ridiculous optional extras

This and your other comment just show that you've never driven a car (and had the chance to get used to it) with these features, so you just dismiss it as unneccesary. I bet you use your remote central locking. How hard is it to just put the key in the door and turn it?

I drive 5 days out of 7 in a vehicle with traction control, ESP, 1 touch indicators, reversing sensors and an autobox for good measure. I dont find any of them neccesary, the auto is nice but I dont find it a chore when I get back into my car to have to change gear, be wise with the throttle and move the indicator stalk rather than gently press it. I wouldnt be put off a car just because it doesnt have those features either.
 
Technology takes us inevitably towards the point at which we will have to do nothing for ourselves. Awesome!

It depends where you draw the line though, doesn't it?
I don't hear many people complaining that they no longer have to get out of their car, insert a handle in the front of the crank and pull like crazy until it fires up.
 
Stupid options…how about "Heated Steering Wheel - £145" (From the new Z4 pricing catalogue)

If the feature didn't work then it would seem useless and a waste of money and I can understand those who have had auto wipers that don’t work saying they are a waste. The auto wipers on my Z4 function perfectly so to me they are invaluable. I stay in the west of Scotland the rain conditions are variable to say the least, before I was constantly going from adjusting the intermittent speed and going to on and back, it was a distraction. Now I don't think about it at all, they just work. The wipers usually come with auto lights (but not high beam assist) and the option is £100 on the new Z4.

Will I buy it? Absolutely but for the wipers not the lights....will need to think about the heated steering wheel though.
 
Rain sensing wipers - great as long as they work BRILLIANTLY. If a system is going to be automated it has to be absolutely flawless or I'd rather do it myself. If it's going to struggle, stopping and starting or not reacting quickly enough I'd rather not have it.

Auto lights - as above

Auto dipping headlamps - as above

Cars that don't let you start the engine unless you've selected neutral/pressed the clutch etc - Please, just no

ABS/ESP/EBD etc - Great for people like my mum.

Cruise control - This is cool, I find it handy for long motorway roadworks.

TW Fox said:
Things which do not add anything to the interesting/pleasurable side of driving, and thus things I like to be automated:
c) Whether the wheels spin or not on a greasy road
See I agree with you about A and B, but I think C is pretty important to me when it comes to driving experience.
 
Technology takes us inevitably towards the point at which we will have to do nothing for ourselves. Awesome!

As far as 90% of my driving is concerned I cant wait for it to be honest.
 
Top speed restriction on Audi's RS cars. Like on the RS6 you can have the top speed restricted to 174mph as opposed to 155mph for a mere £1,320! Crazy.
 
I don't hear many people complaining that they no longer have to get out of their car, insert a handle in the front of the crank and pull like crazy until it fires up.

I was being serious. Motoring should be as hassle free as possible apart from the things that detract from or attract to the actual driving experience.
 
Having auto lights, wipers, climate control, and things like that i find are good for when you are driving as it means that you have less to distract you whilst you are driving, which means you spend more time concentrating on the road.

Also it feels much nicer driving a car with a lot of automated things than it does with not much at all, as i found out when i drove my parents car over christmas

Climate control fair enough, but you don't need to take your eyes off the road to switch on lights or change the speed of the wipers.

Do you look at the gear stick when changing gear?:p
 
Auto wipers are great even if they are only semi auto (in that you have to re-engage auto wipers once the car is turned off and on again).

It's particularly useful at different speeds and rain "heaviness" - means I never have to lift the stalk from slow speed to fast speed or increase the intervals because the rain sensor manages all that. I just stick it on auto when in the car and leave it be...wipers slow down as I slow down or speed up in interval if rain gets heavier or I speed up...

How is this a bad thing?
 
the renault scenic i drove made a right hash of it

The wipers went furious at the mereist sight of a spot of rain when driving fast, and when driving slowly in heavy rain they werent fast enough.

Obviously being french it was bound to be bad, but i think this goes some way to explaining the hatred for them, particularly if other manufacturers systems are this bad.
 
Its not a bad thing if you weren't the one who paid an extra £300 because you found moving a stalk too hard. Just the value proposition on this stuff I find hard to fathom. How is it worth a few hundred quid to not pull a stalk when a car comes?
 
To think I just shelled out over a £100 to have chrome wing mirrors and white indicator lenses on a Cooper.

Have you also bought a new Mini Cooper, or did you for some reason give your parents £100 so they could have some wing mirrors and lenses?
 
Its not a bad thing if you weren't the one who paid an extra £300 because you found moving a stalk too hard. Just the value proposition on this stuff I find hard to fathom. How is it worth a few hundred quid to not pull a stalk when a car comes?

most decent new cars include it as standard. But i get what you mean about value for money. There was a time when auto lights and wipers cost like £300. All for the sake of pressing a button / pulling a stalk.
 
Have you also bought a new Mini Cooper, or did you for some reason give your parents £100 so they could have some wing mirrors and lenses?

Was waiting for that. Nope I gave them some money for various options as at the end of the day I'll be driving it 50% of the time :)
 
My 97 R reg 306 had rain loving wipers which I found quite a surprise! They actually seemed to work acceptably as far as I remember.

I can't think of any ridiculous optional extras on my Skoda Octavia vRS however :p

I sometimes wish they did heated seats, or heated backs of seats where the leather bit is. But that's not an optional extra, it's a wish. I apologise.
 
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