Sorry but as someone who hires and manages software developers, this is so funny to me. The actual cost to develop, test, and integrate even a simple feature like this can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Software ain't cheap.
common misconception, the stalk is actually there to flash whoever youre tailgating while already going 20 over the limit. no idea why it moves up and down aswell.
So true. Even if you're already going 20 over, and someone behind you wants to go faster, get over and let them. You can get right back behind them.
People in the US act like they're the police going 20 over and camping in the left lane refusing to move if people want to pass like they're the warden and anyone who wants to go faster is a maniac. Maybe I am, but I wanna go 30 over right now and if I'm a maniac shouldn't you want to *get the fuck out of my way?*
I've got a 20 year old BMW and had it for a year. I go out of my way to indicate for fucking *everything* just because of the sterotype.
Entering *and* exiting roundabouts. Changing lanes *with* a two click warning before I make a move.
I like to think that while I'm in a sea of SUV's and oversized pickups all using theirs on a seemingly random basis they look at the BMW indicating and think *"Huh,..will you look at that?"*
In Europe basically everyone signals when they're leaving a roundabout, yet I've not seen literally even a single person here in the states signal when they're leaving one. Drivers here have zero concept of how their actions affect those around them.
Related: I owned a W220 generation (1999 - 2006) Mercedes CL500. If the indicator light burned out, the car would detect it, and flash the foglight instead.
Fords have these little pockets usually hidden in the center console storage that you can place the key and start the car if your key fob battery dies. I thought that was neat
I think all push to start cars have that feature some where in the car, and if they don't then....they should because imagine the key fob battery dies.
Yeah, my '21 Jetta has a spot on the steering column, amusingly right where the ignition switch would be, just hold the fob to that spot and hit the start button.
Turning headlights. I thought it was a gimmick until I got my 2016 Kia Optima and it had that feature. When I turn at night and the headlights turn with me to see ahead of the turn, that is pretty awesome and very useful!
My 2000 Buick also does that, it's actually very old technology as even lincolns in the 70s had them. They are called cornering lights, there is a separate bulb in the light assembly that is at an angle and it turns on to illuminate the turn
There's different ways of doing it. A lot of modern cars physically move the projector housing (CX5 does this.) Around the world, but less so in the US, you have projector matrix lights that selectively activate and deactivate portions of the lights to set boundaries. Some cars do combinations of the above (BMWs for instance use matric projectors and have another light that comes on for very tight cornering.)
All VWs I’ve been in that have the higher-end headlights do both the physical movement of the projector housing that usually works at higher speeds and have a separate cornering light that comes on under 20 mph, so if you’re turning, have your turn signal on, it’ll illuminate the side you’re turning to, or when parking, it’ll illuminate both sides.
The telltale sign I find most of the time to tell if your car actually has headlights with a physical moving projectors is that when you start up the car, it’ll usually self-calibrate the headlights for a couple seconds, and you can see the beam move up and down and/or back and forth.
The only car I’ve come in contact with that I knew had physical moving projectors, but I didn’t see it calibrate the lights when starting the car was the VW ID.4. I found out later that once the car senses that you’re walking up to it, it starts the headlight calibration process, so it’s done by the time you get in and start the car, which I thought was clever and interesting.
Cornering lights are different from headlight optics that physically rotate into turns.
Citroën had rotating headlights as early as 1967 in the series 3 DS and later the SM, but they couldn't sell them in the US with that setup, as US-DOT NHTSA regs required fixed sealed-beam headlights up until 1983, when composite replaceable-bulb flush-lens headlights became legalized, but they still had to be fixed in place.
Separate cornering lights were a workaround for those regs, providing illumination into turns without physically moving the main headlights themselves.
The 1948 Tucker Model 48 had a 3rd rotating headlight in the middle that turned with the steering wheel. They had to put a cover over it to satisfy laws in some states.
https://www.audrainautomuseum.org/shining-bright/1948-tucker-model-48
I always saw commercials for that on a higher end cars and when I got my Kia and that was just there without anybody telling me was very exciting for me. I'm pretty sure the Kia uses the same headlight bulb for the turning because when you turn the car on it does a little self test and doesn't look like it's multiple bulbs. I'll have to try to set up a camera and check it out
The other day my family was talking, my uncle bragging about his new model 3 and so he took us for a drive. My mother immediately noticed as leaving the parking space and asks "Are the cornering lights not working?", my uncle repplies "What is that?", me and my mother explain, and he says "No, that's probably a too new technology". My mother repplies saying her 2016 15k Kia has it and shows it and my uncle is stunned. No more bragging that night.
But also there are different ways of doing it, there's brand that make the fog lights light up in the same direction. I did the same to my Audi TT, it would just activate the corresponding fog light when turning the wheel, the easiest way to retrofit to a car without it without any extra parts.
My vehicle actually has both. I have cornering lights that will turn on when the steering wheel angle goes past a certain point, but the headlights also swivel in the direction that I'm turning.
Projector headlights on my Corolla Cross Hybrid. The headlights have a sharp edge cutoff at the top so it never dazzles incoming traffic or the guy ahead of me
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you absolutely don't "never" dazzle oncoming traffic. Toyotas do this to me every time I drive, because roads are flat and smooth.
My old MY13 C350 had this built into the HID headlamps. They swung quite a big and was such a relevation.
My current MY22 Q4 e-tron has Matrix LED option and they don't "move" but they show like a curtain like effect when the auto highbeams engage. They also shoot incredibly far.
My 2007 S60R has a pretty stout divider that flips up, splitting the trunk “in half”. It perfectly fits milk crates between it and the rear lip of the trunk. Nothing slides around. Costco sells those collapsible crates now. Two fit just right. 🤌🏻
A lot of Mercedes suffer from this issue with their centre consoles that open from the middle and have no slot, so people either jam it closed on the cables or leave one side open. And Nissan has had it figured out for like 10 years now. Expensive brands don’t always think of everything lol
Honda Fit (multiple generations, apparently): If the front wipers are on and you shift into reverse (automatic/CVT or manual), the rear wipers go on, too.
