Useless features in a car

[325i]

Have you noticed how many useless features in cars we are saddled with? Worse, we have to pay for  features we never ask for! I would love the forum members to give their list of features they find useless in a car. The ones that I can think of immediately are;

1) Cruise Control

2) Heated seats

3) Sun roof

 

Lets hear it from all of you.  

[sgiitk]

I quite agree. While there may be some features which may be of use for someone I agree that under our conditions cruise control is useless. I can imagine in Kashmir and the like Heated Seats and Sun Roof may find use. Even in Kanpur in a real cold spell (say a fortnight every year) heated seats may find some interest. Overall yes, they are hardly ever required. So may be they should be an option. I have always been a bit of a sun roof hater (even in the UK) so will not be unhappy to see that go either.

One I can think of is:

Rear screen washers. With most of the year dry, invariably when you require rear wash it is not operating. Either it is a clogged orifice, or the pump takes ages to prime the tubes. By that time the 'damage' has been done. Rear Wipers do have their place.

On a lighter note:

1. Why not do away with indicators? 90% of the traffic is totally oblivious to them.

2. replace the accelerator / brakes by a switch. For most people it is either A or B.

sgiitk2009-05-04 10:59:59

[rssh]

AWD is a stupid feature for Urban buyer

 Cigerette lighter (as many don't really know how to use it )

Cup holder as many are swallow and one rarely uses it

spoilers (add to weight no use unless you travel at high speeds)

[nikvint]

Actually all the manufacturer should give option to the buyer for building a car with their own list of features. What do you say?

[sgiitk]

Actually all the manufacturer should give option to the buyer for building a car with their own list of features. What do you say?

Quite often an add on will cost at least 5-10x of what it will cost if it is a standard feature.

I am glad to see that cigarette lighters are being replaced by 12V sockets. You can plug in a lighter if you want. A non-smoker like me finds them useful for car pumps, car fridges, mobile chargers, etc. In fact the current trend to put one socket in the boot and another in the rear is welcome.

[archit]

well i think AWD as rssh suggested

day lights(actually not sure how they are called but those on the new A4)

[rssh]

Well actually day light are meant for some countries were the lights have to be on 24 hrs when driving.

[sgt.flippy]

Useless options to me (although it's changing now) are spare wheels. They just add weight, they're quite expensive really and over here, if you drive a flat, most of the time you just call car service anyway, so it's useless.

Cruise control is very handy, Belgium isn't big but it's a lot nicer to drive.

Useless option for me, which isn't free, but probably will happen in the future: auto park features! if you can't park, you shouldn't be driving in the first place.

[325i]

Fog lamps. Never really found them useful even in pea soup fog driving up to Mahabaleshwar in the monsoons. I think their benefit is only aesthetic. I find driving with headlamps on dip beam much more effective.

 

Electronic climate control. It's convenient but the old fashioned manual knob which mixes hot and cold air does the job just as well.

[rahul1810]

1. Pedestrian recognition.

Whats its use? What the hell are drivers for?

2. Key Ring illuminator

Again once you have owned the car for a month or so you will obviously know where to insert the key

@sgt.flippy

In india we cant immagine going on a ny long trip without the spare wheel. Its on our checklist always cos roads here are not very good although the situation is changing now

[luukie]

Are the automatic headlight dipper thats seen on the high end cars fool proof?

If so I think they should be made mandatory for all the vehicles.

(huh... slightly off topic ).

[anijog]

One I can think of is:Rear screen washers. With most of the year dry' date=' invariably when you require rear wash it is not operating. Either it is a clogged orifice, or the pump takes ages to prime the tubes. By that time the 'damage' has been done. Rear Wipers do have their place.On a lighter note: 1. Why not do away with indicators? 90% of the traffic is totally oblivious to them. 2. replace the accelerator / brakes by a switch. For most people it is either A or B.

[/quote']

In my view the rear screen wash is very useful in hatch back, If you observe that on the sedan the wheels throwing muck up can only hit the underbody of the boot, while in the hatch back most of it does come on to the screen, even in dry conditions the dust thrown up my the rear tires settles on the rear screen, using just the wiper will scratch the glass hence a wash is a necessity.

[anijog]

well i think AWD as rssh suggested

day lights(actually not sure how they are called but those on the new A4)

All wheel drive is a major contributor to vehicle stability, else it would not have been introduced in the first place.

Though it is more relevant in extreme conditions in India we do see extreme conditions in many regions, so it's upt to the geographical area where the application is more applicable.

[viveksonkhla]

I can't think of any useless feature...but I think we have an overused feature in the car....especially in India...."THE HORN" ......Honk...Honk....Let me go ...my car is faster than yours...Honk...Honk....you son of B%^$% ....Honk....Honk....

