what options/features are a 'must have'?

[mpvue]

years ago we were content w/ very little in a car because the options were considered troublesome, but now you can't even find a car w/o power windows.
which brings up my thought, what items were once considered extravagant but you now find you can't live without?

for me, I'll put power windows, power mirrors, power locks, A/C, 4 wheel discs and front and rear swaybars into the 'gotta have' category.

 

[greenjp]

Power everything and air conditioning for certain. Seriously not being able to unlock the doors or roll down windows from the driver's seat is a PITA. My dad had an old VW Rabbit back in the 80s with no AC, brutal.

Not exactly "must haves" but I find that I really like the auto-dimming rear and side view mirrors as well as the automatic windsheild wipers on my Saab. Both work great and I find it annoying to have to do those things manually now.

Heated seats.

jeff

 

[AuthorEditor]

Nothing for me. I wish there were at least a few vehicles with roll-up windows, power nothing, no a/c, manual tranny, low-hp, etc. I'd like something like those first Rabbits--ideal cars for me.

 

[exranger06]

Power windows, locks, mirrors, keyless entry, tilt wheel, cruise control, and most of all, air conditioning. I also strongly prefer vehicles with DIN style stereos and easy to replace speakers. I would much rather have an aftermarket stereo system that I can customize myself than any factory stereo.

 

[Turk]

Manual everything, as long as it's equipped with a Supercharger.

 

[Kestas]

I'm one of those old fogeys that has become technology resistant and does not welcome many of the features introduced in the past couple decades... mainly because I find myself fixing a lot of these features, and the hardware doesn't mix well with the corrosive environment I live in.

My only car bought new was a stripped 85 Omni, with no optional equipment added to it. The car was not needy and helped me save a lot of money when I was a junior engineer. Some cars are like a whiny female teenager who can never be satisfied no matter how much you take care of it.

Give me the simplicity and reliability of an 85 Mercedes diesel (or my old 57 Chevy) and I'll be happy. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind having a/c.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
for me, I'll put power windows, power mirrors, power locks, A/C, 4 wheel discs and front and rear swaybars into the 'gotta have' category.

Ditto.

Meh...

I could probably live without the power mirrors. The only time I adjust mine is when someone behind me has a terrible HID/Refletor modification. Then I just adjust the side mirror until I see the driver flinch from his own headlight relection.

But I don't want to go stuffing my key in the door everytime I go to my car in a parking lot. Yeah, so....I'm lazy. That and/or I have my hands full of groceries or something.

I'm a windows down kind of guy. When the weather is right, I don't want to have to stop my car to roll down the passenger windows.

Seat heaters? I can do without them on cloth seats, but on leather or PETA friendly MB-Tex or any of the other leatherette, I want heat. Plus my wife uses her's on occasion as a heating pad for her back.

It's going to have A/C. I don't want to work in the 115° all day and then drive home in a car that is 130° all the way home.

I'm not opposed to a stylish steel wheel. In fact the steel wheels are probably not very much heavier and often more durable. But most cars have plastic wheel covers over plain black steel wheels and they just look cheap. There was a time that cars had stylish stamped steel "rally" wheels and they looked good for the most part. I don't necessarily "need" aluminum alloy wheels but if the other choice is a plain black steel wheel with a plastic cover? Forget it. I do not want the plastic hubcap.

I want a tachometer and a temperature gauge. I just do. Another reason for my dislike of a certain vintage of GM cars? Just a fuel gauge (that moved so much that you really couldn't tell how much fuel you had), a speedometer, and a bunch of idiot lights that only tell you, "IT'S TOO LATE! YOU'VE RUINED YOUR ENGINE!!!" I would also like an oil pressure, oil temperature, and voltmeter. But I realize I'm pushing it there.

If I must have an automatic, I want a gear position indicator. I love that mine is on all the time, even if I'm not in manual mode.

 

[Win]

Rear wheel drive.

Leather.

Power everything.

Auto everything is even better as long as there is a user override.

A small V8 would be nice, but I'm down to just one V12 and one little V8 so I can live without that if I have to.

For a work vehicle, a/c is all it needs.

 

[CivicFan]

Options as Win described above, power everything and tons of electronics including internet browsing, cameras and such.

