List Cool or Unusual Features on Vehicles

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Exit32
My 2005 Jaguar XJ8 came with power headrests. I set the height once and never used them again.


That's pretty standard on Mercedes, they have that button on pretty much all their cars that have a power seat. Also 3 position memory.

Originally Posted by pkunk
The HID headlights on my Mini not only are self leveling but have automatic headlight washers. Cool to watch them in the garage on startup-up, down, stop at level.


I like having the headlamp washers, you typically only see them on European cars although some Japanese cars have them, never seen them on American cars. MB lights also auto level and since about 2006, they also had the active curve illumination. So when you start them up, they actually go up down and left right so it's cool to watch. MB also does a crazy folding rear seat on my 2008 E-350. The seat cushions can flip up so the rear back cushion can fold down flatter.

 

[MrHorspwer]

The latest trend in HVAC is the addition of an ionizer. They began showing up primarily in Asian markets (China, Japan, and Korea) as a means to combat poor air quality. Not even in luxury cars either. It's become a pretty solid selling point that buyers of all cars look for in those markets. The option has now migrated to North America and Europe, though here you'll typically see it on luxury marques.

The first-generation Colorado and Canyon pickups had a second tailgate position using the tailgate strap. There was a second clip in the strap that would hold the gate at an angle so it was perfectly level with the wheelwells. This allowed an even surface for laying a 4x8 in the bed.

18 states have explicit laws requiring headlight use when it's raining. It's a good idea in all 50 states. GM has you covered: In any modern GM vehicle, when your wipers are on, so are the headlamps.

I've seen some Mercedes Benz models that have remote release rear headrest that can be controlled by the driver. If a rear seat passenger flips up the headrest and leaves it up after exiting, the driver can lower them with a button to increase rearward visibility.

 

[brages]

I got a Volvo a while back...

Here are some Volvo features that were new to me... on the S60/80, you have powered flip-down back seat headrests.

I have an s40, so I don't have them. However, I do have a little plastic nub on the side of the passenger headrest for hanging my coat (by its strap) on. This is probably the quirkiest Volvo feature.

The headlights are auto on. In the normal setting, the headlights run at half-power as DRL's and go full bright at night. In this setting, you don't get high beams (except to flash). If you want to turn on high beams, you have to turn the headlight setting to full on. I think this is a great feature, since I'm constantly being annoyed by people in the city driving with high beams on.

A momentary tap on the blinkers give three flashes. I like this feature, but it messes me up for normal cars.

The fob has a button for "puddle lights" that light up the area around the car. These lights do not come on normally with lock/unlock.

The trunk has an electronic release, but the fob button doesn't pop it; it only unlocks the trunk (dumb feature).

The seat belt dinger is "smart". It won't beep at you when you're stopped -- it waits for you to start moving and then beeps.

The climate system knows when your windows/sunroof are open, and it won't give you full fan power on auto until you close them.

According to the manual, the car will not give you informational messages when it senses that you need to focus your attention on the road; it will wait for a better time.

Like a lot of cars, it has a little LED in the overhead switches that adds a dim glow to the console area at night.


I had a friend with an Audi and it had a nice feature where the passenger-side mirror adjusted downwards when you put the car in reverse so you could easily see the curb.

 

[joekingcorvette]

1958 Oldsmobile Eight Eight had a transistor radio that pulled out of the dash and it was the same radio used in the car. Believe it or not it worked for the lifetime of the vehicle. Who knows it might be restored somewhere but I doubt it.

 

[billt460]

My 1979 Volkswagen Diesel Rabbit had a cold start lever on the dash you pulled out like a manual choke. It was for starting it in cold temperatures. It advanced the timing on the injector pump so it would introduce fuel into the cylinders sooner, aiding in starting. It really worked well. Then after it warmed up you had to be sure to push it in. If you forgot and drove off with it out, the engine would clatter like mad at idle, reminding you to push it back in. On today's modern Diesel's that is all controlled by the computer.

 

[Danh]

My 1962 Renault Dauphine had a "Country" horn and a "City" horn, each with a different tone and volume. Top that!

 

[mattwithcats]

1948 Tucker
Had a third "Cyclops" headlight in the center, turned with the car...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_48

 

[oil_film_movies]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
My E39 M5 had some interesting features: - Some sort of enviro hazard/noxious odour sensor in the HVAC that could be enabled. I suspect this might be useful driving through forest fire smoke or similar
I always thought that one was just a light aimed across the airflow to a sensor. Smoke and dust obscured it, activating recirculate. (??)

Focus RS's drift mode is rare: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a...-ford-explains-the-focus-rss-drift-mode/ or Tesla's Ludicrous Mode (P100D power-amps-go-time).

Less exciting, and I think a safety hazard really, is the continuous light bar on 80's-90's Merc Sables. Normal dual headlight separation makes a car more recognizable in the distance at night. This thing looks like the reflection off a chrome bumper or something.

