Hi,
I’ve never owned a car before, so I don’t know much about cars.
-CONVENIENCE PKG -inc: 2-stage pwr door locks w/central locking
-speed & transmission sensitive auto door locks
-remote keyless illuminated entry system w/retractable key
-panic mode & trunk release
As a first time driver, would I need these options?
whenever I ask people around me, they say “it’s up to you”
but I have no knowledge to decide whether I need these or not…
Thanks in advance
You’ll find lots of things included you probably don’t need. They are part of a package and not easily divorced from it. Listing every one of these on the sticker is a way to fill out the space IMO. Some of these used to be luxury options but are now commonplace. Some are not even adding any real cost to the manufacturer but they still list them.
Kinda like paying a fee for touch tone service on your phone. For YEARS after touch tone was ubiquitous and they actually had to simulate rotary they were still charging for it…
No you don’t need them. Once upon a time cars had locks which you used the key to unlock and enter the car. No power door locks, no power windows, etc. The car will get you from point a to point b which is its job with minimal options. Options are not necessary, some just make life easier.
Do you need them – no. Do you want them – only you can decide. How much does this option package cost? I’d probably pay an extra $100, but not more. Many used cars are pre-packaged with “popular options” that produce additional dealer profit. Your dealer may have to do some searching to find the exact model you want with the options you need. Or, you could deduct the cost of the options in price negotiations.
Are you buying transportation or a toy box?
Not those options, especially the transmission sensitive door locks. Remote entry and panic mode will bother you all the time. Not as much as the door locks which probably unlock when you put it in park. If you stop to let people out, you will have to put it in park to let the back seat passengers out. Good idea but there will be delay at first until you get used to it.
Take them only if they are part of a package that includes other options you really want. As they stand alone, I don’t feel you would miss them.
You don’t need them but probably want them. A car without that package is going to feel stripped down. All it means is that you can remotely lock and unlock the doors, push one button to lock/unlock inside the car, and the doors will lock at a certain speed. Just handy. Now the panic mode is not something used much but if you are a woman in the parking lot late at night, you can hit the button and light up the sky.
The options you listed are part of a specific package or they are in every version of that vehicle. They are NOT dealer added (i.e. dealer profit) items.
So if you don’t want those features then buy a vehicle with a different package. Manufacturers have some crazy packages. On my 90 Pathfinder… if I wanted factory installed intermittent wipers I had to get the automatic. Luckily there was a OEM option I could buy for $60 - because I did NOT want an automatic.
If you are going to trade the car in 3-4 years then you must have the popular options. Those are air, power windows, door locks, cruise, automatic, and more and more, rear view camera.
Unfortunately, on many Asian cars to get cruise you often have to buy a $3000 package with such things as a sliding roof and others. One reason I did not buy a Hyundai in 2007.
For our needs, we got power windows/door locks, cruise, and not much else over and above the A/C and automatic.
The days when you could cherry pick all the options are gone, even on US cars.
Watch those dealer added options, many times they are a repeat of items located in one of the packages that already comes with the vehicle. I saw a Ford dealer try to add AC as a dealer installed option when it was part of the “comfort package” already included in the MSRP. I saw a chevy dealer add $1295 (not $12.95) for a “Simonize” job on all the cars and a $30,000 “market adjustment” to their Corvettes.
I prefer windows I roll down with a crank, and doors that open by inserting a key in the door lock. And cars that start by inserting the key in the ignition switch. Why? Reliability is more important to me than convenience. I don’t find it that difficult to open the door by putting the key in the lock. Or turn the crank to open the window. Really, that isn’t very difficult is it? On the other hand, if I’m coming home from a late night movie, and I can’t get into the car because of a problem with the electronic key, that is a big problem, to me at least. Or if there’s a fire in the car and I need to get out, if the door won’t unlock b/c the insulation on the wires that control the electronic locks has shorted out, that again is a big problem. Look at posts here for example. Compare how many are about electronic keys compared to ordinary keys. Simple is generally more reliable. And whether more reliable or not, simple is almost always less expensive to repair. Lot of people enjoy the convenience though, that is why a lot of car have these gadgets. Convenience vs reliability vs repair cost. It’s all a compromise.
You don’t need them, and many young buyers choose not to have them. I looked at a 2 year old car with just 14,500 miles on it. I wondered if something was wrong with it. The only option was an auto transmission. I told my oldest daughter about it and my worries. She said that many of her friends bought a stripped new car when they graduated from college to save money, and then buy gut a nicer car two or three years later when they could afford it. She said that the age and mileage would fit her friend’s profiles and not to worry about it. I bought the car for her sister and it has been fine. You do need to decide if any luxuries are worth it, but it is a choice and not a need. Good luck!
For an example of problems a car driver faces when using electronic keys …
http://community.cartalk.com/discussion/2293835/mazda-cx-7-non-fob-key-programming-help#latest
I truly thank all of you for your advice and opinions. I decided not to have these options.