ESP, cruise control, parking sensors - what equipment should you have in a car?
Offers for the sale of new and used vehicles lack information about equipment. Contrary to what it seems, you don't need to look for a completely refurbished car to enjoy comfort and safety. What equipment should you have in your car?
New cars sold today are usually very well equipped, but you still have to pay a lot of extra money for many extras. While larger cars have air conditioning, power windows or a set of airbags as standard, city cars have much less to offer.
Amazing baby? Why not!
At the moment, almost every brand on the market offers the possibility of any vehicle configuration, regardless of class and price. Car dealerships are increasingly selling babies with leather upholstery, xenon headlights and satellite navigation. Therefore, a city-class car worth 60-70 thousand zlotys is not a curiosity today.
For example, at the Fiat Auto Res showroom in Rzeszow, a Fiat 500 was sold for PLN 65. The car, although small, had a glass roof, parking sensors, 15-inch alloy wheels, a hands-free kit, automatic air conditioning, 7 airbags, ESP, a leather steering wheel, an on-board computer, halogen headlights and a radio. Plus a 100-liter 1,4-liter engine. Many cars in the compact class, and sometimes the D segment, are not so equipped.
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Not all expensive extra equipment is worth paying extra for. Sławomir Jamroz from the Honda Sigma Car showroom in Rzeszów recommends choosing a car equipment based on the purpose of the car. – In my opinion, every car, regardless of its size, must guarantee the highest possible level of safety. That is why it is always worth considering the maximum number of airbags, as well as brake support systems, the seller convinces.
For all vehicle classes, it is also worth investing in a central locking system, fog lights, an anti-theft system, and power windows. These are the add-ons you are using. The air conditioner is also on this list, although it may be a manual air conditioner. For most manufacturers, this is much cheaper than an automatic air conditioner, especially a two-zone one.
In the case of city and subcompact cars, dealers top the list of unnecessary accessories with xenon headlights with cornering lights. It is worth paying extra for them only for a large car that will cover long distances, including at night. - In the city, daytime running lights are much more useful. Their advantage is also their finances. Xenon bulbs are expensive, while LED headlights use far less energy, Yamroz says.
Leather upholstery is an expensive, but not entirely practical accessory. Yes, the chairs look very nice, but they require special care, without which they quickly become unusable. In addition, they heat up quickly in summer, and are cool and unpleasant to the touch in winter. While in the case of the front seats this problem can be eliminated by purchasing a heating and ventilation system, for the rear seats of many brands it is not. The disadvantage of the skin is also its high susceptibility to damage. That is why, for example, when putting on a child seat, many put a blanket under it so as not to cut the fabric. On the other hand, the skin is more resistant to dirt - children will not be able to rub chocolate or other dishes into it. It can be very difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to remove such “surprises” from fabric upholstery.
City gadgets
In the case of vehicles used on long journeys, it is worth investing in additional seat or steering column adjustment. You can also think about the factory, lightly tinted windows, which increase driving comfort on sunny days. Among the additions being tested in the city are parking sensors worth considering (in larger cars, especially SUVs, they are increasingly accompanied by a rear-view camera). In both cases, you should not pay extra for an additional set of aluminum wheels for a winter set of wheels. Steel wheels are the best and cheapest solution. In winter and early spring, it is easy to damage the wheel on the pits. Meanwhile, the repair of an aluminum disk is more complicated and costly.
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Additional equipment in packages - it pays off
The list of useless additions also includes a rain sensor that automatically activates the wipers. It only makes sense as part of a larger hardware package. Why? Individual add-ons are often overpriced. Packages that include, for example, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, side airbags, a keyless entry and start system or a hands-free kit can save up to several thousand PLN. It is no coincidence that most brands offer packages - they make it easier to complete and manufacture cars.
Used accessories like to play tricks
We offer a slightly different approach to the issue of equipment in the case of used cars. Here, additions should fade into the background, giving way to the technical condition of the car. “Because it is better to buy a less complete but in good condition car than a complete one, but with high mileage and not in working order. Also, remember that in a car that is more than a decade old, electronic accessories or automatic air conditioning can cause more problems than they are worth. And repairs can be very expensive, says car mechanic Stanislav Plonka.
