You Definitely Missed These Hidden Features in Cars

How well do you know your own car? We bet you think you know this pretty well. After all, you probably spend hours driving each week. You might be surprised to know that cars from all eras are chock-full of hidden features and easter eggs.

Check out our selection of some of the most bizarre, high-tech or impressive hidden features that most drivers overlook. After that, take another look at your car and see if you spot any of them.

Driver Assistance System with Vision - Subaru

Japanese cars are often designed to perfection, and the Eyesight driver assistance system used in modern Subaru vehicles is a prime example. All 2019 Subaru vehicles equipped with Eyesight received the highest possible score from the IIHS for frontal collision avoidance. According to the automaker, Eyesight can reduce rear-end crashes by 85%.

Eyesight Driver Assist uses various sensors to monitor the vehicle's surroundings. Essentially, vehicles equipped with Eyesight are equipped with adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, pre-collision braking, and traffic light monitoring.

Aluminum instead of steel

Previously, car frames were made of steel. Even though it is a strong metal, steel car frames add a lot of weight to the car. In the old days, this was not a big problem. Today, however, automakers are striving to make their vehicles as efficient as possible. This is why modern car frames are made from forged aluminum rather than steel.

Contrary to popular belief, wrought aluminum can be just as strong but only weighs a fraction of the steel. What's more, aluminum frames reduce the overall weight of the vehicle, improving fuel efficiency.

Color coded motors

If you've ever looked under the hood of your car, you've probably seen this hidden feature. To make it easier to work with a car's engine, automakers paint various components of a car's power plant in different colors. Elements such as the dipstick, washer fluid, oil cap or brake fluid are highlighted in vibrant colors.

While most manufacturers tend to use yellow and red to highlight components to watch out for, the colors vary. Some engines may be color coded green or blue!

Brake Dryer - BMW

Automakers around the world are constantly looking for new technologies and systems to improve the performance and safety of their vehicles. BMW, for example, offers Enhanced Dynamic Stability Control as an option on its new vehicles. Among the many features, Brake Drying is perhaps the most impressive.

Believe it or not, the rain sensors mounted on the wipers are linked to the braking system. If the sensors detect rain, the brake pads move to the rotors from time to time to keep the braking system dry. Drying the brakes improves their effectiveness when they are wet.

Ambient air - BMW 7 Series

Back in '7 BMW introduced a surprisingly useful feature to its high-end 2016 series. The upscale sedan is available with the optional Ambient Air Package. Vehicles equipped with the package are equipped with 8 different fragrances that can be selected from the climate control panel.

Naturally, BMW did not stop there. In addition to 8 different scents, drivers can switch between 3 different intensity levels for each scent. The luxurious 7 Series comes with a host of other luxury features such as gesture control or a night vision camera.

If you want a car with a similar system for a small fee, look no further! Keep reading to find out more.

Scented air freshener - Citroen DS3

Sometimes you don't have to splurge on a brand new BMW 7 Series sedan to enjoy some of its luxurious features. You can get DS3 instead. The stylish crossover SUV is equipped with a scented air freshener very similar to the BMW Ambient Air package.

Of course, the DS3 won't have the same precise system as the deluxe 7 Series. Instead of 8 different fragrances, the DS3 fragrance cartridge can be filled with any fragrance you desire.

Easy Tire Fill Warning - Nissan

Maintaining the correct tire pressure for your vehicle is an important part of vehicle maintenance. Under-inflated tires can adversely affect your vehicle's performance and worsen fuel economy. Since 2008, every new car must be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system. Nissan has taken this system one step further.

The Easy-Fill Tire Alert system, installed on new Nissan vehicles, makes checking tire pressure as easy as possible. All you need to do is simply add air to the tire. The vehicle horn will sound to notify you that you have reached your ideal pressure.

soundproofing

Without a doubt, one of the best qualities of a luxury car is its lack of noise. In cars like the Tesla Model X pictured above, this is mostly due to the car's silent electric propulsion system. What's more, many automakers equip their expensive cars with sophisticated soundproofing systems that significantly reduce interior noise levels.

