Excess features you now couldn't live without

maisie_cat

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. 

Our old car had those features and I miss them, especially the seat adjustment as hubby is 8 inches taller than me

victor2

goodwithsaving said:

and an electric garage door! Makes life SO MUCH easier when quickly heading out or coming home in the rain

Absolutely! Had an electric garage door for many years and still get a kick out of using it. 
Not so many people actually park their car in the garage these days though...

RobM99

Cloth seats - and carpets - can be water-extracted-cleaned at a DIY valet place. That's what I do anyway.

EssexExile

victor2 said:

goodwithsaving said:

and an electric garage door! Makes life SO MUCH easier when quickly heading out or coming home in the rain

Absolutely! Had an electric garage door for many years and still get a kick out of using it. 
Not so many people actually park their car in the garage these days though...

I don't think many modern garages are big enough for many modern cars. Personally I love my attached double garage, none of that nasty "going outside" to get to the car.

silvercar

If you think that heated car seats and a heated steering wheel isn't enough, how about heated seat belts?

Richard1212

This has been a fun site to read , unusually for MSE. Lots of things mentioned that we could all live without but which are......either extremely useful ( though sounding daft sometimes) or just fun "gadgets" to play with.

I agree with nearly all the gadgets already mentioned by forumites who also seem to have taken this thread to heart, whether life-changing devices or not. I love everything the iRobot Roombas to the vast range of car accessories that make me feel as though I am at NASA control sometimes , especially when compared to my first car when I was still at school, a Mini 850 with not even a heater.

Whilst blushing,  I couldn't agree more with Victor's remark about still getting a kick out of opening the garage doors whilst in my warm car---unless I open the wrong one. The light in the garages also come on at the same time.

My own main contributions to this thread would be, I think, the host of additional security and domestic communications devices that have sprung up over the years. I now talk to and view anyone buzzing the main gates to the  driveway to the house. I can talk to someone who is doing so, even while I am not at home----that one seems really futuristic whenever I use it. As for communications, the one where anyone in the house can use speaker and video to communicate with someone in any room in a different part of the house has proved to be a lot more than the toy I had thought of it as-----for lots of reasons I won't bore forumites with here. Before anyone cracks the obvious joke, there is audio in bathrooms but no video link to them   

DullGreyGuy

Richard1212 said:

This has been a fun site to read , unusually for MSE. Lots of things mentioned that we could all live without but which are......either extremely useful ( though sounding daft sometimes) or just fun "gadgets" to play with.

Glad to have inspired content that entertained you.

I think my original intent was lost a little... I had meant to identify features that happened to come with what you bought rather than ones you intentionally choose. We've had some great examples, lights inside my dishwasher, countdowns on other dishwashers, a camera in an oven seems a liked feature, one in a fridge is more dividing. Electric heating in car seats, steering wheels and belts all seem popular even when not selected.

I am not sure electric garage doors technically fit in the chain... not sure how many buy doors and unexpectedly find they are electric but can fully appreciate the benefits of opening gates/doors etc from within the car

We once had the antithesis of this thread... electric gates that phoned you if someone keyed your door number. In principle great other than to open the said gates you had to walk out to them and press the button. 

FreeBear

Richard1212 said: especially when compared to my first car when I was still at school, a Mini 850 with not even a heater.

But at least you had a roof, doors, and windows.

My little car has none of those. No power steering/brakes, not even a windshield.

YoungBlueEyes

(No roof, doors, windows, power steering, brakes, windshield..... What's your little car @freebear?)

Apodemus

YoungBlueEyes said:

(No roof, doors, windows, power steering, brakes, windshield..... What's your little car @freebear?)

Fortunately for Freebear, I suspect there is a big difference between his

No power steering/brakes,

and your

No...power steering, brakes...

  

But even Noddy had a windshield!