If you think driving your modern car is tiresome and stressful, you need to take a look at those driving the old Corollas and Nissan Sunny (I don’t know if calling them Sunnies is okay). By old I mean the 90’s and early 00’s models. To be more specific the ones with manual transmission. Maybe that’s why there were not as many gyms back then because driving these cars is enough exercise. We’ve seen a lot of improvement in terms of technology and there’s still more to come. Even for those who criticise modern cars, we all appreciate the new modern technology and how it has helped to lessen the burden. I cannot list all the new technologies in this article but I’ve selected 8 of those that are more common in cars nowadays.
1. Reverse camera.
Having an extra eye, whether it’s in the front or back, eases up the driving experience. With technological improvements we’ve seen the addition of an extra eye at the back which we call a reverse camera. This of course works if you have a screen in the car. Just switch to Reverse gear and without stretching and breaking your neck you have a view of what’s behind your car. In some cases, there are indicators/markers on the screen that show you the alignment of your car and when you turn the wheel in whichever direction, the markers still show you how your car will be aligned. This was made for people like me who hate turning the neck and body when reversing the car. I mostly use the side mirrors and rear-view mirrors only to align the car when reversing. Adding the reverse camera as an extra eye just makes work easier.
2. Parking sensors.
I don’t know if you’ve ever bought something then you get a complementary thing for free. For example, buying a refrigerator and getting a microwave free. A combination of a reverse camera and parking sensors is like this type of complementary offer. For cars with parking sensors, they are mostly located at the back and the front of the car. Using a reverse camera alone or manually checking through the mirrors when you reverse or park does not guarantee that you will not hit or scratch your car on something. These sensors are meant to alert you get close to another car or object. The driver is alerted through beeping. The beeping intensifies as you get closer to the object. The beeping can be supplemented by indicators that change colour or flash. With reverse cameras and parking sensors I don’t see why ladies should continue holding their breath and sweating their palms when reversing a car.
3. Dual zone climate.
The normal body temperature for all of us is more or less the same. Feeling cold, cool, warm or hot varies according to the individual. Cars have air conditioning and climate control to help tweak and regulate the temperature of the interior of the car. This helps but still whatever temperature is right to you might not be right to me. Cue in dual zone climate control. With this, each of the front occupants has the freedom to choose the temperature they feel is right for them. You no longer have to endure someone else’s temperature choice just because it’s their car. Freedom for the front occupants! The rear occupants are still ‘enslaved’. You can start a campaign and tell car manufacturers to introduce quad zone climate control to regular cars.
4. Steering wheel mounted controls.
Some cars have so many buttons on the centre console like a plane’s cockpit. It might take you some time to memorise the function and location of each button and this might make it hard and distractive to use them when driving. This is where controls on the steering wheel come to assist. Some of the vital control buttons like volume control and menu control are placed on the steering wheel for ease of use when driving. It doesn’t take as much time to memorise these buttons and they’re less distractive when driving. Some are illuminated for easier use at night.
5. Connectivity.
Gone are the days when you had to carry around a heap of CDs and cassettes just to listen to your favourite jams. These days all you need is your smartphone. Entertainment systems have evolved over the years to even become infotainment systems (offering both information and entertainment). Listening to your music and even picking and receiving calls and texts has been made easier and available with just a simple connection. Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is what I’m focusing the spotlight on. With just a quick setup and connection of your smartphone and infotainment or entertainment system, you get to listen to your music straight from your phone and pick calls without taking your eyes off the road. The phone screen can be mirrored on the screen in cases of cars with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and using third party apps and USB connection for cars with Bluetooth connection only.
6. Keyless entry and ignition.
This feature was relatable mostly to those with supercars but with recent developments even regular car owners can relate to this. You no longer have to worry about mixing up your car key with a bunch of other keys, having to pull out your key and exposing it to a risk of falling down a drainage pit or your key bending or breaking. For cars with keyless entry and ignition, you just need to have the remote key with you and there is no need to take it out of your pocket. The remote and car are equipped with sensors that facilitate detection of the owner or the one with the key. Through this feature you can lock and unlock doors and start and turn off the car without using a physical mechanical key. I love this feature though I still have my doubts that I will investigate with time. If you don’t like this feature you are probably one of those who always have their car key in hand and use it unnecessarily as a pointer.
7. Cruise Control.
Keeping your foot on the pedals can be a tedious job for your foot especially on long journeys. Cruise control chips in as the saviour here. With cruise control you just have to get to the speed you want your car to be in and set. The car mechanics and technology will keep the car at that speed without you having to put your foot on the acceleration pedal. With adaptive cruise control it’s even better because you set the distance between your car and the car in front of you. Your car then matches its speed to the car in front to maintain the distance. Some people think that this feature means that their car is semi-autonomous. In no way is it so. Even when you activate cruise control don’t reduce your concentration and input. The car will still maintain the same set speed around corners and bends and this can lead to an accident.
8. Digital instrument cluster.
Analogue gauges alone do not portray all the information and they can be dull and not pleasing aesthetically. Yes, a fuel gauge that shows you the level of fuel in your car is nice but wouldn’t it be better and more accurate if you knew the exact amount of fuel left and how long it would take you? Digital instrument clusters have changed the look of the driver’s cabin and the functions accessible. The mini computer displays accurate and additional information unlike gauges which provide estimates. Some even give you more information about your car. You'll feel more attached to your car and in control if you get to know more about your car. Plus a digital cluster improves the car's looks and makes it look more modern and appealing.
In as much as we criticise modern cars for making us lazy and losing the old rides' thrill, we all appreciate that the technology that comes with modern cars has improved our car user experience a great deal and some have also improved safety. There's a whole lot more features that I've left out for the sake of space and readability. Maybe I'll do a part 2 so stick by.