at times when taking off to stay engaged or disengage it had a mind of its own.

Plus your adding an uneccessary expensive repair bill when it goes for nothing really.

correct. I dont need an electronic parking brake, I am able to do this myself, as I am able to park my car. I dont need a computer to park for me

What I do like is any driver aids that will mitigate for any idiots out there that are likely to screw things up or cause collisions. I find driving behaviour is getting worse and worse. I notice lately that people take forever to get moving at traffic lights, what part of green don't people understand.

Speaking about traffic lights, I think these are 1 of the worst things in the world and seriously need an upgrade to be brought into the 21st century, i am talking about smart traffic lights and not ones that you wait behind 5 minutes to go green but a few seconds later they are red again.

colm_mcm

Hachiko wrote: »

all decent cars have gas struts for the bonnet, but you are right its something you take for granted.

I rather a car where the bonnet rarely needs to be opened

Hachiko

colm_mcm wrote: »

I rather a car where the bonnet rarely needs to be opened

^^
That too, my mechanic here I went to when I bought my car to must be pissed off with me that I have been him to him for ages, not my fault I dont need to go though.

I open my bonnet to put in washer fluid mostly, exciting. Be surprised the amount of water is uses.

colm_mcm

Have you headlamp washers, they're the worst.

dr.fuzzenstein

dar83 wrote: »

Well you were indeed quite distracted, because I didn't write that. :P

You mean you were misquoted? Jesus, you can't trust anyone on the internet!

Marty McFly

One thing that is a must on a car for me is an arm rest.

Seanieke

xenons, front fogs, Cruise control and heated mirrors

Hachiko

colm_mcm wrote: »

Have you headlamp washers, they're the worst.

When I use the washer fluid on my window and my lights are on it also gives the lights a wash, but only once. If you have HID lights you do need to intermittently clean them as you notice the difference at night. I guess that's why they are mandatory fitting on HID lights.