Every new vehicle model dazzles with high-tech excitement to make your drive safer and more comfortable. Here’s a rundown of the features to look for and avoid in your next car. 

Safety 

Look for these features first because they can save the lives of you and your passengers. 

Forward Collision Warning 

If you’re in danger of hitting the car in front, Forward Collision Warning cautions you with visual and audio indicators. This feature also lets you know if you’re traveling fast enough to invite a collision,  encouraging you to slow down to a safer level. More advanced tech issues warnings when people or cyclists are in your path. 

Automatic Emergency Braking 

While many high-tech warnings alert you to hazards, you need to manually take action to mitigate what can happen. If you don’t act immediately to avoid a collision, Automatic Emergency Braking stops your vehicle automatically to prevent an accident. 

Adaptive Cruise Control 

You’ll always remain a safe distance from the next car when Adaptive Cruise Control automatically manages your speed all the way down to a stop if traffic grinds to a standstill. It also restart your engine when the cars start moving. You can often define the distance that you want to maintain between you and the other vehicle. 

Blind Spot Warning 

Change lanes and Blind Spot Warning relies on a flashing indicator and a sound to reveal vehicles that have entered your blind zone. More advanced tech will steer your vehicle back into your lane to prevent a collision. 

Lane Change Alert 

If your vehicle moves across the highway lanes without your activating a turn signal, this feature warns you to pay attention. More advanced tech can also adjust steering to put you on the right path.  

Forward and Rear Parking Sensors 

Do you have a problem with parallel parking? Sensors in the front can help by beeping to show how close you’re moving toward to an obstacle in the back or front. The faster the beep, the closer you’re getting.

Rear Cross Traffic Alert 

When you back out of a parking spot, your Rear Parking Sensors can also inform you of any vehicles or people crossing your reverse path if you have Rear Cross Traffic Alert. 

Convenience 

The following features make your drive more pleasant. 

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 

These two interfaces integrate your compatible smartphone with your infotainment system. You can then make and answer phone calls, send and receive text messages, or access specific apps, such as  Google Maps or Apple Music, using voice commands on your dashboard screen. Your phone connects either through a cable or wirelessly. 

Keyless Entry 

You won’t be fumbling with your keys as long as you have the Keyless Entry key fob in your purse or pocket. You can then unlock your doors by pulling on a handle and start the vehicle by stepping on the brake pedal and pushing the Start/Stop button. Push that button again after you park, and you can walk away to automatically turn off the lights and radio and lock the doors. 

Multi-zone Automatic Climate Control 

More commonly known as Dual-Zone Climate Control, this feature enables you and your front passenger to set your own temperatures that automatically compensate for changes in the weather.  Larger vehicles may have controls for three or four zones so that passengers in the rear can choose their own comfort levels. 

360-Degree Camera 

Since 2018, the Backup Camera has become standard on all automobiles sold in the United States. The 360-Degree Camera is one step better by showing a virtual bird’s-eye view of your vehicle and its surroundings. This feature makes maneuvering in tight spaces more convenient. 

Remote Parking 

With the push of a button, Remote Parking can steer your car into a parallel or perpendicular parking spot while you relax in the driver’s seat or outside the vehicle, saving you from having to squeeze yourself out of a tight parking space. 

Wireless Charging 

If your smartphone is about the die, powering it up from your car’s USB port typically involves untangling cables, which could prove to be a safety hazard. With Wireless Charging, you avoid dealing with cumbersome cords by laying your Qi-compatible device on the charging pad.

Power Driver’s Seat with Memory 

If several drivers in your family share a vehicle, it can be a pain to adjust the seat every time someone  new gets behind the wheel. A Power Driver’s Seat lets you customize the position of everything from the seat height to lumbar support and store the settings in memory. When a new driver takes over,  pushing a button restores the settings to his or her preference. 

Head-up Display 

Even a quick look at the instrument panel pulls focus from the road. A Head-up Display prompts you to keep your eyes forward by projecting such information as speed, navigation directions, and audio data on the windshield in front of you. You can often change the information showing by pressing buttons on the steering wheel. 

Wi-Fi Hotspot 

A built-in Wi-Fi Hotspot allows several devices to browse the Internet at the same time, saving passengers from having to use their own data plants. Such hotspots also often allow for automatic on-air updating of automotive systems, such as infotainment and navigation, so that you don’t have to visit your dealer. 

And Features to Skip 

Not all high-tech features are worth having, especially if they cost extra. Here are a few to avoid. 

• Built-In Navigation. The main problem with built-in navigation is that it’s expensive, may require a subscription, and often demand updates by visiting the dealer or through the built-in hotspot. It’s better to rely on the maps in your smartphone, which are free and constantly revised. 
• Rear Entertainment Units. If you have several children in the back seat, deciding what to show on the single or dual screens of Rear Entertainment Units may cause arguments. It’s better to buy each kid an inexpensive tablet. Each person can then decide what games, books, and videos to use as entertainment.