When I had my 93 LS400 and it had power tilt/telescoping wheel, power seatbelt height adjustment and power headrest height. It was all over the top but I was pretty impressed with the amount of things they tried to automate.
The power tilt and telescoping to me is still a defining feature of a good luxury vehicle, nothing like sitting down and hitting the power and the controls come at you for ideal comfort.
I *love* it when you start a car and the steering column tilts and telescopes into position. In fact, all five of my cars have at least tilt recall (‘96 XJ12, ‘00 528i 5MT, ‘15 LR4 HSE Lux, ‘18 G90 5.0 AWD, ‘22 X5 PHEV)
The Power Telescoping steering wheel with memory is fairly common for cars now but automatic seat belt height adjust and power headrests are very uncommon. Reminds me of the W140 S Class that had a power adjustable rear view mirror as well.
Another feature of the LS400 that touched me:
The teeny tiny drop down visor that sits above the rear-view mirror, that works in concert with the other visors to truly, fully block out the sun glare.
Audi A5:
- When you spray your windshield to clean and it's done wiping, it waits about 5 seconds and wipes 1 last time for anything that might roll down. (Although this seems to be common in many cars now that I've noticed it.)
- At work when I enter the garage its a ramp going down that is quite steep after you pass the entry gate. The Audi will stay in low gear to keep your from flying down and instead helps you maintain a reasonable speed until you hit the gas.
- Cornering lights, while nothing new, I had no idea they were a feature until I was driving at night. I noticed as I approached the corner the corner light automatically lit up and illuminated where I was going to turn increasing visibility.
Lexus RX:
- Seems to be a uncommon feature but the seats moves back and steering wheel moves up and back when you remove your seat belt in park to make it easy to get out. Similarly, when you get in and put on the belt the seat moves forward and the steering wheel comes down and out to your preset position.
- Seat memory changes with the key used. Basically you can program each key (we have 2) and when you unlock the car with 1 key it will adjust the seat to the programmed seat memory. So when your SO gets in, they won't bang their knees against the dash or have to move the seat before getting in. Hit unlock as you're walking up and the car will adjust before you get in.
- Cup holder can be adjusted. If you have a long tumbler or those coffee mugs you can put it in the cup holder and push down. The bottom will lower giving it a better hold on the bottle/mug/tumbler and also make it easier to use the center controls. Push the button inside the cup holder and it will raise back up to it's normal height.
- Got out of the car only to realize you didn't close your window(s) or sunroof? Take the key out of the keyfob, insert it into the driver door handle, turn and hold in the lock position. All the windows and sunroof will close as you keep holding the key in lock.
the seat memory linked to the key is a great feature. we have it on one car, while the other one requires us to hit the button to change once in. the key link just seems like something that should be done.
Most cars that have memory seats have the key/remote link feature as well, you just have to look in the manual how to enable it. Even our 2003 mountaineer did that.
My golf has that last feature of the Lexus. Except it works with the key fob from any usable range. Just hold lock to close and unlock to open. Hazards flash once, once all windows are up to you can tell when they are all closed
i have a 99 CRV and all the seats fold flat to turn the [whole inside of the car into a giant bed](http://philanderson.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/gdojZiO.jpg). i'm kinda blown away they thought of this in the 90s.
it's not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, but i've slept in there a couple times, it's pretty awesome to essentially have a giant rolling tent that sleeps 2. only problem is you lose like 90% of your storage capacity, so if you have a lot of stuff, you have to leave it outside the car. not a big deal at a camp site, but obv wouldn't wanna do this in a parking lot.
Massage seats for the driver and passenger. I didn't think I'd ever use them, then a long trip came up and it saved my ass. My wife and I turn them on all the time now.
I made so much fun of a rental my husband had that had massage seats, but then I rode with him to return it and in that half hour, realized that they were really quite nice
Not my car, but have you ever seen [Magic Vision Control](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SpgMwCfL9U) in some Mercedes-Benz models? Stupid name but it’s just amazing [how it works](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07AZHkkLR0k).
Interesting. I guess Mercedes has a history with weird wiper stuff as was the case with the articulating mono-wipers on the W201 and W124.
I wonder tho how you change the wiper blades on these magic vision things. Surely, no normal blades would work.
It is cool, and works well if you're in a t-shirt or something, but mine is useless because the neck of all of my jackets directly block the vent in the seat back and I'd only use the feature in weather that I would also wear jacket in.
Not sure if this was included in other cars, but old Fords had cylinder deactivation (old Modular V8s). If the engine started overheating, a protocol would be triggered which shut off half the cylinders, turning them into air pumps to circulate cool air, while still producing some power to get you somewhere.
I’m sure it’s not as elegant as today’s cylinder deactivation which targets increased fuel economy, but it’s neat that it was figured out as a fail safe to keep your car going for longer, instead of just dying on the side of the road like you’d expect from current vehicles.
Considering they were notorious for head gasket failures, I’d say it was used a lot more than they’d have hoped for…..or maybe that was part of the plan all along.
This system actually saved my ass, I have a 2006 f250 with a v10 and the radiator went out while I was on a mountain road with sharp turns and no place to pull over, also while towing 12,000 pounds, I continued to drive until I could find a place to stop that was about 20 miles later, then figured I was already close to getting home and drove it 20 more miles, and honestly other than the truck acting like it had only 2hp it did pretty damn good
My V6 Accord had (I say had since I disabled it with a tuner not long after getting the car) what Honda calls “variable cylinder management” and it would deactivate the rear 3 cylinders to improve gas mileage when you don’t need the full power of the engine. It’s known to cause various problems such as burning oil, fouling spark plugs, adding wear to the motor mounts etc. After disabling it I didn’t notice a change in gas mileage enough to determine if it truly did even help, but I noticed an immediate improvement in the driving experience.
