Color Coding Under Hood
If you're driving a car, you probably know your way under its hood. However, things can get confusing, and you can ruin your car if you don't know what you're doing.
Luckily, many modern cars have color-coded engines, which make things much easier. If you just need to check what is going on with your car, color coding saves time and energy and prevents you from messing stuff up.
Easter Eggs
Many car companies include Easter Eggs that only true car lovers can spot in their newer models. They usually pay tribute to their history or older models.
Among these brands are Vauxhall, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai. However, Jeep is best known for doing this. For example, you can find an outline of the 1945 Willys Jeep hidden in most Jeeps.
Volkswagen's Beetle Flower Vase
The Volkswagen Beetle was first manufactured in 1938 and was sold until 2003 (with many improvements and new models, obviously). This classic car was beloved by many, and it included an adorable feature that people loved.
For many years, the Beetle came with a tiny flower vase, known as the blumenvasen, attached to the dashboard. It was a small detail, but people were actually sad when it was discontinued.
Honda's Magic Seats
If there's one thing that people dislike about cars is the lack of legroom. Sitting in a cramped car for hours without being able to stretch your legs is a problem that Honda Civic and Jazz owners don't have.
That's because they come with the magic seat system, which folds up the back seat bases and increases load space, allowing you to transport more stuff. Not only that, but it significantly increases the legroom in the back seat.
BMW's Brake Drying
There is a reason why BMW is the third most popular car brand in the world, and that's their attention to detail and safety. In an effort to make their cars much safer, they created the Brake Drying system.
This is activated by the windshield wiper's rain sensor, and it moves the brake pads closer to the rotors in order to keep them dry. This also improves stopping power in wet weather conditions. Surprisingly, most BMW drivers are not aware of this awesome feature.
Nissan's Easy-Fill Tire Alert
It is vital to have the correct tire pressure to enjoy your vehicle's peak performance and save money on gas. Most cars nowadays come with a tire pressure monitoring system, yet most drivers don't even realize it.
Nissan's system is especially great. Their Easy-Fill Tire Alert is super easy to use. Basically, you start adding air, and once the tire reaches the ideal pressure, the car's horn goes off. If the tires are over-inflated, the hazard lights flash.
Neck Warmers
Heated seats are certainly not new. Many modern cars come with this feature nowadays, but some manufacturers like to take it to the next level.
For example, many BMW models come not only with heated seats but also with neck warmers, which come in different heat settings. This makes the driving experience much more enjoyable.
Subaru's Traffic Watcher
For impatient people, waiting in traffic is one of the most annoying things ever, and it feels like it is taking forever. Luckily, Subaru came up with a solution for this type of person.
Their EyeSight Driver Assist Technology emits a soft beeping sound to let the driver know when traffic starts moving again. It also automatically adjusts the speed to maintain a pre-set distance between you and the car in front.
Drowsiness Detection
Driving for long periods can be exhausting, even if you take regular breaks and have a steady caffeine supply. Getting drowsy while driving is extremely dangerous. That's why so many car companies have found a solution for this issue.
Brands like Nissan, Mercedes, Toyota, and others, have their own drowsiness detection systems to alert sleepy drivers and help them stay on the road. For example, Mercedes' system makes the steering wheel vibrate when it detects that the driver is swerving.
Secret Vacuum Cleaner
No matter how strict we are about the "no eating in the car" rule, people always find a way to break it. And even if people don't eat in your car, there's always dirt that needs to be cleaned up regularly.
Many cars now come with hidden vacuum cleaners ready to use, but sometimes they are so hidden that people don't even know they have them! The Honda Odyssey, for example, has a built-in vacuum behind one of the seats.
Fuel-Saving Frames
Cars are heavy objects, and that's no secret. However, car companies are working harder and harder to make their cars lighter to save fuel. The lighter the car, the less fuel it uses.
Aluminum is often chosen by automakers today as it can be forged to be as strong as steel while being much lighter. For example, Ford's 2015 pickup trucks were 700 pounds lighter than the previous year's model just by making a lighter frame.
Hands-Free Trunk
People usually have their hands full when they're trying to load their trunk. This first-world problem can be extremely annoying for some people, so many automakers have come up with a solution.
