Good to have car equipment

[janneppi]

I'm thinking of starting to concider getting a newer car and coming from a car with no AC, no power windows, etc... I'd like some input on what's actually considered necessary, good to have, pointless or harmfull. :)

I'd like the next car to have AC, cruise control , heated seats/mirrors(but those are standard right?)...Then what? :D

I don't need a GPS navigator, and probably don't need majority of available other stuff either.

[Eki]

Fuzzy dice.

[Sonic]

What is standard depends on the car and level of trim for that model. Get the AC for sure. Heated seats and mirrors are very nice, depending on where you live climate wise. You'll be surprised at how quickly power windows become a necessity. I've had cruise control as standard equipment on my last couple cars and never use it. It's useless in any kind of traffic, you need open roads to even think about it and I prefer to do my own driving anyway.

For other stuff, power mirrors are helpful; rear window defogger (mostly standard these days); memory positions for the seats and mirrors are good unless you're the only driver; most every thing else is in the "how much do you care to spend" category.

Funny that...I use my cruise control everywhere.

My fave gadgets in my latest car that I now couldn't do without and revert would be my cruise control, the A/C (pretty much standard in every car nowadays isn't it) and my Bluetooth system. Having the phone connect to the car without wires is great for hands free conversations, but it also converts texts into voice messages and even let's me play my tunes from the phone over the car speakers. Best. Toy. Ever.

[driveace]

It also depends on how much cash you have to spend.Great discounts about too.Just got. New Mercedes Benz C200 sport with sat nav ,glass roof,opening,everything you could ever want in a car ,paddles etc,7 speed auto/tip etc .List £34, payed just less than £27k brilliant value.!

[donKey jote]

Automatic and Adaptive Cruise Control. :bandit:
I use it everywhere, from city to open roads :)

[ioan]

I'm thinking of starting to concider getting a newer car and coming from a car with no AC, no power windows, etc... I'd like some input on what's actually considered necessary, good to have, pointless or harmfull. :)

I'd like the next car to have AC, cruise control , heated seats/mirrors(but those are standard right?)...Then what? :D

I don't need a GPS navigator, and probably don't need majority of available other stuff either.

You need heated seats and cruise control but no GPS navigation? I think you've got your priorities wrong there.

[ioan]

Funny that...I use my cruise control everywhere.

My fave gadgets in my latest car that I now couldn't do without and revert would be my cruise control, the A/C (pretty much standard in every car nowadays isn't it) and my Bluetooth system. Having the phone connect to the car without wires is great for hands free conversations, but it also converts texts into voice messages and even let's me play my tunes from the phone over the car speakers. Best. Toy. Ever.

:up: Bluetooth phone to radio adapter should be standard in all cars, IMO, for safety reasons. This would eliminates all the idiots who think they can hold a phone to their ear and drive in the same time, which turns out to cause a bunch of accidents.

[Mark]

I too use cruise control all the time. You don't have to have a completely empty road to use it. Adaptive would be nice but hey.

I find my heated windscreen indispensable for the winter months.

[Sonic]

I too use cruise control all the time. You don't have to have a completely empty road to use it. Adaptive would be nice but hey.

I find my heated windscreen indispensable for the winter months.

Now that I do miss. Had it on my 2003 Ford Focus but it hasn't even been on the options list of my last two cars. Shame...it was wonderful not to get blue fingers clearing ice.

[donKey jote]

A heated windscreen isn't just nice for Winter mornings, it saved be from a nasty and very sudden "freezing drizzle" moment on the Autobahn a couple of years ago :s

[Mark]

Winter morning procedure is get in the car and turn the engine on and press front and rear screen heaters and put the wipers on normal speed; then press the screen wash every 30 seconds or so, depending on how thick the ice is it's usually gone within a couple of minutes at the most. Much nicer than having to scrape the window!

Of course it doesn't help with snow but I can just brush that off and it'll deal with the ice underneath.

It doesn't help with side windows, so I often have to drive with those open until the heater comes in; that's if they aren't frozen shut!

[555-04Q2]

I'm thinking of starting to concider getting a newer car and coming from a car with no AC, no power windows, etc... I'd like some input on what's actually considered necessary, good to have, pointless or harmfull. :)

I'd like the next car to have AC, cruise control , heated seats/mirrors(but those are standard right?)...Then what? :D

I don't need a GPS navigator, and probably don't need majority of available other stuff either.

