We have written here before about the silly features and options manufacturers insist on developing in an effort to stay ahead of the curve and somehow distinguish their automotive brands. Some of the items (like in-car Internet access) have thinly disguised automotive merit, while others ( in-door umbrella holders) don't even bother.
Automotive News just published an article highlighting their version of the fabulous vs. frivolous and mentioned several of the things we talked about before. Some of their items include:
Good
Electronic stability control
Adaptive headlights
Dual-stage airbags
Seat belt pretensioners
Heated seats
Bad
iDrive
Voice recognition
Smart key
Hybrids
Headlamp washers
As a matter of fact, the only places where I have to disagree with them is with Parking Assist and Smart Wipers, both of which they catagorize as good. I am all for anything that promotes safety, but things which simply contribute to our laziness and inability to effectively operate a vehicle just don't make the cut. They simply add to the cost of cars, complicate them, and then break, adding to the cost of service and maintenance.
Anyway, not but a few pages after the Automotive News spread comparing the useful - useless, is a spotlight on the new self-parking technology. And this year's SEMA show is the venue several technology companies have choosen to show off their new in-car Internet access. If you don't want to or are not able to park your car, you probably should consider the bus and if you think adding pornography, Fox News, Football scores and youTube videos to everything else you are doing when you try to drive, then maybe the roadways, in general, aren't the best place for you.
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