New features I’d like on cars

[MyNameIsUrl]

New features are often introduced on cars, but here are some that I’d like but haven’t yet appeared:

In the settings, the ability to set the indicator clicking much louder so that those with imperfect hearing don’t forget to cancel the indicators. Additionally, provide the option of a much more noticeable flashing display on the instrument screen.

Adjacent to the courtesy light, a tiny power socket designed to accept a similarly tiny plug on a dashcam, to avoid having wires threaded through the trim.

Additional miniature cameras (like those fitted for reversing) in each wheel arch, pointing downwards so I can avoid kerbing my alloys when parking.


And less seriously:

A knob on the dash to select an extremely low speed eg 0.01mph (less than 5mm per second). This would be a fairly easy addition to an electric car. It’s to be used on box junctions where it’s illegal to stop, but you could just crawl very slowly while waiting for traffic to move.

A setting for indicators so that they operate automatically. As the car turns - without warning - to go round a corner, the indicators start to flash, with no need for driver input. It seems though that many cars already have this feature.


Any others?

[doolally]

A setting for indicators so that they operate automatically. As the car turns - without warning - to go round a corner, the indicators start to flash, with no need for driver input. It seems though that many cars already have this feature.

Any others?

So when a car reaches a roundabout, it signals left even though the driver is in the right-hand lane to turn right? That should cause a bit of alarm and confusion!
doolally

[bungeejumper]

I'd like a scrolling text message for my rear screen. One that could say, for example:

"Every time you get closer to my bumper, I go a bit slower. That's because I'm having to make the braking decisions for both of us."

"For expletive deleted's sake, get your effing headlights adjusted."

"I know your sticker says Baby on Board, but do you really have to let it drive?"

And, just occasionally: "Sorry. "

BJ

[DrFfybes]

How about a clock that automatically adjusts for Daylight Saving?

And the option to easily adjust the 'one touch' indicators from 3 flashes to 5.

And a mute button for the seatbelt/door open alarm.

And a 50mph speed limter when you have fog lights on.

Paul

[Tedx]

Squeaky toy under the brake pedal?

Speedo that reads 30mph when you're doing 70 so your mum doesn't freak out?

https://youtu.be/OmS-YTL02pY

Or a Peter Kay car alarm?

https://youtu.be/khLRjyJ_Ymo

[bungeejumper]

How about a clock that automatically adjusts for Daylight Saving?

Difficult unless your clock is set in some way by GPS - apparently some Lexi can do it. But for the rest of us, we'd be asking the car to guess which country we were driving in. I'd settle for a simple button that advanced or retarded by an hour. None of this "hit that peculiar little square under the steering wheel and simultaneously scroll through the advanced options on the steering wheel column until you happen on the right combination." Somebody needs to remember that we only do the time update twice a year, which is infrequently enough to forget the convoluted technique every single bloody time.

And a mute button for the seatbelt/door open alarm.

Hmmm, unless you were a garage mechanic, or you drove around your garden a lot with no seatbelt on, why would you not want to be nagged? Just asking.

BJ

[quelquod]

How about a clock that automatically adjusts for Daylight Saving?
Paul

Those of us less interested in veteran vehicles already have that.

[scotview]

Vehicle to home power outlet on BEVs, fully approved by the grid.

[Hallucigenia]

How about a clock that automatically adjusts for Daylight Saving?

Difficult unless your clock is set in some way by GPS - apparently some Lexi can do it. But for the rest of us, we'd be asking the car to guess which country we were driving in.

Most cars have access to GPS these days - but you can also do it via digital radio, my bedside clock radio automatically adjusts for summer time as soon as you put the radio on after the clocks change. And DAB has sufficiently short range (of the order of 40-50 miles) that it follows national boundaries fairly closely, it's not really a problem in the UK.

Although saying that, my first smartphone had problems with its GPS-linked timezone mode, as the geofence wasn't quite right (probably just too coarse) and so it thought South Foreland was in France and set itself to French time.

[servodude]

I'd like a scrolling text message for my rear screen. One that could say, for example:

"Every time you get closer to my bumper, I go a bit slower. That's because I'm having to make the braking decisions for both of us."

"For expletive deleted's sake, get your effing headlights adjusted."

"I know your sticker says Baby on Board, but do you really have to let it drive?"

And, just occasionally: "Sorry. "

BJ

Well if that's what you really really want....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leadleds-Scrolling-Message-Display-Controller/dp/B00XVYCVYU

-sd

[DrFfybes]

How about a clock that automatically adjusts for Daylight Saving?

Difficult unless your clock is set in some way by GPS

BMW (2006) and Toyota (2016) both have GPS, yet need the clock resetting manually. Other Toyota (1990) has a "zero mins" and "+1 hour" button

And a mute button for the seatbelt/door open alarm.

Hmmm, unless you were a garage mechanic, or you drove around your garden a lot with no seatbelt on, why would you not want to be nagged? Just asking.

Long loads needing the tailgate open slightly - get to 5 or 7 mph and the warning takes over everything. Also box of village magazines/large chinese on the front seat.

In the settings, the ability to set the indicator clicking much louder so that those with imperfect hearing don’t forget to cancel the indicators

This should be possible. In the Avensis the indicator 'click' doesn't happen when the seatbelt/door open alarm is on, so they are obviously synthesised and fed into the cabin through a speaker system.

Actually - a websearch suggests both of these can be adjusted on many cars.

Paul

[formoverfunction]

The capacity to last a lifetime and be used as an income generating asset....

Seriously, do cars need more, in my mind they need less and last longer.

As you might guess I am a Land Rover owner. My youngster will be 25 next year.

