Features you didn't appreciate until you started using them

[Jilly]

Haven't got my heated steering wheel working yet. On the list for my chip. But .....automatic high beams. Found that about a month ago.

 

[cantunamunch]

. But .....automatic high beams. Found that about a month ago.

I think I've told the story here... very few cars on the road because you're storm chasing. You have high beams on, the highway isn't lit except unless you're behind someone. You drive up to a steady, lit, highway intersection. Your high beams dip- the pool of light at the intersection makes it think you'e in urban conditions. The person leading you exits.

Because you don't have high beams on, you don't see the elk in the dark zone just beyond the lit pool.

So. Yeh. That car was totaled. Now it's the first or second feature I disable. Lane monitoring is probably first - DC traffic has no patience for those.

 

[Tom K.]

Drum me right out of the Man Club, but I accidentally turned on the heated steering wheel on the new car the other day.......and I loved it!

Still hate, hate, hate the complicated climate controls on cars these days. Give the the three simple knobs on Mrs. K's Honda Element any day.

 

[BLiP]

Lane monitoring is probably first - DC traffic has no patience for those.

Never had problems with the lane monitoring system in either DC or NYC. Stay in your lane and signal if you’re changing lanes. Too easy. If you don’t have time to signal you probably don’t have time to safely change lanes.

 

[cantunamunch]

Drum me right out of the Man Club, but I accidentally turned on the heated steering wheel on the new car the other day.......and I loved it!

I won't - it's the only part of herself's Jeep that actually works to heat properly.

Still hate, hate, hate the complicated climate controls on cars these days. Give the the three simple knobs on Mrs. K's Honda Element any day.

<- is seriously considering keeping his Honda for another 200K because the new experience is retarded.

 

[cantunamunch]

Never had problems with the lane monitoring system in either DC or NYC. Stay in your lane and signal if you’re changing lanes. Too easy. If you don’t have time to signal you probably don’t have time to safely change lanes.

It's so easy that I do it after the system is turned off. But thank you for making unfounded assumptions and lecturing.

Guessing you haven't been in an LMS that gets LOUD when you activate the turn signal, to warn you that yes, there is a vehicle you've just overtaken and are merging in front of.

Come drive the new, premium lane Tysons. Flashy klaxon fun for the whole family.

 

[BLiP]

And speaking of city driving, Mazda (and I’m sure others) has a pseudo autopilot feature for traffic jams that will accelerate, brake, and steer under 30-40 mph. At first I thought it was a gimmick, but it comes in handy when you’re sitting in traffic for a while. Allows you to relax a little bit.

 

[Jerez]

Lots of bells and whistles on our new Jeep that I dont particularly like or use. Lane assist is one of them. And like @cantunamunch the LOUD turn signal warning is another. Would prefer something a little more subtle. If I turn on the signal when when I'm fixing to change lanes or merge, like a good driver should, it goes bananas.

But a great feature is the night sensor. It will change the display to night vision and sound an alarm if it senses an animal or person in the road or adjacent to it ahead. Really cool for the long rural drives we do.

My biggest gripe with the new Jeep is the whole "infotainment" system has endless glitches. There was a recall software update that only made it worse. Am constantly rebooting the thing.

Still miss my old 2015 Jeep that got totalled by a driver on his phone that rear ended us at a stop light.

 

[Philpug]

Drum me right out of the Man Club, but I accidentally turned on the heated steering wheel on the new car the other day.......and I loved it!

Nope, you card will not be revoked. I love it too.

 

[Andy Mink]

The nice thing is most of those noises can be set at different volumes or turned off, at least in our Hyundai. It is annoying in a two lane left or right when it beeps at you for using your signal.

 

[Tom K.]

The whole lane keeping, etc. challenge is that it is, or was, very brand specific. The version in our newer Fords is generally quite good, and allows for safe driving while I'm working the needlessly complex climate control systems, as well as making phone calls and sending emails and checking Bookface.

