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Optional Extras You Thought Useless But Cannot Do Without

My first new car was a Fiesta in 1982.

Optional extras I had were.....

- Passenger side door mirror
- Passenger side sun visor
- Push button Medium Wave radio (mono - 1 speaker)
- Rear parcel shelf

How things have changed !

On a 1982 Fiesta the pads that filled the hole in the headrests were an option - I know - I bought them ;)
 
+1 for keyless go also, love it!
 
Have to agree the heated steering wheel is awesome, also have become very use to having parktronic, sat nav and xenons. I also use the outside temperature guage a lot. However, the hardest to live without would probably be. keyless go.

Does anyone know why many newer MB's don't have it as an option anymore?

Tan
 
"speed tronic"

Gaurding st4s licence for 9 months ;)

Actually thats standard.

Heated seats, love them. However have leather seating that to be honest could be quite happy without. Cloth and/or half leather does not need seat heating, but with all leather seats its a must.

COMAND, had it in a courtesy car, would actively avoid it in my generation of car.

Parktronic. Yep, I fess up, I would not be without it.

Xenon lights, thought they were a fad until I had a car with them, and would not do without now I do a lot of night time driving.
 
To be controversial I could say LSD (the diff not the drug), I fall into the thought that unless your a track wannabe a LSD is useless on the road but I can tell it makes an improvement (or is that the anti skid?) nah Im kidding myself I cant tell if it does anything on the A41 at 9.15 am on a wet wednesday, its useless to me and to the majority I guess HOWEVER 90% of people with it probably swear by it.

I really started this thread to say "heated steering wheel" never again will I not tick the box for a heated wheel if I spec a new car. It ranks higher than heated seats (in a saloon) IMHO and is so lovely to have.

LSD has helped me keep moving down a single track road when I met oncoming traffic and n/s wheel went into mud - car ahead spent ages spinning furiously and throwing mud in the air ; I got by without any difficulty .

In the snowy weather , my car (W126) kept going where FWD hatches etc ( supposedly better - NOT ) just spun their wheels and went nowhere .

A REAL benefit well worth having .
 
REST function...unfortunately I don't have it on my new W204! but it was great on my last old clk.
 
I really started this thread to say [B said:
"heated steering wheel" [/B]never again will I not tick the box for a heated wheel if I spec a new car. It ranks higher than heated seats (in a saloon) IMHO and is so lovely to have.

I'm not sure about the whole heated steering wheel thing, i like them cold/cool, just like the cool side of the pillow ;)
 
Auto shift lever on a steering wheel stalk like the S and the ML. I have to take my hands off the wheel to select drive in the CLS:eek:
There is also so much more room for things like arms on the centre consol!;)
I would always tick the bi-xenon lights and COMAND options, but heated seats and steering wheels are for wussies:rolleyes:
Mind you, I have been very impressed with heated grips on some posh motor bikes:o
 
LSD has helped me keep moving down a single track road when I met oncoming traffic and n/s wheel went into mud - car ahead spent ages spinning furiously and throwing mud in the air ; I got by without any difficulty .

In the snowy weather , my car (W126) kept going where FWD hatches etc ( supposedly better - NOT ) just spun their wheels and went nowhere .

A REAL benefit well worth having .

I agree, not a real LSD, but traction control by braking the wheel that has lost grip is standard on the CLK and in this weather with winter tyres has kept me going where so called 4x4's have given up.
Again standard on the CLK is a heated screen wash bottle, could be a life saver when the low sun hits a dirty windscreen and it's still minus 10c outside. Two items I would have to have in any car in the future.

Russ
 
Think heated seats are quite high on my list now, having just moved from a car with them to one without. In the cold I feel like I have to spend the first 20 minutes of a journey hovering 1" above the seat ;)
 
Heated seats are very nice, but not essential. Having had my options pared down by driving an older car, the ones that absolutely stick out to me as essential are bi-xenon headlamps and the best stereo you can have fitted (if you like music, pointless otherwise).
 
Auto-dimming rear view mirror.
 
I remember well my dad coming home with his first car fitted with central locking. Remembering this was a man who all his life had opened the passenger door for my mum his definition of this fangled new feature - useless! :)

Three years later, when ordering his next new car number one on the options list was central locking.

For me I can fully understand the heated steering wheel, always regretted not ticking that box on my last jag. But my absolute cannot, in fact will not live without is a memory when ordering electric seats for both driver and passenger. Electric seats without a memory function are a major annoyance but it's amazing how many manufacturers still supply cars that way.

Regards,
 
I really started this thread to say "heated steering wheel" never again will I not tick the box for a heated wheel if I spec a new car. It ranks higher than heated seats (in a saloon) IMHO and is so lovely to have.

I have often thought that a heated steering wheel would be a very good invention, but have never heard of one. Which cars have them?
 
I have often thought that a heated steering wheel would be a very good invention, but have never heard of one. Which cars have them?

My Jag, and Im sure its an option on most mercs ( a seldom ticked option)
 

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