Do you buy cutting-edge smartphones but use only a small fraction of the features? If so, you’re not alone. It’s a common occurrence.
The average cost of a smartphone is hundreds of dollars. Buying a car for tens of thousands — not just hundreds of dollars — and using few of its available features is almost criminal.
Since you might as well get your money’s worth if spending money on a vehicle, here are 16 car features you probably didn’t even know you had but should be using now that you know they’re available.
Child Safety Lock Override
When driving with kids strapped in the back seats, the last thing you need is for them to unlock the door and possibly exit the car without your go-ahead. Fortunately, there’s a parent-friendly feature for that. A child safety lock override allows the driver to disable the rear door locks so kids can’t unlock the doors when parents want them locked.
Speed-Sensitive Volume Control
Another neat feature your vehicle might have is speed-sensitive volume control. This feature boosts the audio volume as you accelerate to counter the road, wind, and engine noise.
You might benefit from this feature without even realizing that your car has been helping you hear podcasts or radio stations better.
Adaptive Headlights
Adaptive headlights are another feature your car may have without you even knowing it. They swivel when you turn the steering wheel so that you get enhanced visibility around curves.
Steering Wheel Heater
Don’t you hate it when your steering wheel is cold to the touch during the winter season? You might have a steering wheel heating function without realizing it’s available. Check the climate control menus in your vehicle, or better yet, some well-placed buttons on or around the steering wheel, to see if you’ve been depriving yourself of this useful wintertime feature.
Programmable Liftgate Height
A neat feature in modern cars is an automatic liftgate that you can set up to open with the touch of a button, the wave of a hand, or via some other means. But if the liftgate goes too high, it could ram into a garage ceiling or some other obstruction. Some vehicles have programmable liftgates that allow you to select how high it goes to avoid a banged-up liftgate.
Extendable Sun Visors
It’s never fun to get a face full of sunlight when driving. With extendable sun visors, you can make it longer to block out even more of the sun’s rays. Check to see if your sun visors are extendable.
Hidden USB Ports
Yet another feature your vehicle might have that you may not have discovered yet is a section with hidden USB ports. In addition to the usual places, USB ports may be tucked away in the glove box, behind the seats, under the armrests, and in other sections of your car – adding options for charging or playing content.
Rear Seat Reminder
Some cars have rear seat reminders. No, it’s not a feature to remind passengers when it’s time to exit. Rear seat reminders alert the driver if someone leaves something behind on the seat.
The last thing you want is for someone to forget their smartphone or backpack – forcing you to return it to them. If you have a rear seat reminder, you may well find this feature useful.
Fuel Door Location Indicator
Do you sometimes forget what side of your car the fuel door is located? If so, don’t be embarrassed. It happens to the best of us.
However, one neat feature most cars have is an arrow on the dashboard pointing to the side of the vehicle where the door to the gas cap is located.
Cooled Glove Box
While a cooled glove box might not be a feature high on your list of must-haves, you might as well use it if your car is equipped with one. This feature allows you to keep snacks or drinks cool while on the road.
Locking Gas Cap Release
Unfortunately, some people aren’t opposed to stealing fuel from fellow motorists’ gas tanks. That’s one reason to check if your vehicle has a locking gas cap release. This feature can keep people from stealing your fuel. The locking gas cap can only be unlocked if you release it from inside the cabin.
Automatic Window Roll-Up on Lock
Depending on your car’s make and model, you may be missing out on an automatic window roll-up feature. With this feature, any windows that are rolled down will automatically roll up when you lock the car.
Hidden Menu in Infotainment
If you’re a gamer, you’re used to unlocking new levels or features. Well, with the press of some buttons in a specific order, some vehicles will unlock advanced settings or diagnostics.
Quiet Lock/Unlock Settings
Do you hate when your car makes horrendously loud noises when locking, unlocking, or arming the security alarm? You can usually quiet or silence those sounds with a few clicks of the keyfob buttons. It can be a game-changer if the loud sounds drive you crazy.
Auto Rear Wipers in Reverse
Again, depending on your vehicle, it might come equipped with auto rear wipers in reverse. If you reverse the vehicle with the front wipers activated, the rear wipers will automatically operate.
Split-Screen Infotainment
Let’s face it. Some infotainment systems are better than others. If you have one and hate that you can only do one thing at a time, consider that you might be able to do multiple things.
Some infotainment systems support split-screen formats that allow you to view media controls and navigation simultaneously via a split screen.
Are You Using All Your Car’s Features?
There’s a good chance your vehicle has features you’re unaware of. If you want to make the most of your investment, it pays to learn about all the valuable features you might not be using.
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