We all have preferences when it comes to our cars. For instance, while some of us feel like it's a total waste of time and money to pay extra for the Blind Spot Monitoring system, others feel the opposite. Likewise, not everyone sees the need for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto when having Bluetooth connectivity is enough.
Here, we list down several car features that are super useful to us Singaporeans and some that are just plain lame to have. Simply because we've come to realise that getting a new car that comes loaded with a bunch of features doesn't mean it's a good deal. After all, car features are only worth the money if you use them often.
1. Ventilated seats (Useful)
Ventilated seats are highly suitable for Singapore While it used to only be available in premium makes, ventilated seats are now widely installed as a standard feature in a lot of mass market cars. Just look at how the Koreans do it...
In a hot and humid climate such as Singapore, having ventilated seats can be really useful and convenient. Not only does this feature cool you down quickly and easily, it helps you get into a more relaxed mood when you're stuck in heavy traffic on a sizzling hot day.
2. Heated seats (Lame)
Heated seats are usually available when there is a choice of ventilated seats Isn't Singapore hot enough? Although we can totally understand why most cars have the heated seats feature (because they also come with ventilated seats), some cars that are sold here in Singapore comes only with the heating function.
Yes, the car may be made in Germany or America or whichever country that requires heating, but why should consumers pay that little bit more for a feature they'll probably never use? Japan has winter that can be quite harsh, but we don't see Japanese cars having only heating functions, do we? I mean... isn't Singapore hot enough?
3. Rear parking sensors and camera (Useful)
Rear parking sensors and camera is a very relevant feature for Singaporean drivers To foreigners, this is one utterly useless and lame feature to have. However, to us Singaporeans, this is a must-have. Yes, we get it - we can be terrible drivers with horrible judgement at times but, in our defence, we treat our cars better than our wives and lovers (since they're so darn expensive) and we would like to avoid knocking into anything when we're reversing.
Plus, parking spaces in Singapore aren't exactly spacious, so any kind of extra assistance is greatly appreciated when we're parking our cars. If you're a foreigner and you're reading this - no, us Singaporeans don't park head in. The butt goes into the lot first so that coming out of one later can be done more easily.
4. All-wheel drive system (Lame)
All-wheel drive system isn't the most useful and practical feature to have in Singapore Whether you're driving an off-roader like a Rangie or a Hilux, how often do Singaporeans go to a place where we require all wheels to be in action on the road? We don't even have a proper place for off-roading adventure in Singapore, for crying out loud! Plus, how many are willing to bring their costly cars off-road where the risks of scratches, punctures and wheel misalignment are high?
That said, we can understand why some will think owning an all-wheel drive vehicle is important. This gives them a sense of security when they're driving on wet ground. In our opinion, however, you don't need an all-wheel drive system to be safe because cars aquaplane when drivers go too fast over puddles of water. When that happens, whether it's four-wheel or eight-wheel drive, drivers are still going to lose control of the car. In short, when it's pouring, drive safely.
5. Auto LED head lights (Useful)
Auto head lights should be available in all cars that are sold in Singapore All cars, old or new, should come with auto head lights as standard when they're being sold in Singapore. That's simply because we still see many cars (new and modern ones, by the way) on the road without their headlamps turned on at night!
Admittedly, that can also be due to the fact that Singapore is very well-lit, which means it's hard to tell whether your car's headlamps are on or not. Nonetheless, we reckon it's every driver's responsibility to ensure that the head lights are turned on when you're out and about at night or when it's dark. Safety is, and should always be, key when we're on the road.
6. Auto high beam (Lame)
Why have the auto high beam feature when Singapore is so well-lit and bright? This leads us to a car feature that makes no sense in Singapore. Given how bright and well-lit our country is (thankfully), is there really a need for auto high beam? Even if the driver travels up North every week, where roads can be a tad dark due to the lack of street lamps, the high beam is just a flick of the stalk away.
Just remember to switch off the high beam (that blue light on the instrument cluster) whenever necessary. We've all experienced that one ignorant driver who has had the high beam switched on permanently, causing temporary but unnecessary blindness when we're driving. In this case, no, ignorance isn't bliss at all.
7. Easy entry/exit seats (Useful)
Easy entry/exit seats is a great and useful feature for shorter drivers While not many drivers will find this a useful feature, having easy entry/exit seats can come in very handy for drivers who are short. This feature essentially makes getting in and out of the car easier every time you switch off the car. The steering wheel raises upwards while the seat moves backwards, giving shorter drivers more space to get out.
While many may think that pint-sized drivers will not face such an issue, it's quite the contrary. It's precisely because shorter drivers have to sit closer to the dash in order to reach the pedals that makes it much harder for them to get out of the car.
