MattyG

2GS 430 owner:

1. Stealth factor completely unrelated to its outrageous ability to blast off the line like a cannon ball shot.

2. Corner carver with the right tires. The one old school Lexus middleweight that knows its way around curves and can be tossed around. Not like a Bimmer but close.

3. HVAC and stereo system. Mark Levinson stereo.

4. Good reliability.

geko29

2011 335d:

1. Dat torque. 500lbft with the tune
2. 30mpg is amazing given #1
3. Heated steering wheel

Autoplak

SC430
1. Hard top convertible
2. Interior wood trim
3. Unique exterior design

RX350
1. Heated / cooled seats
2. Rear view camera
3. Room to haul

Rav4
1. Blind spot monitor
2. Cross traffic alert
3. All wheel drive

Wandl

Cars have tons of options today; curious to get your take on what optional feature(s) you'd pay for and what you wouldn't?

Features I'd pay extra for
- Premium (Bose, Mark Levinson etc.) sound system, given I spend enough time in the car
- Adaptive Cruise, it is soooo hard to find a vehicle like this even today that operates <10mph, it really has changed how I drive & enjoy my commute
- 360 degree camera, my wife's LX as this and I've gotten so used to it!

Features I wouldn't be shelling out extra for
- Navigation

Curious to see what you value and not value?
-

Toys4RJill

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Stroock639

a bigger engine option, in some cases (depending on car) a manual trans option, i do like a bit of xm radio, i love full speed radar cruise but only if there's an option to also use it as regular cruise control (i actually discovered by accident that toyotas can do this by holding the cruise control on button for a longer time), if it's not standard i do like built in navigation, electric tilt/telescoping steering wheel, the dynamic massaging seats in the E55 are pretty cool, i do love how my LS has electric headrests and seatbelts, auto high beams are awesome, if the car has forced induction i definitely want some kind of boost gauge, i'd pay extra to not have the spindle grill lol... oh and heated/ventilated seats.

i don't care to spend extra for special or "anniversary edition" cars with like an extra badge and different paint scheme. generally things that don't offer any increased functionality.

Aron9000

I'd always pay more for better interior appointments. IE Mercedes and their Designo interiors, they always look sharp. Also I'd pay more for ordering the car in the exact color/trim combo I want.

Also I'd always pay more for a bigger engine or more horsepower. Individual features I'm not that concerned about, more power and the upgrade in terms of quality of plastics/leather/color choices are what I'd pay for.

corradoMR2

Agree on the HUD! Once I know the car offers it, I will want it which usually means a top-of-the-line model getting me all the other tech I enjoy.

mmarshall

Automatic tilt-down for the side mirrors when one puts the car in reverse, as a stand-alone option. That is the one feature I don't have that I miss. It is available on the Lacrosse, but only on expensive upper-line models and/or with pricey equipment-packages that dump in a lot of other stuff I don't want or need.

Oh yeah, and please don't laugh, folks.......I actually LIKE traditional hood ornaments, though a lot of mischievous teen-agers, with nothing better to do in their lives, often break them off and steal them. Collecting them, with some kids, is a fad.

JDR76

Fun thread. I'll give it a shot.

Options I would pay extra for:

• Heated Steering Wheel
• Ventilated and heated seats
• Memory seating
• AWD
• Hybrid Drivetrain
• LED/HID headlights
• Sunroof (especially panoramic)
• Adjustable Suspension
• BSM/RCTA
• Power folding mirrors
• Smart Key entry and engine start
• More seat adjustments, especially thigh support extender
• Qi Charger
• Manual transmission (I can dream)

Options I would not pay extra for:

• Heated windshield wipers
• Auto high beams
• Headlight washers
• Remote Start
• Apple Carplay/Android Auto
• Metallic or upgraded paint options
• Fog Lights
• Lane Departure Alert/Lane Keep Assist

jrmckinley

What features do you have on your current vehicle that you absolutely don't want to live without? What feature(s) do you view as being under-rated or under-appreciated by others? Here are some quick thoughts:

• Memory driver seat
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Keyless door unlock & lock (proximity sensing) with push-button start --> I can't imagine not having this. It's such a convenience to never have to search for my keys.
• Blind spot monitoring

mmarshall

I'm not into a lot of safety-Nanny or electronic convienience-devices, but some things I absolutely cannot live without are:

Electronic fuel injection..........Carburators, especially the automatic-chokes/butterfly-valves, were a complete PITA. They sputtered and hesitated when warming up, either gave the engine too much gas, too little gas, or stuck closed, cutting off air and and stalling the engine. They also iced up in the winter and cut off the fuel-flow under some conditions, because the manifold heat-riser valves often didn't work. I've got two words for them......Good Riddance.

Electronic ignition for the engine...........Breaker-point ignition systems were also a PITA. Points wore out and needed to be replaced every 5-10K miles (sometimes more often with Chrysler products)...along with several other ignition-related parts.

FWD or AWD for bad-weather traction......my experience has been that front-engine/RWD just doesn't cut it, sometimes even with winter tires.

A thick, vinyl or leather-covered steering wheel rim.....the old, narrow, hard-plastic rims were awful.

The horn button in the steering wheel center-pad. I strongly disliked the small buttons used on the steering wheel spokes and Ford's old system of pressing the end of the turn-signal stalk for the horn.

A soft and quiet ride. I had stiff-riding vehicles for too many years.

Soft, comfortable seats. Too many vehicles today have cushions that are like park benches....or side-bolsters that are too narrow for me.

Air conditioning...though I lived for years without it. And it vastly improves the defogging system if warmer air is mixed in with it to dry things out.

Clearcoat paint......In the days before clearcoat, few things, outside of the carburators, were more annoying than to have the car's paint-color come off on your hand and rag (especially with a dark color) every time you used a wax/cleaner or a scratch-remover like SCRATCH-OUT. That's because the cleaner in the wax would remove a very thin layer of the car's colored paint every time you used it. Clearcoat paint, of course, prevents that.

evident

Talkng about only new feature in the last 10-15 years. Back up camera. And maybe blind spot monitor. Everything else is superfluous in my opinion!

ArmyofOne

If I could custom order my own car, it would be the following:

-Convertible
-700+ HP (either from V8, V10, or V12)
-Manual trans with hydraulic clutch
-No ABS
-No Traction Control
-No Stability Control
-Power Steering
-Power Brakes
-no Lane Keep assist or autonomous BS
-regular cruise control (just because its convenient on the highway)
-Power hard top
-Decent Stereo

Not much else. but thats in a sports car.

In my daily driver, I want every single convenience feature I can afford. keyless enter and go, radar cruise, lane keep assist, navigation, etc.