But most of all, the number one criterion for me is safety - the car has to be able to keep the occupants alive in accidents. Everything else is secondary. Fortunately, the cars that come loaded are usually higher end which tend to be designed for safety as well.

 

[opus1]

A/C, AM/FM/CD and power side mirrors.

Anything else, for me, is frosting.

 

[sciphi]

Power windows, keyless entry/power locks, A/C (used more in the winter for defrosting than in the summer), rear defroster, adjustable intermittent wipers, tachometer, and ability to shift gears manually if automatic.

Bluetooth built in is a must-have for any new car sold in NY state to comply with our cell phone law.

 

[mpvue]

having the first frosty morning yesterday reminded me how nice heated mirrors would be too...
remote start on a stick shift car would be nice too.

 

[Hollow]

Required: AC, Radio, rear defrost, automatic(knees hate me in traffic).

Prefer: disc brakes, heated mirrors and seats.

 

[aquariuscsm]

My *must haves*

Manual tranny
Sunroof or T-Tops
AC and heater
cd player

 

[440Magnum]

AC is a must. Actually a complete HVAC system with heat, AC, and good defogging capabilities.

Power locks/windows are a "nice but don't really care that much."

Factory stereos are nice- my days of cobbling together sound systems and thinking they're "kewl" are long gone. And basically give me a mellow, deep-toned, throaty V8 and I'll listen to that instead of the stereo anyway.

I *HATE* remote entry key fobs, so it really annoys me that carmakers have deleted the key locks from passenger doors, hatches, and in some cases all doors. I want the option of carrying a plain, ordinary, brass key with no thick plastic all over it.

Two things that all cars now have, but I wish were optional (or could be optionally deleted) on small vehicles are power brakes and steering. I really love the directly connected, precise feel you get in a middle-weight to lightweight car with manual disk brakes and fast-ratio manual steering. Yes, parallel parking sometimes stinks with manual steering in a midsize car, but you just can't beat the road feel. I even like the feel of non-power brakes on big cars like my Polara, although its far to big to get by without power steering. I ditched the power booster and installed a manual disk brake setup years ago. The only drawback is the longer pedal travel, but that takes all of 5 stops to get used to it. The pedal pressure isn't bad at all, and I'm a smallish wiry guy- no monster thigh muscles on me.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Power locks, windows, mirrors, and if possible seat(s).
Keyless entry
Engine immobilizer
Front, torso, and curtain airbags.
Disc brakes
ABS
A/C
Stereo with CD and usb/aux input
Full size spare tire
It would be nice if all cars came with HID or have it as an option. Don't much like halogens after driving at night with HIDs for the last three years.

 

[Nick R]

Must have: Power windows, door locks w/Remote entry
Air Conditioning
Cruise Control
CD Player, USB input
Side-Impact airbags
ABS

Likes: Heated Side mirrors
Power Driver Seat
Auto-dimming rearview
Backup sensors/camera
Remote start


note that the "likes' are all things my cruze doesn't have lol.

 

[OldCowboy]

As I have aged, my 'must haves' have multiplied. Initially, it was just PS, PB and air.

Now it's power steering, power brakes w/ABS, power windows, power locks/keyless entry, power driver's seat, heated front seats, dual zone HVAC, heated mirrors, auto-dimming rear view mirror, cruise control, premium sound system with hands-free dialing and auxiliary input, moon roof. Safety items include air bags all around, traction control and stability control.

 

[MrHorspwer]

Since the wifey and little one came along, my priorities on what a car "must have" has changed:

All the usual power bits and A/C
Auto trans
Cruise control
Side air bags and a good crash rating
Good LATCH points in the rear seat
Stability control and ABS
Power driver seat
SiriusXM and/or iPod integration
Bluetooth

Forgot to add:

Good tires. It was such a relief when I saw that our latest vehicle was equipped with a set of well-reviewed Michelins instead of junk Hankooks.

 

[Kestas]

Keep in mind some of the things that used to be optional, such as crank windows, power brakes, power steering, are now standard because it cost automakers too much for the added complexity of having two different setups on the production line. Instead of putting cars together with manual or power windows, they went to only power windows to streamline production. Less clutter in the plant and less headache for production.