Join the Family

Sign up to receive the weekly newsletter featuring the very latest from Petrolicious. Don’t be left out—join the ranks of those who Drive Tastefully.

Already a member?

How was the drive?

We're glad you're back.

Not a member yet?

Forgot your password?

Reset Your Password

We'll get you back on track.

Journal: What Is Your Car's Most Luxurious Feature?

What Is Your Car’s Most Luxurious Feature?

By
May 6, 2013

Back in 1993, after owning a 1974 BWM 2002 for three years, I bought a 1986 Alfa Romeo Spider Graduate. The Alfa was a huge step up in luxury, and the features that spoiled me the most were the intermittent wipers.

Today, my daily driver is usually a 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV, and I’m thankful for the luxury appointments it affords me, such as dual-speed wipers (alas, not intermittent), air conditioning, and rear-view mirror with “night mode”, but the features that make me feel like a million bucks are the dual waste bins located in the driver’s and passenger’s foot wells.

What is the most luxurious feature on your car? Let us know in the comment section below.

Photo by Kika Vigo-Behnia

Tags
Luxurious Car Features Question
Join the Conversation
40
View Comments
Related
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Tharanga Wijayaratna
Tharanga Wijayaratna
8 years ago

My ’96 Alfa Romeo 164 Super is fully loaded with all the bells and whistles offered… but the burgundy leather wrapped automatic transmission shifter handle really stands out (yes, the button is broken on mine too)

0
Vintage Son
Vintage Son
11 years ago

On my 91 Shelby, it’s the fold flat rear seats.

0
novaf4
novaf4
11 years ago

My specialist car’s most luxurious feature is its hydraulic canopy.

0
Gilberto Jimenez
Gilberto Jimenez
11 years ago

My 87 Jetta has a monroof that makes it feel very luxurious for its time, but the gear shift indicator is a close second.

0
Kenny
Kenny
11 years ago

On my 83 Toyota Supra I think it was either the service lamp under the hood that would detach and allow you to drag it across the engine bay to check things out (It was like having a flashlight at all times (as long as you had battery charge!)) or the maybe the sunroof. Whenever it was open, it just rose my mood and made me feel like a king. On my 68 Triumph Spitfire, the folding top is about as close to luxury as that car offers! Basic but fun.

0
Nar
Nar
11 years ago

1990 CRX, the moonroof is easily one of my favorite things about the car. 😀

0
Leucea Alexandru
Leucea Alexandru
11 years ago

It has to be the air conditioning. Nothing beats that on a hot summer day, when the car transforms into a rolling oven.

0
Josh Stewart
Josh Stewart
11 years ago

’71 GTV here. The Nardi wooden wheel gives me tingles every time I touch it. The hand throttle is also pretty swanky, albeit nearly completely useless.

0
Rip Curl
Rip Curl
11 years ago

When I had my 2009 Mercedes B200T, I really liked the trip computer. It had a long term and a short term one. The short term one would reset when the car was idle for 3 hours or more. This allowed me to really well judge my drive to and from work every day without ever having to touch anything. It included mileage and time so it became a challenge to shave time off.

0
Tim Jones
Tim Jones
11 years ago

A few things, the first being the windscreen wiper button in the footwell of my 1969 Alfa GT Junior, perfect for one off wipes of the windshield.

The second feature I love is the interior lights of my Citroen DS21, putting the lights on (of which there is one in each corner of the cabin) you automatically feel like you are transported to a dimly lit cabin or chateau smoking room. Great mood setter!

0
Peter Olasz
Peter Olasz
11 years ago

I guess the most lux-feature on my ’71 Montreal are the pneumatically operated front lamp eyelids … Practically, I see no real reason for having them (apart from the design!), they are operated with an utterly complicated mechanism > the perfect luxury extension 🙂

0
Mat smith
Mat smith
11 years ago

I think my 1990 Mercedes 300ce is full of little luxury details; my favourite are the seat belt presenters saving the driver and passenger the effort of slightly turning to grab the seat belt, the pneumatic seat locks that saves the effort of lifting a lever to tip the seats forward, the button to lower the rear head rests, the illuminated controls on the dash vents and the little sunvisor below the rear view mirror all add up to create a very luxurious car, perhaps why it costs so much back in 1990. A car built when the engineers ran mercedes and not the accountants.