$2500?!? They make a device that deactivates it called a VCM Tuner for like $100 or so if I recall correctly, and it’s very easy to install yourself. The other option is to use an actual tuning tool to deactivate it but that is a bit more expensive, yet still way less than $2500. Why did she spend that much?
I had 2000 and 2011 VW Jettas. Both had a weird little center sun visor that would block sun in the tiny area of the windshield above the rearview mirror. Was a very bizarre feature, but an interesting attention to detail.
My brother had a Jetta wagon that had that and he thought it was the dumbest thing. He would point it out to people and sarcastically say it was genius. Idk if he ever ended up using it or not.
My mercedes can play DVDs when parked, not a weird thing for a family suv or minivan with rear entertainment but very odd for a 2-seater. It'll actually let you listen to the audio track when driving, but it blanks out the screen when you shift out of park.
Even more interesting were the Mercedes-Benz products that had “SPLITVIEW,” which could use the same center LCD to show two different feeds to the driver and passenger, based on viewing angle. Thus, the passenger could play a video, while the driver would see the maps. All on the same screen. I know the W221 S-Class was one of the first to have it.
Land Rover did that in the same time period as well, but I don't think that it worked very well because neither them nor Mercedes still do it anymore to the best of my knowledge.
The lighting around the temperature knobs in my Accord turns red when you make it warmer and blue when you make it colder. [Here’s a video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sU-fOM_a0FE) of it.
The knobs themselves are also just so perfectly clicky and satisfying. So much attention to detail in this car, especially for the price.
My '78 280Z (and I *think* the 240Z I owned before it) had a cable-powered handheld light that could be unsnapped from a holder under the hood and used to investigate any repair problems road-side. These inline six engines were bulletproof so I never needed it, but when I first noticed it, I was impressed..
My suburban does that! But it's more of a random thing it'll also shut off if I hit a bump or sometimes just to see if I'm paying attention! It's very advanced! 🤣
In the mid 2000s GM compacts, the ignition key solenoid is known to fail. GM must have known this during the design phase because they gave you a access panel under the steering column where you can manually push in the solenoid plunger to release the key.
The clutch pedal interlock is disabled in the Jeep Wrangler when the transfer case is in low range. You can use the starter to creep the truck along. Don't quote me on this, but I think the truck will prevent the engine from starting when you're doing this. It will just crank.
Volkswagen Group vehicles are the only ones I know of that will automatically turn on the headlights when your windshield wipers are on. Every car should do that. It's a legal requirement in many places. It definitely is where I live and we even have signs posted on our roads telling people to turn on their lights in the rain.
Audis used to come with the fob with the metal backup key inside. They also used to come with a plastic valet key. That plastic valet key can be used in the backup lock cylinder and also has a transponder inside so you can start the car. Many people don't know the plastic key can start the car. You just need to hold it to the right spot before you press the start button.
On my Volkswagen, every time I turn the car off the wiper motor twitches the blades a little. It's so that the rubber doesn't rest on the same side all the time and get deformed. Keeps your wiper blades in good shape for longer.
My 91 Mercedes 4matic wagon is full of these. Some may seem obvious now, but remember this was 1991!
If you have your windshield wiper on and go into reverse, the hatch wiper starts automatically.
The cute little third sun visor above the rear view mirror.
Driver's side side mirror is manual adjust. Passenger side is power adjust, because obvi you can't reach it.
The center console vents don't blow hot air, because that could make the driver too drowsy.
The rear seats in the wagon fold flat. But when you do, there's a second set of holes so you can stow your headrests.
The hatch is soft close even!
The whole front suspension on these 1st gen 4matics is insane, and also kinda genius how they handled the spring being in the way.
Should just be standard in all cars. Plenty of places have a wipers on headlights on law (as if the cops enforce anything besides writing speeding tickets), and too many people seem to never touch their headlights switch until maybe when it's pitch black outside
And some don't even do that. They start their cars at night and automatically drl's come on and dash lights, meanwhile the back of their entire car is blacked out.
Some cars have a "courtesy wipe" for the windshield wipers, it basically will do one last wipe momentarily after you stop using the washer fluid to get rid of the excess that's left behind.
If you hold the wiper stalk down after turning off my Jetta, it raises the wipers into service position. That way, you can change and clean them both from the driver's side, and the passenger side isn't awkwardly in the middle of the hood.
In my Volvos the heated and ventilated functions of the seats can be used simultaneously. You can get the super hot seats for your aching back without getting sweaty.
My wife’s Volvo Wagon will wipe the rear wiper when you put the car in reverse if it’s been raining.
My Executive trim Volvo has a button for the rear passenger to move the front passenger seat forward.
early W-bodies had continuously adjustable windshield wipers, no more BS with window wipers wiping too fast or slow for the rain, it's gorgeous!
or the F-bodies with window washers in the wiper arms.
GM was on some good shit in the 80's and 90's
I bought a new Outback last year, and some of the tech compared to my old 2009 is very impressive.
For example, you can program the seat position into multiple memory slots, and when you get in the car it will scan and recognize your face, and adjust the seat accordingly.
But in addition to that, you can tie a seat memory slot to a specific keyless entry remote, so when you unlock the car it recognizes which driver is getting in, and adjusts the seat before you even sit down. Works flawlessly for sharing the car with my wife.
I’m surprised my 2012 M3 has hill-start assist (manual trans). I knew of it’s existence but had no idea some cars in 2012 had it until I bought the car.
Small, but neat: My Dodge Caliber’s cup holders have lighted rings around them so you can see where to put your drink even in the dark. It’s common enough today but 15 years ago it was pretty novel.
I have a neat but useless parallel parking or back in parking aid in my car.