The less cr@p the car has, the less there is to go wrong with it. That is my advice :)

[driveace]

The less cr@p the car has, the less there is to go wrong with it. That is my advice :)
I totally agree with you on that point,although now ,plug it into computor,and hey presto,it gives you a fault number.Generally the simpler they are the less to go wrong

[555-04Q2]

I totally agree with you on that point,although now ,plug it into computor,and hey presto,it gives you a fault number.Generally the simpler they are the less to go wrong

Yup :up: Problem is, when some electronic components on modern cars start failing, so does the heart when we get the prices :p :

[SGWilko]

I totally agree with you on that point,although now ,plug it into computor,and hey presto,it gives you a fault number.Generally the simpler they are the less to go wrong

And when 'computer says no'? What then? ;)

[555-04Q2]

And when 'computer says no'? What then? ;)

You pay...big time :p :

[schmenke]

Cruise control? Depends on what kind of daily driving you do.
I spend most of my drives in rush hour traffic so cruise control is totally useless for me :s

AC is just about the only "neccessity" that I would insist upon. Mind you, in our climate heated seats sounds kind of nice :erm: .

[Eki]

Today: Lock deicer, window scraper and a snow brush. First snow came last night.

[SGWilko]

climate heated seats sounds kind of nice :erm: .

Mmmmmmm, nice. A side effect tends to be falling asleep at the wheel...... :p

[Gregor-y]

Today: Lock deicer, window scraper and a snow brush. First snow came last night.
I keep a small trench shovel in the car for the winter as well when I am going on a long trip or to a rally in the winter. I like the idea of heated seats but with cloth it's not much of an issue. Heated mirrors and an element at the bottom of the windshield to warm the wipers and keep snow from packing up would be nice.

[donKey jote]

Winter morning procedure is get in the car and turn the engine on and press front and rear screen heaters and put the wipers on normal speed; then press the screen wash every 30 seconds or so, depending on how thick the ice is it's usually gone within a couple of minutes at the most. Much nicer than having to scrape the window!

Of course it doesn't help with snow but I can just brush that off and it'll deal with the ice underneath.

It doesn't help with side windows, so I often have to drive with those open until the heater comes in; that's if they aren't frozen shut!

Ahh those were the days...

now I got meself a block heater though :p :bandit:

[schmenke]

A block heater is standard equipment around these parts :mark: .

In addition, I've installed an interior cabin heater that is mounted underneath the dashboard. I have it set on a timer so that it engages an hour or two before I leave in the mornnigs. It not only warms the interior, it helps keep the windows relatively free of snow or ice.

[donKey jote]

A block heater is standard equipment around these parts :mark: .

In addition, I've installed an interior cabin heater that is mounted underneath the dashboard. I have it set on a timer so that it engages an hour or two before I leave in the mornnigs. It not only warms the interior, it helps keep the windows relatively free of snow or ice.

I get a warm engine and a warm interior with mine... but around these parts I only need 20-30 minutes instead of an hour or two :p

[janneppi]

A block heater is standard equipment around these parts :mark: .

In addition, I've installed an interior cabin heater that is mounted underneath the dashboard. I have it set on a timer so that it engages an hour or two before I leave in the mornnigs. It not only warms the interior, it helps keep the windows relatively free of snow or ice.

A blockheater and interior heater plug are a must for me too, here you have to be careful when bying a car imported from Germany for example, it migth be missing those. My brother just bougth
an Audi A4 which has a parking camera, it feels a bit lolz but might actually prove to be useful. :-)

[Gregor-y]

If I clear the air intake at the base of the window the heater is hot enough within a few minutes to start loosening up ice. The real problem after a night of freezing is getting the transmission oil flowing.

[ioan]

A blockheater and interior heater plug are a must for me too, here you have to be careful when bying a car imported from Germany for example, it migth be missing those. My brother just bougth
an Audi A4 which has a parking camera, it feels a bit lolz but might actually prove to be useful. :-)

You don't really need a block heater or an interior heater in an Audi A4, for example.
My A4 diesel did start without any problems at -30 degrees. Also it heats up the interior very fast, it took about 5 minutes to reach 18 degrees in winter after being parked outside all night long.

I would rather invest the extra money in better transmission, suspension and tires/wheels. And a good battery that will not die in the cold, otherwise you can forget all the built in stuff.

[driveace]

[ The real problem after a night of freezing is getting the transmission oil flowing.[/QUOTE]
Most cars manual and automatic,in the UK,now use ATF oil in the transmission now,so the oil in the transmission is thinner,and you don't get much drag changing gear when temperature drops below freezing

[wedge]

A/C, CD player, decent stereo ie. just so long as music doesn't sound like its coming out of crap speakers.

