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Old 31st August 2018, 15:20   #46
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator View Post
Certainly not joking. Those who wear seatbelts, do it as a habit. My point is - if a driver (not passenger - who can be excused for forgetting as he/she is not involved in "driving" part) need to be reminded that he/she is not wearing seat-belt, he/she should get their MRI/CT scans done for possible memory loss/attention deficit.

Making seatbelt warning light mandatory by law would not change a zilch. Wearing a seatbelt is already mandatory by law, how many in India actually wear seat-belt? and guess what, we still need a reminder light?
It takes time for habits to develop. What about those new to driving?
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:30   #47
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Re: The most useless features in cars

For those that don't smoke, a cigarette lighter. I don't know if current gen Octavia has it, but the Octavia MK1 did.

In the 12 years we had the car, it was never used until I got a dash-cam and used the socket to power it

This was roughly how it looked

The most useless features in cars-delete.jpg
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:38   #48
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by Santoshbhat View Post
It takes time for habits to develop. What about those new to driving?
Seriously? This is supposed to be one of the first few steps when you touch a car. Sit on the seat => adjust seat to a comfortable position => wear seat-belt => adjust IRVM and ORVM => Press the clutch and check if the car is in neutral => Crank the engine and drive.

Anyways, for me it's useless; for people who don't wear seat-belts, it is anyways useless. If your own safety, together with being mandatory by law can't make a driver wear seat-belt, I don't think a tiny warning light can make any change.
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:41   #49
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by smartcat View Post
Car AC's air flow modes! Why would anybody want to "get cold feet"?
I think this feature might come handy when HVAC is used in heater mode. However in our conditions we never have used the heater mode in the first place.
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:41   #50
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
While I know a lot of people will differ but I find cruise control feature in India completely useless. I have never used it and don't see myself ever doing so either.
The first time I ever used this feature on my new Duster AMT, it ended up in front tyre sidewall burst and damage to front bumper and dent to the alloy wheel. This happened on my way to Hassan in the first week of purchase period. After this I have stayed away from this feature.
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:43   #51
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Re: The most useless features in cars

In my view, No feature is useless OR No feature is inevitable for human beings. it is all in the human mind. People can live happily with whatever they have without cribs and people can keep cribbing with all that they have craving for those features that are not there with them.

If I ask myself, What are the only bare minimum features required for my car, then, In my view, 4 wheels(or only 3 ? ), engine, and its seating capacity to move forward with 4-5 people inside it and braking system. Nothing else is required including Gears. It is ok even if the car moves like a moped. In fact, people were happy with these kinds of cars earlier.

On the other end, in today's world, If I am asked what is my top limit with respect to availability of features in my car, I would say, get all features of all top end models of the all the cars available in the world, Put them in a wet grinder and blend it well and paste all of them inside my car. AND I WILL STILL CRIB SINCE I STILL MISS SOMETHING that is not available today but may come up in future

My thoughts may sound philosophical. But, just think deep. This is the reality of human mind

Last edited by gkveda : 31st August 2018 at 15:49.
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:43   #52
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator View Post
Certainly not joking. Those who wear seatbelts, do it as a habit. My point is - if a driver (not passenger - who can be excused for forgetting as he/she is not involved in "driving" part) need to be reminded that he/she is not wearing seat-belt, he/she should get their MRI/CT scans done for possible memory loss/attention deficit
I would disagree as well. A lot of times it has helped me in situations like - fuel stop, picking up snacks/fruits on highway roadside, heard a thud and got down to check, removed belt to pick something from the back seat, rushed to take out the vehicle from parking/crowded space, asking direction where maps don’t help, fellow passengers shouting to hurry up after a pit stop :P etc. And I was mostly reminded by the beep function.
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:48   #53
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by Amey Kulkarni View Post
One feature i can think of is the Rear Defogger. Probably the most underused out of the major listed feature in the feature list of a car brochure and debatable for its usage.

I can count my usage of it on fingers in two years.

Cheers,
Amey
I am on the opposite end of the spectrum, and think that rear defogger is one of the most essential features in a car, especially hatchbacks.
During monsoon or winter, use the rear defogger on a regular basis along-with rear wash/wipe.
So much so - that I would not buy any car that does not have a rear defogger. IF it's a hatchback, defogger+ rear wash wipe is a must.
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:52   #54
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Re: The most useless features in cars

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator View Post
Certainly not joking. Those who wear seatbelts, do it as a habit. My point is - if a driver (not passenger - who can be excused for forgetting as he/she is not involved in "driving" part) need to be reminded that he/she is not wearing seat-belt, he/she should get their MRI/CT scans done for possible memory loss/attention deficit.
Buckling up comes naturally to me. My hand moves to pull the belt by default as I sit in a car (not just in drivers seat). Even a pro like me forgets to buckle up sometimes, specially during short pit stops. I am sure I don't have any kind of deficiency. Not just light, Cars should have audible warning also.