0
Fritz
Fritz
11 years ago

On my 1984 Fiat Panda 34 it is the total variability of the interior enabling even two people to lie inside of the car or to remove all seats within a few minutes. Another feature the ashtray that can be positioned on the whole length of the dashboard edge. Pure and functional Giugiaro design 🙂

0
Alan van Bergen
Alan van Bergen
11 years ago

My 86 BMW E30-324d has a digital clock that can also show the outside temperature if you push the TEMP button. I push it all the time, just because I can!

0
hookemdevils22
hookemdevils22
11 years ago

On my 71 Nova, it’s AC or fuel injection (OK, so neither are factory…). On my 67 Mustang, it’s definitely the foot-pump wiper washer system.

0
Petr Dušek
Petr Dušek
11 years ago

97 prelude – the moonroof!

0
Timothydh
Timothydh
11 years ago

Most luxurious thing on my 69 Porsche 911T – red warning light for the fuel level. If the light comes on when you go around a sharp turn, you’re probably at 1/4 tank. If it comes on around a sharp turn and stays on for a few seconds after, you’re probably at 3/8. If it comes on when you are on level ground, not turning at all, you are probably at 1/8!

0
greencow
greencow
11 years ago

Honestly, AWD. Best thing ever, in a car.

0
LandcruiserGuy
LandcruiserGuy
11 years ago

My 86 FJ60 has headlight washers…with a separate tank and a pump the size of an electric window motor! Blasts the snow and mud off no problem…but drains the tank in about 4 uses(probably the reason for the separate tank)

0
Dan Woodward
Dan Woodward
11 years ago

The pop-on headrest cushions on my ’77 Citroen CX Pallas; A headrest where it’s actually comfortable to rest my head. Pure luxury.

The Diravi sterring feels ultra-special when parking too.

That Alfa is gorgeous!

0
felix
felix
11 years ago

In the 68 beetle I got a sunroof and rear window heating. and 69′ Daf 55 Marathon, I got sleeping seats a radio and interval wipers and adjustable blower

0
chrismic
chrismic
11 years ago

Haha, Afshin, I totally read you. I have a 1976 GTV. You forgot to mention the Fasten Seatbelts badge. Is your coulour Verde Olive Met? Cheers, Chris

0
Afshin Behnia
Afshin Behnia
11 years ago
Reply to  chrismic

You’re right about the fasten seatbelt badge. Is it supposed to light up? 🙂

Yes, mine is a Vedre Oliva Metalizzato. I also have a [url=”http://petrolicious.com/a-tale-of-two-gtvs”]red one[/url].

0
Gianni Burrows
Gianni Burrows
11 years ago
Reply to  chrismic

I like the funky lighter on the console where you put the cig into it vs. take the lighter out and bring it to the cig. Classic Italian design!

0
Alan Hui-Bon-Hoa
Alan Hui-Bon-Hoa
11 years ago

I love the first gen Volvo S60 sedans have a remote button that releases the rear seat headrests with a good “thunk” (to improve rearward vis). Ah, the luxury of messin with my friends!

0
Deep Gill
Deep Gill
11 years ago

2008 MkV GTI. I’ve got two favourite features. During the long miserable winters its the heated front seats, during the summer it’s the sunroof. Although I use the cruise control every single day year round so that might be the one to choose.

0
Robert Bowers
Robert Bowers
11 years ago

2004 Hyundai Sonata – A/C knob is broken so only luxury is Pink Floyd at full blast on reasonable CD player.

0
Renbry
Renbry
11 years ago

My Porsche 928 S4 (MY’88) has two electronic rear hatch release buttons, three (!) seat/mirror memory switches and a separate A/C system for the rear of the car. I was very surprised to find all these luxuries in such a “sports car” but I guess they were trying to class it up as a point.

