Things to make standard

Maintenance/Repairs
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21

I love my cruise control, I love my AC, I love my power windows and door locks.

Sealed beam headlights? No way. I like the glass part (I really like the glass part), but the light output from sealed beam headlights was, and is, pathetic. I’ll bet even JEM will agree the modern headlights on his New Beetle outshine the old sealed beams from his Sunbeam Imp.

If he doesn’t, he’s older than I thought.

You can take your GPS, and your OnStar, and stick them where the sun doesn’t shine.

Yes, of course OnStar can shut down your engine, or anyone else’s engine. Why do you even ask?

22

“Dagosa, I’m Aging, Too! That’s Interesting. Maybe I Need More Ground Clearance Now Also, But Don’t Know It. How Does It Help With Aging?”

I don’t know about anyone else, but my bottom now has a greater tendency to drag than it use to.
On our private unpaved road many newer cars with their economy aiding ground effects skirting, just don’t cut it.

23

The Automatic Headlight / Day-Time Running Lights In My Car Have That Covered!

I never touch a light switch (unless I need the fog lights). They work almost perfectly. They “know” when I need to go from day-time to night-time mode.

Whenever I need wipers they have already figured out that it’s dark enough to make the switch.

Some folks don’t like these automatic lights, but I think THEY SHOULD BE STANDARD EQUIPMENT. It’s a Bonneville (GM product), by the way. I love my automatic lights!
CSA

24

Some Mornings My Bottom Feels Like It’s Dragging. It’s Not A “Ground-Effects” Issue.

Seriously, I have noticed that car clearances vary from model to model. Maybe one should put that in their pre-purchase checklist. My Bonneville does better at not scraping air dams, etcetera, in front on steep ramps than did the Intrepid.

CSA

25

My answer is ABS, stability management, and maybe traction control. I guess anything that adds to safety would be fine with me. All of the other things that have been mentioned are better left as options.

I want to be able to get a car with only the options I want and nothing more. Forget about power windows, power locks, power mirrors, power seats, and automatic climate control. I keep my cars long enough that if they have these extras, they will break and need to be repaired. I don’t want sealed beam headlights or a factory service manual that costs four times more than the one from the auto parts store.

If a car I bought had cruise control and a trailer wiring harness, I would probably use them, but I don’t think everyone should have to pay for them if they don’t want them.

The problem with considering cruse control a safety feature is that it isn’t safe to use in low traction conditions. Some people (not me) consider the absence of cruise control a safety advantage.

If you want a compressor for filling the tires, buy one and keep it in the trunk. Any truck driver can tell you that air compression systems that are integrated into the vehicle’s design are problematic.

26

You don’t have to squat to get into the car. Back and knee problems can make this feature useful.

27

As standard I would like to see OBD2 codes displayed not just a illuminated engine logo. The Feds must have some logic behind making it hard for a person to know why the light is on,perhaps they think people will ignore issues that only affect the environment (like evap issues).

Better tires ,standard.

Perhaps signing up for a service that alerts you to every S.I. that pertains to your car,yeah like that will ever happen.

28

this may be me being psycho (again), but lose the airbags, and put in a 5-point harness and a NHRA legal 4 point cage. and i want a stripper option package. dog dish wheels, bench seats and rubber floor mats. no air, radio, or electric crap.

29

If we go back 60 years, here is a list of things that weren’t standard equipment on some cars:

turning signals–I had to add them to my 1947 Pontiac

two tail lights–these weren’t standard on some of the wooden station wagons and not standard on the Jeep station wagon

passenger side windshield wiper–this was an option on the Ford F-1 pickup through at least 1950

heater and defroster–this was an option on most cars. Many buyers went to Sears or Western Auto for an after-market heating and defrosting system

radio–this was most definitely an option

Oil filter–neither my 1947 Pontiac nor my 1955 Pontiac had oil filters. Oil filters were an option on the 1955 and not even available on the 1947

horn–this wasn’t included on the 1949 Dodge Wayfarer roadster

passenger side sun visor–this didn’t come on the lowest trim line models of the Chevrolet

arm rests–these didn’t come on the lowest trim lines

floor mats–most cars had a rubber, permanently installed floor covering. The throw rugs that just caused a Toyota recall weren’t available–maybe we were better off that way

back-up lights–these were a definite option on many cars

By these standards, the 1957 Studebaker Scotsman was a luxury car. It had a recirculating heater, passenger side windshield wiper and turning signals. What more could a person want? Well, here are a couple of standard features that I would add for today’s cars:

