Features We Can't Live Without Now That We Have Them

Every few years we look at the tech available in our cars and think 'how it could get better than this.' Then automakers come out with something new that sets us back in our place and makes us realize how good it can be. The creature comforts that we're treated to while we're behind the wheel keep getting better and better as time goes on, and become more widespread as new technologies force luxury options into base models. Here are the features we just can’t go back to not having.

Heated Seats

This is something our more northern readers will appreciate. There’s nothing worse than getting ready to head to work on a winter’s morning, only to have your buns frozen to the seat for the first twenty minutes of your drive. Now that seat warmers are becoming more common in lower end cars; even us plebs can enjoy the experience of driving without tearing a glute muscle every time we move our foot from one pedal to the other. When this feature hit the market in 1966 on the Cadillac de Ville, it seemed like total excess for the luxury class. Now, fifty years later, my bum can’t thank Cadillac enough for bringing us this technology.

Our next innovation should cool you off if you left your warmer on high for too long.

Cooled Seats

There’s nothing worse than taking a long drive and getting out only to find your back and butt look like you’ve been sitting in a puddle the whole way. Luckily, someone decided to stick an air conditioner under the seat and voila! No more sweat-soaked bums. As someone who loves their heated seat, this next level in comfort is the perfect compliment for a toasty tush. On hot summer days, you can get in and not have your legs melted off by your leather seats, or just ride in the cold comfort of a cool behind. Once you’ve felt the air blowing through the hair of your derriere, you'll never look back.

If you think that’s cool, our next feature makes your car just as connected to your home and office.

Vehicular WiFi

With our homes, offices and everything else now connected to the internet at almost all times, it’s no surprise that our cars can now support full LTE/4G high-speed internet on the go. This means professionals can stay productive while stuck in traffic, or the kids can keep themselves entertained on long car trips. Opponents will point out that the last thing we need behind the wheel is the world of distraction that lives on the internet, but with the growing push of autonomous vehicles that won’t require driver attention, it makes sense to open up the realm of vehicular offices.

Maybe we are jumping the gun by bringing the internet on the road with us just yet, but it just seems like the next logical step after our next feature we can’t live without anymore.

BlueTooth

Now that we carry our lives in our pocket, the era of near total interconnectivity has arrived. Bluetooth has managed to infiltrate every aspect of our driving lives and its presence continues to grow. Originally a means of hands-free calling, Bluetooth is now stock on almost all new vehicles and can do far more than just relay calls. Cell phones are beginning to take over for your key FOB. Some automakers have begun implementing keyless entry and remote starter features that use Bluetooth technology to tell when your phone - and presumably you - are near. One of the biggest concerns for this technology is the potential for a stolen cell phone turning into a stolen vehicle, or a dead phone battery leaving a driver stranded at the office.

If it weren’t for Bluetooth, however, we never would have got our hands on the next feature.

Voice Controls

At some point in the ‘80s, someone watched Knight Rider and decided they wanted the conversational functions of KITT in their car. Voice controls don’t say much back except “Please try again,” and conversations are little more than “calling your ex” before you mash the hang up button on the wheel. When it does work, however, voice controls are an easy, hands-free alternative to choosing songs, finding contacts and even sending texts. Most cars that are Bluetooth equipped also feature voice control, so you get a two-for-one with this.

In case being able to chat with your car isn’t high-tech enough, our next entry will make you see the light.

360 Cameras

Have you ever wanted a bird’s eye view of the situation when some knob decided to park far too close in the parking lot? Well, now you can! Surround view cameras are the natural evolution of the backup camera and have been featured on more and more models lately. These systems stitch together the images from cameras on all four sides of the vehicle, then present them from a top-down perspective so you can safely maneuver out of whatever situation you might find yourself in. Some more advanced systems will give you a larger view of the front or rear, depending on what direction you’re moving.

Tech like this wouldn’t be possible, however, without the advent of our next feature we can’t do without anymore.

Digital Instrument Panel

Now that we’re in the digital era, it only seems fair that we do away with the dials and gauges that dominate the dashboard. Digital displays aren’t new - the analog clock got replaced decades ago in cars - so now it’s time for our speedometers, tachs, fuel gauges and everything else to get an update. Digital displays have the benefit of being able to change function, so your dash ends up less cluttered, and you can choose what to look at. Additionally, they also facilitate features like external cameras without requiring a dedicated display. For a bonus, touchscreen displays are becoming more and more common, removing the need for awkward knob turning to navigate options.

If you don’t even want to bother turning the key, let alone a knob, the next feature is for you.

Remote Start

Oh, the days of running out to your car in the blowing snow or blazing heat, only to let it run for ten minutes while you trudge your way back to the house to retrieve your coffee. Luckily, back in the ‘60s some nice folks got tired of the drudgery and invented the remote starter. It seems, however, that it has taken far longer for the technology to permeate through the industry than expected. While remote starters are available through most manufacturers, it would have been nice if they were adopted at the same rate seatbelts were; I consider freezing to death while I wait for my car to warm up a safety hazard.

If you’re still waiting for your windows to thaw before you can see out of your car, our next tech will let you know if there’s anyone there.

Blind Spot Sensors

There’s nothing more infuriating than driving down the highway and continuously checking over your shoulder because some dink decided to sit directly where you can’t spot them. While there is a way to configure your mirrors so you don’t have a blind spot, who wants to learn about properly setting up our vehicles when we have technology that can do it for us. The sensor, generally found under the mirror, informs the driver whenever another vehicle is sitting by their rear quarter, either with a visual warning, an audible signal or both. None of us are saints, and lord knows we’ve all made a lane change without properly checking over our shoulder. This tech gives drivers an extra set of eyes on the side of their car that keeps watch, even when the driver doesn’t.

Your blind spot isn’t the only thing you can’t see from the driver’s seat, especially at night, which is where our next piece of tech comes in.

Night Vision

Once a staple of special forces, this tech is finally hitting streets that aren’t war-torn. There are two systems available on the market today, passive and active. Passive night vision has a range of about 1000 feet, giving you plenty of room to react to whatever might be skulking around the roadways at night. However, it lacks the definition of its shorter range counterpart. Active night vision works on the same principle as your digital camera’s night mode: a bulb projects infrared light and the camera displays whatever reflects back on the dash monitor. Active systems have better definition but a much shorter range, though both systems will alert you to any heat signatures they pick up on. Night vision is only available on higher-end luxury cars from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Cadillac, Maybach, and Bentley, so we may have to wait a few more years before us average joes get to see the world through that black and white haze.