[vittalnrv]

The auto start stop function which is default on any Mercedes.

Ashtrays, ESP off, sunroof, anti pinch windows, DRLs, and scuff plates.

May I also add the rear windscreen wiper.

[BeantownThinker]

Here's my list of useless features

• The rear spoilers. Neither is it aesthetic nor is it functional. Then why give it?
• Coat hooks on the ceiling. Of all the cars that you have seen how many people actually use this?
• Touchscreen infotainment. More than not being useless, I would say this is dangerous. Physical buttons are more intuitive to use.
• The economy mode in my car. This stupid mode in my car does NOTHING to change the driving dynamics of the car but just lights up a green light when it "thinks" I am driving economically. That is just plain stupid.
• Instant fuel economy on the MID. Never really found any use for this.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by peterjim13

Conversation Mirrors - like the ones on the XUV - never used them.

CHROME CHROME CHROME : I keep reading on brochures when they compare models stating - Chrome Door Handles - Chrome Side Mirror Cover - Chrome This - Chrome That - When will they get rid of this chrome.

Just my opinion - but love reading most of your opinions.

Conversation mirrors are useful in case you are the only adult in the car driving, and you have a kid in the rear seat.

Echo your thoughts on the chrome parts though.

Originally Posted by knightrider_7

Fixed rear headrests: Again, useful only to a particular set of people with less height. Cars should come with three adjustable rear headrests as standard, if the manufacturer states that the seating capacity is five.

Correct - off late many carmakers are skipping on providing rear adjustable headrests.

Originally Posted by AKTRACK

If one goes by the usage, I think the low beam is pretty useless as well.

Surely you must be kidding - it's the low beam that should be used for 90% of the time except when you are driving on open country roads with sparse traffic.

Originally Posted by vittalnrv

May I also add the rear windscreen wiper.

rear wiper should be made mandatory fixture on all hatchback cars, due to vortex effect that throws up additional water/road film to be deposited on the rear glass.

Originally Posted by BeantownThinker

The rear spoilers. Neither is it aesthetic nor is it functional. Then why give it?

Functional - almost always no. Aesthetic - if applied judicially, yes.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by vrprabhu

BTW, the spoiler enables me to tag my car as 'Sports' model. Ain't it worth something?

I like discreet spoilers on sports models. It meant something on my Vtec and vRS to make it look menacing. Totally unecessary on my Jetta. Yes- more an aesthetic item unless we really drive at 100km/h+.

Originally Posted by knightrider_7

Fixed rear headrests: Again, useful only to a particular set of people with less height. Cars should come with three adjustable rear headrests as standard, if the manufacturer states that the seating capacity is five.

I agree, main reason for the fixed headrest is to avoid whiplash. Small cars like the i10 have fixed items as a balance between compliance with NCAP norms and low costs.

Originally Posted by sparameswaran

I use Cruise Control extensively on TN highway trips from Pondy to Kerala It curbs your urge to speed (inadvertently or otherwise).

I can live without cruise control but I use it to curb my speed on the way to the airport or on the EC flyover. I might accelerate in short bursts and lift off to let the cruise control do its bit.

Sunroofs - I have lived 6 years without one - I loved it in Bangalore - early morning drives to office. However, the ones that retract into the roof make sense. The up and over systems features in Mercedes Panoramic rooms are useless- ugly, un -aerodynamic, fragile

Auto-lights and wipers - I find it invaluable. One less thing to fiddle with

Seat Memory - I dont have it but wish I did

Other Useless Stuff


In car Navigation Systems - The dealers will take you to the cleaners when you seek updates. Good old Google on a phone is enough

Electric Boot / Tailgate closers - useless, adds weight, I can close faster then the damn motor and the mechanism is at risk when being manually slammed by the ignorance mall security

Electric Handbrakes - more space but less control and less fun - nudge nudge wink wink . Additionally, the motors which actuate the handbrake will fail due to the muck and corrosion it is exposed to

Electric Steering Adjustment - totally useless - same effort to operate the buttons as manually done and that too you can adjust reach and height simultaneously.

Touch Screens - A distraction - I prefer buttons which you can locate and use without looking.

Online Music/Ipods/ - Useless, you want it all but you cannot access it all when driving. You have so much choice that you cannot make a decision, bit like find a bride for a friend of mine. Joking aside, my cousin makes his wife drive his Tesla on long trips so that he can fiddle with the music.

Underfloor Boot Storage at the expense of a Spare Wheel - Do all of us have a dying need to store naughty stuff at the expense of a compromised drive after a puncture?

