If you’re looking to buy a car for yourself, a family car or a vehicle that means business, there’s a lot to consider. From accident avoidance systems to extra storage space and heated seats, there are many features people look for when they’re buying a car. In this article, we’ve taken a look at the most desirable features.
Interior features for your car
Comfortable seats
If you spend a lot of time driving (those 15 - 20 minute commutes to and from work will soon add up), then you need to get a car with comfortable seats. Think about it - if you choose a car with seats that aren’t comfortable, you’ll be splashing out on ways to make them a little comfier, and you won’t be very happy for long. When it comes to test driving the car, make sure you spend enough time in the driver’s seat in order to assess it. Volkswagen, Hyundai and Nissan are renowned for creating a comfortable driving experience.
Electronically-adjustable driver’s seat with height-adjustable lumbar support.
What’s great about electronically-adjusted seats is that they can be fine-tuned to the find a comfortable driving position, and the height-adjustable lumbar support provides long-term comfort to the driver.
Heated seats and a heated steering wheel
The UK is renowned for three days of summer and the other 362 days are cold, miserable and wet. This is where heated seats come in. They’ll be a welcoming and appreciated feature in your car during those freezing cold winter mornings when you’re relentlessly scraping ice off your windscreen.
Automatic climate control
Automatic climate control (also known as dual zone) means that both the driver and passengers have control of the temperature for their sections of the car. This is great as it means that everyone comfortable during the drive. One of the great things about dual zone control is that you can set your desired temperatures and forget about them, as the system will make the necessary adjustments so that everyone is comfortable. Added safety benefit - you won’t be playing about with the heating when you’re driving.
Related: What Should You Always Keep in Your Car?
Advanced safety features in cars
Many modern cars come with advanced safety features - nearly 1.8 million car buyers benefit from collision avoidance systems and, thanks to this, road collisions have seen a 10% decrease between 2013 and 2018 (SMMT). These are the following safety features you should look for in a car.
Related: The Essential Car Maintenance Guide
Forward-collision warning (FCW)
A forward collision warning is an advanced safety system that uses laser, radar, or cameras to monitor surrounding conditions. It also assesses the speed of your approach and the potential impact with a vehicle in front of you. The system alerts you with visual or audible signals if there is a potential crash, giving you time to react. Some systems also sense and alert you to the potential hazards including pedestrians.
Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
Automatic emergency braking senses potential collisions and initiates braking if the driver doesn’t react in time. A magnitude of manufacturers now fit their cars with AEB - Audi, for example, has ‘Pre Sense Plus’. Pair this with FCW and you have two very safe features to help create a safe car - perfect for families and lone drivers.
A reversing camera
Reversing cameras are a dream when it comes to reverse parking and reversing round around corners. It is literally like having a pair of eyes in the back of your head, and reduces the risk of any collisions or accidents from behind, whilst in reverse
A spare tyre
A spare tyre shouldn’t be seen as a desirable luxury - it is a much needed feature in any car, but unfortunately many cars come without them.
Automatic High Beam
Automatic high beam is another fantastic accident avoidance feature that benefits every driver, as it reduces the risk of dazzling or temporarily blinding other drivers. Auto high beam detects other light sources that are close by (such as headlights from other vehicles) and changes your high beam to low beam.
If you’re looking to buy a car with these features, then get in touch with Nationwide Cars today.
