# Car features I don't understand - educate me
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [October 7, 2025, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741 "2025-10-07T09:14:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 9
### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/161 "2025-10-24T18:13:22Z")
I’m like you.
The folks in love with their clunkers simply don’t know what they are missing. So they assume away all the benefits and focus on the perceived disadvantages.
Lotta folks bitterly opposed the introduction of first indoor plumbing and later electricity into their homes. They wuz wrong. But human nature is like that. Whaddayagonnado?
---
### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/162 "2025-10-24T18:31:02Z")
> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> > [@JRDelirious](#):
> >
> > Me, I’m unimpressed with “panoramic sunroofs”. Call it what it is, it’s a glass roof. The actual retracting part is no bigger. Look: a truck kicks up a rock and it lands on my metal roof, it’s a dent and I keep driving happily for years, who cares. Lands on the “panoramic sunroof”, it means gotta head straight for the auto glass shop.
>
> At highway speeds, rocks kicked up by trucks tend to damage the front of the car, especially the windshield. It’s hard to imagine a trajectory that would strongly impact a roof, glass or otherwise.
I drive by a golf course, and I’ve had a golf ball bounce off the car more than once.
But i kinda like the sunroof.
I also drive an old car, but when i bought it (used) i specifically looked for one that had the modern safety package, with blind spot warning, lane departure warning, back up camera, automatic braking if the car gets to close to something in front, and some other features.
---
### Author:  [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)
#### Post date: [October 24, 2025, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/163 "2025-10-24T23:10:31Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> The folks in love with their clunkers simply don’t know what they are missing.
If new cars make me feel as good as my new (heated, bung-hole jetting, warm air drying, stank eliminating) toilet seat does, then let’s go!
---
### Author:  [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2025, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/164 "2025-10-25T12:16:30Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> My car automatically turns them on when the weather is cold.
isnt that quite wasteful? …. I am sure there are a couple of other (boolsian) AND conditions also to be fulfilled before they are getting turned on… 😉
(yep, classic sdmb-nitpick, but you set yourself up for it)
---
### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/165 "2025-10-25T15:30:04Z")
> [@Al128](#):
>
> isnt that quite wasteful?
Basically, the car will try to bring the interior to whatever temperature you’ve set as your default through whatever means available. That includes A/C, heat, heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, front and rear defroster. You can turn off most of those options if you want, I don’t know if all have toggle switches. You can also turn the whole thing off.
---
### Author:  [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/166 "2025-10-25T17:17:38Z")
sorry, but my remark was (poorly understandable) tongue in cheek humor …
It (_My car automatically turns them on when the weather is cold._) sounded a bit like Frankenstein, in a way that your car had come to life …
… moving on …
---
### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2025, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/167 "2025-10-25T19:25:26Z")
> [@Al128](#):
>
> It (_My car automatically turns them on when the weather is cold._) sounded a bit like Frankenstein, in a way that your car had come to life
We’ve named it HAL. It seems nice.
---
### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2025, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/168 "2025-10-25T19:51:23Z")
You KNOW somewhere a programmer has _ **begged** _ to add a voice error message that says, “I’m sorry, I am afraid I can’t do that” in the system.
---
### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2025, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/169 "2025-10-25T20:03:28Z")
And my name is “Dave”.
---
### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/170 "2025-10-25T20:04:18Z")
Before Chamberlain broke the API, I had a Siri shortcut on my phone. If I said “Open the pod bay doors, HAL,” my garage door would open.
---
### Author:  [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2025, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/171 "2025-10-26T04:43:59Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#):
>
> Fine, an African swallow drops a coconut. Better? 🤪
Not European?
---
### Author:  [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/172 "2025-10-29T05:40:34Z")
I’m the opposite. I feel naked if my keys aren’t in my right front pocket. I always used to feel superior at family get-togethers when people were leaving and had to search around for their keys that they had set down somewhere. I knew where mine were!