Most of the quietest cars in the world, like the Audi A8 or the Mercedes-Benz S Class, are expensive high-end cars. However, there are plenty of cheaper cars out there that offer a similar level of soundproofing for a fraction of the cost. These include the 2019 Honda Odyssey or the new Kia Optima.

Pre-Safe Sound- Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz remains a leader in automotive safety technology, and the Pre-Safe sound system is just one of the countless high-tech safety features of today's Mercedes-Benz. Unlike most systems, most drivers don't even know Pre-Safe Sound exists!

Pre-Safe Sound, a first on the new E-Class, plays about 80 decibels of pink noise right before a crash. If the system determines that a collision is imminent, the sound is muted to activate a reflex in the passengers' ears, protect their eardrums and reduce potential hearing damage from excessive noise.

Ambient Lighting - Jaguar F-Type

Cars are quickly becoming as comfortable as our own homes. Luxurious features and a premium stereo and audio system make you feel like you're in a five-star movie theater. Jaguar has taken home comfort one step further with the introduction of a unique in-car feature.

The 2021 Jaguar F-Style has an ambient lighting option to create the right atmosphere. Drivers have four lighting options to choose from, ranging from cool to warm ambient glow.

Speakerphone

Let's say you're returning to your car after a quick trip to the grocery store. Your hands are full so you can't open the trunk of your car. You are forced to put your groceries on the ground and reach for the trunk lid. Some automakers found this too inconvenient and instead equipped their vehicles with a hands-free trunk.

The science behind the speakerphone system is surprisingly simple. All you need to do is run your hand or foot under the sensor to turn on the trunk. Other hands-free trunk systems will open the trunk as soon as the smart key is found in your pocket.

Umbrella hidden in the door - Rolls Royce

Without a doubt, one of the benefits of owning a luxury car like a Rolls Royce is access to the car's luxury features. While the vast majority of luxury accessories are fitted to Rolls Royce vehicles, this often goes unnoticed. There is a small compartment in the car door equipped with a luxurious umbrella.

Like the rest of the car, a Rolls Royce umbrella is expensive. If you end up losing it, you can expect to pay around $700 for a replacement. It might be better to just leave it at the door.

Neck warmers - BMW and Mercedes-Benz

Undeniably, riding in a convertible with the roof down is very seasonal. As refreshing as it is to put down the roof on a hot summer day, it's not particularly ideal the rest of the year. Mercedes-Benz and BMW have come up with a solution to this problem so you can enjoy your convertible all year round.

Neck warmers are a feature found on various modern Mercedes-Benz and BMW convertibles, including the BMW M8 (pictured above) or the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. This additional function can be adjusted with various heating settings.

Easter eggs

Not all hidden features are as smart as you might think. In fact, some are there just for the sake of being there. Car manufacturers have a long history of outfitting cars with so-called Easter eggs, or little touches that are fun but otherwise make no sense.

If you love looking for hidden Easter eggs, consider getting the new Jeep Renegade. The car is loaded with Easter eggs all over the car. Some of our favorites include a small spider engraved on the fuel filler flap that says "Hi baby!"

Check out the next slide to learn all about the unusual Easter egg found in the Volkswagen Golf.

Golf Shift Knob - Volkswagen Golf GTI

Volkswagen Golf is one of the most popular small cars in Europe. Its performance-oriented variant, the Volkswagen Golf GTI, comes with a fancy Easter egg.

If you can't figure it out from the photo above, the Volkswagen Golf GTI shift knob looks like a golf ball. It's a funny nod from the automaker to the name of the hot hatch. Over the years, the golf ball-shaped shift knob has remained on the Volkswagen Golf GTI variant. The 2021 Golf GTI also comes with it.

Outlet of the internal line

This feature has been proven to save lives and is likely to be the most thoughtful feature on this entire list. The interior trunk opening allows passengers to leave the trunk, for example, after an accident or if they simply lock themselves inside.