 

[RTexasF]

Originally Posted by Bud_One
Mazda 626s used to have the oscillating center air vents.


I had one and still miss that feature.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
My E39 M5 had some interesting features: - Some sort of enviro hazard/noxious odour sensor in the HVAC that could be enabled. I suspect this might be useful driving through forest fire smoke or similar.....

Or else if you were chosen to be the designated driver to bring people home from the Chili Cook Off!

 

[oil_film_movies]

A cool feature on newer cars is the display of tire pressure on the dash. TPMS is great, and mandatory, yet there is nothing like showing the actual pressures on a dash display to make you leave your pressure gauge at home permanently. Some cars display it, some don't. GM does. My 3 year old Fords don't bother.

 

[oil_film_movies]

Displaying engine Compression Ratio on the dash is very strange. One engine actually changes compression as you drive (Infiniti-Nissan QX50 & Altima):

 

[JTK]

I thought being able to see engine run time hours and idle hours was pretty cool as a base feature on my 2017 Ram 1500.

 

[hpb]

Thought of another one. My 2010 Mazda CX9, instead of just the usual "D" on the dash, actually indicated what gear the transmission was in. So accelerating away from standstill, the display went 1...2...3 etc as it went up through the gears. Never seen that on any other vehicle.

 

[Silk]

The Japanese domestic cars are full of wierd stuff, but it's so normal to me I don't even know if it's unusual or not. I really like the Stinger with it's full surround cameras, like a drone view of the car as you reverse.

I used to have a 1990 Mitsubishi Diamante many years ago, it was the top of the line limo version and I've never seen one as high spec as it was. It had the occilating vents of course, air suspension that I converted to springs after too many leaks. It had leather, memory seat...and more ! Not only did the seat adjust to your settings, so did the steering wheel, rake and depth, the exterior and interior mirrors, the interior mirror was also auto dipping. It was one classy car.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by Exit32
My 2005 Jaguar XJ8 came with power headrests. I set the height once and never used them again.


That's pretty standard on Mercedes, they have that button on pretty much all their cars that have a power seat. Also 3 position memory.

Originally Posted by pkunk
The HID headlights on my Mini not only are self leveling but have automatic headlight washers. Cool to watch them in the garage on startup-up, down, stop at level.


I like having the headlamp washers, you typically only see them on European cars although some Japanese cars have them, never seen them on American cars. MB lights also auto level and since about 2006, they also had the active curve illumination. So when you start them up, they actually go up down and left right so it's cool to watch. MB also does a crazy folding rear seat on my 2008 E-350. The seat cushions can flip up so the rear back cushion can fold down flatter.


Yes, my M5 had the headlight washers and auto-levelling road-following lamps. My Jeep has them as well, both the washers and the lamps. My Charger had neither of those features, which I thought was interesting.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by oil_film_movies
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
My E39 M5 had some interesting features: - Some sort of enviro hazard/noxious odour sensor in the HVAC that could be enabled. I suspect this might be useful driving through forest fire smoke or similar
I always thought that one was just a light aimed across the airflow to a sensor. Smoke and dust obscured it, activating recirculate. (??)

Focus RS's drift mode is rare: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a...-ford-explains-the-focus-rss-drift-mode/ or Tesla's Ludicrous Mode (P100D power-amps-go-time).

Less exciting, and I think a safety hazard really, is the continuous light bar on 80's-90's Merc Sables. Normal dual headlight separation makes a car more recognizable in the distance at night. This thing looks like the reflection off a chrome bumper or something.

Now you have me combing through the manual,

so far I've found:
- It had a first-aid kit under the front passenger seat I didn't know was there?

And regarding your query, it states:
Quote
Left-hand indicator lamp on - AUC mode: the system recognizes pollutants in the outside air and blocks the flow of air when necessary. The system then recirculates the air currently within the vehicle. Depending on the air quality, the automatic system then switches back and forth between outside air supply and recirculation of the air within the vehicle
which is then followed by:
Quote
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from the incoming air. The activated charcoal filter provides additional protection by filtering gaseous pollutants from the outside air. Your BMW center replaces this combined filter as a standard part of your scheduled maintenance. A substantial reduction in air supply indicates that the filter must be replaced before normal maintenance.


So yes, I'd say your assessment of how it operated is accurate.

 

[OVERKILL]

Another cool feature, which I don't believe my M5 had, but I see it mentioned in the manual is "Active Seat":

Quote
BMW seats are configured for your orthopedic well-being. The active seat is an engineering enhancement of BMW's seats, designed to ensure less fatigue during extended trips while sitting with little movement. The seat is no longer a passive element between the road, the running gear and the passenger. Instead, it creates minor and imperceptible shifts in your weight by an active change in the contour of the seat surface. The basic seat position is not changed as this occurs. Fluid cushions are located below the surface of the seat in the seat's upholstery on the left and right. The fluid is circulated slowly back and forth between the two cushions by means of a pump. This causes a movement of the spinal column which is virtually imperceptible, resulting in an improved flow of blood to the vertebral discs and the muscles in the area of the spinal column. Vehicle occupants can experience less muscle cramping, back pain in the spine's lumbar region and fatigue. The active seat thus provides a significant contribution to your driving comfort and safety.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by Exit32
My 2005 Jaguar XJ8 came with power headrests. I set the height once and never used them again.


