I like my car (Saturn Aura), but it has an odd vehicle information system. It displays the mileage, and has two trip odometers (why 2?). It also displays the average vehicle speed (what use is that)?, and the average and instant gas mileage (I suppose that is worth something). Finally, it has an oil life monitor, which is certainly useful.
I cannot understand the “average speed” thing-why do i need to know this? I suppose you could divide the odometer reading by thye avergae speed to determinen engine use hours-is this useful?
The second trip odometer and the average speed are useful on long trips. I use the 2nd trip odometer to keep track of total mileage on a long trip, while keeping the 1st one for each tank of gas. Average speed is also good to figure out with traffic and lights how fast on average a trip will take you.
I use odometer #1 for tank of gas, and #2 for oil changes (or tire rotations).
I used to have a vehicle that reported average speed by taking into account whether the engine was running or not. If you took a trip that had stops (food, hotel, etc.) you could use this to get a real feel for your true average which you wouldn’t get if you just took distance over time.
I was expecting some truly “ODD” features, and I have to say, I’m a bit disappointed by these.
Yeah, what about one-way mirrors? Tinted headlights? Intermittent steering? Digital brakes?
My Kia Rondo has an automatic transmission, but also a “Sports” manual shift mode where you can not only shift into the lower 2 gears for traction, but gears 3 - 5 for “fun.”
The ‘Bright’ switch in a Subaru Impreza - which minutely increases the brightness of the (constantly illuminated) cheap digital clock on the dash. Unless you’ve seen this, you have no idea how pathetic and pointless this is.
Until you realize that it (the clock) dims when the vehicle lights are on, and if the lights are on in the day, the ‘bright’ feature gets the clock back to being visible in daylight driving while your lights are on. Works great on many, many vehicles.
My old '70 Maverick had a foot operated set of window squirters. It also had a shelf instead of a glove box. I always enjoyed how the gas cap on my '66 VW was in the trunk. My '63 Studebaker had an automatic transmission with the positions p-n-d-l-r. Put it in d, and you got a second gear start. To get first gear, you had to select L.
Which is not odd, as many vehicles offer the driver the option of letting the auto trans shift more aggressively, since many are tuned with gas mileage in mind, which can work against you in poor weather, hilly terrain or a variety of circumstances. Shifting a auto trans manually is an illusion in many ‘auto-stick’ setups. You are just dialing in your preference, and the comp contolled auto trans will comply if it can (if it is allowed to by the computer).
Very far from ‘odd’.
TRULY ODD:
“Openometer”: a tiny gauge mounted on the Mini Cooper dashboard that records in minutes and hours precisely how long the fabric top has been kept down.
Fiat 500: As an accessory, Fiat offers buyers of the 500 a built-in perfume diffuser for the retro-styled little hatchback.
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Instead of a gear shift, my Jaguar has a dial that rises out of the centre console.
I had an Audi that had a spring-loaded drink holder in the center dash. You pushed a button and is slid out like a CD tray. Only problem was it was directly over the stereo system, AC controls, etc. If you put a drink in there that wasn’t in an insulated cup, it would “sweat” all over the controls.
Not really an odd feature, but definitely a poor design.
If aftermarket stuff counts, my Mustang has the battery in the trunk…
I don’t know if this counts, but it drives me crazy. In my truck, to turn off the traction control, you push the button once. To turn off stability control, you hold the traction control button for 10 seconds. Everything is fine so far. If you switch from 2wd to 4x4, it resets the traction and stability control. TC isn’t that big of a bother, since it’s one press of a button, but holding it for 10 seconds each time you adjust the transfer case gets old quick.
99% of the time, I don’t care if stability control and traction control are on, but that 1% where I need to slide or spin while constantly switching between 2wd, 4hi, and 4lo quickly gets irritating. As soon as you select 4x4, all driver’s aids should shut off.