LED taillights and front parking/turning signal lights as well as dash lights (when the technology improves, let’s have LED headlights as well)

Oil pressure gauge (we used to have these, but many cars today just have the warning light)

Chair height seats as in the Chrysler products through 1954 and other makes as well. Consumer Reports in a 1992 issue tested the Buick Roadmaster, Oldsmobile 88, Mercury Grand Marquis, etc. and compared these cars with a forty year old 1952 Buick Roadmaster for comparison. One place where the 1992 models lost out in comparison with the old Buick was in seating comfort. I don’t think things have improved much since the 1992 models in the area.

30

The dual climate control in my 2005 Accord works great.

31

I agree that all consumer vehicles should be available with a basic service manual at no charge. I’m not sure it should be given automatically with every vehicle…the thought of some good folks I’ve known trying to fix their own vehicles is scary. I’m not sure it owuld be a good idea to encourage them.

For trucks, I’ve long believed that anti-wash brushes over the wheelwells should be mandated. In addition to prventing visually impenetrable clouds of water in heavy rain, they’d also provide somewhat of an additional margin of safety when the road gators came flying off the tire carcasses…like the one recently that suddenly came off as I was preparing to pass a truck in the left lane and flew out the side of the wheelwell. Kudos to UPS for having these brushes on all their tractor trailers.

I’d also like to see on all vehicles the maximum headlight height lowered. DOT was considering revising the standard because of all the SUVs out there blinding drivers of amsller vehicles, but it seems to take forever.

32

“The Automatic Headlight / Day-Time Running Lights In My Car Have That Covered!”

The sentinel lighting is the one thing I really do miss in my Accord that I have in all 3 of my GM cars. GM does it just right now with a separate setting for automatic and manual. The manual feature is good for going through security stations. I always felt bad that I couldn’t turn the lights off for the guards at the check-in.

33

Ah ha! just as I thought,Big Brother can shut you down.The Volvos I had,were equipped with sealed beam and they seemed to be plenty bright.I despise power door locks and I dont want OnStar,my Hondas with the upgraded capsules have a time shineing through the degraded plastic covers and I dont need GPS either-Kevin

34

Please do something about the lighting DOT,mountainbike is right-some vehicles bother you less on highbeam(the lights basically shine overtop of you).Do the bluelights bother anyone else?-Kevin

35

A way for GPS to incorporate turn signals into the directions. Person states their destination, and the vehicle automatically turns on their signals a few hundred feet before they’re supposed to turn.
Daytime running lights; I hate seeing it fairly dark and raining, or foggy as all get out in the daytime, and 2/3 of the drivers don’t even have their headlights on.

36

Lights on,when wipers are going-its law in Virginia-Kevin

37

Removable panel in the trunk bottom to access the electric fuel pump for us DIY people and to reduce repair costs for others.

Also, this is not quite what you asked but a consolidation of over 200 oil filter types to no more than a dozen or even six would be good. This thinking would also apply to air filters, brake pads, tires, headlamp bulbs and even automatic transmission fluids now.

38

I do have to tell you that the 72 Cadillac was great for setting and forgetting. Today’s systems are prone to computer failure.

39

Thats very good thinking,its pretty dang expensive to get someone to drop a fuel tank.Yes this filter business is ludicrious,some Merchants dont like to have to stock a hundred different part numbers-Kevin

40

My Car Has That Access Panel.
CSA