---
### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/173 "2025-10-29T15:12:41Z")
Here’s one I just discovered this morning. My Toyota RAV4 has a traffic app, which I assume is to show nearby traffic delays. It displays a map of the entire Kansas City metropolitan area, so I assume it’s using GPS to determine which map to display. You can scroll the map up and down a bit, but I couldn’t figure out a way to zoom in or recenter it, and the map is otherwise too small to be easily readable by the driver. But the other thing is, I’m about 40 miles west of KC, so at the very extreme left edge of the map. So this just seems like a completely useless app unless I’m commuting to KC.
---
### Author:  [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/174 "2025-10-29T15:18:12Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> My Bronco won’t let me lock my fob in the car, but I can lock the doors manually if I am in the driver’s seat.
Does that mean that, if you decide to use the Bronco as a camper, and sleep in the back, you can’t lock the doors? Sounds like an un-feature.
> [@sunacres](#):
>
> My brain still thinks of “manually” as some sort of direct mechanical interaction, which isn’t even possible on many cars these days.
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> I’m trying to remember the last time there was an exposed mechanical door lock handle / plunger on one of my cars. Maybe 20 years ago?
My 2019 has actual inside lock buttons, like a vintage car, but has a remote, and there is a power lock button on the inside of the door as well. Pulling the handle inside will unlock the door to get out, too. My wife’s 2021 is 100% manual. No power windows, no power locks, no lock fob, manual transmission.
---
### Author:  [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/175 "2025-10-29T15:25:09Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Something I forgot to mention.
>
> Federal law for late model vehicles also requires that the screen shift to displaying the backup camera within some very short time after the transmission is selected to reverse. I think it’s 1/2 or 1/4 second. Functionally instant for a human.
>
> And the backup camera has priority over the nag screen. So if you’ll be backing away from being parked, start the engine, engage Reverse and the nag screen is gone and does not return. If you were going to be able to drive forward from the parking spot, just select Reverse for a second, then Drive, then drive off. The nag screen is long gone.
For my car (Subaru) the nag screen persists. Which is also part of why this annoys me so much. I can get in the car, turn it on, put it in reverse, slowly back out of my parking spot, and then still have to deal with this “I agree” button preventing me from using non-essential controls after already driving the car for 10-20 seconds or more.
Also, I was reminded this morning that when it’s cold out, even if I want to “agree”, sometimes the touch screen takes multiple seconds to warm up or respond to touch. I pushed agree, nothing happened, tried again, nothing happened, tried again, nothing happened. Then a moment later the screen responded to three touches, removed the I agree warning and then proceeded to change my radio station to whichever button was in the same place as the I agree button.
Anyway, this isn’t a “complain about features” thread, so I’ll slowly back away into the bushes. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/176 "2025-10-29T16:02:49Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#):
>
> Does that mean that, if you decide to use the Bronco as a camper, and sleep in the back, you can’t lock the doors? Sounds like an un-feature.
I’ll have to try it. I’m not sure how it determines that both you and the key fob are in the vehicle.
---
### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/177 "2025-10-29T16:17:10Z")
> [@Eonwe](#):
>
> For my car (Subaru) the nag screen persists.
Huh. On my Subaru that nag screen shows up briefly and then goes away on its own.
---
### Author:  [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/178 "2025-10-29T16:20:20Z")
To be clear, what I meant was that if the nag screen is on, and I put the car in reverse, the nag screen will still be there after I leave reverse, no matter how long it takes.
If the nag screen has a 4 second timer (or whatever the exact duration is) that timer pauses when the car is in reverse.
---
### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/179 "2025-10-29T16:29:33Z")
I usually start the car before i buckle my seat belt. (Because i use a physical key, and want to remove it from my pocket before putting the seatbelt over said pocket.) So usually, that alert comes up and goes away as I’m fumbling with my belt. Basically, i don’t notice it any more.
---
### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741/180 "2025-10-29T21:33:56Z")
OK, I was not thinking clearly.
You can always lock or unlock the Bronco if you inside, and use the buttons or the key fob.
But - if the key fob is inside the car, the outside door lock buttons don’t work.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741.md?page=8)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-features-i-dont-understand-educate-me/1023741.md?page=10)