At first, the release of an internal trunk was only mandatory for cars sold in the US since 2001. Automakers around the world have begun installing emergency unlocking on all of their vehicles. Almost every new car sold today is equipped with an internal trunk opener. You may never use it, but it's certainly good to know it's there just in case.

Shopping Cart - Citroen Picasso

The old Citroen Picasso may have one of the most bizarre and unusual features on this entire list. While equipping a car with a hands-free trunk or a built-in vacuum cleaner might be a smart move, it's hard to justify what Citroen did with the Picasso. The French automaker has equipped the car with its own shopping trolley.

The trolley can be stowed away in the trunk of a car and can be a great shopping companion. Unfortunately, the unusual accessory must not have been successful, as the French automaker stopped adding a bogie starting with the 2005 model year.

Hidden storage compartments

How well do you know your car? Automakers strive to design the interiors of their cars as efficiently as possible. In fact, some cars have incredibly clever storage compartments tucked away throughout the cabin. There is a good chance that your car has a hidden compartment that you have never noticed before. Add ice to them and they get cooler, like the Dodge Journey pictured here.

A quick glance at your vehicle's owner's manual is enough to learn about every storage compartment in your vehicle. Your car can have anything from a small one under one of the seats to a compartment hidden behind the dashboard.

Mercedes Attention Assistant

Mercedes-Benz is the leader when it comes to automotive safety and comfort features. After all, Mercedes Attention Assist was the first of its kind back in 2009. Since then, such a system has become standard equipment in almost every new car.

Mercedes Attention Assist is used to detect any signs of driver drowsiness. Drowsy drivers could potentially pose a greater danger on the roads, the automaker said. Mercedes claims that drivers often fail to recognize their drowsiness in time, and Attention Assist helps with this.

Flower Vase- Volkswagen Beetle

For decades, the legendary Volkswagen Beetle has been fitted with a flower vase or Blumenvase German. The vase was used in the interior throughout the car's production run and eventually became one of the Beetle's iconic features.

Not a flower lover? Don't worry, the vase attached to the dashboard of your car is the perfect tiny storage compartment. The flower vase is just one of the many ways the new Beetle pays homage to its predecessor.

Ambient lighting

Many automakers equip their vehicles with stylish ambient lighting that illuminates the vehicle's center console, dashboard, door handles, climate control and more. What's more, luxury cars like the Mercedes-Benz S Class are equipped with adjustable ambient lighting where the driver can choose from dozens of different colors.

What most drivers don't realize is that ambient lighting serves a great purpose beyond a stylish cosmetic touch. A 2010 study found that ambient lighting improves the driver's perception of space. In fact, drivers felt safer in vehicles equipped with ambient lighting.

Champagne cooler – Rolls Royce Phantom

The luxurious Rolls Royce Phantom is the epitome of luxury. Rolls Royce cars come with all sorts of luxury features, from beautiful Starline headlining to auto-closing doors. Some features of the car are hidden, such as the champagne cooler located between the rear seats of the Rolls Royce Phantom.

The champagne cooler can operate in two different modes, which are suitable for both vintage and non-vintage champagnes. The high-tech chiller was developed in collaboration with a court of master sommeliers.

Rolls Royce cars are equipped with many hidden features. Keep reading to find out more.

Retractable Spirit of Ecstasy- Rolls Royce

This is another great feature of modern Rolls Royce cars that most owners don't know about. A couple of years ago, the British automaker developed the Spirit of Ecstasy's iconic hood ornament.

The Rolls Royce owner can choose to display the Spirit of Ecstasy or hide it in the grille at the touch of a button. What's more, the decoration is protected even when the car is locked. If someone tries to pry it out of a locked Rolls Royce, the decoration will quickly retract into the grille in milliseconds.

Openometer – Mini Cooper Convertible

Wanting to know how long you've been driving with the top down in your Mini Cooper Convertible is certainly not a priority. However, the British automaker decided to equip the Cooper convertible with a convertible top. open meter.

Since 2010, Cooper convertibles have been equipped with a sensor designed to inform the driver how long the roof has been down. While such a feature is far from essential, it makes for a cool and quirky accessory.