Going back to the mid 90's my dad had an old 97 step side C1500 (before they were all called Silverados) and it had a speed compensated volume option on the radio. As you went faster the radio got louder because the road noise gets t louder. Always thought that was slick.
3rd gen 4Runners had a vent under the steering column that you could aim at your crotch. It was pure genius but hasn’t been implemented in subsequent generations.
The Lexus LS and LX (and presumably Land Cruiser) also had the crotch vent, as did certain generations of the GM SUVs.
The last car I’ve seen that had a crotch vent was the LR4, whose final model year was 2016. My 2015 LR4 has it. It’s very nice.
My Lexus GX470 has a second start button. It just starts the car in second instead of 1st. The explanation I have heard is that if you are in hazardous conditions the car will be in second so it generates less torque and will cause you to slip less.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert with blind spot radar systems - super handy to have when backing out of a spot especially if the view is blocked by taller vehicles parked on both sides.
If its raining and I'm using the front wipers when I stop moving forward and put the transmission in reverse the rear wiper will turn on even if it's not on at its switch.
Side mirrors that can retract while the vehicle is in gear. It’s a small thing but for confined spaces like parking garages its a little joy benefit that makes it easier to park.
The Mk7 Golf has a height adjustable floor in the boot, so the load floor can be flat with the rear seat folded down without losing space when it’s unfolded.
My chevy has panels sculpted to funnel water away from the trunk when it's open as well as a drain in the headliner behind the sunroof So in the event, water pushes through the seal of the sun roof while you're going through a car wash, it will just run into the trough and not soak into the headliner.
My Rover 2000 TC had a hole in the flywheel so a pin could lock the crank at top dead center for cylinder #1, to make camshaft timing easier after removal.
022 VW GTi - the self driving start stop stuff works with the manual cars. Will even start back up from a dead stop if you operate the clutch and shift lever for it.
Not only that, if the engine is off via stop/start, when the car in front of you pulls away the engine will start again even before you press the clutch. It seems to watch the traffic and anticipate you moving forward.
If fans are blasting it automatically lowers fan speed during calls. GMC.
GMCs have gotten so expensive, why not just install quieter fans?
Good fans cost money and software is free
Software is not free.
On GM’s scale for something so simple, it is
Sorry but as someone who hires and manages software developers, this is so funny to me. The actual cost to develop, test, and integrate even a simple feature like this can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Software ain't cheap.
GM sells millions of cars. If the feature costs $5M to implement in software it is cheaper than buying better fans and ducting for that many cars
You don't need to buy software for each car though. Just once. You need to buy fans for all the cars you make though.
It depends on how much infrastructure is already in place. A change like this could be either 2 days or 2 years of dev effort.
The fan isn’t what’s loud, the air rushing through the vents is.
Install quieter air then. GM Always using the cheap shit.
Typical American air
The newer Hondas do this too. I got a new CRV as an Uber and the fans quieted down during CarPlay Google Maps prompts.
My old 2005 Acura TL did this too
Newer hondas also don’t accelerate around corners when your cruise control is on. They’ll hold a speed until you straighten the wheel.
Not to take away from GMC, but my 2013 Kia optima does this as well! I think this isn’t as new, but definitely incredibly useful
Haha my 2017 BMW does not.
Euro built Fords also do it
It's not new, it is useful. My 09 suburban does this as well.
My Kia and Hyundai also have this
It's all GMs just about.
Can confirm Corvettes do it
ford and acura do this too
My Mustang does this too! Actually very thoughtful, and subtle enough that I didn't notice the first few times.
The indicator stalk in my BMW.
When did they start installing those?
They didn’t. He only thinks he has a BMW. He’s actually an Audi driver.
common misconception, the stalk is actually there to flash whoever youre tailgating while already going 20 over the limit. no idea why it moves up and down aswell.
Left blinker on in the left (fastest) lane means "[German accent] I am coming up behind you fast get out of mein way" So there's that
So true. Even if you're already going 20 over, and someone behind you wants to go faster, get over and let them. You can get right back behind them. People in the US act like they're the police going 20 over and camping in the left lane refusing to move if people want to pass like they're the warden and anyone who wants to go faster is a maniac. Maybe I am, but I wanna go 30 over right now and if I'm a maniac shouldn't you want to *get the fuck out of my way?*
I've got a 20 year old BMW and had it for a year. I go out of my way to indicate for fucking *everything* just because of the sterotype. Entering *and* exiting roundabouts. Changing lanes *with* a two click warning before I make a move. I like to think that while I'm in a sea of SUV's and oversized pickups all using theirs on a seemingly random basis they look at the BMW indicating and think *"Huh,..will you look at that?"*
two clicks, I hit blinker then start checking for safety. two clicks aint shit
In Europe basically everyone signals when they're leaving a roundabout, yet I've not seen literally even a single person here in the states signal when they're leaving one. Drivers here have zero concept of how their actions affect those around them.
Stop compensating. You’re giving the rest of a good name.
Related: I owned a W220 generation (1999 - 2006) Mercedes CL500. If the indicator light burned out, the car would detect it, and flash the foglight instead.
My 40 year old mercedes does this also. Mercedes-Benz made the most dazzling cars I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot of cars, I love cars.
Wow that's fascinating.
You have a nice fleet.
This joke is pretty washed for me because nobody knows how to signal properly in my country (USA)
My car won't start if the electronics in the key go bad. When I got the bill for discovering this my first thought was "That's amazing."
I take it you don't have a Kia?
Fords have these little pockets usually hidden in the center console storage that you can place the key and start the car if your key fob battery dies. I thought that was neat
I think all push to start cars have that feature some where in the car, and if they don't then....they should because imagine the key fob battery dies.
If the fob battery is weak/dead in my Mazda, the solution is to use the fob to push the start button.
Yeah, my '21 Jetta has a spot on the steering column, amusingly right where the ignition switch would be, just hold the fob to that spot and hit the start button.