8. Blind Spot Monitor (Lame)
Good to have, but having the Blind Spot Monitoring system does not mean we do not need to check our blind spots when driving Why the need for a Blind Spot Monitoring system when we are all supposed to check our blind spots by turning our heads? Does that mean that we do not have to check our blind spots if we have this safety system in our cars?
Of course, the common argument we've heard is "It's always better to have it". We cannot disagree. Most, if not all, safety features are always better to have. After all, these are systems that can help to save lives. But when it comes as an extra cost, most drivers will start to think otherwise.
9. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (Useful)
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a very useful feature to have in our cars Many will agree that this is one helluva useful feature to have. In a nutshell, this allows your smart phone to be mirrored onto the car's infotainment system, which makes it very convenient to access your phone's features such as music, contacts and even Google maps whenever necessary.
Best part of all, even though not all new cars (and especially older ones) come equipped with this feature, you can install an aftermarket system in your car that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
10. Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning (Lame)
Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning system can be very disruptive when on the go Just like Blind Spot Monitoring system, we reckon this Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning system isn't something useful to have in our cars. This system provides alert to the driver if it starts to detect that the car is leaving the travelling lane unintentionally. At the same time, it applies steering torque to help direct the driver back to the centre of the travelling lane. Depending on the car, the system can either come with an audio alert or a vibration on the steering wheel to alert the driver.
While it sounds like a useful feature, the reality is that this system can be very disruptive as it can hinder your steering movements from time to time when you do quick lane changes on an empty road (without signalling). This system is supposed to come in handy when the driver is fatigue. However, we reckon we shouldn't drive when we're feeling tired. Take breaks whenever necessary when you're on the road.
Here, we list down several car features that are super useful to us Singaporeans and some that are just plain lame to have. Simply because we've come to realise that getting a new car that comes loaded with a bunch of features doesn't mean it's a good deal. After all, car features are only worth the money if you use them often.
1. Ventilated seats (Useful)
In a hot and humid climate such as Singapore, having ventilated seats can be really useful and convenient. Not only does this feature cool you down quickly and easily, it helps you get into a more relaxed mood when you're stuck in heavy traffic on a sizzling hot day.
2. Heated seats (Lame)
Yes, the car may be made in Germany or America or whichever country that requires heating, but why should consumers pay that little bit more for a feature they'll probably never use? Japan has winter that can be quite harsh, but we don't see Japanese cars having only heating functions, do we? I mean... isn't Singapore hot enough?
3. Rear parking sensors and camera (Useful)
Plus, parking spaces in Singapore aren't exactly spacious, so any kind of extra assistance is greatly appreciated when we're parking our cars. If you're a foreigner and you're reading this - no, us Singaporeans don't park head in. The butt goes into the lot first so that coming out of one later can be done more easily.
4. All-wheel drive system (Lame)
That said, we can understand why some will think owning an all-wheel drive vehicle is important. This gives them a sense of security when they're driving on wet ground. In our opinion, however, you don't need an all-wheel drive system to be safe because cars aquaplane when drivers go too fast over puddles of water. When that happens, whether it's four-wheel or eight-wheel drive, drivers are still going to lose control of the car. In short, when it's pouring, drive safely.
5. Auto LED head lights (Useful)
Admittedly, that can also be due to the fact that Singapore is very well-lit, which means it's hard to tell whether your car's headlamps are on or not. Nonetheless, we reckon it's every driver's responsibility to ensure that the head lights are turned on when you're out and about at night or when it's dark. Safety is, and should always be, key when we're on the road.
6. Auto high beam (Lame)
Just remember to switch off the high beam (that blue light on the instrument cluster) whenever necessary. We've all experienced that one ignorant driver who has had the high beam switched on permanently, causing temporary but unnecessary blindness when we're driving. In this case, no, ignorance isn't bliss at all.
7. Easy entry/exit seats (Useful)
While many may think that pint-sized drivers will not face such an issue, it's quite the contrary. It's precisely because shorter drivers have to sit closer to the dash in order to reach the pedals that makes it much harder for them to get out of the car.
8. Blind Spot Monitor (Lame)
Of course, the common argument we've heard is "It's always better to have it". We cannot disagree. Most, if not all, safety features are always better to have. After all, these are systems that can help to save lives. But when it comes as an extra cost, most drivers will start to think otherwise.
9. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (Useful)
Best part of all, even though not all new cars (and especially older ones) come equipped with this feature, you can install an aftermarket system in your car that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
10. Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning (Lame)
While it sounds like a useful feature, the reality is that this system can be very disruptive as it can hinder your steering movements from time to time when you do quick lane changes on an empty road (without signalling). This system is supposed to come in handy when the driver is fatigue. However, we reckon we shouldn't drive when we're feeling tired. Take breaks whenever necessary when you're on the road.
