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New Car Wish List
By Jacob Cohen | February 14, 2008
Similar to my Mobile Phone Wish List, this is a list of the features I would want on my next car.
- Keyless ignition. After trying out a car that has this, it’s enough of a convenience that I would consider it a requirement on my next car. For one thing, it makes the keyfob a lot smaller when you don’t have to have a huge key embedded in it. Even the fancy flip-out keys on some of today’s cars require a very large keyfob. I want something small that does not add much additional bulk to my keyring.
- All-wheel drive. Specifically, one that actually offers additional performance characteristics, such as Acura’s SH-AWD, or Audi’s Quattro system. After having driven a vehicle with SH-AWD in the rain, this is a must.
- Manual transmission. Not a manually shifted automatic, or an automatically shifted manual, but a good old stick shift with a clutch pedal.
- Power rearview mirror adjustment. It still amazes me that even luxury cars lack this feature. You can adjust your side mirrors, and many cars will even remember various “profiles” for different drivers, but you still have to adjust the center mirror by hand every time. The biggest problem with this is you actually get a much finer level of control using the servo motors. The damping on the swivel mount of a typical rearview mirror makes you have to use enough force that you often overshoot the angle you wanted and have to correct. Additionally, unless you have very long arms, you can’t adjust the mirror while sitting in your normal driving position. A power adjustment system would eliminate these issues. As far as I know, there is no car available that offers this.
Topics: General |
February 15th, 2008 at 6:34 am
A lot of cars, including very old ones, has power adjusment rearview Windows. That includes my mom’s old 92 (!!!) Nissan Pathfinder,Mitsubishi Pajero TR4 2005, Toyota Corolla 2002, etc. This is the ones I drove that had the feature, a lot of others one must have it too.
PS: This cars I said are from Brazil, like me. I suppose a lot of american cars have this.
Regards,
Bruno
February 15th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I’m talking about the center mirror that is mounted inside the car. Lots of cars have power adjustments for the side rearview mirrors that are on the outside of the car.
Do those cars really have a power adjustment for the center rearview mirror, too? I’ve never seen that on a car sold in the States.
February 24th, 2008 at 12:17 am
My wishlist was: automatic headlines, MP3 CD player, MP3 player input. I got all of them in an 2006 Lexus IS. Surprisingly, a 2007 Accord had none of them.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:37 am
Automatic headlines?! That Lexus must be aimed at journalists and news editors
I used to think the Renault ‘card fob’ was a cool idea. You push a button on it to lock/unlock the door and insert the card into a slot in the dash to enable the ignition. I even considering getting a Renault. Then a work colleague actually got one as a hire car, and spent half the day pushing the button and praying for the door to unlock. You don’t value the ability to pop out a physical key to get the door open until the battery in your key fob dies!
April 4th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
If I had the money, I would get a Subaru. pretty reliable, sturdy, awd, nice mileage for a zippy car, and you can get them manual. dunno if they do the keyless thing yet tho, and i’m quite sure they don’t have auto mirrors, ALTHOUGH that seems like a very worthy electronics project…