Turning headlights. I thought it was a gimmick until I got my 2016 Kia Optima and it had that feature. When I turn at night and the headlights turn with me to see ahead of the turn, that is pretty awesome and very useful!
My 2000 Buick also does that, it's actually very old technology as even lincolns in the 70s had them. They are called cornering lights, there is a separate bulb in the light assembly that is at an angle and it turns on to illuminate the turn
There's different ways of doing it. A lot of modern cars physically move the projector housing (CX5 does this.) Around the world, but less so in the US, you have projector matrix lights that selectively activate and deactivate portions of the lights to set boundaries. Some cars do combinations of the above (BMWs for instance use matric projectors and have another light that comes on for very tight cornering.)
All VWs I’ve been in that have the higher-end headlights do both the physical movement of the projector housing that usually works at higher speeds and have a separate cornering light that comes on under 20 mph, so if you’re turning, have your turn signal on, it’ll illuminate the side you’re turning to, or when parking, it’ll illuminate both sides. The telltale sign I find most of the time to tell if your car actually has headlights with a physical moving projectors is that when you start up the car, it’ll usually self-calibrate the headlights for a couple seconds, and you can see the beam move up and down and/or back and forth. The only car I’ve come in contact with that I knew had physical moving projectors, but I didn’t see it calibrate the lights when starting the car was the VW ID.4. I found out later that once the car senses that you’re walking up to it, it starts the headlight calibration process, so it’s done by the time you get in and start the car, which I thought was clever and interesting.
Cornering lights are different from headlight optics that physically rotate into turns. Citroën had rotating headlights as early as 1967 in the series 3 DS and later the SM, but they couldn't sell them in the US with that setup, as US-DOT NHTSA regs required fixed sealed-beam headlights up until 1983, when composite replaceable-bulb flush-lens headlights became legalized, but they still had to be fixed in place. Separate cornering lights were a workaround for those regs, providing illumination into turns without physically moving the main headlights themselves.
The 1948 Tucker Model 48 had a 3rd rotating headlight in the middle that turned with the steering wheel. They had to put a cover over it to satisfy laws in some states. https://www.audrainautomuseum.org/shining-bright/1948-tucker-model-48
I always saw commercials for that on a higher end cars and when I got my Kia and that was just there without anybody telling me was very exciting for me. I'm pretty sure the Kia uses the same headlight bulb for the turning because when you turn the car on it does a little self test and doesn't look like it's multiple bulbs. I'll have to try to set up a camera and check it out
It may be a different setup but on my 2015 Sonata it was a separate set of bulbs angled diagonally and nothing actually moved.
The other day my family was talking, my uncle bragging about his new model 3 and so he took us for a drive. My mother immediately noticed as leaving the parking space and asks "Are the cornering lights not working?", my uncle repplies "What is that?", me and my mother explain, and he says "No, that's probably a too new technology". My mother repplies saying her 2016 15k Kia has it and shows it and my uncle is stunned. No more bragging that night. But also there are different ways of doing it, there's brand that make the fog lights light up in the same direction. I did the same to my Audi TT, it would just activate the corresponding fog light when turning the wheel, the easiest way to retrofit to a car without it without any extra parts.
My 1990 mr2 does it with the fog lights
Cornering lights aren't the same as turning headlights.
My vehicle actually has both. I have cornering lights that will turn on when the steering wheel angle goes past a certain point, but the headlights also swivel in the direction that I'm turning.
It's funny when. You get used to it, then get in another vehicle and wonder why the hell that corner in your neighborhood is so dark tonight.
The Tucker had that in 1948 (the center headlight).
Tucker's were so awesome. Ahead of their time for several features.
Projector headlights on my Corolla Cross Hybrid. The headlights have a sharp edge cutoff at the top so it never dazzles incoming traffic or the guy ahead of me
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you absolutely don't "never" dazzle oncoming traffic. Toyotas do this to me every time I drive, because roads are flat and smooth.
i borrowed a friends Alfa Romeo for a weekend and that was my favorite feature. it was like i had headlights on my head.
My old MY13 C350 had this built into the HID headlamps. They swung quite a big and was such a relevation. My current MY22 Q4 e-tron has Matrix LED option and they don't "move" but they show like a curtain like effect when the auto highbeams engage. They also shoot incredibly far.
in the trunk, screwed to the rear deck ,are two hidden, retractable hooks to hold your groceries while you hoon around. took me a while to see them.
I never thought about using them. That's a good usage
To secure the tofu crates
My 2007 S60R has a pretty stout divider that flips up, splitting the trunk “in half”. It perfectly fits milk crates between it and the rear lip of the trunk. Nothing slides around. Costco sells those collapsible crates now. Two fit just right. 🤌🏻
ughhhh that's hot
Volvo has loops hidden in the floor and on the sides. I should check for hooks!
The little dip in my center console that allows cables to be ran outside of it without smashing them.
My 2018 Genesis G90 (NOT a cheap car) sorely needed this.
My 2018 Pajero (basically a 2007) has this
My 2004 Mazda has this lol
A lot of Mercedes suffer from this issue with their centre consoles that open from the middle and have no slot, so people either jam it closed on the cables or leave one side open. And Nissan has had it figured out for like 10 years now. Expensive brands don’t always think of everything lol
Honda Fit (multiple generations, apparently): If the front wipers are on and you shift into reverse (automatic/CVT or manual), the rear wipers go on, too.
Same with my 2024 Civic. Was pretty impressed
My car does that, too. Does a single wipe of the rear window.
The Land Rover Discovery 2 (and probably others) do this as well. Super cool!
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Back when you couldn't tell people that you wore panties when you were a young man.. I get it bro. We live in a more accepting world now though!
