I'd love to get a few responses to this one.... what is it that you like about your car?
We've all got things we like about the things we own. Large items, like a house though are always the subject of improvement. The 2nd biggest item usually being a car or truck, doesn't always allow that option without compromise in other areas.
The reason I ask this question is twofold. First, I'm a basic necessity type of car person generally. I want my daily driven vehicle to be reliable-ish, have the basics like power windows/locks/AC/power steering etc,(granted those are about 99% of cars standard fare now) and also to be long lasting. If I sell it in 5 years, I want it to be decent, not have the paint fall off or rust away as the loan is finished. Second, I was driving a brand new car the other day and realized how far we have come in standard features since my 1997 was made.
That got me thinking....what do we want in a car? I never thought I'd like fancy things like an auto-dimming rearview mirror, but by gum that thing is amazing and I miss it every time I get back in my older car. I also really REALLY like a backup camera. It's always tough to judge when parallel parking or hooking up a trailer, so those are an EXCELLENT addition to the 3 mirrors already equipped.
I really also like air conditioned seats. This is one of those things I could live without but when you have leather in a car, and it's REALLY hot, these are as good or better than the heated kind when it's 15 degrees and windy. It's nice to have, not necessary, but very nice to have.
We have a ton of options, as well as standard features available to us versus 15 years ago even. Back in the 90s when I started driving, my first truck had a giant "fuel injected" logo on it. Can you imagine seeing that now like it's a feature. Many things we take for granted on our vehicles are now standard. Heck, having 300hp out of most family sedans was a pipe dream 20 years ago unless they put a giant engine in it and sucked your gas budget dry. It's now commonplace.
I guess the point of this, is to consider the little things you use every day, but might not think of when you get another car. Sometimes they don't always have them, or they don't work like you would expect or are used to. These can make a difference, so when you are shopping, do the mundane normal things you would do. It is going to make you love that car in the long run when you take the time to really put it through the paces of daily use.
Even though I'm a bear(bare for you non-baloo fans) necessities type, I do still love the new fun stuff they have put in to the cars lately. Don't count them out until you experience it.....that item might be your next requirement on the one after this one!