0
Inigo Loy Colmenar
Inigo Loy Colmenar
11 years ago

For a car that was made in 1986, the Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 had a lot of luxurious features:
electrically heated WINDSHIELD WASHER NOZZLES!
single wiper arm system that extended itself to the upper corners
electiric headrests-move the headrest up or down with a button
headlamp wipers with washer and the headlamps were also adjustable from the cockpit

0
Renbry
Renbry
11 years ago
Reply to  Inigo Loy Colmenar

I think that’s why I love cars from the 80’s they were just getting things right, but not (necessarily) over engineered.
Your Benz and my 928 I think are made for a wide variety of climates and so I find it funny to have heated rear mirrors and windscreen washers in Australia; as well as electronically controlled louvers which block off the engine bay from air to aid in engine warm up.

great cars!

0
Inigo Loy Colmenar
Inigo Loy Colmenar
11 years ago
Reply to  Renbry

Yes, the options were endless!
How about a gas engine to heat up the cabin in cold tempreratures even if the engine was off?
Halon fire extinguisher? Yup, you could order it.

0
Paul Thompson
Paul Thompson
11 years ago

I usually count a heated rear screen as the height of decadence. But in my 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe has vacuum operated seat back locks. They lock the seats when the engine is running and release when you open the door or the passenger in the rear seat presses a release button. The height of pointlessness, but it does mean there is a satisfying little pifffff noise when you open the door. Just try explaining it to a MOT man.

0
Chris Martino
Chris Martino
11 years ago

My 1986 Jag XJ 6 is a luxury car all the way through,but the best part is all the wood and chrome. Its just makes me feel rich when
I drive it.

0
Ryan Lopez
Ryan Lopez
11 years ago

@Adam. I feel your pain. I own a 1969 jeepster deluxe and the only luxury pieces are arm rest for the back and sliding windows
and no it does not have ac,auto trans. but I got my windows and thats what counts

0
Adam Holter
Adam Holter
11 years ago

My ’68 Dart is the 270 trim level (read: Old man package), which was fairly mid-grade for its time. About the only “luxury” options on the ol’ girl are auto tranny and power steering.

Power brakes? Nope.
FM radio? Nope.
A/C? Nope.
V8? Nope.

So yeah, auto tranny and power steering.

0
CJ David
CJ David
11 years ago

The dual (front and back) climate control in my 87 BMW 635 L6, with the a/c controlled cooler in the rear center console. Or at least it would be, if the A/C actually worked.

0
Gábor Ugron
Gábor Ugron
11 years ago

My BMW E30 318is has a button on the OBC that if pressed, plays an audible warning a few minutes before each full hour so that you can turn on the news. I’m not kidding, that’s what it says in the actual owners’ manual. How can that be so anally German and awesome at the same time?

0
Sergio Carranza Salazar
Sergio Carranza Salazar
11 years ago

the DOHC 4.0 V8 engine! it has many cool things for a 20 year old car, but the OBC and the Dual sunroof are my favorites

0
Brett Evans
Brett Evans
11 years ago

My Honda Passport has this amazing device that runs the windshield wipers at the touch of a button. It also has a pretty miraculous feature that enables me to somehow magically stream music from invisible light beams in the air to my two speakers.

I think it was actually probably a pretty fancy car in 1994, but time has taken its toll and many of the features no longer work. It’s a fun truck nonetheless.

0
Matthew Lange
Matthew Lange
11 years ago

I guess for its day the (optional) AC on the Daytona was quite a luxury.

On the subject of wipers I always thought the wipers on my old 944S2 had the most over engineered wipers ever. 3 speeds plus a switch to vary the amount of the intermittent wipe. No wonder Porsche nearly went bust in the early nineties.

0

Petrolicious Newsletter