Another Car Question

[nachoman]

I could also do with a lot less of those so-called creature comforts they keep loading onto cars these days - power locks, power windows, sun roofs (powered, of course), etc., etc. My Mazda 3 weighs almost two tons, and while it handles great, it could be so much more if it lost about a ton of excess baggage.

Oh, and one other thing - who on earth cursed us with those damned remote entry devices - now you not only have to carry the key, but also lug around a device that serves no useful purpose. I don't use mine.

Wayne

My pet peeve is the cars that automatically lock the doors when you put the car in gear. Suppose you have to have the person in the passenger seat get out to open a gate. Or suppose you run out in a rainstorm to retrieve the car to pick up your wife or mother at the front of a store. And the fist thing you need to do before they can get back in? Push the unlock button! If I want the doors locked, I can lock them. I don't need the car telling me when the doors should be locked.

As for the other stuff - depends. People also think they are safer in a larger car, but that is still only true if you don't tip over or get hit by anything bigger (like a train or semi). Side airbags probably save a lot of injuries, but the front ones probably don't save many more injuries than a standard shoulder seat belt will. The traction control and anti-locks are great as long as they don't make one overconfident in inclement weather. Overconfidence is bad. Sometimes I think people would be better off if people learned to drive on a car without power anything - it would create better driving habits.