Adding luxury to a vehicle can include many things from genuine leather upholstery and polished woodgrain-looking dashboards to customized rims or chrome. Having a luxury car can also include the newest and latest safety features. Most luxury features trickle down to becoming a common feature in most cars, such as the concept of anti-lock breaks, heated seats or DVD entertainment systems.
But owning luxury means you get the latest technology and the best before anybody else does. So what types of features are luxury vehicles offering these days to stay ahead of the pack? They include:
1. In-dash CD changer: There was a time that CD changers were always in the trunk, which was completely impractical. Today, many luxury vehicles are coming with in-dash units that can play six CDs. This might be limited if the vehicle comes with a navigational system, which takes up the dash space and therefore puts the CD chaner back into the glove compartment, center console, trunk or cargo area, or under a seat.
2. Adaptive cruise control: This one is a safety feature and you may have seen the commercials for this. Adaptive cruise control uses radar or lasers to determine the distance to the vehicle in front of your car and then adjusts the speed accordingly, Many systems alert drivers if the vehicle in front decelerates abruptly.
3. Adaptive suspension: Want control of your ride, how bumpy or smooth it may be? This is where adaptive suspension comes in handy as it controls firmness of individual struts or shock absorbers, changing a vehicle's ride within milliseconds. Advanced systems sense road conditions and stiffen suspension points to provide appropriate handling. Some systems allow you to select your own suspension, making it have both automatic and manual.
4. Advanced climate controls: Dual-zone automatic climate controls have been around for a while, especially in large vehicles. The advanced climate control allows fan speeds and airflow to vary between the two zones. The driver can program warmer air to hit their feet, while the passenger opts for cooler air to blow toward their face.
5. Heated steering wheel: Electrically heated steering wheels heat faster than traditional climate-control systems, warming hands long before the ambient air does. Most operate at the push of a button, though some automatically activate when the seat heaters are switched on.
6. Onboard data processor: An onboard processor should minimally operate as an advanced trip computer that reports relevant vehicle statistics. On pricier vehicles in this class, the feature may include a hard drive that stores music, maintenance files and navigation data.
7. Massaging seats: Okay, this is definitely luxury. This is one of the newest innovations, which is available for both front and rear seats. Some systems, such as use liquid-filled bladders that slowly flow from one side to the other; others use embedded motors. The idea is to relieve fatigue for long trips of sitting.
8. Refrigerator: Want to keep your favorite beverages cooled? Do you live in a hot climate where just about everything goes from cool to extremely warm in minutes? Then you might want a refrigerator in your vehicle. This refrigerator is typically mounted between the rear seats.
9. Panoramic moonroof: These moonroofs are essentially a fixed glass pane placed behind an existing moonroof. Panoramic moonroofs give the cabin a more airy, open feel - especially over the backseat.
The list can go on, depending on what make or model you choose or the amount of money you are willing to spend. Of course if you don't have the kind of money it requires to buy extreme luxury, just wait a few years and it is possible these features will be in a car within your budget.
Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgable and leading provider of used cars, trucks, and SUV's. Since 1959, Chapman motors has supplied reliable used car Austin and the surrounding area. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.