Dashcams and satnavs and safety features - oh my!

[Grace212]

okay, I know that doesn't scan

I haven't driven for years and years, so I've never had any fancy features on a car.

one car I'm looking at is Hyundai i10 or i20 and there are these "driver assist" type features that will alert you if you're drifting into another lane etc. Also some cars have this screen cam where you can see details of where you are parking etc - Is it worth it? I suppose I always drove without them so probably not, I don't know. Be interesting to hear views.

I do want to get front and rear dashcams. Are they a nuisance in any way or very easy to set up? My computer is quite old so I would need to be sure the software would support them anyway.

Satnav - I thought the kind that actively warns me about traffic jams etc might be useful. Does anyone have any recommendations? I don't know how well they update etc.

I also can't decide about air con. I do remember a couple of horrible days being stuck in a very hot car in a motorway jam but I suppose back then I just put up with it?

Final question - is it normal for cars to come with alarms built in because I actually would prefer mine wasn't. I live in a London borough and will often be parked where I can't see the car or hear the alarm so I don't want all the surrounding poor souls to suffer listening to it.

interested to hear everyone's experiences. Re cameras and sat nav, I wouldn't look to spend a lot.

Thanks wise MNers!

I have a reversing camera which I love. So much easier to parallel park now but not needed necessarily.

Air conditioning however is needed. I'm surprised you can get a car without it actually.

Sat Nav, my car has one, but I actually think Google maps is one of the best if you have that on your phone and just set up in your car.

Thanks Damia

would you feel odd if you had, say, a hire car and no camera to help with that?

Most of the cars I'm looking at have no air con in the cheapest model but I'm hoping to buy new.

I suppose I would feel odd now, but I'm sure I would manage. I recently had to drive a manual after years in an auto and was surprised how quickly it all felt natural.

I suppose with air con I do use mine a lot as I prefer to be cool when I drive and we do uk holidays so I love having cool air and I dont like having windows open really. Sometimes feels like just more hot air is coming in, but honestly if it would get me from a to b I would manage without it.

I'd say dashcams are a must in this day and age
I've been in two non-fault crashes in the last three months and both times have had vital evidence - the first was a hit and run and I would have lost my NCD and been out of pocket with my excess if it wasn't for my camera (car was unattended in a car park).
As it was I not only got his number plate but also his face (and he still tried to deny it).

Damia good point, I wouldn't want windows open either.

Fairfax that's a really good point - I hadn't actually even thought about dashcam being on while the car is parked. Do you have signs saying your car has dashcam?

I suppose this will all become second nature soon but it feels like a lot of info at the moment, thanks for the input.

Mine isn't on but it triggers if it detects an impact. I don't have stickers though.

We have three cars in our family and one of them doesn’t have aircon (30 years old). I only drive it really early weekend mornings at the moment as it is too hot in it.

I couldn’t imagine getting a ‘new’ car and not having it.

Why are you driving now if not done so for years? Will you manage to get your skills back quickly enough?

That's funny. Our cars have aircon but I never turn it on (ecofreak reasons). Old school. Grew up in a hot place in cars (1970s) that had no aircon. I do use aircon now when I go back there in summer. 95Deg.F+. Not been hot enough yet in Britain.

Satnav units: Mine (Motorola) was bought new in September 2018. We could not get it to update for hell or highwater. I barely used it anyway, so sold it hoping phone will do instead... problem is my network (3) is crap & I lose coverage in some places (earlier this week!). Phone satnav is fine, I'm sure, if you're on Vodafone. Built in satnavs in dashboards are great I've found, so much better than phone or plug-in SATNAV units.

Dashcams... I can't imagine using one. But lots of people make useful things I can't figure out a way to use.

lljkk I don't think anything in my price range has a built in sat nav, alas!

It's interesting how many people say their satnavs are crap!

I am not keen on using my phone as satnav so would get it separately.

I suppose the air con thing might seem like being in a Boris Bus except you have to actually have your brain on! I can definitely save a bunch going for a manual car with no air con. Will ponder.

I'm having refresher lessons starting next week. I have no idea whether I'll get back in a car and say "oh yes, this seems totally familiar".

Over the years, every few months, I have dreams where I am just driving, so I probably have missed it.

Y are you bothering to drive now if didn't need it for so long.

I think you should research carefully the upgrade methods for a separate satnav system. We are both reasonably proficient at techie things & just could not get the Motorola one to work. Tried several PCs, different cables, etc.

Satnav on smart phone is far better than anything built in. Google. Maps does live traffic updates.

I wouldn't get a car without air con. We do long UK drives and need it.

The rest is personal preference tbh.

Google maps is the best satnav available. It automatically updates and lets you know of traffic jams etc, and the reason for them.
Air con is a godsend, even if you only use it for clearing your windscreen when it steams up in winter.
Dashcams are handy, most people seem to have one now.
Parking sensors are good if you can't park - I had a hire car a few weeks ago that had fab rear parking sensors.
All of these things are personal preference. Get them if you want, don't if you don't fancy it.
But don't spend extra on a satnav!

Don’t most brand new cars have a touch screen that you can connect your phone to for sat nav?

I really wouldn’t buy a modern car with no air con. I was reading something earlier this week about car interior temperatures in comparison with outside temperatures and it can get 10/20 degrees higher than the weather outside.

What is it that’s making you want absolutely brand new? Nothing depreciates in value quite like a car, more so a basic cheapest model car that no one will want to buy.

Thanks again
Re brand new, I guess because it seems like least hassle? And it would be nice and last longer?

Re using google maps, that’s good to know.

Rear parking sensors - I know it’s weird, I’ve never had them but people do rate them and maybe I was just lucky in the past, I don’t know! I don’t think I’m fussed but I will see how my refresher lessons go.

lljk I have very changed circumstances to the years of not driving but I’m looking forward to driving again!

Totally sold on dash cams and air con!

Some of the features you're asking about are convenience (parking sensors, air con, sat nav) and others are safety (eg lane departure warning, dash cam).
I remember getting my last car and it having air con where my previous hadn't had it, and it was a real pleasure.
My new car will have all mod cons. I looked at models that didn't have electric wing mirrors, for example , but my current car has them - so now I expect them.
So you could probably cope without the things you've never had, but they might make your life easier and more comfortable. If you spend any length of time in the car I'd definitely get air con (or climate control) and test drive several in different specifications, if you can.

Not even aware of electric mirrors.

Looking at PCP has definitely changed my plans for what I wanted! All well posh compared to my younger days, lol.