Favourite comforts/gizmos in a car?

[Soundwave]

Thought this might be a mildly interesting topic, a sort of reversal of the "most useless features on a car" thread.

I know we're generally the type of people who have an odd affinity for povvo spec motoring, with as few frills and as much brown fabric as possible. But what features of more modern non-poverty cars do you actually rather like? This is a safe thread, we don't judge here. Not out loud, at least.

For me... heads-up displays. Yes, I know, they're gimmicky as all hell, and probably incredibly expensive when they break. But I drove my dad's 2018 Mazda 6 the other day and I loved having all the essential info in my field of view, in a non-instrusive manner that meant I didn't need to keep looking down at the dials. It even showed sat nav directions so I didn't have to bother looking at the screen. Given my neuroticism and tendency to check-and re-check everything all the time, I found it extremely pleasing. Though my Fabia isn't due for replacing for a long, long time, I reckon my next modern will have to have one.


So, over to you... what are your modern feature guilty pleasures?



EDIT - Scratch the "modern" bit, let's just hear what your favourite luxuries and gadgets in a car are.

[Asimo]

Four wheel brakes operated by one pedal are really quite desirable.

[AnnoyingPentium]

The knowledge a car won't quite go like a concertina when it hits something.

[catsinthewelder]

I like the auto lights and heated screen on my Focus.

[Wgl2019]

Auto dimming mirrors...... something that just works quietly in the background but is immediately noticeable when not available.

[Split_Pin]

21 minutes ago, Soundwave said:

I know we're generally the type of people who have an odd affinity for povvo spec motoring

You don't speak for us all man!

I like electrically adjustable seats because I'm a dribbling, limp-armed pen pusher and don't like cranking knobs and levers manually.

Auto dimming rear view mirrors because it makes the tailgating Audi Q1 drivers' lights dim just like the driver.

Powerfold mirrors.

A pen holder. Otherwise they get lost right at the bottom of gloveboxes, door bins etc and you can never find them.

Puddle lights just because they feel like a wee comfort blanket when stepping out into the cold, dead night.

[Soundwave]

3 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

You don't speak for us all man!

 

I did say generally...

[RoverFolkUs]

Heated front windscreen. Absolute godsend with very few drawbacks that I can think of

Dual clutch transmissions. Arguably superior in many ways to conventional TC automatics, although it does depend on the programming of them, sometimes they can behave unfavourably at low speeds as discussed on here previously

[Nullzwei]

Hill hold. Not sure if it counts as a modern feature though as the two cars i have owned with it were both over 20 years old. A 02 reg Subaru Forester s-turbo and an 02 reg Mercedes s210 320cdi.

[Popsicle]

For me satnav and phone connection to the stereo, no more boxes of map books for every county under the passengers seat and my own 40+ hours of Spotify music to listen to and some podcasts.

[RoverFolkUs]

Bulb failure warnings

A feature that is actually useful. Albeit I suppose it's been around for many years now, I'm still counting it as modern?

[bunglebus]

Cruise control 

Auto choke

That's about it - I can live without both but they make life easier. Other than that I want to tell the car what to do thanks very much

[Soundwave]

11 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Bulb failure warnings

A feature that is actually useful. Albeit I suppose it's been around for many years now, I'm still counting it as modern?

It's been around for ages, but the more modern systems are definitely more useful since they actually tell you which bulb is out rather than just screaming "OMG A BULB IS OUT. Not telling you where though." at you, as some of the earlier systems did.

[Split_Pin]

I don't obsess over MPG but it is sometimes handy to check in once in a while to make sure all is well.  I'm not sure how accurate they are but a general indication is still useful.

 

[robinmasters]

Those little transparent plastic clips on the edge of the windscreen for holding your car park ticket are flippin' amazing. 

Electrically adjustable passenger side mirrors are also pretty handy. 

The only really modern feature I'm currently lusting after is a 360 degree camera on our work vans. 

[Spiny Norman]

Rocket launchers.

[Metal Guru]

Not really a new thing, but having grown up with Cortinas and Mk II Escorts and having the back and front change ends on occasions,  , I really like all wheel drive cars.

[New POD]

5 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Bulb failure warnings

A feature that is actually useful. Albeit I suppose it's been around for many years now, I'm still counting it as modern?

Yes and no. 

Except that I had to replace a number plate bulb, and I found some LED bulbs @MikeRhad given me years ago.

Obviously doesn't draw enough current, so the warning still comes up. 

[sutty2006]

My Allroad has a jukebox. I can plug in a USB device and upload music to the jukebox so the car stores it. I like it very much. That and heated seats. Mmmmmmm

 

i also like the auto boot opening function and button to close it. Means I can hit the button and walk away. Other people need to be educated on these, as they are likely to bugger it up when they try opening it conveniently. 

[big_al_granvia]

Disc brakes all round, safety cell that means the car will take a hit, reliable mechanics, galvanised shells and panels

[treehugger]

Cruise control for the motorway. 

[Cheggers]

Not so much a new feature, but for me the greatest advance is in heating and ventilation. I can't remember the last time I had to wipe the inside of a window

[AxWomble]

Heated Mirrors - we didn’t even realise our van had them until we were doing a journey from London to Norfolk in freezing fog 😬
 

Thought I’d press the HRW button on the dashboard for the fun of it and the mirrors magically cleared! Prior to this, I’d presumed it was a redundant switch for a higher spec van with glass in the rear doors. Especially as our van is povvo spec and doesn’t even have airbags or ABS. 
 

Not a feature I use more than a few times a winter, but very useful to have in certain conditions 

[AxWomble]

9 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I don't obsess over MPG but it is sometimes handy to check in once in a while to make sure all is well.  I'm not sure how accurate they are but a general indication is still useful.

 

Nice to see the ‘instant’ MPG readout too, if you want to do some informed hypermiling 

[goosey]

Departure time - 

I can set the time I’m going to be leaving and the cars warmed up and defrosted ready to go 

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, AxWomble said:

Nice to see the ‘instant’ MPG readout too, if you want to do some informed hypermiling 

The instant mpg means nothing. Take your foot off the accelerator it goes to 99 or 999 mpg. You’re not using petrol at that point only but you knew that anyway.

[Scruffy Bodger]

12 hours ago, Nullzwei said:

Hill hold. Not sure if it counts as a modern feature though as the two cars i have owned with it were both over 20 years old. A 02 reg Subaru Forester s-turbo and an 02 reg Mercedes s210 320cdi.

That was standard fitment on our C reg Subaru Estate so not exactly modern! Why it hasn't been fitted to virtually every car since then is totally beyond me.

[AxWomble]

27 minutes ago, Scruffy Bodger said:

That was standard fitment on our C reg Subaru Estate so not exactly modern! Why it hasn't been fitted to virtually every car since then is totally beyond me.

Our old AX had that when we bought it - in the form of a very lightweight shell and two sticking calipers 😂

[Scruffy Bodger]

30 minutes ago, AxWomble said:

Our old AX had that when we bought it - in the form of a very lightweight shell and two sticking calipers 😂

Thinking about it more it was also on our nearly 50 year old MGBGT recently as the front brake hoses had collapsed. Silver linings and all that 😂

[Markeh]

Cruise, DAB, CarPlay/Android Auto and basically all of the heated things, whether it be seat, wheel or screen. Hill hold's not bad either.