Hellobee Boards

So I bought a new SUV last summer that has basically all the new features. My favorite one is the 360 camera which is so helpful with parking and backing out of spots. The forward collision/automatic braking is helpful but I'm a pretty careful driver in general.

However, DH is buying a new sedan right now and he will likely go without the newest features because the cost difference isn't worth it vs previous year barely used car. Our other concern with certain people and the safety features is that he has a bad tendency to allow himself to be distracted while driving and we both feel he may trust the safety features a little too much and drive less carefully.

So, the features are nice but I would still go without them if we could save a lot of money buying used. The main reason we bought my car new is just that there weren't any used ones available for the particular model (not specifically for the safety features).

We just got a brand new car and didn't go with the extra features you described. We do have a backup camera which I appreciate but have already learned that the camera is just that, backup, and you should not be relying on it.

Sometimes I do wish we had just gone for the extra features but only because I will hopefully have this car for 10 years and so by the end of it's life I'm sure the safety features will seem sub-par! But for now I remind myself that even without them cars are sooooo much safer now overall.

We bought a fully loaded 2012 Toyota Sienna certified used in 2015, so while it was high-end, it did not have all the safety features we have today. We have a small backup camera, and that's about it. I really like it that way, to be honest. I appreciate having a backup camera to double check behind me, but I HATE how much my husband relies on the larger screen backup camera on his newer Prius. I really think less features makes me much more aware of how I am driving. If I happened to be buying a new car today and it had things like lane drifting warnings in the trim level I wanted to buy, I'd be fine with it, but I would not go out of my way to pay more just for that feature.

The only thing I might go out of my way for are things that help in weather, like fog lights and electronic stability control and roll mitigation if I lived in a place with harsh weather and required AWD.

I have a 2008 suv with lane departure and brakes to adapt distance from car in front. The rear detection system is loud and beeps a lot I almost tune it out while parking. . I love the birdseye camera view but I could do without any of this. I like my car but prefer big windows and high visibility to gadgets. I am also concerned it will cost a lot as my car ages and systems go out. I didn't buy my car for any of the gadgets. I bought it used and the price was right.

We are looking at new cars as well and auto braking is a non-negotiable for me. Not because I think I will be distracted and won't stop, but a computer's reaction to stopping would be faster than mine. I've read that even a split second faster braking time can reduce the severity of a crash, so it seems worth it to me.

I feel like auto braking is this generation's anti-lock brakes or air bags.