Pleasing Car Design Features.
Discussion
I don't often drive Mrs Blib's Seat Ibeza. I did recently. The windscreen was a bit grubby and so I engaged 'wash/wipe' - as you do.
All well and good. Then, something happened which pleased me no end. About five seconds after the 'wash/wipe cycle' had ended, the wipers swept the windscreen once more and removed the remaining trail of water that had dribbled down the centre of the screen.
Not life changing, I grant you. And, for all I know, all modern cars sport this feature. But, I've not driven or been in a car that's done that and I actually giggled when it happened. Those snail trails sometimes bug me and I've not owned a car that had this feature.
Does your car have an extra feature that gives you a frisson of pleasure? Some little touch that makes you smile and appreciate the car designer's work? Something that shows that he or she wanted to make your driving experience as satisfying as possible?
If so, thenkeep it to yourself tell us.
All well and good. Then, something happened which pleased me no end. About five seconds after the 'wash/wipe cycle' had ended, the wipers swept the windscreen once more and removed the remaining trail of water that had dribbled down the centre of the screen.
Not life changing, I grant you. And, for all I know, all modern cars sport this feature. But, I've not driven or been in a car that's done that and I actually giggled when it happened. Those snail trails sometimes bug me and I've not owned a car that had this feature.
Does your car have an extra feature that gives you a frisson of pleasure? Some little touch that makes you smile and appreciate the car designer's work? Something that shows that he or she wanted to make your driving experience as satisfying as possible?
If so, then
Deluded said:
I thought it was very clever on my e36 compact when you had the wipers on and stopped at traffic lights, it would automatically switch them to the intermittent setting and back to full when you pulled away again.
Never noticed this on my E36 328 Coupe.Tell you what I did like about that car though, the rear view mirror that used to dim when headlights appeared in the dark. Fantastic idea. I wasn't so pleased one day when I accidentally knocked it off the windscreen taking a chunk with it - needed a new windscreen!!
Tuvra said:
My Peugeot's mirrors move to assist you when parking, they are also linked to the memory seat so they move into position according to who's driving, flicking the switch left or right sets which mirror will "look down" when parking, great for avoiding kerbs 
My Maserati has that 'look down' feature too when reverse is engaged. Takes ages for them to resume their normal position afterwards, though.When you drive a Skoda Fabia with the wipers on, selecting reverse activates the rear wiper.
After several months with my 350Z, I've since learned that lots of cars have this, I was fascinated to discover that the stereo quietens down when you stop and increases volume when you pull away again.
Also, still the 350Z, if you lock the doors with the remote and have the boot open it beeps as a warning to not shut the boot - in case you've left the keys in there.
After several months with my 350Z, I've since learned that lots of cars have this, I was fascinated to discover that the stereo quietens down when you stop and increases volume when you pull away again.
Also, still the 350Z, if you lock the doors with the remote and have the boot open it beeps as a warning to not shut the boot - in case you've left the keys in there.
My mk3 Mondeo used to do the courtesy wipe thing - annoyed me no end!
Wash the screen, wipe, lovely and clean, and then a few seconds later the f
king thing wipes again for NO REASON WHAT SO EVER and smudges the windscreen again 
I sold that car almost a year ago and it still annoys me thinking about it
I like the auto dimming rear view mirror on my current car, and I also like the slightly tinted side mirrors which prevent glare.
Heated front windscreens on Fords are brilliant.
I like the little lights just beside the rear headrests in my car, and I also like front centre arm rests. Best feature of any car, ever
Wash the screen, wipe, lovely and clean, and then a few seconds later the f
king thing wipes again for NO REASON WHAT SO EVER and smudges the windscreen again I sold that car almost a year ago and it still annoys me thinking about it
I like the auto dimming rear view mirror on my current car, and I also like the slightly tinted side mirrors which prevent glare.
Heated front windscreens on Fords are brilliant.
I like the little lights just beside the rear headrests in my car, and I also like front centre arm rests. Best feature of any car, ever
On my old Pug 405, the alternator was mounted on a long screw-thread, to turn the adjusting of the fan belt back into a science, rather than an art-form. Also, I seem to remember that the engine was tilted backwards 30 degrees or so ... This was for the low bonnet line, you understand, but it did have the pleasing bonus of meaning that when you were removing spark plugs, they came out vertically ... had lost count of the number I had ground to bits on my old Fiesta(s) when they came out at an angle and were very tight!
My Saab had the parking ticket clip mentioned above, and (pleasingly) it seems to be becoming more common - very useful!
The little side pocket in the boot of my Bora (made of netting) is really useful to store stuff like my socket set, wheel spider, Haynes manual, window cleaner/de-icer, scraper, rags, etc. Keeps the boot tidy!
This year, I've also come to cherish the regular fitment of Pollen Filters - when the car is your only respite from hayfever, though, something's clearly not right...
My Saab had the parking ticket clip mentioned above, and (pleasingly) it seems to be becoming more common - very useful!
The little side pocket in the boot of my Bora (made of netting) is really useful to store stuff like my socket set, wheel spider, Haynes manual, window cleaner/de-icer, scraper, rags, etc. Keeps the boot tidy!
This year, I've also come to cherish the regular fitment of Pollen Filters - when the car is your only respite from hayfever, though, something's clearly not right...
Blib said:
Tuvra said:
My Peugeot's mirrors move to assist you when parking, they are also linked to the memory seat so they move into position according to who's driving, flicking the switch left or right sets which mirror will "look down" when parking, great for avoiding kerbs
My Maserati has that 'look down' feature too when reverse is engaged. Takes ages for them to resume their normal position afterwards, though.My car (Rover 214) has a few that have been mentioned already, like the rear wiper that comes on automatically when in reverse with the wipers on.
Another one is the fuel cap that needs the ignition key in it, to put it back on as well. Means that you never forget to put the cap back on.
Front centre armrest, as has been said already, is one of the finest motoring inventions. Very useful for odds and sods.
Little coin trays within the dash. Keeps change in an easy-to-reach place in case of tolls etc.
Finally, turning the key to the first position turns the stereo on, but nothing else. Useful for listening to something while waiting for someone, without running the battery down with the ignition.
Another one is the fuel cap that needs the ignition key in it, to put it back on as well. Means that you never forget to put the cap back on.
Front centre armrest, as has been said already, is one of the finest motoring inventions. Very useful for odds and sods.
Little coin trays within the dash. Keeps change in an easy-to-reach place in case of tolls etc.
Finally, turning the key to the first position turns the stereo on, but nothing else. Useful for listening to something while waiting for someone, without running the battery down with the ignition.
TheVole said:
Another one is the fuel cap that needs the ignition key in it, to put it back on as well. Means that you never forget to put the cap back on.
Mr's Blib's Ibiza has that feature. I'm not clever enough to unlock the cap. I never can tell which way I'm supposed to turn the key and the cap.
A lex said:
I used to hate the exact same feature on my 04 Fiesta - the screen would be nice and clean - 5s later you get this 'courtesy wipe', which would smear the bloody screen again. Grrrrr.
So did my mondeo. Terrible in winter, you'd desalt the screen then Ford would auto-smear it. Dagenham clearly has a trollfaced designer...Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff