Excess features you now couldn't live without 5 January at 10:02PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 65 replies 3.6K views

Apodemus

victor2 said:

silvercar said:

Bobinyorkshire said:

If we’re talking about cars - parking sensors.

and 360 degree camera, which was one step up from my reversing camera.

GDB2222 said:

I bought our car secondhand at auction. I scoffed when I found out that it had heated seats,  but I would definitely want those in any replacement car we buy. 

Similarly, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. As my wife and I share the car, it’s useful that the seat automatically adjusts itself depending on which key is used. Again, I scoffed originally, but it would be something I would look for in a replacement car. 

Same thoughts with a heated steering wheel!

Also, central locking.

Reversing cameras are amazing IMHO.

I have a friend with a car with the 360 degree view for parking...

My car has that...windows at the back, front and sides!  

greensalad

Apodemus said:

victor2 said:

silvercar said:

Bobinyorkshire said:

If we’re talking about cars - parking sensors.

and 360 degree camera, which was one step up from my reversing camera.

GDB2222 said:

I bought our car secondhand at auction. I scoffed when I found out that it had heated seats,  but I would definitely want those in any replacement car we buy. 

Similarly, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. As my wife and I share the car, it’s useful that the seat automatically adjusts itself depending on which key is used. Again, I scoffed originally, but it would be something I would look for in a replacement car. 

Same thoughts with a heated steering wheel!

Also, central locking.

Reversing cameras are amazing IMHO.

I have a friend with a car with the 360 degree view for parking...

My car has that...windows at the back, front and sides!  

Not quite the same though is it.

Gavin83

GDB2222 said:

I bought our car secondhand at auction. I scoffed when I found out that it had heated seats,  but I would definitely want those in any replacement car we buy. 

Similarly, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. As my wife and I share the car, it’s useful that the seat automatically adjusts itself depending on which key is used. Again, I scoffed originally, but it would be something I would look for in a replacement car. 

I hate heated car seats. My wife loves them but I never have them on! I wouldn't mind a heated steering wheel though and I'd also appreciate different preset seat positions for different drivers.

I hired a high end car recently and it had some great features I'd love in a car of my own. It projected information (such as current speed and the sat nav directions) onto the windscreen which I loved. It was practically self driving on the motorway as it would speed up and brake itself depending on what was going on around it, plus would stay in the lane. Also when parking it would display a top down view of the car on the screen, including any obstacles around the car so you could get it into the smallest gaps. Still never worked out how that even worked!

Ebe_Scrooge

Gavin83 said:

GDB2222 said:

I bought our car secondhand at auction. I scoffed when I found out that it had heated seats,  but I would definitely want those in any replacement car we buy. 

Similarly, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. As my wife and I share the car, it’s useful that the seat automatically adjusts itself depending on which key is used. Again, I scoffed originally, but it would be something I would look for in a replacement car. 

Also when parking it would display a top down view of the car on the screen, including any obstacles around the car so you could get it into the smallest gaps. Still never worked out how that even worked!

I've never had a car with parking sensors or cameras (I always buy old bangers!).  But a friend of mine has a Nissan with that "birds-eye" view thing.  Apparently there's a little camera on the underside of each wing mirror, and on the bottom of the front and back bumpers somewhere.  The computer just stitches the images from each one together, and Bob's your uncle.  Although how they stop the cameras from getting covered in mud and what-not, I've no idea.

I hired a car once that had "hill-start assist".  Never figured out how to use it, but never really wanted to.  I mean, come on, practising hill-starts used to be one of the most difficult things for a learner, but it rapidly becomes instinctive and easy-peasy.  Can't see the point of an "electronic assistant".

herebeme

I guess it’s not a necessary feature, but the pyrolytic clean feature on my oven is a godsend, and I would only buy ovens with this in future.

An inside oven camera would actually be useful, sometimes peering though the door doesn’t give you the best view of the top of a cake.

Slinky

Our wifi catflaps. Can tell whether cat is inside the house or out, which flap she went out of (we have one front and back) and can set curfews so she can't go out after a certain time. They also keep other cats out as it is reading her microchip. In the morning we don't have to get up early to let her out if we fancy a lie in as it will unlock automatically.  Can change the curfew times via our mobile phones.  We also get a 'miaow' sound as she passes through the flap, which can be quite funny when we're out and in company of others who start looking round for a cat. It's reassuring when we are on holiday and if a neighbour is looking after her, that we can hear she's still around and not gone wandering off somewhere.

housebuyer143

Ebe_Scrooge said:

Gavin83 said:

GDB2222 said:

I bought our car secondhand at auction. I scoffed when I found out that it had heated seats,  but I would definitely want those in any replacement car we buy. 

Similarly, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. As my wife and I share the car, it’s useful that the seat automatically adjusts itself depending on which key is used. Again, I scoffed originally, but it would be something I would look for in a replacement car. 

