[Eddy]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

But that's because you're an enthusiast and you know the importance of seat-belts. I have seen scores of people driving without seat-belts even when their car is equipped with an alarm. They wouldn't want to belt up and rather hear the alarm!

Yes, applies to me since I have made it a habit to buckle up. However, I have seen people insert a one rupee coin in the seat belt holder to stop the alarm from beeping.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

An i20 I recently drove had the co-driver seat-belt warning. Wouldn't it be irritating to the driver to see the warning, esp. when there's no one sitting in that seat?! The owner of the car I drove had put on the co-pilot seat-belt just to avoid seeing the warning.

Thats why I mentioned an alarm only when the co-passenger is unbuckled. It'll have to sense a person sitting there (maybe by weight) and then raise an alarm

[v&v]

Originally Posted by thoma

For a sports car, it is true, but I seriously doubt whether the spoilers present on passenger cars aid in stability at higher speeds. Isn't it just a butt enhancer rather than a stabilizer?

Agree & Disagree. If the car is being exclusively used within the city, then its a waste. But spoilers do help on highways, i have personally felt on my Baleno on which i added spoiler and found more stable at higher speeds on highways. Hence it more about need, would prefer it as accessory rather OE.

[BoneCollector]

The audio system is the most useless thing IMO.Come on,how can anyone force anyone to listen to music through sub-standard systems wherein they cant even offer a remote?If they have to give an audio system,they might as well give one with remote/or with steering mounted controls or leave it for the owner to decide which system he prefers.For eg. i want to purchase a WagonR Vxi due to the safety features on offer(esp. ABS) but i hate the OEM system that comes with it.But then i'll have to compromise with a system without remote,which doesn't play iPod rather than go for a vehicle without safety features.
One important thing for which i feel the location is wrong is the remote boot and fuel filler lid latches.In some of the cars,they are placed very near to each other and at night,inadvertently one ends up opening the wrong one.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by v&v

AIf the car is being exclusively used within the city, then its a waste. But spoilers do help on highways, i have personally felt on my Baleno on which i added spoiler and found more stable at higher speeds on highways.

Your Baleno spoiler has only one purpose : Aesthetics.

Also, a spoiler or a rear wing is effective only after 100s of hours of testing in the wind tunnel. And if it is effective, that's only above 180 - 200 kph.

Whatever stability you have on the Baleno is a result of the suspension tuning (among other factors), and NOT the spoiler which is, at best, a decorative accessory.

[v&v]

Your Baleno spoiler has only one purpose : Aesthetics.

Ya that is also one of the purpose.

Originally Posted by GTO

Also, a spoiler or a rear wing is effective only after 100s of hours of testing in the wind tunnel. And if it is effective, that's only above 180 - 200 kph.

Exactly. This is what i wanted to convey. There was a reasonable difference in handling above 160 + kmph. This change was prominent without any change or tuning to the suspension.

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

One totally unnecessary OEM that I can see is the RFT tires of BMW.



Although the lighter is useless for non-smokers like you (I guess) and me, the 12V socket is immensely useful.



Apart from that, my Punto EP has this foldable Keyfob. Only one is supplied, made in Italy. The cost of replacement is approx 1% of the car's ex-showroom price, I am told. 6500+ rupees.

Agree, forgot about that, its a fancy thing till I read about the replacement's pricing. Nowadays, I use it on weekends so I drop it less frequently. The OEM headlights are also a dud, but I guess they cant sell the car without those.
One OEM accessory I wanted was an armrest, TASS said 10 days and I ll get an SMS with details about is despatch. I did get an SMS, a month later, wishing me for my birthday

[raj.barcode]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

An i20 I recently drove had the co-driver seat-belt warning. Wouldn't it be irritating to the driver to see the warning, esp. when there's no one sitting in that seat?! The owner of the car I drove had put on the co-pilot seat-belt just to avoid seeing the warning.

when no ones sitting in pillion seat, no warning comes up, if in your friends car alarm is beeping /glowing, there is a electrical problem in his car

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by v&v

Armrest at Rear seat

Hey surprised to read that you find the rear arm rest not useful. Its such a blessing for passengers in the back seat. I think all cars should come with both a front and a rear arm rest.

Originally Posted by SDP

Electronically foldable mirrors?

You have to get used to them. Once you are you will never want to be in a car with manual ORVMs. It really does make life a lot easier.

Originally Posted by raj.barcode

when no ones sitting in pillion seat, no warning comes up, if in your friends car alarm is beeping /glowing, there is a electrical problem in his car

+1. Although they should also give some switch to shut that alarm off. Sometimes if I keep some luggage on the front passenger seat the alarm goes off. It does shut down after 4-5 minutes but by then you are already dizzy!

[vijaycool]

GTX has all the features even compared to the present car scenario. The only feature which I dont use is cigarette lighter. In ash tray I used to keep tickets. The optional extras were the alloy wheels and wings.

Instead of unnecessary OEM equipments there are many needed equipments missing in todays car.

1. Rear wash and defogger (very important)
2. Split head rest
3. Rotary wheel adjustment for seat recline(very useful if you on the move)
4. Day and NIght mirror
5. Temperature gauge (new cars are shy away with this instrument)
6. Door open indicator

What is not needed.

1. 60% roll down on the rear window
2. Child lock
3. Digital gizmos
4. Electric mirrors (costly replacement)

Some good gizmos added in some cars

1. Driver side auto up/down (nice feature)
2. Internal electric control IVRM

[vb-saan]

Interesting thread! But what is useless of one person maybe a necessity for the other.


For e.g.; spoilers are mentioned as an unwanted OEM fitment, but some for cars (say Laura vRS), a missing spoiler maybe a spoilsport.

