What's a feature on specific cars that others could (and should) copy?

"TheOnelectronic" (theoneelectronic) 07/18/2015 at 17:11 • Filed to: None

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My vote? The everything-on-the-steering-wheel controls of the recent Ferraris.

Granted, I haven’t used any of them since my only seat time was in a 458 on a track, but I looked at it and instantly thought “Yes. This is how to car.”

Everything is right at hand, and distinctive. No more flashing your brights when you meant to hit your turn signals. No more spraying your windshield instead of hitting the upshift paddle. (I never had this problem, but a SURPRISING number of people do.)

It also has the benefit of cleaning up the steering column immensely.

So, Oppo, what are some features that are only found on particular cars that you think should be more widespread?

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 17:17

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Insane Ludacris mode, like on Tesla.

lonestranger > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe 07/18/2015 at 17:20

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Move, Bitch. Get out tha way.

MultiplaOrgasms > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 17:22

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I see your steering wheel mounted everything and raise you a steering wheel mounted everything on a steering wheel where the middle bit is fixed and only the outer bit rotates:

Luke's Dad Sold His 2000TL To Get a Sienna > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 17:23

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The Stow N Go seats on the Chrysler-Dodge-VW minivan. Love those.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 17:30

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Lincoln and Aston Martin’s push button gear selection for automatic or automated gearboxes.

If it isn’t going to be a true manual gearbox, then don’t pretend with a fake electronic-switch gear stick mechanism that takes up real estate, but still only sends electronic signal suggestions to the transmission control unit. A button can do that much more simply, reliably, and take up far less space in a more efficient location.

Even a Jaguar or Ram truck style rotary selector is less space-intensive than a fake-stick mechanism.

Then, the only other thing any performance oriented version needs, is a good set of paddles.

The nylon webbing strap pulls aren’t essential, but are kind of a cool touch for a door release, as well.

x87172 > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 17:32

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Sup.

WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe > MultiplaOrgasms 07/18/2015 at 17:35

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That is really trippy. Like, that goes completely against what I’ve known for my whole life.

MultiplaOrgasms > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe 07/18/2015 at 17:39

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#citroenlife

KirkyV > WesBarton89 - The Way to Santa Fe 07/18/2015 at 17:44

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Airbags meant they couldn’t keep doing the single-spoke thing, so they had to find some other weird variation on the basic ‘steering wheel’ concept. I’ve little doubt that some corner of PSA’s research and development division continues to work on finding a means of mounting an airbag in such a way as to allow thin, single-spoke wheels to be a thing again.

KirkyV > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 17:46

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Suspension goes up. Suspension goes down.

DoYouEvenShift > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 17:48

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Which button activates the fire suppression system?

Funktheduck > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 18:01

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That steering wheel looks crowded, obnoxious, and gaudy.

All that unnecessary crap put on there like the start button and mode select switch. You don't need both hands on the wheel to start/stop a car. You shouldn't be driving in a manner required to switch driving modes and keeping both hands on the wheel.

AthomSfere > x87172 07/18/2015 at 18:28

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You beat me to it, but I raise you the:

Admiral-cb > DoYouEvenShift 07/18/2015 at 18:52

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You can’t find it because it doesn’t exist. If there was a button for that, and it worked, the fire jokes would all go away and I would be sad.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > KirkyV 07/18/2015 at 19:16

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I can attest to this. It’s the best thing since popup headlights :)

twochevrons > TheOnelectronic 07/18/2015 at 19:51

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The ‘stand-up’ bonnet of the Volvo 850 (and possibly others). The stops on the bonnet hinges can be rotated out of the way to allow you to raise the bonnet to a 90º angle. Makes access to the back of the engine a whole lot more pleasant!

Leadbull > Admiral-cb 07/18/2015 at 20:18

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I blame the owners.

If you deselect the “handy fire extinguisher” option, you're just asking to get burned.

Zibodiz > TheOnelectronic 07/19/2015 at 03:51

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Subaru clutches that prevent the car from rolling backwards. Why on earth don’t all sticks have that feature? If more did, I’ll bet less people would be afraid to drive them, which would mean they’d be a lot more common in America today.

TheOnelectronic > Zibodiz 07/19/2015 at 03:52

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Well, uh... every car I’ve owned EXCEPT my two subarus has had that feature. BMW, Audi, and Ford. Although with those it’s just brakes. Even my dad’s Cayenne has it, and that’s an auto.

Maybe it’s a relatively new thing with subies? Mine were both pre-08

Zibodiz > TheOnelectronic 07/19/2015 at 04:03

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Seriously? The Subarus my parents drove while I was growing up had it; they had early- & mid- ‘80s GLs and a ‘70s Brat. I’ve owned Mazdas, Fords, Dodges, and VWs ranging from ‘70s- till mid-’00s, and none of them has had that feature. I’ve also test-driven ‘14 Fords & Mazdas, and didn’t notice the feature (although I didn’t test drive them on steep hills). I had no idea any other vehicle had that.

What do you mean, though, that an auto has it? The whole point of the feature is that when you have a stop while going up a hill, you don’t have to heel-toe to take off. Automatics shouldn’t need that anyway.

TheOnelectronic > Zibodiz 07/19/2015 at 04:13

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It’s only become common very recently. The oldest of the cars I’ve had that had it was an ‘09.

I have no idea why an auto has it. I agree with you that it’s kind of pointless.