|
 Standard
Fare
From Gadgets to
Technology
Know what you’re
getting when car
shopping.
Belt-tightening among
consumers during tough
economic times may be a
natural human response,
but it won’t help the
situation. Consumers
need to spend to help
revive the economy and
for Latinas who need a
new vehicle but continue
to put it off, the time
is now, for it’s a
buyer’s market. Still,
once the negotiating
begins, it’s not always
easy to distinguish what
comes with the car and
what options you may
have agreed to purchase
unwittingly. Luckily,
competition in the auto
industry has been a boon
for consumers,
particularly when it
comes to packaging,
which means more and
more features come
standard.
Here’s what you should
know to make sure you
get what you pay for.
Luxury cars are not the
only ones that come
loaded. It used to be
that economy cars
amounted to cheap and
very basic
transportation, with
very few frills.
Remember when FM radio
was considered an option?
Competitions throughout
the industry, even in
the small car segment as
well as the entry of new
brands like Kia and
Hyundai, have made it so
that most cars come with
basic creature comforts.
When it comes to
entertainment features,
most brands carry the
basics—an AM/FM stereo
and CD player, and air
conditioning. Because
they make up the most
frivolous of options,
the price for these
creature comforts, which
usually come grouped in
a package, can escalate
fairly quickly so what
you decide to add on
depends entirely on what
you can afford.
Luxury brands will
usually, but not always,
come better equipped,
e.g. all Cadillacs, come
with free XM satellite
radio for a least one
year, while the BMW 5
Series base model still
charges extra for
leather seats. Meanwhile,
the 2009 Dodge
Challenger, the all-new
retro-styled muscle car
priced under $23,000,
comes with heated seats,
even on the base model.
Not all technology is
essential.
Technological
development in the auto
industry continues to
advance our most common
mode of transportation.
Technology can range
from low tech, like an
onboard LED flashlight
that’s optional on most
Jeep models, to high-tech,
like the Drive Dynamic
seats on the Mercedes-Benz
S-Class with air
bladders that hold the
driver in place while
cornering and offer four
levels of pulsating
massage.
One of the priciest
optional technology
features is navigation.
Adding navigation will
tack on at least $1,500
to the price of the
vehicle or it will come
as part of an optional
package in order to get
other features, like a
rear backup camera. The
problem with navigation
is that it lacks
practicality, except in
a rental car, or in very
big cities like Los
Angeles or New York,
where even natives can
get lost.
More versatile
communication technology,
like Bluetooth that
allows drivers to make
and receive phone calls
via their cell phones
but through in-car
systems or onboard
information systems like
OnStar for General
Motors or Sync for Ford
products offer
navigation with
directions as well as
emergency or valet
assistance.
Safety is worth the
investment.
Advances in technology
don’t just apply to fuel
efficiency and
convenience features.
More and more, safety
features have become the
ultimate trump card in
the competitive auto
industry.
Almost all manufactures
include side curtain air
bags as standard
features and due to
congressional
legislations known as
the TREAD Act, all cars
are now required to have
a tire pressure
monitoring system.
Among the most highly
prized features is
electronic stability
program (ESP). The
system monitors driver
input, spontaneously
engages the brakes or
manipulates the throttle
to keep a car on its
trajectory. The National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration reports
that ESP is extremely
effective in preventing
crashes.
The Chevrolet Traverse,
the all-new crossover
with seating for eight,
comes equipped with
StabiliTrak, GM’s
version of ESP.
Subaru sets itself apart
by outfitting all of its
cars with all-wheel
drive (AWD). Fuel
economy suffers a little
with this feature but
AWD—when all four wheels
are turning rather than
just the front or rear
two—does provide
additional traction
control, particularly in
slippery conditions.
One of the leaders in
Safety, Volvo, has just
introduced the latest of
its innovations on the
all-new XC60 compact SUV.
Called City Safety and
standard on the XC60,
the program actually
brings a car, traveling
between two and nine
miles per hour, to a
halt to avoid a
collision.
The economic news may
seem gloomy, but for car
buyers, there is a
silver lining. The
vehicle you buy today
comes better equipped,
from safety to comfort
features, than ever
before.
By
Valerie Menard |