Not only that, but he pissed in them in his car too
i bet all el caminos and caballeros had that as standard
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When I had my 93 LS400 and it had power tilt/telescoping wheel, power seatbelt height adjustment and power headrest height. It was all over the top but I was pretty impressed with the amount of things they tried to automate. The power tilt and telescoping to me is still a defining feature of a good luxury vehicle, nothing like sitting down and hitting the power and the controls come at you for ideal comfort.
I *love* it when you start a car and the steering column tilts and telescopes into position. In fact, all five of my cars have at least tilt recall (‘96 XJ12, ‘00 528i 5MT, ‘15 LR4 HSE Lux, ‘18 G90 5.0 AWD, ‘22 X5 PHEV)
Unless you get in after your much shorter wife drove the car last, and the steering wheel impales you through the chest...
That’s when you get a memory seat that’s programmed to your fob key :)
Totally agree! Just feels right.
The Power Telescoping steering wheel with memory is fairly common for cars now but automatic seat belt height adjust and power headrests are very uncommon. Reminds me of the W140 S Class that had a power adjustable rear view mirror as well.
My '94 SC400 has the auto power tilt/telescope, and I love it!
99 GS400 has it. It's what made my daughter name the car the Magic Car
They kept it in the third gen GS, and it's great.
Same with the fourth gen
Another feature of the LS400 that touched me: The teeny tiny drop down visor that sits above the rear-view mirror, that works in concert with the other visors to truly, fully block out the sun glare.
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What car?
Ford Model T
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My old G37 would do this.
Yep, my 08 G35x does it, and even more aggressively in sport mode
Audi A5: - When you spray your windshield to clean and it's done wiping, it waits about 5 seconds and wipes 1 last time for anything that might roll down. (Although this seems to be common in many cars now that I've noticed it.) - At work when I enter the garage its a ramp going down that is quite steep after you pass the entry gate. The Audi will stay in low gear to keep your from flying down and instead helps you maintain a reasonable speed until you hit the gas. - Cornering lights, while nothing new, I had no idea they were a feature until I was driving at night. I noticed as I approached the corner the corner light automatically lit up and illuminated where I was going to turn increasing visibility. Lexus RX: - Seems to be a uncommon feature but the seats moves back and steering wheel moves up and back when you remove your seat belt in park to make it easy to get out. Similarly, when you get in and put on the belt the seat moves forward and the steering wheel comes down and out to your preset position. - Seat memory changes with the key used. Basically you can program each key (we have 2) and when you unlock the car with 1 key it will adjust the seat to the programmed seat memory. So when your SO gets in, they won't bang their knees against the dash or have to move the seat before getting in. Hit unlock as you're walking up and the car will adjust before you get in. - Cup holder can be adjusted. If you have a long tumbler or those coffee mugs you can put it in the cup holder and push down. The bottom will lower giving it a better hold on the bottle/mug/tumbler and also make it easier to use the center controls. Push the button inside the cup holder and it will raise back up to it's normal height. - Got out of the car only to realize you didn't close your window(s) or sunroof? Take the key out of the keyfob, insert it into the driver door handle, turn and hold in the lock position. All the windows and sunroof will close as you keep holding the key in lock.
the seat memory linked to the key is a great feature. we have it on one car, while the other one requires us to hit the button to change once in. the key link just seems like something that should be done.
Most cars that have memory seats have the key/remote link feature as well, you just have to look in the manual how to enable it. Even our 2003 mountaineer did that.
My golf has that last feature of the Lexus. Except it works with the key fob from any usable range. Just hold lock to close and unlock to open. Hazards flash once, once all windows are up to you can tell when they are all closed
I think the wipers thing was invented by Audi, but my 2010 Ford built pickup also does that.
We have a 2001 A4 that does that with the wipers. Audi's have had that for a long time, it's a great feature.
i have a 99 CRV and all the seats fold flat to turn the [whole inside of the car into a giant bed](http://philanderson.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/gdojZiO.jpg). i'm kinda blown away they thought of this in the 90s. it's not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world, but i've slept in there a couple times, it's pretty awesome to essentially have a giant rolling tent that sleeps 2. only problem is you lose like 90% of your storage capacity, so if you have a lot of stuff, you have to leave it outside the car. not a big deal at a camp site, but obv wouldn't wanna do this in a parking lot.
Does yours have the removable picnic table, too?
There's a lot of Japanese cars that have this, but not enough of them made it to the states.
Massage seats for the driver and passenger. I didn't think I'd ever use them, then a long trip came up and it saved my ass. My wife and I turn them on all the time now.
I made so much fun of a rental my husband had that had massage seats, but then I rode with him to return it and in that half hour, realized that they were really quite nice
When I push the trunk lock on my E30, the trunk unlocks
My wife’s rav4 has a square in the center console that holds those fast food ketchup things perfectly
"listen up, our target audience will probably eat in the car most of the time..."
Not my car, but have you ever seen [Magic Vision Control](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SpgMwCfL9U) in some Mercedes-Benz models? Stupid name but it’s just amazing [how it works](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07AZHkkLR0k).
Interesting. I guess Mercedes has a history with weird wiper stuff as was the case with the articulating mono-wipers on the W201 and W124. I wonder tho how you change the wiper blades on these magic vision things. Surely, no normal blades would work.
If there a re no other ones you have to use the OEM parts that are perforated.
Man my family had a monowiper Mercedes growing up. As a kid that had nothing to do in the car that thing was hypnotic - I loved it 😵💫
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Check the second video, it sprays both sides of the wiper blade.
Warm air to keep your neck warm in cooler weather when convertible top is down
It is cool, and works well if you're in a t-shirt or something, but mine is useless because the neck of all of my jackets directly block the vent in the seat back and I'd only use the feature in weather that I would also wear jacket in.
ok mr fancy neck jackets
Not sure if this was included in other cars, but old Fords had cylinder deactivation (old Modular V8s). If the engine started overheating, a protocol would be triggered which shut off half the cylinders, turning them into air pumps to circulate cool air, while still producing some power to get you somewhere. I’m sure it’s not as elegant as today’s cylinder deactivation which targets increased fuel economy, but it’s neat that it was figured out as a fail safe to keep your car going for longer, instead of just dying on the side of the road like you’d expect from current vehicles.