But the one on my old Ski Wife's Subaru Outback (Eyesight?) was absolutely infuriating on snowy roads. Beeps, buzzers, klaxons. He probably just couldn't be bothered to figure out how to defeat it, but still, nutso.

 

[wooglin]

Still hate, hate, hate the complicated climate controls on cars these days. Give the the three simple knobs on Mrs. K's Honda Element any day.

Got my Element back after driving a 21 Crosstrek for the past few years. I miss nothing about the Crosstrek except the gas mileage.

 

[Philpug]

I miss nothing about the Crosstrek

Right? While Subaru checks all the boxes on paper, once you get them on the road, that all gets lost.

 

[Tom K.]

Right? While Subaru checks all the boxes on paper, once you get them on the road, that all gets lost.

Yup. Additionally IME while a 130,000 mile Toyota drives darn well, and 130,000 Subaru drives like it's got 130,000 miles on it.

 

[James]

folding side mirrors

Apparently thieves use those as a possible quick tell if the car is locked. They’re looking for unlocked cars where the key fob was left in. Which is surprisingly common.

 

[BLiP]

Guessing you haven't been in an LMS that gets LOUD when you activate the turn signal, to warn you that yes, there is a vehicle you've just overtaken and are merging in front of.

I’m from NYC, judgment and lecturing is what we do. Can’t help it, it’s second nature. But no offense intended.

Every system is different but in my limited experience with the two brands I currently drive, if my blind spot warning is going off, I’m still too close to safely merge, unless it is stop and go traffic. Maybe yours is different. But I’ll agree that it is loud and annoying when it does go off. Although I still appreciate it. Much less annoying than swapping paint with another vehicle.

 

[Jerez]

But when driving and wanting to change lanes, one puts the turn signal on before one is actually changing lanes to signal intent. Or if you're in a double turn lane, it shrieks at you the whole time. Even if you are stopped at a light. Ugh.

 

[dbostedo]

Still hate, hate, hate the complicated climate controls on cars these days.

I suspect that's because you're trying to control too much. Other than turning the defroster on and off, I simply use it like a home thermostat and just change the temperature. If I'm hot I crank it down, cold I crank it up... couldn't be simpler actually. I may drive around all summer with it at 60 or 62... but it works just fine automatically.

That said, they pretty much have the "three knobs" features in there in most cars I've been in, but it varies how easy they are to access and use.

 

[Tom K.]

I suspect that's because you're trying to control too much. Other than turning the defroster on and off, I simply use it like a home thermostat and just change the temperature. If I'm hot I crank it down, cold I crank it up... couldn't be simpler actually. I may drive around all summer with it at 60 or 62... but it works just fine automatically.

That said, they pretty much have the "three knobs" features in there in most cars I've been in, but it varies how easy they are to access and use.

I hear you. It was as you described on my 2013 XC60, and our 2021 Transit, and no big deal.

But on my new Explorer, not that simple. Driver and passenger have separate thermostats. No big deal. But they are not knobs. Oh no. Each side has its own toggle to bring temp up and down, and it's kinda slow going up and down the scale.

So you can't just blindly twist the knob for max heat when you're leaving the ski area parking lot......you get the picture. I'm sure I'll adjust and forget about it, as it's very early days in this rig.

Can't think of another annoying feature on the vehicle, with the bonus being that I can open AND close the rear liftgate from the driver's seat. Closing from the driver's seat was a safety no-no with the Volvo. Had to be done from the liftgate itself.

 

[Bill Miles]

The whole lane keeping, etc. challenge is that it is, or was, very brand specific. The version in our newer Fords is generally quite good, and allows for safe driving while I'm working the needlessly complex climate control systems, as well as making phone calls and sending emails and checking Bookface.

But the one on my old Ski Wife's Subaru Outback (Eyesight?) was absolutely infuriating on snowy roads. Beeps, buzzers, klaxons. He probably just couldn't be bothered to figure out how to defeat it, but still, nutso.

Does this imply that you have a new Ski Wife now?