Springtime and a young man's fancy turns to cars. As do
a young girl's fancy and a not-so-young man's fancy and
ah ... well, that'll do ... Suffice it to say that Canadians
buy more cars in the months following winter than at any
other time of year. Hybrids are more popular than ever
this year. Oshawa/Detroit, unaccountably, appears to be
taking a pass on the technology leaving the field wide
open for Toyota and Honda.
If it's been a few years since
you entered a dealer's showroom, you may be in for a
bit of a mild shock. North American autos may boast
low entry prices and generous financing deals but few
people buy a bare bones model these days. There are
a plethora of features you can add — for a price.
The questions become which are the 'must haves' and
which can you do without?
Traction control Comes standard
on pricier cars but given Canadian winters every car
should have it. The way it works is to shift power to
the other wheels when one of them starts to slip. A
light flashes on the dash to show it's engaged. A trip
on an icy road is made considerably safer with the device.
Put it in the 'take it' column. A similar but more sophisticated
system called 'stability control' is also available.
It's specifically designed to take you out of a skid
of the kind that results, for example, when you jerk
the wheel suddenly to avoid an oncoming car. If you're
a cautious driver you might never need it.
Anti-lock brakes (ABS) Increasingly
standard on higher priced models, the system takes the
guessing out of braking on any surface and in any situation.
You may recall your dad advised pumping the brakes when
he taught you how to drive way back when. ABS do the
pumping for you and do it a lot faster than you ever
could. Just press down and let them do the thinking.
They could cost as much as $800. They could also save
your life. Make this one a 'take it.'
Front and side air bags
Two front seat air bags located in the dash are standard
on every vehicle but consider adding the optional side
air bags as well. If more are offered — such as
back seat models — take them too, say safety experts.
They're one of those things you don't need at all until
you do need them and then they can save your life and
those of your passengers.
What's behind you? Rear
obstacle detection systems can save the life of someone
behind you — like your three-year-old playing in
the driveway. Some cars come standard with them, otherwise
expect to ante up $300 to $400. On Minivans and SUVs
they're almost a necessity especially if you live in
a neighbourhood with lots of kids.
Not so necessary New cruise
control systems that slow you down if you get too close
to the vehicle in front of you. Night vision cameras
mounted into the grill that project warm (a deer) and
cold (a tree) images on the windshield — a fancy,
distracting and expensive item at $2,000 plus. Other
possibilities: navigation systems (hint: check out the
much cheaper portable models first, especially if you
have more than one car); entertainment systems, check
cheaper alternatives at places like Radio Shack or Future
Shop.
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