To make things easier for users, many trunks now come with a sensor that automatically opens the trunk so that you don't have to put your stuff on the floor or awkwardly try to hold everything in one hand while using the other to open it.
Fuel-Tank Location Reminder
No matter how long you've had your car for, it is normal to forget what side the fuel tank is on. Although it is not a big problem by any means, it is good to know what side it is on so that you don't walk around your car unnecessarily.
In case you haven't noticed, the fuel pump icon on the car's gas gauge lets you know what side the fuel tank is on. The little arrow points to its location, which comes in handy when you're using a rented car or someone else's vehicle.
Road Condition Indicators
Cars come with many indicators nowadays, such as open-door, engine malfunction, and seat-belt indicators. Road condition indicators, however, are a relatively new addition.
These indicators make the driving experience much safer, since fog, rain, and ice can make roads too dangerous. These indicators are controlled by a temperature sensor that lets the driver know when the temperature outside is low enough for the road to freeze.
Computer Driving Assistance
Most cars now come with a Computer Driving Assistance feature, but every manufacturer has a different one. Some are automatically activated, while others must be activated manually.
These systems have features such as sensors that detect pedestrians and other obstacles and also parking assistance, which most cars nowadays include.
Hidden Storage
Automakers love nothing more than efficiency, and this includes maximizing a car's storage space. Most cars nowadays come with hidden compartments that allow you to store more stuff in your car, but sometimes they're hidden too well.
Some cars, for example, have removable bins under the floor in front of the back seat. The Land Rover Discovery also has a storage area behind the climate control panel, which is usually overlooked. You should check your car and see if you find any hidden storage space!
Conversation Mirrors
The rearview mirror is good for letting you see what's going on behind you, but you can't really check on all your passengers with it.
That's why many minivans and SUVs come with a convex overhead "conversation mirror" that can be pulled from the headliner and helps the driver see everyone in the backseat without taking their eyes off the road for too long.
Adaptable Ambient Interior Lighting
Many cars now offer ambient interior lighting that makes for an enjoyable aesthetic experience. Some models include a feature that lights up the console, door handles, cup holders, dash and footwells.
Some high-end cars even let you choose the lighting color. These lights actually improve safety, with one studying showing that these lights improve a driver's space perception and make them feel safer.
Hidden Umbrella
The obvious place to store an umbrella would be the trunk. However, as soon as it starts raining, you have to get out of the car and get to the trunk, getting wet in the process.
That's why many manufacturers now make cars that come with a hidden umbrella compartment on the door panel. It's not a necessity by any means, but it is pretty cool.
Enhanced Soundproofing
BOSE is one of the lead companies in sound equipment. They make cutting-edge headphones and also make speakers for many car companies.
They also created the QuietComfort Road Noise Control to soundproof cars. Its technology detects the vibrations and noise created by the car and reduces it to a minimum.
Dipping Rearview Mirror
This feature is pretty obvious, and yet most people don't even realize it exists. Most rearview mirrors can be tilted to reduce headlight glare.
The tab below the mirror can be moved, which increases safety. Some car manufacturers, such as Seat, make auto-dimming rearview mirrors to reduce the glare too.
Electronic Stability Control
Have you seen the little icon of a skidding car somewhere in your car? Do you know what it means? Many people actually have no idea what that icon is, so we'll clarify it for you.
All cars in the US are equipped with stability control since 2011, and the skidding car icon lights up when it is activated. It engages the car's brakes to control a turn to prevent your car from skidding.
Lane-Centering Sensors
This is not super common (yet), but many car manufacturers are adding self-driving features to their new models to make highway travel safer.
For example, lane-centering sensors rely on a camera behind the windshield to detect lane lines ahead and automatically center the car to make sure you stay in your lane while driving.
Takeout Hooks
Takeout hooks are some of the best-hidden features a car could ever have, but they are so hidden that most people don't even realize they have them.
Many cars have little hooks on the headrests that allow you to hang a bag to safely transport takeout, groceries, and other things without making a mess inside your precious car.
Sophisticated Braking System
The anti-lock braking system has been standard for years, but most people have no idea how it works. When activated, the wheel speed sensors determine if any wheel is about to lock up during braking.
If a lock-up is identified, then a series of hydraulic valves are activated, limiting the braking on that wheel. This only activates in slippery conditions.