Keyless Ignition - Exposure to theft, aids forgetfulness. Friend of mine received her Ignis from valet parking at midnight. Reached home to realise the key was still with the vale. Went back to find he clocked off. My mother keeps wondering whether she locked her i10 or not

[graaja]

I would not call any feature useless in a car. Every feature is going to be useful to someone or other. By the way the list grows in this thread, I would not be surprised if someone says a car itself is useless, and he would not be wrong

Noticed something funny: For almost all features listed in this thread as useless, someone wants them in another thread

[KL54]

Cruise control might be borderline useless but adaptive cruise control is something I use on my Subaru Impreza on a daily basis. Probably the only reason I still have a functioning ankle given that I drive in stop-n-go traffic.

[anoop_lamba]

Not a feature, but the most useless and irritating accessory in my opinion - back up / reverse alarm.

[AutoNoob]

Originally Posted by BeantownThinker

The rear spoilers. Neither is it aesthetic nor is it functional. Then why give it?

Originally Posted by blackasta

Functional - almost always no. Aesthetic - if applied judicially, yes.

I don't have detailed understanding on rear spoilers, but I have seen some aerodynamic test videos for cars. There it was shown that spoilers help in reducing drag. In some sedans, I have seen trunk lid edge shaped to reduce drag (example: 2017 Hyundai Verna). Aerofoils/ wings are to increase downward force for better traction.

However, spoilers & aerofoils work only if properly designed and integrated with vehicle, not when they are mere part of body styling kit.

The below article tries to explain the function of spoilers & aerofoils on cars. It may not be a perfect explanation but for a noob like me, it was good enough.

Do Spoilers Actually Make Cars Go Faster?

[Source: Team BHP Official Review]

[boohooper]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Car AC's air flow modes! Why would anybody want to "get cold feet"?

Attachment 1794821

Buddy, try it in summer after a tiring walk ( in places where your car wont go - obviously) in the Heat! Ahhh! It really helps. And if you remove your Shoes...AAAHHHHH!!!! You'll bless those vents, the option and the guys who thought it up! Cheers!

[gururajrv]

Honestly, boot lamp! I mean, come on, boot lamp provided in my Brezza, it just sucks. A candle light would do better than the miniature bulb setup. How many of us here, really use the boot lamp? How useful has it been? To me at least it’s just nothing.

[raveesh_k]

Originally Posted by Samurai

My List:

1) Cruise Control (owned 3 cars with it)

Its quite useful in Europe within cities where the speed limit of 50 kmph can be easily crossed even on a light foot. And getting flashed for that in town, is not a very great feeling. I agree on the highways even here on the autobahn, its quite useless, even the adaptive ones.

[gk1234]

Ambient lighting strips on door and dash panels, and the first aid kit they keep in the trunk of the car. Ambient lighting is useless to me because, well, they are not useful to me.
As for the first aid kit, the ones I have come across barely contain anything useful, and definitely not in needful quantities. I mean, a couple of tiny bandaids and a small cotton gauze with a 5 Mg tube of betadine does not make a useful kit in case of motor accidents.
As for heated seats, I don’t think they are completely useless, for during a long drive, I do like some heat on to my back, but just enough to keep the blood flowing, but not too much to burn my back. For comfort, of course, I prefer ventilated seats.
I know the sunroof is a useful feature to have in cooler climates, but god I hate it with all my might. Sunroofs with those translucent cloth covers beneath the glass are the worst, for they don’t block the sun out completely on a hot bright day, and to make it worse, it takes a lot longer to cool the cabin down after being parked under the sun all day.
Also, sport mode in a car with a CVT gearbox.

[NiInJa]

Previously, cars would come with cigarette lighters. Fiat Linea which was one below top end came with one but did not have an Aux input for the music system let alone Bluetooth and other features. I believe even older cars in the 90s used to have this feature. For non smokers or those who dont allow smoking inside the car, it was a totally useless thing to have.

[Maverick1977]

Originally Posted by gururajrv

Honestly, boot lamp! I mean, come on, boot lamp provided in my Brezza, it just sucks. A candle light would do better than the miniature bulb setup. How many of us here, really use the boot lamp? How useful has it been? To me at least it’s just nothing.

Boot lamps are extremely useful, especially when you are travelling on the highway and want to quickly grab something from the bag. The issue is most manufacturers put these things for mentioning it as a feature in the brochure. Hence most come fitted with bulbs which make the candle light seem like a shining star. Best solution is to upgrade it to a LED and see the difference. Incidentally I have 2 boot lamps in my Skoda and the bulbs are as good as useless.

[Satyakart]

+1 for exclusion of cruise control from this list

There are highways e.g. Bangalore- Hyderabad where out of 570 odd kilometers, Cruise control takes off the strain on leg for almost 350 KM without any hassle.

My guess is that would within next 6-7 year time frame majority of highways shall be adapted or tuned to be 'cruisable'