If you've been out of the car market for a few years, the landscape may look completely different now with all the high-end technology features available today. If you're searching for a luxury car, it's even more overwhelming, as the segment is filled with gadgets.
Some of them are just that - gadgets with little practical use. There are others, however, that provide real benefits, making driving a more enjoyable, safer experience. Let's take a look at some of them.
Adaptive cruise control
Cruise control has long been the friend of the cross-country driver, and adaptive cruise control provides the added benefit of being able to maintain a set following distance behind the car in front of you; when that distance is reached, the car stays at that range. A number of luxury manufacturers, including BMW, Land Rover, and Infiniti, offer adaptive cruise control systems, but it's worth your while to test a car that has it because some don't let you set a short following distance, making the feature all but unusable in heavier traffic.
Adaptive headlights
The benefits of adaptive headlights are clear: By swiveling the headlights into a turn when cornering, the system gives a better view of the road than traditional headlights. Acura, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz are among the brands that offer adaptive headlights.
Navigation systems with traffic information
While navigation systems have received crisper graphics and newfangled control systems in recent years, the real benefit some of these newer systems provide is the ability to display traffic information on the display. Primarily available in urban areas, this kind of information can let you know when you should take a side road rather than become part of the traffic jam. Brands such as Acura, BMW, and Lexus offer this feature.
High-definition radio
High-definition television has been all the rage in the consumer electronics world, and the format lives up to its hype with its vivid, crisp images. High-definition radio hasn't received the press HDTV has, but the sound quality of FM broadcasts in HD is notably better than that of traditional FM. A number of BMWs can have audio systems that receive HD signals, though the station you're listening to must broadcast in HD, too.
Hard-drive audio systems
Hard-drive-equipped audio systems allow you to store music in your car as opposed to making sure you have your MP3 player with you at all times. In addition, the 40-gigabyte hard-drive system in the 2008 Cadillac CTS lets you record a live source and replay it. Now you don't have to sit in the driveway listening to the last part of your favorite sports talk show before heading into the house for dinner. While the portability of MP3 players seems to make them the preferred method of storing music right now, the recording function of the CTS's system sets it apart.
Precollision systems
No one wants to get in an accident, but if you're going to have one you might as well be as ready as possible for it. That's the idea behind precollision systems, which take measures like tightening the front seat belts and activating the brakes when the system decides a crash is imminent. This safety system is available from Acura, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz, to name a few brands.
Stand-alone backup cameras
Until recently, you had to have an expensive navigation system to get the safety benefits of a backup camera. That's changed with
Blind spot warning systems
Automakers are working to make sure you never again attempt to change lanes only to find a car in your blind spot next to you. These systems, which use side-mounted cameras or radar technology to track vehicles next to you, will illuminate icons or lights to let you know when a car is next to you. Cadillac and Volvo offer such systems.
Lane departure warning and prevention
Lane departure warning is designed to keep an eye on where your vehicle is on the road and warn you if it's drifting out of its lane. Lane departure prevention takes LDW a step further by actually working to keep the vehicle from drifting. Cadillac, Infiniti, and Volvo have LDW systems, and Infiniti also offers LDP.
Active seats
Besides powering forward and backward and up and down, high-end bucket seats from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, to name two brands, can fit your form with adjustable side bolsters and keep your muscles relaxed with a massage feature. The sides of the seats in some Mercedes-Benz models even pump up automatically to help keep you in place during hard cornering.
Climate-controlled seats
One of the biggest gripes regarding leather seats is that they're cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Heated seats help take the chill off in the wintertime, but what can you do when it's hot in the summer? Climate-controlled seats can circulate cool air through the seats to help keep you comfortable. A number of brands offer climate-controlled seats, including Audi, Lincoln, and Jaguar.
