Car Features

The basic necessities of a car are for it to have an engine, transmission, seats and wheels. Those items, however, have been around since the beginning and as human beings we get bored. To combat our boredom and boost their sales, the automakers have come up with some luxury options that make it fun to own a car.

What it is	Cost or availability	What it does	Why it's cool
Driver Memory	Available with upgraded seat packages.	Can program up to 3 driver's preferences for seat, mirrors and steering wheel	No more readjusting everything after your spouse or child has driven your car. Just a push of the button will do it!
Heated Seats	$500	Bottom and lower back of driver and front passenger seats are heated	Great for cold days or lower back aches
AC Seats	$500+Usually is combined with heated seat packages.	Bottom and lower back of seat is vented with cool air. Usually is combined with heated seat packages.	Cools you off on hot and steamy days. Alleviates leaving behind an embarrassing sweat spot on leather seats!
Massaging Seats	$1,500 when combined with heated and AC seats on select luxury models	Seats give a gentle massage while driving.	Can take the edge off a long commute
Retractable Running Boards	$1,000	Running boards pop out on large sport utilities every time you enter or exit your vehicle.	Convenience of running boards without it sticking out all of the time.
Dual Climate Control	Part of Climate Control Upgrades	Driver and passenger can each control their own temperature.	Avoids battles over who's hot and who's cold.
Entertainment Systems	$1,500 to $2,000+	Consists of TV/DVD players in the ceiling or in headrests. Wireless headphones or the rear car speakers can be used for audio.	For anyone with kids, this is a no-brainer for long (or not-so-long) trips!
Turbo	$2,000+	Forces air through the engine to get a burst of speed.	Great for changing lanes or merging into traffic.
Backup Video Camera	Part of Nissan Quests's 3.5 SE package that adds $6,600 to the MSRP from the previous package.	Able to monitor what is behind you while backing up.	Avoid running over bicycles or even pedestrians.
Automatic Liftgate	$1,000	Select vans and sport utilities have lift gates that can open with a push of a button.	Gives you a head start when loading and unloading groceries. No need to strain to close the gate, just push a button.
Steering Wheel Radio Controls	Part of some radio package upgrades	Allows you to change stations, CD's and control the volume from the steering wheel.	Alleviates you from having to reach all the way to the radio. Seriously, though, it does keep your eyes on the road while you control the radio.
Navigation	$1,500-$2,000	Computerized map built into the instrument console.	Great for long trips or to get around an unfamiliar part of town.