Unique Features of the Latest Car You Should Be Looking For

A lot of like push-button start and heated steering wheels have been around for many decades. However, they were only available on luxury vehicles that usually cost extra. While they are often still options, people are now starting to see many of such features on affordable cars. The automatic high-beams and emergency braking, are also becoming standard because since they are often considered as important safety gear as explained herein.

Intelligent Cruise Control

Cruise control should be one of the factors to consider when looking for new and used cars for sale since it is a new feature that allows you to get to a specific speed on the highway. With a push of a button, the vehicle maintains that speed until you turn it off or hit the brakes. It goes one step further to detect if there’s a vehicle in front of you and automatically slow down your car. Different systems work to varying degrees, and some will decelerate to some speed and command you to take over again, while others will decelerate all the way. Once stopped, they will automatically resume forward motion, while others require the driver to push a button or tap the gas pedal. The driver, therefore, needs to pay attention and keep hands on the steering wheel throughout. But this has been found to reduce driver fatigue on long highway drives and can eventually react to vehicles that cut you off in stop-and-go traffic. Some names this feature goes by include dynamic radar cruise control and intelligent cruise control.

Passive Entry and Push-Button Start

Passive entry is a feature that allows you to unlock your vehicle without pushing a button on a key fob. The car automatically recognizes the presence of the key fob within the near vicinity as you approach it, and allows you to open the door. Sometimes a button is located on the door to push to unlock the doors; while sometimes times you need to grab the handle and the door will unlock by itself. While this feature is quickly becoming the norm, there is one problem with putting the key in a purse or briefcase and leaving it there, and it can often be hard to find the key if you do need to grab it and give it to a valet. Push-Button Start is a new feature that replaces the action of putting a key into the ignition. However, if you are not used to it, it might take a bit to get used to this feature. But with time you will come to love it and depend on it. The ignition button is often located on the dash or center console, but in some rare cases, it might be on the steering wheel. When you enter the vehicle, all you do is place your foot on the brake and push the button, and the car starts automatically.  

Automatic Braking During Emergency

Right now, it has been made clear by, not only the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration but also the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, that automatic emergency braking saves lives. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has even added it as a critical feature to win a Top Safety Pick award. Automakers agree with about 20 of them have committed to include it as standard fare on all vehicles. This unique feature pays attention to whatever the driver was missing. If it senses a collision, it will automatically hit the brakes without driver input. Then nothing is standardized, and some automakers often make this feature available at city speeds, while some at highway speeds. Although it has no naming consistency, you might see it as autonomous emergency braking, city braking, forward collision mitigation, or forward collision avoidance while you are going to look for a new and used car for sale depending on the manufacturer.