Favorite pointless automotive options.

[3XBrownCutty]

my parents '99 honda odyssey has automatic doors and neither of them work now. after you get in or out, the passenger or driver has to get out and manually push the door closed. huge pain in the a$$, would rather have manual doors.

on the new lincon, the number combo you use incase you forget your key is a touchscreen on the pillar, that will eventually need to be replaced which is very expensive.

Lincon navigator has running boards that automatically come out when you open the door. another eventual expensive fix.

if power windows fail, that pretty much says that anything else motorized can and will eventually fail or breakdown.

 

[gbodyfever]

the new corvette's have a button you push on the door inside to open the door, where the handle would have been, common,..are people getting that lazy to pull a handle slightly to get out..i found that one out last week at work trying to get out haha 😳

 

[andrewmp6]

The tire pressure monitors do have a use i rented a charger and was on a road trip.I had a flat rear tire couldn't even tell the irs the car didn't lean at all and the low profile tires too.I saw a odd light on the dash come on had my brother look it up in the owners manual pulled over look at the tires said ill be damned.I hate the people with a loud stereo system that blast it at night in neighborhoods and the imports with the huge muffler that sounds like a bubble bee in a tin can.Abs traction control air bags all the power stuff is kinda useless to me.

 

[Stoopud]

It is slightly off topic, but how about the most useless option ever offered on a car. 1967 Camaros were offered with rear tire warmers. Auto makers have been adding useless options for years, they just need fools to buy them. Some stick and some do not. Luckily the tire warmers did not (find a set-up now and it is worth big bucks - no one bought it).

Remember when 12v auxiliary outlets were called rear seat lighters. In a 1973 Vega wagon the passenger seat was an option.

 

[jonnyslick]

I think (as someone said before) that full off computers in cars is a little rediculous. I mean do you need to check myspace or your e-mail that bad? Are you really going to be driving so much that you need to have 180 Gb of space to hold media? I can understand for truck drivers, keep in touch with family, look up directions, driving for 12 or more hours .. sure. But really, for the average person driving 30 mins to work and having their car in park for 20 or more hours a day????

Also, the Scion option to have LED lights in the cup holder to illuminate your beverage at night is pointless (along with the overuse of LED lights in general sticking them behind or under every nook and cranny in a car).

Overuse of vinyl stickers. Thank Fast and Furious for that!

I think it's funny some of the "dealer" installed options that are a huge scam. For instance in NV dealers would commonly charge an extra $800 if you wanted to have the car painted with "desert paint" which was supposdly more reistant to the sun than the "standard" factory paint. Undercoating in wintery areas (which typically means the buyer pays $500 for about $40 of spray on undercoating from NAPA).

I think factory option accessories are also a joke, simply b/c of the price. Upgraded rims as a factory option are typically close to $2,000 and and upgrade exhaust is normally $1,200 or so. You can get aftermarket stuff cheaper and better in most cases.

 

[78MC-BBC]

one funny and pretty useless option on my 78 monte is the factory litter can in the passanger side kick panel. honestly you cant even put in a can of coke without it falling out due to the triangle shape

 

[Stoopud]

Isn't that the same place where they put the computers on the later cars. Kinda fitting, at least considering my opinion of the '80's computer controlled engines.

 

[78MC-BBC]

yep the litter container was only on the pre computer a/g bodies, so from 78-80? i think. they seem to getting soem good money for them on ebay, saw one go for $80

 

[dan2286]

One thing thats coming that is good is the engine management systems. They are supposed to be much faster and also make diagnostics alot easier. They are talking about one o2 sensor per cylinder, that can make finding problems much easier in some cases.

 

[jonnyslick]

I think CVT and 7 speed autotragics are pointless too ... So is yaw, traction and EVS control.