[anijog]

1.

2. Key Ring illuminator

Again once you have owned the car for a month or so you will obviously know where to insert the key

True but there might be a time when some one unfamiliar may be forced to drive your car, so it is not exactly unecessary.

[anijog]

I can't think of any useless feature...but I think we have an overused feature in the car....especially in India...."THE HORN" ......Honk...Honk....Let me go ...my car is faster than yours...Honk...Honk....you son of B%^$% ....Honk....Honk....

The HORN is the holy equipment for Indians without which we cannot drive!!!

[cartoos]

And some of them are not satisfied with horn alone and put hooters along.

How much honk honk polution ?

[amanmadan]

Let's see....

Folding rear seats in a sedan...I mean...you'd use it just coz it's there once during the lifetime of the car but not otherwise.

[speed]

Exceptional topic!

I've always rued features like:

Cruise control

Heated seats

Sunroof

Also, heated ORVM's. Atleast for the people up North.

Did find the fog lamps useful to some extent due to dense foggy conditions in the North. High wattage is needed though.

 

Central position of gear lever: I used to love the dash placement of gear lever as in earlier Amby's/Fiat's.

 

2 seperate front seats: Front bench seats, they are iseal for Indian family sizes.

 

Climate control, I always set to max. cool/highest cooling level & never change due to extreme heat.

 

 

 

[anjan_c2007]

A bit off-topic but features like ABS and airbags are only offered in higher variants of many cars these days. Why so ? If I buy a lower variant and can pay for ABS and airbags can the manufacturer not provide me with these features? After all, the company is  making money since I am paying the extra cost. Car makers fear that their higher end variant sales will be affected, once they offer such safety features in lower variants as options. Very outdated logic!

As regards undesirable features the OE antennas are on my list. We do not listen to or view anything other than CD's in all formats and FM radio these days and most HU's don't feature SW (my 1998 XR 3757 head unit from Sony has MW and SW 1 and 2 though).

[akj53in]

'Lal batti', 'Neeli Batti', extra arials and other such devices installed on sarkari Amby's to make the car look more impressive.

 

Pressure horns.

cheap and loud music systems on 'disco on wheels'.

spoilers (we do not have the roads, drivers and driving conditions for attaining serious speeds)

[mehul_bhp]

useless features according to my opinion-

1. sunroof-the sunroof is only meant for netas who cn wave at the crowd in those election rallies...in north india either the weather is too hot or too cold and in both the conditions if a person doesnt wants to be ill hanging out of sunroof is to be avoided !!!

2. heated seats and mirrors- common guys this is india and its very far from the arctic circle...we dont need this provided someone wants to get their bums burnt !!!!

3.cruise control-this is not america where you can read a magazine or do naughty things while driving on the highway !!!

[speed]

'Lal batti'' date=' 'Neeli Batti', extra arials and other such devices installed on sarkari Amby's to make the car look more impressive.

 

Pressure horns.

cheap and loud music systems on 'disco on wheels'.

spoilers (we do not have the roads, drivers and driving conditions for attaining serious speeds)

[/quote']

 

Well, these would be offtopic!

I guess we are talking about stock(forced by manufacturers) features!

[mehul_bhp]

the real function of a spoiler is to lower a speed of the car which is capable of attaining high speeds in very less time....we have even a santro sporting a spoiler...now how funny is that !!!!

[sgiitk]

Fog lamps. Never really found them useful even in pea soup fog driving up to Mahabaleshwar in the monsoons. I think their benefit is only aesthetic. I find driving with headlamps on dip beam much more effective.

Sorry 325i on both counts.

Pea soup in Mahabaleshwar' date=' then you have not seen the real thing. In the UK it is now history. Try North India in mid January!

You see the fog in these parts, and you will recognise the importance of fog lamps. Having lived and driven in the UK for over five years, I must say today our fog beats them hollow. I have sometimes driven with main beams off and fogs on - lower level of glare. Once it took me 1-1/2 hours for 8km due to the fog!

I recall in the 70's the AA in the UK stated that with Halogens fogs may be unnecessary. In the 90's I heard nothing about this. Incidentally, when I got my Santro the only accessory I had the dealer install were OE fogs.

I agree modern Halogens are good, but you do need the fogs.

Electronic climate control. It's convenient but the old

fashioned manual knob which mixes hot and cold air does the job just as

well.

Again I beg to differ. Climate control is a big convenience. I will call it highly desirable. It is highly unlikely that my next car will be one without climate control. I have ruled out the City just for this reason.

sgiitk2009-05-05 04:55:45