What do you consider 'essential spec' on a car?

ROOG

Of the gadgets in my car I appreciate electric mirrors, central locking and self dipping rear view mirror, the latter being the least obvious but probably most appreciated during the winter. Oh and A/C for demisting

Axe_meister

Leaving performance to the side.
DAB, a USB socket. Heated washer jets and the ability to take the roof down.
Oh yes a firm but comfortable and figure hugging front seat.

johnnyurq

bertie;150980" said:

a chauffeur

This in buckets and spades.

Nice heated comfy seats in the back too natch, oh don't forget the mini-bar.

johnnyurq

VimFuego;151016" said:

forward mounted .50 cal duel machine guns.

Add some RPG launchers, small tactical nukes, some UAV/Drones and a liberal sprinkling of Bond type gadgetry. Maybe some Ben Hur style blades on the wheels just for laughs and maybe summat that can decapitate pedestrians and cyclists as we pass.

Then gentlemen we have a car.

Mick

A headlight switch that people actually use when they get out of the car.  Instead of parking in front of me with the headlights blaring into my eyes for minutes after they get out of the damn thing.  Lazy b'tards.

thisisguitar

Mick said:

A headlight switch that people actually use when they get out of the car.  Instead of parking in front of me with the headlights blaring into my eyes for minutes after they get out of the damn thing.  Lazy b'tards.

Sounds like people who don't know how to use the 'follow me home' function on the lights properly.

Grumpyrocker

One gadget in our car I've grown to love is the speed limiter. Very handy for high-plod areas and general ease of driving around town. Given our family car is an automatic, with hill start assist, rear parking sensors, auto wipers/lights - the speed limiter is the icing on the cake - one barely has to do anything.

Absolute boring as fuck to drive though.

Mick

thisisguitar said:

Mick said:

A headlight switch that people actually use when they get out of the car.  Instead of parking in front of me with the headlights blaring into my eyes for minutes after they get out of the damn thing.  Lazy b'tards.

Sounds like people who don't know how to use the 'follow me home' function on the lights properly.

You can tell from my next question that I drive an old banger. What exactly is the "Follow me home function" lol..

thisisguitar

Some cars have a time delay on the lights. The idea being if you have a driveway the lights will stay on long enough to 'follow you home'. 

It's a nice touch if you need it :-)

Mick

thisisguitar said:

Some cars have a time delay on the lights. The idea being if you have a driveway the lights will stay on long enough to 'follow you home'. 

It's a nice touch if you need it :-)

That'll be it then.  Just a shame people abuse it, the car's usually pointing in the opposite direction when they walk away from it in a car park.

Phil_aka_Pip

• Floorpan flat to the back of the tailgate with NO lip
  
• Proper spare wheel
  
• instrument panel visible in sunlight (NO LCDs)
  
• road & engine speed visible at a glance (proper dials)
  
• electronic ignition for reliability but NO "engine management"
  
• manual window winders
  

asking for the engine to be serviceable with the usual tools available in the common man's garage, or indeed serviceable at all by anyone who hasn't got a degree in digital electronics is probably asking way too much. Bring back the Morris Minor!

thisisguitar

There are a few cool things on some cars that owners are often clueless about.

Pressing the Lock button on your key in a car park lights up the car so you can find it more easily.

My favourite is holding down the Unlock button and having all the windows open. It's great on a really hot day, it lets a load of heat out of the car as you approach it. Also handy for popping the shopping through the window rather than struggling with the door. 

Mick

A spare wheel.  I mean a proper spare wheel, not a can of sealant which is absolutely no use when you've fooked your tyre.

And also not one of those bloody space saver wheels which people insist on driving about on at normal speeds.  Bloody dangerous imo.

equalsql

Phil_aka_Pip said:

• Floorpan flat to the back of the tailgate with NO lip
  
• Proper spare wheel
  
• instrument panel visible in sunlight (NO LCDs)
  
• road & engine speed visible at a glance (proper dials)
  
• electronic ignition for reliability but NO "engine management"
  
• manual window winders
  

asking for the engine to be serviceable with the usual tools available in the common man's garage, or indeed serviceable at all by anyone who hasn't got a degree in digital electronics is probably asking way too much. Bring back the Morris Minor!

  Now that gets my vote. I hate the whole engine management crap, especially when Vauxhall want £70+ just to stick a 'com-poot-ha' on it to tell me what's wrong 

thisisguitar

Phil_aka_Pip said:

• Floorpan flat to the back of the tailgate with NO lip
  
• Proper spare wheel
  
• instrument panel visible in sunlight (NO LCDs)
  
• road & engine speed visible at a glance (proper dials)
  
• electronic ignition for reliability but NO "engine management"
  
• manual window winders
  

asking for the engine to be serviceable with the usual tools available in the common man's garage, or indeed serviceable at all by anyone who hasn't got a degree in digital electronics is probably asking way too much. Bring back the Morris Minor!

No engine management means poorer fuel economy and lower power though. And manual winders?! Really?! Absolute pain in the arse if you want to open windows other that yours in the car.

Going back to cars you can service yourself would be nice in some ways. However making a living as a guitarist I would argue doing such things are an unnecessary risk to the fingers (I learned that the hard way!).

Myranda

My ideal spec is only two wheels... I don't have a car license so too many wheels means I'm not allowed to drive it

thisisguitar

@equalsql - As much as it feels a rip off at times, it's generally a damn sight less time for the garage to diagnose a problem that way. Though they get the benefit of the labour saving more than you, you'd still likely see a hefty bill from them if they had to start taking things apart to find a fault.

TTony

equalsql said:

I hate the whole engine management crap, especially when Vauxhall want £70+ just to stick a 'com-poot-ha' on it to tell me what's wrong 

Don't need a com-poot-ha to find the problem.

The badge on the bonnet is a real giveaway.

Phil_aka_Pip

But engine management usually means expensive faults you can't fix. You spend more on the repairs than you save on a few extra mpg. My Escort CVH van had electronic ignition (but no silly "management system") and its fuel consumption & performance were no worse than the Vauxhall I've got now in which I'm just waiting for the next inexplicable fault. Manual winders = something that'll work when you want it to instead of failing to open or close because of some obscure electrical fault. 

Mick

equalsql said:

Phil_aka_Pip said:

• Floorpan flat to the back of the tailgate with NO lip
  
• Proper spare wheel
  
• instrument panel visible in sunlight (NO LCDs)
  
• road & engine speed visible at a glance (proper dials)
  
• electronic ignition for reliability but NO "engine management"
  
• manual window winders
  

asking for the engine to be serviceable with the usual tools available in the common man's garage, or indeed serviceable at all by anyone who hasn't got a degree in digital electronics is probably asking way too much. Bring back the Morris Minor!

  Now that gets my vote. I hate the whole engine management crap, especially when Vauxhall want £70+ just to stick a 'com-poot-ha' on it to tell me what's wrong 

And then they change the camshaft sensor it told them to change, only to find it's a crankshaft sensor triggering the error code, then you get a bill for both parts and both jobs..