Over-engineering / "Surprise and delight" in your car
- Thread starter Mr_Sukebe
- Start date
Caporegime
The felt lined storage trays under the front seats in my Golf are awesome
That is something I wish my cars had. My Dads Audi has them and they are really useful!
The Celica doesn't have any useful storage cubby's, the door pockets are too small to fit anything useful in (I can't even fit a torch in them!), there is a little cubby above the radio which is just about big enough to put a phone and a wallet in, the glove box is tiny, there is an armrest cubby which is pretty small and I have to use to put my bottle of water in, because you can't use the actual cup holders, because then you can't change gear cos they are in the way of your arm!!!
Soldato
I get excited whenever the doors in my Ibiza auto-magically lock when I pull away! I had to hold down the lock button to set it! 
Oh, and it has little lights that come on at the sides when you turn the wheel in the dark.
Also, holding down the unlock button on the key fob to open all the windows, completely pointless, but made me smile.
Simple things, how exciting haha!
Oh, and it has little lights that come on at the sides when you turn the wheel in the dark.
Also, holding down the unlock button on the key fob to open all the windows, completely pointless, but made me smile.
Simple things, how exciting haha!
Don
Not completely pointless - great on a hot day to open them before you get into the car, to let all the heat out.
Soldato
Will that be the same in my 9-3, the dual zone thing? Good to know
Having come from a Clio to a Saab everything delights me right now. I keep finding little things in the car that I didn't know about before. One of my favourite things in the slide out drinks holder in the front and also the ones that come out of the rear seat.
The ease of putting the back seats down is also nice, something I'm not used to.
Very minor, but I also love the fact the ignition key is down by the handbrake. Seemed weird at first but makes so much sense now.
Oh, and as above, holding down the open button to open all the windows and sunroof is good on a hot day! As you can probably tell I've not owned a car that does stuff like this before.
Are you talking about the wing mirror angling down? Is there a button to do this automatically?
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Will that be the same in my 9-3, the dual zone thing? Good to know
Nope, sadly not! If yours is a prefacelift interior with buttons for the A/C control, IIRC there's a button to select single zone. If you adjust the drivers side, it moves the passenger side with it. If you move the passenger side, it "breaks" the link and becomes dual zone.
If it's a facelift interior with dials, then there's no single zone operation at all - something which bugged me with mine, having to adjust both sides!
On the 9-5 its a tiny button next to the mirror control, you press it and it dips, then raises to it's original position when you come out of reverse. It only comes on the 9-5 with memory seats and I don't think the 9-3 has this functionality at all but I might be wrong. My facelift vector sport didnt and I honestly cant remember on the prefacelift aero I had a few years ago.
Soldato
Ah ok, mine is the facelift interior but as you say it has two dials which is a bit annoying.
Sounds like the dipping wing mirrors is the 9-5 only too. It only has a button to turn them in or out for when you're parking. Oh well
Sounds like the dipping wing mirrors is the 9-5 only too. It only has a button to turn them in or out for when you're parking. Oh well
Some of my favourite Z4 Coupe features:
Still the best car I've ever owned.
- The glovebox which is actually too small for the handbook and it's holder
- The drainage lines of the boot which ensure your shopping gets a nice wash when you open it
- Spring loaded cup holders which break every 2 years (yes really)
- Roof mounted sunglasses holder which ensures your glasses will burn through your skin when you put them on
- The clock on the radio which is automatically set, and the clock in the dash which is manually set. May they never be quite the same!
Still the best car I've ever owned.
Soldato
Things ive been impressed with on my old 1996 Impreza WRX since picking it up
- Alloy front wishbones
- Alloy bonnet & boot
- All the brake lines run in channels by the sills inside the cabin, guessing that's a rally thing to protect them.
- power folding door mirrors
- the arrangement of cams and leavers that operate the climate control vent system behind the dash.
