The features in cars that you probably don't really need

It is undeniable that new cars today can come with a lot of pretty impressive features. From steering wheel and seat warmers (aka what my daughter aptly calls butt boilers), park assist, a variety of safety alert systems, automatic headlights and wipers and remote start capability.

When you're nailing down your car search and trying to balance all your needs and wants, occasionally a want finds its way onto the needs list which may add extra dollars to your search. In this day of more technology, limited stock availability and cost of living pressures, it has never been more important to know exactly what you need from a car.

These often-optional extras can sometimes just be extra money without extra benefit believes Matthew Steen from the Australian Consumer’s Association, CHOICE.

“Are any of these really necessary or worth the money? Sometimes, but not very often,” he says.

CHOICE identifies extended dealer warranties, rustproofing and paint protection, fabric protection and alarms as some of the most unnecessary new car features.

But what about those who have spent the money on the nice-to-have extras? What do they think is worth spending the extra on and what you could actually live without? We asked the public what features of their new cars have been the most overrated, here are five they think you could live without.

This feature allows both the driver and front passenger to control their own temperature settings. This sounds good in theory, says Missy from Sydney but in reality, it doesn’t hit the mark.

“My husband and I feel the temperature very differently, so the dual-zone option seemed like a must-have when we were looking for our new car. After using it though, because the space is so small, having two different temperature settings right next to each other does nothing, it just ends up a mix of them both and then neither of us is happy,” she says.

Trent says he paid over $2,500 for the sunroof option when purchasing his new car because he thought it was aesthetically pleasing and because he had thought that he’d open it a lot while driving.

Instead, Trent says, “I think I used it about three times shortly after I bought the car and ever since then I usually forget it is there. It was a complete waste of money.”

He also says that in summer, even when it is closed, the heat comes through, creating a “furnace in the cabin” which isn’t really ideal for the Australian climate.

“This one was plugged as a “must have fuel economy feature” so we said yes. From what I can tell though it has done nothing, or very little to use less fuel and it ruins the driving experience,” says Michael.

“The jerky starts, the delay in starting up again and when driving in the CBD with traffic lights and constant stopping and starting, the auto feature is just draining,” he adds.

I thought I’d add my own two cents here and have a first-world problem whinge about the button shifter on our new family car. Growing up I learnt on a beat-up manual Datsun, so I had to really listen to the car and feel when to change from one gear to the next.

Today though, along with it being near impossible to purchase a manual car, many don’t even have a gear selector at all, like mine. Instead, they have a button shifter (which even sounds ridiculous) and I tell you what, I don’t like it.

I mean come on?! It is just laziness, plus I have to always check which button is what, I can't just feel where the stick is with my hand and this confuses me.

“My husband was adamant we needed leather seats and despite the price tag, I reluctantly agreed to it but boy, do I regret it now,” says Ashleigh.

She says that while the seats look nice, they don’t work practically.

“They are cold in winter and so very hot in summer, not to mention you get stuck to them as soon as you sweat, which they also make you do. Honestly, a terribly overrated feature.”

So, there you have it, some extras might just be extra stress and money without much benefit, so when deciding which trim level to select on your next car, take a good look and think and weigh up the costs and the benefits. That car with a little less luxury could be within reach.

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