Features for Your Next Car
What are the must have features that your next car needs to have?
Modern cars are filled with all kinds of technology, and quite frankly, a lot of it can create more problems than benefits.
In fact, JD Power’s latest tech experience index study found that many consumers find a lot of technology to be overwhelming, difficult to use, or just not very useful.
But there are plenty of modern features and technologies that are extremely valuable to have for safety, for making your life a lot easier and for reliability, ensuring that your car has a long problem free life.
And I’m gonna show you what those must have features are.
Safety Features
Now let’s begin with safety features.
I’m extremely sympathetic to those who believe that modern cars are just becoming way too complicated with too much over the top unnecessary technology that’s likely just going to create reliability issues down the road.
But having said that, there are still a handful of extremely valuable safety features that I definitely consider must haves.
A great example of how modern vehicles have been made safer is with cameras.
Backup Camera
Every new vehicle comes equipped with a backup camera, which is an extremely valuable safety tool that makes driving easier and more comfortable without adding annoyance or severe complication.
Having a high quality backup camera with a nice clear resolution is extremely important.
But if you really wanna have the best of the best look out for a vehicle that has a 360 camera or a surround view camera,
it doesn’t add a whole lot of complication, but it makes driving and parking a whole lot easier.
It’s a very valuable safety tool, and once you have it, you will never go back.
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Tied very close to this is another safety feature that I definitely consider a must have, and that is rear cross traffic alert.
This is a feature which alerts you with an audible beep when there is any oncoming traffic or pedestrians as you reverse the vehicle.
It is extremely useful to have and some of these rear cross traffic alert systems even come with automatic braking to prevent you from backing into something or to someone.
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
Automatic emergency braking can activate for both forward driving or reversing and like backup cameras.
This is a feature that does not add any hassle, frustration, or annoyance.
These safety features simply make driving easier, safer, and help prevent accidents from happening in the first place.
Blind Spot Detection with Audible Alert
Another active safety feature that I put in the exact same category is blind spot detection with an audible alert.
Blind spot detection is designed to notify you when a vehicle is in your blind spot.
This can be done using a camera, a light, or by an audible sound.
The only version of this that I think is very useful is when the blind spot detection is audible because it doesn’t require you to do anything extra like checking a light on your side mirror or checking a camera.
You put your turn signal on to change lanes, and if you hear that odd audible beep, you know someone is in your blind spot.
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Simple, easy, and very effective. Fortunately, most of these safety features are relatively easy to find in brand new vehicles.
What’s important to remember is that they don’t add a whole lot of complication.
They don’t add a lot of major repair or reliability concerns, and they just make your life a whole lot easier without adding any annoyance or frustration.
That is the key to great technology.
User-Friendly Infotainment and Controls
Now moving on to the next tech features. Let’s get into infotainment systems and general control setups.
There are ways of doing it right that minimize distraction, don’t make simple tasks too complicated to do and help reduce long-term repair expenses.
Physical Buttons for Key Functions
The most straightforward setup is having physical buttons and knobs for adjusting your climate settings such as heat, air conditioning and the defroster.
Now, the reason why you want these particular functions to have actual physical buttons and knobs is because these are features that you’re going to be using on a regular basis and you don’t want them to be frustrating or distracting to use.
Having a touchscreen can be really nice, but they can potentially be more annoying. They’re more prone to breaking or freezing.
And imagine on a really cold winter day, the last thing that you’re going to want is to have a touchscreen that freezes or acts up on you, right?
When you really need to turn on the heat or the defroster, the best thing is to avoid that altogether and just have simple physical controls.
As for the infotainment system itself, this is a feature that can’t be avoided on a new vehicle, but there are must have things to watch for.
Landscape-Style Touchscreen
The best setup is to have a landscape-style touchscreen that’s neatly integrated into the dash, and its primary purpose is for entertainment, music, navigation, and mirroring your smartphone for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
This will allow you to connect your phone and use valuable phone functions and apps, other things to look for.
The screen itself also needs to operate smoothly without any lag.
Icons and menus need to be large and easy to navigate, and it should not be too cluttered with too much information.
It should be properly backlit so it’s not too dark and also not too bright.
Fortunately, more and more automakers are doing a much better job with the user interface of their touchscreen setups.
Built-In Features vs. Subscription-Based Services
Now, let’s move on to the next feature. That’s definitely a must have or perhaps a must avoid depending on how you look at it.
Another must have or important feature to watch for is to make sure that all of these features, whether they are touchscreen features, apple or Google Android features, any app features or even remote engine start, is to make sure that they are all features that are built into the vehicle and they are not cloud-based or subscription based.
An increasingly popular trend now is for many automakers to be moving all of these features into cloud-based or subscription-based services where you need to pay a monthly fee or an annual fee if you want to use the feature.
