What additional features would you like on your car?
- Thread starter Ricochet J
- Start date
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
I've never had a heated steering wheel or used one, I'm just thinking back to January when I'd get into the car after scraping ice off in -7c temperatures, surely the ideal time for heated seats.
I'd sit down, drive off and think 'OMG, this wheel is FREEZING, arghg'.
Never 'these seats are freezing', infact, I didnt once yearn for heated seats yet every morning I wished my steering wheel was heated.
I had heated seats in the Mondeo and only really used them when people said 'Wow, it has heated seats'. There are heated seats in my parents 525i but again, I don't really use them.
I think its a bit ridiculous to claim anyone who doesnt spec them is an 'idiot'.
Soldato
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- 2 Mar 2004
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- 11,919
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- SE England
Heated steering wheels are awesome, as are air conditioned seats 
I guess it depends what you want from the car, however.
First heated steering wheel I came across was in a newer Corsa, really nice touch!
I guess it depends what you want from the car, however. First heated steering wheel I came across was in a newer Corsa, really nice touch!
[TW]Fox;19021689 said:
Because you live in the nice relatively mild South West I guess..... ?
When I was working nights a year or so back, it was regularly well below -15 (sometimes a Hell of a lot colder) getting into my 328i (which had optional seat heaters) in the early hours to go home.
The heated seats were an absolute blessing, and I certainly missed them in the cold snap we had around the time I replaced the e36 with my e39 which has not got them.
I can't honestly say I'd seek out a car with heated seats & reject one that didn't have them but I certainly do "get them" as such.
cruise control is very overrated, I had a passat without it and wanted it badly, got a new car now with it and dont like using it! Motorways are far too busy to be able to use it, plus i found myself paying less attention to the road because im doing less in the car if that makes sense.
I think i would like sat nav built into the dashboard, does me head in having to hide me tom tom after i use it
I think i would like sat nav built into the dashboard, does me head in having to hide me tom tom after i use it
[TW]Fox;19015325 said:
Absolutely serious question - why is so much stuff in BMW spec sheet marked as "professional", does that imply method of fitting or information provided? In which case does that mean one can spec stereo or sat nav that is "amateur" or "highly unprofessional" as in "leads me in opposite direction for lolz a lot"?
[TW]Fox;19021689 said:
I can only presume heated seats don't work well in BMWs, because I would spec heated seats before climate control. You wake up in a bavarian motel in the middle of January and all you have to look forward to, except Dieter Bohlen's greatest hits from cafeteria tannoy, is pressing your exhaust against frozen hard to -20 degrees overnight eco leather through 2mm of cotton. I can deal with tropical heat in summer, simple hole in the roof will do, but cold b****x in winter, I don't handle very well.
I'm in a lucky position that I have specced everything I wanted (btw, BMW users - htf do you allow for USB to still be "an option" on 40k+ car - even Kia "cars" have it as standard), so all I want is stuff that I couldn't spec:
- in town speed proximity warning and adaptive cruise control.
- could do with 4wd system for DSG cars in the lineup.
Less important, but
- would pay extra for parking sensors that beep contineously at 15cm, not half a meter away from object
- would consider blind spot warning system
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You're doing something wrong. Could not live without cruise. I use cruise control even in London traffic, lets me focus on doing green wave maths and charting cyclist suicidal trajectory jumps instead of constantly checking my speed between cameras every 100 yards.
I have 4 heated seats in my car and passengers have shown their appreciation for them on certain sub zero nights last winter. It does need to be really cold for me to use them though, wouldn't be top of my list of necessities. I'd also welcome a heated steering wheel.[TW]Fox;19021689 said:
Yup
I mainly use cruise control to keep to speed limits around residential areas, only use it on A/M roads when they're relatively empty.
Soldato
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- 17 Sep 2007
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- West Yorkshire / Market Bosworth
You use cruise control in traffic? now thats plain ole lazy
I think cruise control's primary use was aimed at long motorway journeys, but with so much traffic your forever adjusting it to suit. The only time i've ever found it helpful is when theres a speed restriction on a motorway due to roadworks (50mph) and they put up those average speed check cameras up.
Heated seats are a must if you have leather but i don't see the point on fabric/cloth seats. Leather gets unbearably cold in the winter. Cooled leather is a must in the summer, no more burnt back of your legs n calfs
Luckily me car has both You use cruise control in traffic? now thats plain ole lazy
Yup, going from 70 to 50 zone i adjust cruise to 50, then at every opportunity, after slowing down I just press reset/recall and go back to stable, auto maintained speed. As I enter 30mph zone, I readjust speed down to 29, then use recall button where possible. Then the same for 20mph zone. Etc etc. Granted I have A LOT of straights and stretches on my commute through London, so it requires more of a black cab technique of "know when to run to make yourself a green wave, know when to maintain the speed, to avoid braking for red light" than a bunny hopping in stand still traffic.
A sun roof, window tints and folding door mirrors.
Tints will be done shortly (probably), folding door mirrors cost about £150ish to retro fit so they may also be done at some point but I wont be cutting a hole in the top of my car.
Tints will be done shortly (probably), folding door mirrors cost about £150ish to retro fit so they may also be done at some point but I wont be cutting a hole in the top of my car.
See i've never really understood heated seats either. The only reason why i would have them, is to play the Heated Seat Game.
The only thing i'd like on my car is more and better integration of everything (Sat nav, MP3s, iPod etc), which hopefully my next car should have.
The only thing i'd like on my car is more and better integration of everything (Sat nav, MP3s, iPod etc), which hopefully my next car should have.
Rubbish, I get a financial penalty through "loss of driver standard bonus" if I don't use cruise something like for 80% of my daily driving time,& contrary to popular myth, I don't live on motorways & A-roads The system is analyzed by a telemetry based system so I can't dodge it yet I manage, without trying particularly hard, to attain my bonus most days of the week.
cruise is a boon, the trick is set it for the right speed & keep your distance.
if I can do it with a 44tonner, you can do it with a car, the fuel savings are considerable to boot.
Now where did I put my flame suit?
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A turbo, perhaps lose the rear beam for independent setup. Not that there is anything wrong with it currently, just axles can be a pain to work with. Perhaps 4wd and some seem welding down the chassis legs.
Already running a big brake conversation, so in this car that would be about that.
Oh and I'd love radar.
Already running a big brake conversation, so in this car that would be about that.
Oh and I'd love radar.