Mostly because it's just a lowly WRX and not the 'proper' top spec STi or anything and from 1996, i also have a classic mini which is 2 years newer and you can hardly believe they're made in the same century
- Alloy front wishbones
- Alloy bonnet & boot
- All the brake lines run in channels by the sills inside the cabin, guessing that's a rally thing to protect them.
- power folding door mirrors
- the arrangement of cams and leavers that operate the climate control vent system behind the dash.
Mostly because it's just a lowly WRX and not the 'proper' top spec STi or anything and from 1996, i also have a classic mini which is 2 years newer and you can hardly believe they're made in the same century
On my old mans Mk5 Golf GTi I loved how the cup holder divider is removable and doubles up as a bottle opener 
Just thought of another one. In my old Suzuki Swift (07 model I think it was) the keyless entry was fantastic. Never had to remove the key from my pocket or stick the key in the dash. Push a button on the door handle to unlock just the driver side or double click to unlock all. Simple yet effective.
Just thought of another one. In my old Suzuki Swift (07 model I think it was) the keyless entry was fantastic. Never had to remove the key from my pocket or stick the key in the dash. Push a button on the door handle to unlock just the driver side or double click to unlock all. Simple yet effective.
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Soldato
The GTO has the best AC positioning vent ever, under the steering wheel pointing directly at your crotch. Keeps the little swimmers very healthy!
That aside considering the car design is from the 80's the climate control is awesome and still exceeds any car I've driven over the years.
Thats about the only over-engineered item mind, Mitsubishi went to town on the weight yet still failed to over-engineer anything!
That aside considering the car design is from the 80's the climate control is awesome and still exceeds any car I've driven over the years.
Thats about the only over-engineered item mind, Mitsubishi went to town on the weight yet still failed to over-engineer anything!
Soldato
a lot of these stuff mentioned here are not even 'over-engineered' items. A mirror folding back is hardly anything special, you could do that on a 90's ****box Astra.
** Please fully star out your swearing in future **
** Please fully star out your swearing in future **
The one thing I miss from my focus, the heated front screen.
Altho every now and again when I noticed the worm looking stuff in it it was rather distracting haha.
Altho every now and again when I noticed the worm looking stuff in it it was rather distracting haha.
Soldato
Doors lock when I put it in Drive and unlock when it goes back to Park.
Oh and NINE cupholders
Oh and NINE cupholders
Soldato
Fuss over nothing IMO. I always dip the mirror down when parking close the a curb, its one button press. I don't need it to do it on its own, and I don't want it to do it all the time, un-necessarily either.
I'd rather the car did it itself than me have to adjust the mirror manually once before the manoeuvre, then again afterwards. It can be disabled easily enough anyway, so it's a useful feature and I'm glad I've got it working.
Associate
The mk4 Mondeo has a great feature whereby if you open the boot after it has been raining, the contents of your boot are washed. It keeps them nice and clean.
Finally someone who understands! It's not some sort of Masonic sign we do, we open the boot 1/4 to let the water drain off then open it fully. Ford screwed up on that one!
Soldato
Sounds like they learned nothing from the Puma then. It did the same thing
The Saab 9000 is similar except that it drops its load of water over the somewhat expensive rear speakers. Again, the 1/4 opening method to allow it to drain is required.
E65 750i
Has a little cooling fan in the centre console! Very handy, especially with all the insultation it seems to have. I can even store choc in there on a blazing 30+ degree day and it will not melt!
Auto everything is very nice too. I can see why the Americans like having the handbrake hidden away and the gear lever on the steering column. Leaves room for creature comforts.
Oh and by far my fave thing in the car, the little phone button dialer that pops out of the dash and hides away when done
Has a little cooling fan in the centre console! Very handy, especially with all the insultation it seems to have. I can even store choc in there on a blazing 30+ degree day and it will not melt!
Auto everything is very nice too. I can see why the Americans like having the handbrake hidden away and the gear lever on the steering column. Leaves room for creature comforts.
Oh and by far my fave thing in the car, the little phone button dialer that pops out of the dash and hides away when done