So if you’re not a fan of that kind of a system, you absolutely need to make it clear that the car that you’re purchasing has actual physical features that are built into the vehicle and they are not cloud-based or subscription based.
Transmission and Engine Considerations
The next feature which I would absolutely consider to be a must have, is purchasing a vehicle that has a conventional transmission shift pattern.
Traditional Gear Selector:
The best setup for an automatic transmission is a traditional mechanical gear selector with the classic PRND shift pattern.
It’s simple, familiar and safe. Many automakers, however, are trying to reinvent the wheel by coming up with new and sometimes strange methods.
For gear selectors, I find that a lot of the newer vehicles that have some of the more creative and bizarre shifter patterns for the automatic transmissions can be rather frustrating, complicated, and potentially problematic in the long run.
So whenever possible, go with a vehicle that has a conventional ship pattern for the automatic transmission.
And while on the topic of transmissions and drive trains in general, let’s talk engines.
Naturally Aspirated Engine
Now, when it comes to engines, there are some absolute must haves that you need to watch for at least if you want to have a much better shot at maintaining excellent long-term reliability.
One thing I consider a must have for long-term vehicle reliability is a vehicle that has a naturally aspirated engine.
Many new vehicles are moving towards very small displacement turbocharge engines, which are designed to save fuel and reduce emissions.
But these engines can also create more long-term repair concerns with more parts, more trouble spots, and more servicing challenges all built around an engine that’s creating a lot more heat and pressure that’s working extremely hard all the time.
Turbo engines are not necessarily bad and there are plenty that can last a long time when well maintained.
But if you want to be on the safe side, and if you’re the type of person that holds onto their vehicle as long as possible, say upwards of 10 to 15 years, and you wanna have the best shot at minimizing your repair costs and troubles and headaches down the road, going with a non turbo naturally aspirate engine with a larger displacement is the safest way to go.
And this is also true if you’re purchasing a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid vehicle as well.
Transmission Types
Now next to the engine, the biggest and potentially most expensive components in a vehicle is the transmission.
So what should you be looking for here as a must have? Well, there are many different types of transmissions, and quite frankly, each type has their good examples and bad examples.
Generally speaking, there are some types that are safer than others.
Hybrid ECVT
When it comes to reliability, for example, when it comes to hybrids, the most reliable transmission type is the ECVT.
Now, do not mistake this for a conventional CVT because they are not the same thing.
A hybrid ECVT is a very simple system of gears and clutches only found on hybrids.
Mechanically, they are quite straightforward and simple and they have proven to be extremely reliable to the point where major failure is even at extremely high mileage is extremely rare.
So if you’re buying a hybrid, this is definitely the way to go.
Conventional Automatic Transmission
As for conventional gas vehicles, if you want to be on the safe side, a conventional torque converter automatic transmission is generally the safest move for longevity.
These typically come in six speed to eight speeds and even some nine or 10 speeds.
And compared to other transmission types such as CVTs or DCTs, which are typically more complicated, not repairable or more fragile, a conventional transmission has fewer risks and more options when they need repairs.
When it comes to engines and transmission, simple is generally best.
Spare Tire Kit vs. Alternatives
I would say the same for tires.
A must have when it comes to tires is having conventional tires with a spare tire kit.
Unfortunately, more and more automakers are moving away from this and not including a spare tire anymore.
This is generally done to either save weight, save space, or even save money.
And the go-to now seems to be either using run flat tires or having regular tires with a tire inflator kit, neither of which is as good of an alternative.
So if you’re purchasing a new vehicle that does not come with a proper spare tire, you might wanna consider purchasing a spare tire kit either through aftermarket or through the dealership and throwing it into the back whenever you need it for a longer trip.
All-Wheel Drive vs. Winter Tires
Another feature, which many wonder whether it’s a must have, especially if you live somewhere where there’s harsh winter weather is all wheel drive.
I would not say that all wheel drive is a must have feature.
It’s more of a nice feature to have, which adds an extra security blanket when driving in harsh conditions.
It helps provide traction when moving from a dead stop, which definitely helps on slippery road surfaces.
That being said, all-wheel drive also adds cost. It adds weight to a vehicle which reduces fuel efficiency and it creates more long-term maintenance and repair items when compared to two wheel drive.
Instead, what I would consider to be a must-have feature for those who live where there is harsh winters is to have a proper dedicated set of winter tires.
Winter tires allow you to drive much more safely in the winter.
They allow you to turn and stop a lot better and drive with a lot more confidence, and they’re extremely good at helping to prevent accidents from happening in the first place.
So if you live somewhere where there’s harsh winters, definitely get a set of proper winter tires.
Final Word
So there you have, and now you’ll know what to look for when shopping for your next vehicle to help make it a lot more enjoyable, safer, and help to have much better long-term reliability.