Built-in vacuum cleaner-Honda Odyssey

It's probably something you never expect to see in your car, although it's an incredibly handy accessory. We all know that the interior of a car can get very dirty in no time. Unfortunately, vacuuming a car is often very inconvenient. Fortunately, if you have a Honda Odyssey minivan, there is an ingenious solution.

Honda equipped the Odyssey minivan with a built-in vacuum cleaner. The hose is long enough to reach most parts of the car and you can use it at any time.

Lane Keeping Assist

Lane Keep Assist or a similar system called Lane Departure Warning is a smart system found on many modern vehicles. The system uses either infrared sensors or video cameras to monitor lanes. If the vehicle crosses the lane without the indicator on, the driver is alerted.

Lane Keep Assist tends to be more sophisticated than Lane Departure Warning. Rather than simply warning the driver when a vehicle crosses a lane, Lane Keep Assist ensures that the vehicle stays in its lane without driver intervention.

Automatic emergency lights

Automakers strive to make their cars as safe as possible. According to various studies, a large number of accidents are caused by drivers who do not see that the vehicle in front has slowed down sharply. Car manufacturers have come up with a brilliant solution to solve this dangerous problem once and for all.

Many cars sold today are equipped with a smart solution. The system calculates whether a brake force has been applied to assess whether the driver has applied an emergency brake. The hazard lights are thus automatically switched on as soon as the vehicle detects an emergency braking maneuver.

Windshield ticket holder - Skoda

Skoda, a car manufacturer from the Czech Republic, has come up with an ingenious way to store parking tickets. Many countries in Europe require drivers to present their parking ticket directly under the windshield. For many years, Skoda vehicles have been equipped with a small parking ticket holder at the bottom of the windshield.

A plastic holder located on the driver's side of the windshield will hold the piece of paper against the windshield. This smart solution means you never have to worry about losing your parking tickets again.

Fuel cap location reminder

When you go to a gas station, do you always remember where the fuel tank cap is? You may be surprised to know that the fuel gauge shows which side of the car the fuel tank is on. More precisely, a small triangular arrow next to the fuel pump icon.

The fuel cap location reminder is especially handy for people who change cars frequently. Now that you know this, you will never experience this problem again!

Autopilot - Tesla

Tesla's AutoPilot autonomous driving assistance isn't exactly a hidden feature. In fact, this is one of the main advantages of Elon Musk's cars. The first version of the Tesla AutoPilot hardware was installed on the Model S and Model X between 2014 and 2015. Over the past 6 years, the system has undergone various updates, but the most interesting update is perhaps yet to come.

All Tesla vehicles sold today are equipped with sensors, cameras and other equipment that could potentially be upgraded in the coming years. According to Elon Musk, all Tesla cars sold today will one day be able to drive fully autonomously.

Did you know Tesla isn't the only automaker to offer a system like AutoPilot? Keep reading to find out more.

Drive Pilot - Mercedes Benz

Almost everyone has heard of the Tesla Autopilot. Do you know that other manufacturers also offer a similar system? A couple of years ago, Mercedes-Benz introduced the revolutionary Drive Pilot system. Since then, the semi-autonomous driving assistance system has been installed on cars from automakers.

Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot offers a semi-autonomous mode for highway driving. The vehicle can adjust its speed, follow the road and maintain the required distance between other vehicles on its own. Despite presentations by the automaker in which the car was seen driving without a driver present (pictured above), Drive Pilot requires a driver to be behind the wheel.

Hidden rear view camera - Volkswagen

The Volkswagen design team must have thought that a rearview camera sticking out of the rear bumper would spoil the car's clean design. That is why modern Volkswagen Golf and Passat cars are equipped with a hidden rear view camera.

The reversing camera installed on the new Golf or Passat is cleverly hidden under the car's rear emblem. As soon as you engage reverse gear, the emblem tilts and the camera appears. It not only does not spoil the clear lines of the car, but also helps to keep the camera lens clean.