What do you have to say about hand brake engaged warning light?
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Old 31st August 2018, 15:59   #55
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
"One man's meat is another man's poison".


Not all features are used by everyone, safety is no exception. It really boils down to one's personal choice. For example some people drive with folded ORVM and me cannot imagine driving without looking at them.

Some cars do not even feature left ORVM.


My two cents:
1. The roof rails are used by only a few (the cabs may be). The rest do not even know how to mount a rack on.
2. The rear spoilers in my opinion are dead weight. None of our cars run at F1 speeds that the aerodynamic factor can be realized.

Well again, the above features may be useless from my perspective, but to some, aesthetics can be more appealing.

Last edited by Thermodynamics : 31st August 2018 at 16:06.
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Old 31st August 2018, 16:03   #56
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by smartcat View Post
Car AC's air flow modes! Why would anybody want to "get cold feet"?
I use it very often in Chennai's harsh summer, AC vents take time to cool the cabin from 40+ degree, meanwhile my feet would be all sweaty if I don't use this.

About parking sensor switch off : My parking has lot of bamboos and other ornamental plants, they keep triggering the parking sensor every single day!!! would be a nice to have feature.

Last edited by giri1.8 : 31st August 2018 at 16:09.
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Old 31st August 2018, 16:03   #57
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator View Post
Seriously? This is supposed to be one of the first few steps when you touch a car.
Sorry dear, I think you are getting too much carried over the seatbelts. It's fine anyone can forget to wear seatbelts. Sharing todays incident while I went to drop my BIL to airport where he forgot to wear seatbelt on the front passenger seat. I have never seen him driving without seat belt in his car but today somehow he forgot, maybe something running in his mind. Then comes the seatbelt reminder alarm, post which he smiled and buckled up before we came out from apartment gate.

No one is perfect and no harm in accepting the truth, as someone already said we are not machines.
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Old 31st August 2018, 16:09   #58
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by smartcat View Post
Car AC's airflow modes! Why would anybody want to "get cold feet"?
I very much use this feature to dry the sweat that I get on my feet when I drive with sandals on.
It a very useful for me and even for my sweaty hands, I point the ac blower to the steering wheel.
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Old 31st August 2018, 16:19   #59
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Re: The most useless features in cars

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Originally Posted by Moto_Hill View Post
Buckling up comes naturally to me. My hand moves to pull the belt by default as I sit in a car (not just in drivers seat). Even a pro like me forgets to buckle up sometimes, specially during short pit stops. I am sure I don't have any kind of deficiency. Not just light, Cars should have audible warning also.


What do you have to say about hand brake engaged warning light?
Quote:
Originally Posted by roby_dk View Post
Sorry dear, I think you are getting too much carried over the seatbelts. It's fine anyone can forget to wear seatbelts. Sharing todays incident while I went to drop my BIL to airport where he forgot to wear seatbelt on the front passenger seat. I have never seen him driving without seat belt in his car but today somehow he forgot, maybe something running in his mind. Then comes the seatbelt reminder alarm, post which he smiled and buckled up before we came out from apartment gate.

No one is perfect and no harm in accepting the truth, as someone already said we are not machines.
I don't see the need to keep defending our views endlessly. so will refrain from it after this one.


Anyways, good that people find the seat-belt warning light (not sound, just light that I am talking about) due to our tendency of forgetfulness about such a basic thing as seat-belt. It definitely makes sense

Which makes it clear to me: why many modern cars have the gear change suggest/prompt on MID. In case we forget to change gears.


In another thread, people are bashing speed warning chime in new Ciaz
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Old 31st August 2018, 16:22   #60
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Re: The most useless features in cars

Auto dimming rearview mirror!!

I have a car with a manual dimmer and even while driving at night, I find myself changing to day mode quite frequently.
Could be for added visibility while backing up, or for any other reason that may arise.

It is a fairly easy excercise which doesn't need unnecessary complication. Switching manually is quicker.

Having said this, dimming ORVMs would be a welcome feature, which should trickle down to more modestly priced cars.

Also, auto windshield wipers!
Ok, I understand the need for auto headlamps, where someone might forget to switch them on, on well-lit roads at night.
But auto wipers?
In which scenario would you 'forget' to switch them on? If it's raining and your visibility is impaired even slightly, you'd turn them on.
Also, unless the calibration of the auto wipers is just right, it could cause an unwanted surprise by kicking in when not required, or maybe not activate at all, forcing you to take over manually.

Also you'd anyway have to manually intervene to force-clean a dirty windshield.

So according to me, the two features mentioned above aren't really required.
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