[AF62]

Adjacent to the courtesy light, a tiny power socket designed to accept a similarly tiny plug on a dashcam, to avoid having wires threaded through the trim.

Already in existence on newer MG cars, but this company sells adapters to plug into the powered rear-view mirror to create a USB socket spur - I used one recently and the dash-cam install took 10 minutes - https://dongar.tech/collections/adapters

Additional miniature cameras (like those fitted for reversing) in each wheel arch, pointing downwards so I can avoid kerbing my alloys when parking.

ClearSight Ground View on Land Rovers and Range Rovers does this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwaGYm6TvzM however many cars already have the option to dip the side mirror when parking to give you a view of the pavement and wheels.

How about a clock that automatically adjusts for Daylight Saving?

Both my Fiat and Kia do that.

And the option to easily adjust the 'one touch' indicators from 3 flashes to 5.

And my Kia does that (and gives you the option to turn it off completely).

The one feature I would like is a memory setting to adjust the rear-view mirror in the car. I can press a button to set the seat to my remembered position, height, tilt, and lumbar support, and to change the side mirrors to where I need them, and even to change the settings in the entertainment system so it connects to my phone and displays my radio stations, but I still have to adjust the rear-view mirror by hand.

[Gerry557]

A setting for indicators so that they operate automatically. As the car turns - without warning - to go round a corner, the indicators start to flash, with no need for driver input. It seems though that many cars already have this feature.

Any others?

So when a car reaches a roundabout, it signals left even though the driver is in the right-hand lane to turn right? That should cause a bit of alarm and confusion!
doolally

That should cause a bit of alarm and confusion!

Have you not driven recently..... That now seems to be the norm.

I don't like all these new woke drivers, you know the ones. They identity as have the right of way whilst driving at you head on.

Can I get a green light changer button for my car please.

[MonsterMork]

The one feature I would like is a memory setting to adjust the rear-view mirror in the car ..... but I still have to adjust the rear-view mirror by hand.

I want a function that prevents the rear view mirror from being pointed at the sqwarking spawn of satan in the rear seat

Or one that tells the driver that a bulb has failed, perhaps with a light on the dash and a warning message on the console. Oh, wait, I think they might have invented that one after all ....

MM

[redsturgeon]

The capacity to last a lifetime and be used as an income generating asset....

Seriously, do cars need more, in my mind they need less and last longer.

As you might guess I am a Land Rover owner. My youngster will be 25 next year.

Surely the average 25 year old Land Rover is a bit like Trigger's broom?

John

[formoverfunction]

Not mine, the only major change is an upgrade to the lights. I embraced LED!

With that exception, and the obvious service replacements, it's all original.

I have fitted extra security, but it's surprising how long vehicles can and do last.

There was little bit of welding done around of the door a few years ago, but now much. I might be encouraged to go electric post 2030 though. There is a conversion kit available based on using old Tesla batteries.

And I do need to buy seat covers, the driver seat look a bit worse for wear.

Overall I've had nearly 18 years of running from it and the last time I checked it had slightly appreciated in value over the purchase price.

It's not the most comfortable of drives, but somehow it gives me a sense of freedom and so less distracting without all the gizmos of newer cars.

So I remain in the longevity and simplicity camp

[Lootman]

The capacity to last a lifetime and be used as an income generating asset....

Seriously, do cars need more, in my mind they need less and last longer.

As you might guess I am a Land Rover owner. My youngster will be 25 next year.

Yes, I think if you plan on keeping a vehicle for decades, rather than trading it in for a new one every 2 years, then the cost of maintenance becomes an issue. And the more "features" a car has, the more there is to go wrong, and the harder and more expensive it is to fix.

I still recall how thrilled I was when I first bought a (second-hand) car with electric windows. They were great until they failed, and then I realised that the cost of having them repaired was far more than repairing an old-style hand-cranked window opener. I did not want to spend that much on what was an old and cheap car, so I just drove around without being able to open the windows.

A friend of mine lost the fancy high-tech key fob to his BMW and it cost him hundreds to get a replacement.

So tech for tech's sake doesn't interest me, as it is just more to go wrong. My first 3 cars were all built in the 1950s. My 1990s built car is far superior to them in every way. But advances since then leave me cold - I just don't need them.

[AF62]

But advances since then leave me cold - I just don't need them.

Doing lots of motorway miles recently then having a modern car that almost drives itself - adaptive cruise control to accelerate and brake, lane keep assist to steer, rear cross traffic alert for those cars who hide in mirror blind-spots, CarPlay to provide optimal routing to avoid the traffic, streamed entertainment, and then the creature comforts of heated or cooled seats - makes doing those journeys on crowded roads a lot more relaxing.

[Lootman]

But advances since then leave me cold - I just don't need them.

Doing lots of motorway miles recently then having a modern car that almost drives itself - adaptive cruise control to accelerate and brake, lane keep assist to steer, rear cross traffic alert for those cars who hide in mirror blind-spots, CarPlay to provide optimal routing to avoid the traffic, streamed entertainment, and then the creature comforts of heated or cooled - makes doing those journeys on crowded roads a lot more relaxing.

I probably do not do the miles you do, so it is a different set of criteria for me. But I particularly do not want my car to drive for me, or anything approaching that.

I have had a number of cars with cruise control, and I never used it. I can also parallel park so do not need "help" with that either, although I have certainly been in cars where the driver could have done with that.

I had a Volvo that had heated seats, and that was nice. But that was 30 years ago, and so hardly a modern feature.

Needless to say I am not a fan of EVs or self-driving technology, but that is a discussion for another topic and time.