Popular Mechanics did a recent piece on the 10 Most Useless Car Technologies. I agree with most but not all of their choices, and they were being kind, given the proliferation of infotainment junk in cars. Give us some comment on a) what you think they omitted, and b) what they got wrong. I’ll add mine as we go.
- Paddle shifters for automatic transmissions. PM says they often don’t work well. I say, fix ’em and keep ’em. Automatics are good today, but we need the override.
- Interlocked seatbelts and starter. Not on cars anymore.
- Automatic moisture-sensing wipers. Right, they often don’t work correctly.
- Automatic steering headlights. No comment, never drove with them.
- Map lights. Wrong: Still useful.
- Motorized rear-view mirror. Right: Use your hands.
- Motorized seatbelts. Not in cars anymore.
- Proximity warning systems. Yes, confusing and distracting. Lane departure warning signals could be good.
- Electronic parking brake. Haven’t used.
- Chevrolet Volt capacitive touch controls. All touchscreens distract.
Here are a couple they forgot:
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