[Gregor-y]

Most cars manual and automatic,in the UK,now use ATF oil in the transmission now,so the oil in the transmission is thinner,and you don't get much drag changing gear when temperature drops below freezing
How long has that been going on? My car is eight years old and I wonder if new manuals here use ATF as well.

[Malbec]

My A4 diesel did start without any problems at -30 degrees. Also it heats up the interior very fast, it took about 5 minutes to reach 18 degrees in winter after being parked outside all night long.

Good to see the Germans learning their lessons, if they'd had Diesel engines in their tanks back in '41 history might have been very different.

[ioan]

Good to see the Germans learning their lessons, if they'd had Diesel engines in their tanks back in '41 history might have been very different.

One must also say that the diesel we produce today is mixed with additives that keep from becoming unusable in the cold. They didn't have this technology back in the day, luckily.

[Rollo]

How long has that been going on? My car is eight years old and I wonder if new manuals here use ATF as well.

It really depends on the placement of the gearbox. Some manufacturers place the gearbox in such a place as it gets lubricated with engine oil, some do use ATF. The usual standard now is Dexron-VI or Mercon-V. Most front wheel drive cars where the gearbox is housed separately to the engine will ask for one of these.

[airshifter]

How long has that been going on? My car is eight years old and I wonder if new manuals here use ATF as well.

A lot of them use the thinner fluids, and have been for years. Even then real cold mornings make the shifting a bit harder for a few miles until there is some heat in the tranny. Synthetics help sometimes, others not. Best to seek out a car specific forum if you can find one.

[ioan]

Just as important is a fuel line and filter heater. If diesel gels on you you're not going to get that puppy started til spring.

Went to fill up yesterday and I noticed they claim that the OMV diesel will not start to freeze until -35 degrees C. That's more than OK for the largest part of Europe.

[Eki]

Went to fill up yesterday and I noticed they claim that the OMV diesel will not start to freeze until -35 degrees C. That's more than OK for the largest part of Europe.
For the winter diesel they sell here in Finland, they promise -29 degC and -34 degC if the car is well maintained. For the arctic diesel they sell in Northern Finland, they promise -40 degC and -44 degC for well maintained cars.

[Mark]

Whereas in Britain the lowest I've ever experienced is -12C, and that was pretty much a one off early morning (7am ish) and didn't recur. Usually the coldest it gets in the winter (in lowland areas of England) is around -5C.

Which kind of explains why Britain grinds to a halt when temperatures get to -10C or so, when Scandanvian countries manage ok. Simply because it's not worth spending all that extra to deal with (say) -15C when the majority of the time it's nowhere near that cold.

[ioan]

For the winter diesel they sell here in Finland, they promise -29 degC and -34 degC if the car is well maintained. For the arctic diesel they sell in Northern Finland, they promise -40 degC and -44 degC for well maintained cars.

I guess you really need it though.
Nice to see what science can allow for nowadays. And it will only get better with the electric and hybrid cars!

[Mark]

I dunno, batteries have even more issues with the cold.

[Eki]

I dunno, batteries have even more issues with the cold.
That's why a portable jump starter is good to have. But a well maintained car, suitable oil, suitable coolant and a good battery can manage at least -30 degC, more if you have an engine block heater.

[schmenke]

...And it will only get better with the electric and hybrid cars!

Both of which are the most ecologically unfriendly modes of transportation...

[Mark]

That's why a portable jump starter is good to have. But a well maintained car, suitable oil, suitable coolant and a good battery can manage at least -30 degC, more if you have an engine block heater.

I was thinking more of diminished performance in electrically powered cars, rather than those that just use the batter for starting, as you can still start a car with a battery that can only hold 50% peak charge.

[Jag_Warrior]

The only feature that I really wish my daily driver (WRX) had is heated mirrors. AC is pretty much standard on most cars these days - though I only use mine if it's brutally hot... or if my girl is in the car (I'd put a giant bag of ice in the hatch if it would stop her from whining about it being hot). And things like automatic climate control, heated seats, automatic windshield wipers and even cruise control would seldom, if ever, be used by me. Many of the options on my XK8 never get used. Like 555 said, more electronic gizmos just means more to go wrong (usually the day after the warranty runs out). All that said, I would kind of like to have Bluetooth in my next car.

[schmenke]

Probably the least-used gadget on our minivan is the cruise control :mark: .
Oh, and that silly digital compass direction readout on the rear-view mirror :s .