KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Carmakers often distribute features, pushing customers to higher variants.
- Digital instrument clusters vary in utility across car models.
- Heads-Up Displays duplicate information already on the dashboard.
- Cruise control's utility depends on the road conditions.
- Larger infotainment screens may offer little functional advantage.
Car Buying Guide: For Indian customers, buying a new car is an important decision as it demands a considerable portion of their hard-earned money. When we walk into the showroom to get a new car, we see a lot of models offering a bunch of features with an additional premium. Automakers strategically distribute these features throughout a particular model lineup and cut most of the features from the base model. This strategy of carmakers forces customers to opt for higher variants.
But is it worth it to pay extra for selected features? my answer is a big No! You can save money by getting some must-have features and avoid useless or nominal utility features offered by manufacturers in their cars. If you are about to buy a new car, here's the list of features you can avoid in your new one. Before moving ahead, join our 91Wheels WhatsApp Group to stay updated on the latest automotive news and industry insights.
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Digital Instrument Cluster
Most of the carmakers are offering digital instrument clusters, also known as driver's displays. However, most of these digital clusters provide the same information we see on the analogue instrument consoles which makes these digital instrument clusters of no use. On the other hand, some carmakers make full use of these digital instrumental clusters by integrating navigation, TPMS and 360-degree cameras in them, which feels worth paying for. So, you can save your money by avoiding this feature if it is not so useful for you.
Heads-Up Display
Some of the leading carmakers like Maruti Suzuki are providing features such as a heads-up display. A heads-up display reflects information such as turn-by-turn navigation, speed and time. In my opinion, this feature is also of nominal utility. All the information that we see on a Heads-up display (HuD) is already displayed on the infotainment and instrument cluster of a car. So, you don't need to waste your money to get this feature in your car.
Cruise Control
Unlike the above two features, cruise control is a feature that can prove helpful for some and useless for others. I'm saying this because the utility of the cruise control feature depends on the usage of a driver. If you are the one who usually drives on expressways, you are going to find this feature helpful. On the other hand, if you drive on normal roads, the cruise control feature is of no use for you.
Big Digital Infotainment System
Most of the brands are now increasing the size of the infotainment displays in their cars. Here, I'm not questioning the utility of an infotainment system, but having an average-size infotainment display (7 to 8 inches) is okay and you don't need to upgrade to a higher variant to get a bigger one. Apart from this, some automakers are integrating crucial physical controls like music and AC controls on the infotainment which is a part of their cost-cutting strategy. So, don't go for the bigger one because you don't need it!
Sunroof
The sunroof is the most desired feature for every car buyer in India. But these sunroofs are largely of no use in a hot-climate country like India. Apart from the utility aspect, these sunroofs are not safe by any angle. Even panoramic sunroofs have become a reason for some deadly road accidents in the last two to three years in India. Choose utility over visual appeal and avoid paying extra for this unnecessary feature.
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Verdict
Choosing which features to include in your new car purchase can significantly impact both your satisfaction and your wallet. Prioritize features that enhance safety, convenience, and enjoyment on the road while skipping those that offer little utility for your driving habits. Hope our guide will help you save your money while buying a car.
