How old is that car you’re driving?
The Institute for Highway Safety reported in July 2015 that the average car on US roads today is a whopping 11.5 years. So if your car’s version of high-tech is a power sunroof and Monsoon CD sound system, you’re in for a treat when you decide to start car-shopping, particularly if your love for gadgets has grown over the past decade.
Today’s Cars: Safer and Less Boring to Drive
If you’re car shopping, the first thing you’ll notice are all the ways new cars accommodate the mobile technology you’ve accumulated since the early aughts like iPods.
Manufacturers began adding in USB ports to car stereos in 2006. It only took the auto manufacturers three years to add them to their own sound systems as well as Bluetooth devices. Some manufacturers have ditched cigarette lighters altogether since people were using them to plugin their devices. DVD players have been available for rearseat passengers since 2008. While safety advocates worried about video distracting drivers, plenty of parents will testify that it’s made family trips less stressful; parents “bliss out,” as The Car Connection notes. Less stress makes driving safer.
Later, the automakers added back-up cameras and blind spot monitoring with warning sounds to help drivers safely pull out of a space in the grocery store’s parking lot.
Since these technologies have been around for a few years, you don’t have to put out big bucks for a 2016 or 2017 vehicle. Late model cars and SUVs feature a lot of these gadgets. Shopping the quality secondhand car market lets you get a high-end vehicle with cool technology for the price of say, a new Ford.
Cool Tech for Your Old Car
What if you’re holding out for that antique car plate? You can still get some of this cool technology installed in your car if there’s room for it. Here are a few ideas:
- Still sticking a Garmin to your windshield? Upgrade to Navdy, which uses a magnetic mount to sit on the dash and project maps to the windshield. No more rubber cup unsticking at the wrong time! It also works with Bluetooth so you can receive calls and interact with your smartphone, including Google and Siri. Finally, Navdy works with your car’s computer to diagnose problems when those pesky dashboard lights come on.
- If you live in a state that doesn’t prohibit radar, the Escort Passport Max2 Radar and Laser Detector alerts you to red light and speed detection devices throughout North America updated weekly via the Web.
- Several manufacturers offer portable dash cams to help you with rear and blind side vision.
Must-Have In-Car Technology
CNET recommends six technologies all cars should have. Many are built-in to late-model cars; others can be purchased to install in older ones (think of them as bar mitzvah gifts for your vehicle).
- Bluetooth capability
- USB/iPod ports
- Rearview camera
- Blind spot monitoring
- Safe app integration
- Do Not Disturb capability
Lots of drivers, CNET notes, are accessing tech dangerously while driving. Whether it’s fumbling to answer a smartphone or scrolling to find a podcast, distracted driving is a real and serious problem. If you’re keeping your car, do yourself (and others on the road) a favor and look for devices that integrate smartphone apps with car sound systems. The Car Connectivity Consortium’s MirrorLink is built in many vehicles and offers portable solutions as well.
As for No. 6: you can always toss the phone into the trunk!