That's pretty standard on Mercedes, they have that button on pretty much all their cars that have a power seat. Also 3 position memory.

Originally Posted by pkunk
The HID headlights on my Mini not only are self leveling but have automatic headlight washers. Cool to watch them in the garage on startup-up, down, stop at level.


I like having the headlamp washers, you typically only see them on European cars although some Japanese cars have them, never seen them on American cars. MB lights also auto level and since about 2006, they also had the active curve illumination. So when you start them up, they actually go up down and left right so it's cool to watch. MB also does a crazy folding rear seat on my 2008 E-350. The seat cushions can flip up so the rear back cushion can fold down flatter.


Yes, my M5 had the headlight washers and auto-levelling road-following lamps. My Jeep has them as well, both the washers and the lamps. My Charger had neither of those features, which I thought was interesting.


Oh yeah, while they're common on trucks and minivans, my sedan also has a power trunk closer. I usually stop people from trying to manually close the trunk, I just hit the button and they're usually impressed. You can actually open and close the trunk from inside the car by pushing down on the open button. I'm told some people like to open and close the trunk while they're in traffic. Haven't really done that yet.

Originally Posted by MrHorspwer
I've seen some Mercedes Benz models that have remote release rear headrest that can be controlled by the driver. If a rear seat passenger flips up the headrest and leaves it up after exiting, the driver can lower them with a button to increase rearward visibility.


Yeah, I have that too, it might have been standard on the W211 which was the E-350 from 2003-2009.

Originally Posted by brages
A momentary tap on the blinkers give three flashes. I like this feature, but it messes me up for normal cars.

I had a friend with an Audi and it had a nice feature where the passenger-side mirror adjusted downwards when you put the car in reverse so you could easily see the curb.


The three blinks is standard on Mercedes also. But I think lots of other cars might be starting to get that. I got a Corolla as a rental once and it also had that feature.

It also dips the mirror when you go into reverse also. It also has an infrared sensor on the passenger door where if you hold the unlock button on the remote, it will open all the windows and sunroof so you can cool the car quickly on a hot summer day. You can also hold the recirculate button and it will close all the windows and sunroof. That's for when you go into a tunnel.

There's also an easy entry/exit feature where it moves the steering wheel up/down when getting in/out of the car.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Wolf359


Oh yeah, while they're common on trucks and minivans, my sedan also has a power trunk closer. I usually stop people from trying to manually close the trunk, I just hit the button and they're usually impressed. You can actually open and close the trunk from inside the car by pushing down on the open button. I'm told some people like to open and close the trunk while they're in traffic. Haven't really done that yet.

Originally Posted by MrHorspwer
I've seen some Mercedes Benz models that have remote release rear headrest that can be controlled by the driver. If a rear seat passenger flips up the headrest and leaves it up after exiting, the driver can lower them with a button to increase rearward visibility.


Yeah, I have that too, it might have been standard on the W211 which was the E-350 from 2003-2009.

Originally Posted by brages
A momentary tap on the blinkers give three flashes. I like this feature, but it messes me up for normal cars.

I had a friend with an Audi and it had a nice feature where the passenger-side mirror adjusted downwards when you put the car in reverse so you could easily see the curb.


The three blinks is standard on Mercedes also. But I think lots of other cars might be starting to get that. I got a Corolla as a rental once and it also had that feature.

It also dips the mirror when you go into reverse also. It also has an infrared sensor on the passenger door where if you hold the unlock button on the remote, it will open all the windows and sunroof so you can cool the car quickly on a hot summer day. You can also hold the recirculate button and it will close all the windows and sunroof. That's for when you go into a tunnel.

There's also an easy entry/exit feature where it moves the steering wheel up/down when getting in/out of the car.


Yeah, my Jeep has the remote electric liftgate, you can open/close it via the overhead button above the mirror, with the button at the back, or via the FOB. It's a great feature

Our Durango had remote flip-down headrests, but they couldn't go back up automatically, somebody had to push them back up if they got into those seats.

Yes, the three blinks is pretty standard at this point, M5 had it, Charger, Durango, Jeep and RAM all have it.

My M5 had the passenger mirror do the look down thing when you put it in reverse. On the Jeep and Charger you could turn this on and off in the UConnect settings, so it is available. I currently have it disabled, as it isn't as useful on the Jeep IMHO.

Ease of entry is a great feature too! Our truck doesn't have it, but the Durango did, Jeep does, Charger did and so did the M5.

I think a lot of these Euro features ended up in FCA vehicles during the Mercedes years.