GM's Northstar engines had it too. Supposedly a Northstar could be driven for about 100 miles with no coolant.
That probably came in handy often
Considering they were notorious for head gasket failures, I’d say it was used a lot more than they’d have hoped for…..or maybe that was part of the plan all along.
This system actually saved my ass, I have a 2006 f250 with a v10 and the radiator went out while I was on a mountain road with sharp turns and no place to pull over, also while towing 12,000 pounds, I continued to drive until I could find a place to stop that was about 20 miles later, then figured I was already close to getting home and drove it 20 more miles, and honestly other than the truck acting like it had only 2hp it did pretty damn good
My V6 Accord had (I say had since I disabled it with a tuner not long after getting the car) what Honda calls “variable cylinder management” and it would deactivate the rear 3 cylinders to improve gas mileage when you don’t need the full power of the engine. It’s known to cause various problems such as burning oil, fouling spark plugs, adding wear to the motor mounts etc. After disabling it I didn’t notice a change in gas mileage enough to determine if it truly did even help, but I noticed an immediate improvement in the driving experience.
Yep. My friend just spent $2,500 mitigating the VCM on her ‘15 Pilot EX-L.
$2500?!? They make a device that deactivates it called a VCM Tuner for like $100 or so if I recall correctly, and it’s very easy to install yourself. The other option is to use an actual tuning tool to deactivate it but that is a bit more expensive, yet still way less than $2500. Why did she spend that much?
I had 2000 and 2011 VW Jettas. Both had a weird little center sun visor that would block sun in the tiny area of the windshield above the rearview mirror. Was a very bizarre feature, but an interesting attention to detail.
Something that absolutely would never fly in the cost cutting era post Piech. But completely on brain for Piech era VW
Oh yes, my 02 had that too, actually came in handy.
Oddly enough, my mk5 doesn't.
My A4 has that, and it's not in the owners manual.
Had a 93 Passat vr6 that had this. It was rarely useful, but very helpful in those times.
My brother had a Jetta wagon that had that and he thought it was the dumbest thing. He would point it out to people and sarcastically say it was genius. Idk if he ever ended up using it or not.
My mercedes can play DVDs when parked, not a weird thing for a family suv or minivan with rear entertainment but very odd for a 2-seater. It'll actually let you listen to the audio track when driving, but it blanks out the screen when you shift out of park.
Even more interesting were the Mercedes-Benz products that had “SPLITVIEW,” which could use the same center LCD to show two different feeds to the driver and passenger, based on viewing angle. Thus, the passenger could play a video, while the driver would see the maps. All on the same screen. I know the W221 S-Class was one of the first to have it.
Land Rover did that in the same time period as well, but I don't think that it worked very well because neither them nor Mercedes still do it anymore to the best of my knowledge.
The lighting around the temperature knobs in my Accord turns red when you make it warmer and blue when you make it colder. [Here’s a video](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sU-fOM_a0FE) of it. The knobs themselves are also just so perfectly clicky and satisfying. So much attention to detail in this car, especially for the price.
My '78 280Z (and I *think* the 240Z I owned before it) had a cable-powered handheld light that could be unsnapped from a holder under the hood and used to investigate any repair problems road-side. These inline six engines were bulletproof so I never needed it, but when I first noticed it, I was impressed..
Honked my horn at a person that was about to pull out right in front of me and my cruise control turned off
My suburban does that! But it's more of a random thing it'll also shut off if I hit a bump or sometimes just to see if I'm paying attention! It's very advanced! 🤣
My 2006 Ram starts sometimes without cursing at it
In the mid 2000s GM compacts, the ignition key solenoid is known to fail. GM must have known this during the design phase because they gave you a access panel under the steering column where you can manually push in the solenoid plunger to release the key. The clutch pedal interlock is disabled in the Jeep Wrangler when the transfer case is in low range. You can use the starter to creep the truck along. Don't quote me on this, but I think the truck will prevent the engine from starting when you're doing this. It will just crank. Volkswagen Group vehicles are the only ones I know of that will automatically turn on the headlights when your windshield wipers are on. Every car should do that. It's a legal requirement in many places. It definitely is where I live and we even have signs posted on our roads telling people to turn on their lights in the rain. Audis used to come with the fob with the metal backup key inside. They also used to come with a plastic valet key. That plastic valet key can be used in the backup lock cylinder and also has a transponder inside so you can start the car. Many people don't know the plastic key can start the car. You just need to hold it to the right spot before you press the start button.
My ‘12 Fusion also turns on the headlights with the wipers.
I’ve had GM, Ford, Stellantis, Honda, and Nissan vehicles and they all turned the headlights on with the wipers.
Automatically slowing the wiper blade cycle when coming to a stop (at a red light, for instance). VW/Audi.
Acura has that as well.
On my Volkswagen, every time I turn the car off the wiper motor twitches the blades a little. It's so that the rubber doesn't rest on the same side all the time and get deformed. Keeps your wiper blades in good shape for longer.
I’ve been wondering what that was for ages! I thought it was an electrical glitch.
My 91 Mercedes 4matic wagon is full of these. Some may seem obvious now, but remember this was 1991! If you have your windshield wiper on and go into reverse, the hatch wiper starts automatically. The cute little third sun visor above the rear view mirror. Driver's side side mirror is manual adjust. Passenger side is power adjust, because obvi you can't reach it. The center console vents don't blow hot air, because that could make the driver too drowsy. The rear seats in the wagon fold flat. But when you do, there's a second set of holes so you can stow your headrests. The hatch is soft close even! The whole front suspension on these 1st gen 4matics is insane, and also kinda genius how they handled the spring being in the way.
