4 Of the Most Unnecessary Features Found in Cars - Vol.328
In the noble pursuit of excellence, the auto industry seems bent on applying every ounce of technology into their products; this application seems to exist merely for its own sake. Following are a few of the most unnecessary accessories that we find trending in the automotive industry today.
Keypad Controlled Rear View Mirror
The idea was "if it can be adjusted make it automatically adjusted." Some things are better left to manual controls and the rear view mirror in the middle of the windshield is one of them. I have yet to meet a serious motorist who believes the task of adjusting this mirror with the hand is tedious in anyway. As a matter of fact, it is part of the "launch" procedure a good driver will perform before commencing a trip, along with fastening seatbelts, stowing mobile devices, etc.
The idea was great at the beginning though, adjusting the side mirrors via mechanized controls was pure genius. It is almost impossible to adjust the driver's side mirror when the car is in motion and the other side is pretty far, even for a lanky motorist. But motorizing the interior mirror was hardly necessary, a luxury for luxury's sake, if ever there were one.
Sunroofs
While this is certainly a matter of perspective, from a professional in the automotive the sunroof seems to be an unnecessary feature for a car. While there will certainly be moments that justify the sunroof, on the whole it fails to serve any good purpose. They are like the halfway mark to the convertible in price and functionality.
In colder countries to the north, this feature is known for allowing the cold to enter into the car. Further south, strong winds and rains will add wear and tear to the sunroof, which will need to be properly maintained to remain functional; this is just one more cost.
When the weather and temperature is decent opening the windows can keep the interior cool too, but the sun beating in through the sunroof is never comfortable. It is extremely dangerous to allow anyone, small children or adults to poke their head or limbs out of the sunroof when it is in motion, so what is the real point to a sunroof and the hundreds of extra dollars it will cost?
Automatic Car Doors
We love things that are automatic, it takes so much off of our hands, Automatic windows - great! Automatic locks - perfect! Automatic Doors? Why? Automatic doors are a useless addition to the modern automobile. The trunks or tailgates that open automatically are a great idea when you have your hands full. But the notion, that anyone would not have the desire to manually engage the sophisticated and easy-to-operate hinges of their car door is a comment on the sad state in which the opulent and plain lazy are headed. Furthermore, there are only certain models that have this feature standard. This means an additional cost for a seriously useless addition.
Dynamic Steering
This idea was not seen in many cars, but the BMW Company did feature this in a number of their models. This is a feature that allows the tension of the steering to be adjusted between a comfortable luxury feel and a tenser sporty feel.
The problem with this was a safety concern, primarily if it provides the driver with a precise interface with their car. Sometimes these cars would adjust when they were in motion meaning the driver would have to adjust their driving accordingly. In the end, "dynamic driving" was not functional enough to convince the automotive industry of its worth and is not featured in modern cars.