Using the key to lower the windows

Have you ever tried holding the unlock button on your car keys for a few seconds? If not, give it a try the next time you unlock your car. There is a good chance that in 5 seconds your car windows will open.

If you hold the lock button for the specified time, your windows will close before the car is locked. Check your owner's manual to make sure you can operate the windows with your car key.

Conversation mirrors

Did you know that many minivans and SUVs are equipped with a talking mirror? Usually located in front of the rearview mirror, the conversation mirror offers an excellent view of everything that happens in the back seat. The Honda CR-V is just one of many cars equipped with this handy overhead mirror.

The conversation mirror is especially useful for parents traveling with children in the back seat. This way they don't have to turn around to see what's happening behind them. A conversation mirror is a simple and much more secure solution.

Auto-dimming rearview mirror

Have you ever noticed the little protrusion at the bottom of your rearview mirror? If you pull it you can switch between day and night mirror modes. A tilt-down rear view mirror is very helpful in reducing the glare from the headlights of cars behind you. Many drivers are unaware that their car is equipped with such a convenient feature.

What's more, many modern cars are fitted as standard with a rear-view mirror that adjusts automatically. Auto-dimming rearview mirrors use sensors to adjust brightness within seconds.

Ice scraper at the fuel cap - Skoda

Having to clean your car before driving in the winter is not at all a pleasant chore. What happens if you lose your ice scraper? Trying to de-ice your windshield without a scraper is very inconvenient and time consuming. Once again, the Skoda team came up with a very clever solution.

Modern Skoda vehicles are equipped with an ice scraper. Unlike most vehicles, the scraper is not located in the vehicle interior. Open the fuel door on any modern Skoda and you'll find an ice scraper in there.

There is another smart feature to be found around the fuel filler flap. Can you guess what it is?

Fuel cap holder

Another ingenious feature often found on the fuel cap is even simpler than Skoda's hidden ice scraper. When you fill up your car, where do you put the fuel tank cap? Do you place it on the roof of your car or mount it like in the photo above?

Some vehicles are equipped with a clever fuel cap holder on the inside of the fuel filler flap. Check to see if it's in your car the next time you're at a gas station.

magic seats

If you've never owned a compact car, you've probably never heard of Magic Seats. Magic seats are an extremely smart way to use the cargo capacity of a small car, and automakers have been putting them on all sorts of vehicles for years.

Honda owns a trademarked Magic Seat system, although a similar solution can be found in other vehicles such as the Chrysler PT Cruiser pictured above. In the new Honda Civic or Jazz, the rear seats can be raised to an upright position, effectively freeing up cargo space.

Holiday Show – Tesla Model X

Teslas are equipped with all sorts of Easter eggs hidden all over the car. The Holiday Show mode on the Model X SUV is perhaps the most impressive of all. The Model X will transform into a stunning display that flashes lights and opens doors in sync with the music played from the car's audio system.

To turn on the holiday show, Tesla owners must hold Tesla T for 5 seconds, enter a special passcode, get out of the car and lock it. Then the show will begin!

Integrated bike carrier - Opel Corsa

If you're a diehard cycling enthusiast, perhaps the Opel Corsa should be your next vehicle. The German automaker's compact vehicle is equipped with an integrated Flexfix bike rack. Opel Corsa owners can simply pull out the trunk by unlocking it from the trunk and put their bikes on it.

The Opel Corsa, sold as the Vauxhall Corsa in some markets, has been in production since the 1980s. The current generation Corsa is available with a variety of engines, from a 1.2L three-cylinder to a 50kWh all-electric variant.

Logo headlights - McLaren

It's no secret that McLaren supercars are breathtaking from every possible angle. By examining the front of a supercar for a longer period of time, you may find an easter egg artfully built into the vehicle's impeccable design. The car's headlights are reminiscent of the company's iconic swoosh, which is also the McLaren logo.

The McLaren P1 GTR pictured above is a boosted version of the P1 hypercar. It can hit 60 mph in less than 2.8 seconds and has a top speed of nearly 220 mph.