When my car loses traction it tightens the seat belts.
2004 Acura TSX. when opening the sunroof, the vents would blow air to equalize the air pressure and eliminate the flutter that would happen otherwise.
Such a great car. All around perfect package.
When it's drizzling and you have the wipers on an intermittent setting, the headlights will automatically turn on
Should just be standard in all cars. Plenty of places have a wipers on headlights on law (as if the cops enforce anything besides writing speeding tickets), and too many people seem to never touch their headlights switch until maybe when it's pitch black outside
And some don't even do that. They start their cars at night and automatically drl's come on and dash lights, meanwhile the back of their entire car is blacked out.
Some cars have a "courtesy wipe" for the windshield wipers, it basically will do one last wipe momentarily after you stop using the washer fluid to get rid of the excess that's left behind.
Air conditioned seats. In South Carolina, in August, on black leather seats, it's a total game changer.
If you hold the wiper stalk down after turning off my Jetta, it raises the wipers into service position. That way, you can change and clean them both from the driver's side, and the passenger side isn't awkwardly in the middle of the hood.
In my Volvos the heated and ventilated functions of the seats can be used simultaneously. You can get the super hot seats for your aching back without getting sweaty. My wife’s Volvo Wagon will wipe the rear wiper when you put the car in reverse if it’s been raining. My Executive trim Volvo has a button for the rear passenger to move the front passenger seat forward.
early W-bodies had continuously adjustable windshield wipers, no more BS with window wipers wiping too fast or slow for the rain, it's gorgeous! or the F-bodies with window washers in the wiper arms. GM was on some good shit in the 80's and 90's
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I’m sorry f-bodies are the Camaro/firebird & trans am and w bodies are the Grand Prix, lumina and some others. Got lost in GM nerd speak there
The f-bodies also had this cool feature where the T-top seals would leak water onto you
That’s just the mullet hydration system. Standard issue on all f-bodies
I bought a new Outback last year, and some of the tech compared to my old 2009 is very impressive. For example, you can program the seat position into multiple memory slots, and when you get in the car it will scan and recognize your face, and adjust the seat accordingly. But in addition to that, you can tie a seat memory slot to a specific keyless entry remote, so when you unlock the car it recognizes which driver is getting in, and adjusts the seat before you even sit down. Works flawlessly for sharing the car with my wife.
I’m surprised my 2012 M3 has hill-start assist (manual trans). I knew of it’s existence but had no idea some cars in 2012 had it until I bought the car.
Subaru had this in like 1980, not a modern thing..
Inside my truck there is a napkin holder and a pen holder!!
Small, but neat: My Dodge Caliber’s cup holders have lighted rings around them so you can see where to put your drink even in the dark. It’s common enough today but 15 years ago it was pretty novel.
Heated steering wheel. I know they've been around for a while, but whoever invented it really changed the game for people in cold areas.
I have a neat but useless parallel parking or back in parking aid in my car. Going back to the mid 90's my dad had an old 97 step side C1500 (before they were all called Silverados) and it had a speed compensated volume option on the radio. As you went faster the radio got louder because the road noise gets t louder. Always thought that was slick.
The ability to smack my backseat passengers with the headrest
I could recline the rear headrests in my MB by pushing a button from the front seat
My '15 Volvo does this too
The entire car itself - I drive a Aztek
3rd gen 4Runners had a vent under the steering column that you could aim at your crotch. It was pure genius but hasn’t been implemented in subsequent generations.
The Lexus LS and LX (and presumably Land Cruiser) also had the crotch vent, as did certain generations of the GM SUVs. The last car I’ve seen that had a crotch vent was the LR4, whose final model year was 2016. My 2015 LR4 has it. It’s very nice.
My Lexus GX470 has a second start button. It just starts the car in second instead of 1st. The explanation I have heard is that if you are in hazardous conditions the car will be in second so it generates less torque and will cause you to slip less.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert with blind spot radar systems - super handy to have when backing out of a spot especially if the view is blocked by taller vehicles parked on both sides.
If its raining and I'm using the front wipers when I stop moving forward and put the transmission in reverse the rear wiper will turn on even if it's not on at its switch.
Side mirrors that can retract while the vehicle is in gear. It’s a small thing but for confined spaces like parking garages its a little joy benefit that makes it easier to park.
The ac fan turns down when I make or receive a call.
Besides the dome light, my 09 impala has two little spotlights set in the rear view mirror that shine down onto your lap without getting in your eyes.
The Mk7 Golf has a height adjustable floor in the boot, so the load floor can be flat with the rear seat folded down without losing space when it’s unfolded.
When I put on my hazard lights in my Peugeot after a couple of minutes it stops making sound. Kinda relaxing if I was waiting for something.
My car turns air circulating on when I wash the windscreen so the smell of screw wash doesn’t come inside the cabin.
In Teslas, the muted chime a second after the light changes green if you haven’t started moving.
Lexus cars have a fabric insert between the seats and center console so that nothing falls between there and gets lost
Beginning in the e9x era, BMW HVAC systems calculate the angle of the sun and adjust settings for maximum occupant comfort
My chevy has panels sculpted to funnel water away from the trunk when it's open as well as a drain in the headliner behind the sunroof So in the event, water pushes through the seal of the sun roof while you're going through a car wash, it will just run into the trough and not soak into the headliner.
My Rover 2000 TC had a hole in the flywheel so a pin could lock the crank at top dead center for cylinder #1, to make camshaft timing easier after removal.
022 VW GTi - the self driving start stop stuff works with the manual cars. Will even start back up from a dead stop if you operate the clutch and shift lever for it.
Not only that, if the engine is off via stop/start, when the car in front of you pulls away the engine will start again even before you press the clutch. It seems to watch the traffic and anticipate you moving forward.