Also when parking it would display a top down view of the car on the screen, including any obstacles around the car so you could get it into the smallest gaps. Still never worked out how that even worked!

I've never had a car with parking sensors or cameras (I always buy old bangers!).  But a friend of mine has a Nissan with that "birds-eye" view thing.  Apparently there's a little camera on the underside of each wing mirror, and on the bottom of the front and back bumpers somewhere.  The computer just stitches the images from each one together, and Bob's your uncle.  Although how they stop the cameras from getting covered in mud and what-not, I've no idea.

I hired a car once that had "hill-start assist".  Never figured out how to use it, but never really wanted to.  I mean, come on, practising hill-starts used to be one of the most difficult things for a learner, but it rapidly becomes instinctive and easy-peasy.  Can't see the point of an "electronic assistant".

This is why learners who learn in nice new cars have such trouble when they buy a car they can afford. No hill start assist, no auto lights, parking cameras etc... Do you even learn how to drive anymore or does the car do most of the harder things for you? 

victor2

housebuyer143 said:

Ebe_Scrooge said:

Gavin83 said:

GDB2222 said:

I bought our car secondhand at auction. I scoffed when I found out that it had heated seats,  but I would definitely want those in any replacement car we buy. 

Similarly, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. As my wife and I share the car, it’s useful that the seat automatically adjusts itself depending on which key is used. Again, I scoffed originally, but it would be something I would look for in a replacement car. 

Also when parking it would display a top down view of the car on the screen, including any obstacles around the car so you could get it into the smallest gaps. Still never worked out how that even worked!

I've never had a car with parking sensors or cameras (I always buy old bangers!).  But a friend of mine has a Nissan with that "birds-eye" view thing.  Apparently there's a little camera on the underside of each wing mirror, and on the bottom of the front and back bumpers somewhere.  The computer just stitches the images from each one together, and Bob's your uncle.  Although how they stop the cameras from getting covered in mud and what-not, I've no idea.

I hired a car once that had "hill-start assist".  Never figured out how to use it, but never really wanted to.  I mean, come on, practising hill-starts used to be one of the most difficult things for a learner, but it rapidly becomes instinctive and easy-peasy.  Can't see the point of an "electronic assistant".

This is why learners who learn in nice new cars have such trouble when they buy a car they can afford. No hill start assist, no auto lights, parking cameras etc... Do you even learn how to drive anymore or does the car do most of the harder things for you? 

DD learnt to drive, and passed her test, in a car with a reversing camera. She subsequently bought a reversing camera with car attached. She couldn't reverse without one to save her life! 

EssexExile

GDB2222 said:

I bought our car secondhand at auction. I scoffed when I found out that it had heated seats,  but I would definitely want those in any replacement car we buy. 

Similarly, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. As my wife and I share the car, it’s useful that the seat automatically adjusts itself depending on which key is used. Again, I scoffed originally, but it would be something I would look for in a replacement car. 

No one wanted or needed heated seats when seats were cloth. Now seats in most good cars are leather and you need heating in the winter and ventilation in the summer to make them feel almost as nice as cloth seats. Also you need shaping to hold you in as leather is so slippery. We had a new Volvo loan car last week and it had cloth seats - back to the good old days!

Ebe_Scrooge

housebuyer143 said:

Ebe_Scrooge said:

Gavin83 said:

GDB2222 said:

I bought our car secondhand at auction. I scoffed when I found out that it had heated seats,  but I would definitely want those in any replacement car we buy. 

Similarly, the driver's seat is electrically adjustable. As my wife and I share the car, it’s useful that the seat automatically adjusts itself depending on which key is used. Again, I scoffed originally, but it would be something I would look for in a replacement car. 

Also when parking it would display a top down view of the car on the screen, including any obstacles around the car so you could get it into the smallest gaps. Still never worked out how that even worked!

I've never had a car with parking sensors or cameras (I always buy old bangers!).  But a friend of mine has a Nissan with that "birds-eye" view thing.  Apparently there's a little camera on the underside of each wing mirror, and on the bottom of the front and back bumpers somewhere.  The computer just stitches the images from each one together, and Bob's your uncle.  Although how they stop the cameras from getting covered in mud and what-not, I've no idea.

I hired a car once that had "hill-start assist".  Never figured out how to use it, but never really wanted to.  I mean, come on, practising hill-starts used to be one of the most difficult things for a learner, but it rapidly becomes instinctive and easy-peasy.  Can't see the point of an "electronic assistant".

Do you even learn how to drive anymore or does the car do most of the harder things for you? 

Must admit, this thought has crossed my mind on more than one occasion.  I'm sure the time will come when cars will pretty much drive themselves (I know there's been talk of driverless cars for years now, and bit by bit I think it's gradually creeping in).  But those who learn in such a car will never be able to experience the pleasure of driving an old classic car