A few items I can think of are:
1) Fabric floor mats
2) Leatherette seats (at times passed to customer as leather)
3) Sub-standard audio units and speakers (just to fill-in the feature list)

Originally Posted by dot

Most useless feature, IMHO, are the cup holders in India. They are used to store all sorts of things except cups. While it is a must have feature in western countries where one can buy a hot steaming cup of coffee to sip along while driving, such habit and lifestyle is almost non existent here.

Good point. That habit is not there, and even if it comes through, the road conditions will make sure that the coffee spill all over the place.

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

One totally unnecessary OEM that I can see is the RFT tires of BMW.

I don’t think it’s an unnecessary OEM. What is not cool is to deny customer the option to choose between RFTs or standard tyres.

Originally Posted by vijaycool

What is not needed.

1. 60% roll down on the rear window
2. Child lock
3. Digital gizmos
4. Electric mirrors (costly replacement)

Child lock is not needed!!! What made you say that?

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by vijaycool

What is not needed.

1. 60% roll down on the rear window

It's not an accessory. It's a design-flaw. Some cars have windows that don't roll down completely, because there is no give and no space left for the window to roll down.

Originally Posted by vijaycool

2. Child lock

There have been instances where children in the back seat get excited, and in their excitement, they try and open the doors and windows of the car, when the car is doing a good 60 km/h! Isn't that scary?

Child-locks are mandatory, and a very useful feature.

You wouldn't want your door being swung open by your child in the back seat, when you're doing speeds, now would you?

Originally Posted by vijaycool

3. Digital gizmos

4. Electric mirrors (costly replacement)

It's just a matter of convenience, really.

And with time, several companies have engineered and re-engineered the mirrors to be sturdy and take a beating. I've noticed that Hyundai's i10 and i20 mirrors, despite being electrically-foldable and operated, are very sturdy and can take a lot of abuse.

I struggle to adjust the mirrors in my Santro. I wish I had electrically foldable/adjustable mirrors.

I miss it in my Jazz too. Our parking-spot at home is quite tight, and electrically foldable-mirrors would have made life much easier for us, honestly. If we're driving back alone in our Jazz, it is cumbersome to get out of the car and go to the other side just to close the mirror.

Originally Posted by vijaycool

Some good gizmos added in some cars

1. Driver side auto up/down (nice feature)
2. Internal electric control IVRM

[vijaycool]

Ahh.. got mixed up with whats needed and what not. Child lock is a must . But how many of us keep out kids behind(thats another topic to be debated). The ARAI should have made rear demister compulsary for all cars just like seat belts, Headlight levelling system. I saw so many cars in chennai rains completely misted.

Regards,
Vijay

[BeantownThinker]

From a functionality point of view the spoilers are the most useless of accessories to provide as standard fitment rather than as optional.
That being said, these very accessories differentiate X car from Y. It just is no fun if all the cars carry the set of accessories. For the average buyer a long list of accessories is something to brag about and engage in a game of one-upmanship.

The other other thing I just do not get is (I know this is not OE), filling nitrogen in tyres. For a car being used on track I can understand the need. But for daily commutes what difference does it make? Just like the spoiler which has no effect at regular speeds, nitrogen in the tyres also are not game changers for regular use. Some might argue about dissipation being slower when tyres are filled with nitrogen. But hey, I am ok topping up my tyre once a month of regular air than once every 2 or 3 months on nitrogen. The perception of a smoother ride is just that. Perception. There is study which has conclusively proven the benefits of filling nitrogen in tyres for regular use.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Since my present car is a WagonR, and I currently am waiting for the Swift ZDi - here is a list of what I find useful/ unnecessary in both the cars.

WagonR VXi
+ a/c
+ Tachometer. Love it, after upgrading from an 800.
+ Power windows -front. (Lack of rear power windows are annoying)

- ORVMs! Shocked? Well, first gen WagonR had such stupid ORVM design, its better not to have them at all! They never hold the position, close due to wind resistance at high speeds, and is wide and tall - not to mention plain glass!
- Rear demister. I would have prefferred to have had the rear wash/wipe. Demister is not necessary with ac on. However, in a tall car like WagonR - the rear tends to get a lot dirty during rains.
- Key-in reminder alarm - The damn thing just wont stop ringing these days with the car switched off, and doors on. Irrespective of whether the key is in the slot or not.



Swift ZDi (Preferances might changes once I actually get to use the car for -say- may be an year).

Must have-
+ ABS
+ 4 door power windows.
+ Front fog lamp
+ Parcel shelf.
+ Speed based auto volume + USB socket.
+ Rear wiper/washer.

Dont care for -
- Electric ORVM. (Internally adjustable manual would have done just fine)
- Rear fog lamp.
- Fuel consumption info.
- Outside temperature display
- Key IN warning reminder.
- Electromagnetic boot opener. (Really going to be a pain to explain to the office security guards. As someone said in the forum- 'ek button hei. use dabbaao. dikki khul jaayega. Pardon me if my hindi is grammatically wrong. This is how i remember it!)

[binand]

I have barely used these equipment in the four years I have had my Civic:

1. The rear-seat remote control for the audio system. It is feature-crippled too (can't switch CDs), so is mostly useless.

2. Central control of rear windows. My personal take is that I need control only of the front windows. I rarely operate the rear ones (except disengage the central window lock so that whoever is sitting in the back seat can control the window).

3. Steering column adjustment system. It is most comfortable for me the way it came out of the showroom then. I have hardly ever fiddled with that setting.

Features I rarely use:

1. Two separate FM systems - FM1 and FM2 - that can be independently tuned and controlled.

2. Ambient temperature on the dashboard. Perhaps this is just me, since I don't frequent locations with extreme temperatures.

3. Driver-side vanity mirror :-)

Also, I think the Civic has too many lights inside the cabin.