All the best features.

[Wildo]

Seriously almost all of these are my favorite features of the vehicles I own.. When people don't realize the usefulness or are rich or rich and lazy these great inventions will all be gone

(broken link removed to http://www.money.cnn.com/gallery/autos/2013/07/02/car-features-disappear.fortune/index.html?hpt=hp_t3)

 

[Jack Straw]

I just bought a 98 RAV4 with a 5 speed manual. It is fun to drive. Most of the other things I could live without except for the full spare tire.

 

[lukem]

I could do without all those. Manual transmissions won't totally go away...they'll probably live on in sports cars and HD trucks. A Vette with an auto is just silly.

Do they still make 85MPH speedo's or hinge vents?

 

[begreen]

One thing that has disappeared and I really miss are fresh air vents. You'd open them and they pour cool air down on your legs and feet. The better ones had a divertor so that you could direct the air to the upper vents. That way in winter you could have warm feet and get cold air in the face. That was good for staying awake on long drives. Nowadays AC seems to have replaced this option, but it's not the same.

 

[jharkin]

Looking at the list:

Manuals - I will miss. I dont think they will go away completely as outside North America traditional manuals are still in what, 80% of cars sold or something like that?

Mechanical handbrake - This one is the worst. I think the move to electronic handbrakes is a big mistake. People think of them just as parking brakes , but its also supposed to be a last ditch way to stop the car, what if your brakes fail and the electrics go out as well? A cable is simple, cheap and foolproof.

Spare tire - I have never owned a car with them, but everything I read about runflats makes me want to stay away.

Edit to add - Radio knobs I have actually decided against buying cars just because of pushbuttons for volume and tuning.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've always bought cars with manual transmissions. However, we are shopping for a new car now and we will get an automatic. Actually, that is why we are shopping because my left leg is getting too weak to hold that clutch in very long. I have to take the car out of gear at stop lights or even stop signs if I have to wait. So, automatics, here I come. But it is more expensive. The last new car we bought there was something like $850 difference between auto and manual so it was a good savings and we get better gas mileage too.

I understand that the newer automatics are claiming to get better gas mileage than a manual but I still have some doubts about that. One thing that always struck me is that folks complained over and over that the cars never got as good of mileage as what was advertized. With us, we've always got better gas mileage than advertised. On our present car, it was advertised as 29 city and 36 highway with manual transimission. We have averaged over 36 mpg since it was new. Sometimes we get much better but then there are times when it hasn't been good, like the time I hauled a loaded trailer to PA and got only 28 mpg. But then, we filled up yesterday and it worked out to 39.3. Occasionally we get over 40 mpg. I'll add that we check every tank of gas and have since it was new.

 

[Wildo]

Crank windows are the only way to go if you have real winters,
e-brakes are a necessity, and a lot of fun.
window vents and fresh air vents are awesome
I was going to buy a tundra a few years ago until I went to the dealer and they told me they stopped offering a standard a couple years before that . I asked if they had any used ones and was told "We can't keep 'em in stock for more than 2-3 days". Huh? Same thing for 4runners before that. Huh?
bias ply really dig in the mud and have a killer hum on the tar.
Have you paid for a windshield with an antenna in it? OOWWw

 

[343amc]

Last fall my daughter asked why the speedo in my old truck shows '55' in big orange numbers.

It has manual windows, no AC, and floor vents. Perfect for what it is intended for.

When they say they don't make them like they used to, sometimes I am thankful. I've gotten spoiled in the daily driver by AC and other comforts.

I do like the cable actuated hand brakes and don't want to see those go away. Nice to have something mechanical to help slow down in an emergency, and it makes it fun to do donuts in empty parking lots when its snowing.

 

[Lake Girl]

Just bought a new Spark ... with manual transmission and hand brake! A little more difficult to learn to drive for the kids but will never be stuck not being able to move or drive a vehicle when necessary. I personally hated driving the diesel one ton with manual trans but I was never stuck without a vehicle

We had two Aveos at the same time - mine was the manual trans. It never failed to make me laugh when I would try to find the clutch to shift when driving the hubby's car Brain on auto-pilot!

Not terribly impressed with all the electronics on vehicles - from ease on making repairs to generation of problems like these... roll-away vehicles...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/05/24/bc-rollawayvehicle.html

 

[ScotO]

I love cars and trucks with manual transmissions.....if I have a choice, I always buy manual. And also manual window cranks....
I'm a 'no frills' kind of guy, I like basic things.......plus the older vehicles with manual transmissions are a LOT easier to work on at home. Computer controlled cars, as much as some like them, can be designed to fail at given intervals. Not to mention the home mechanic cannot work on them like a 'certified' dealer or garage.....making some repairs super expensive...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Scott, I've been like you up to this point. However, we've decided to pamper ourselves a little bit with a new car. The automatic is because of the physical problem and that I don't like. But I do like the thought of the heated seats and the rear camera and a few other things. This will no doubt be the last car we buy so we're going to get some extras. Might as well try to be as comfortable as we can; we ain't kids anymore.

 

[ScotO]

Scott, I've been like you up to this point. However, we've decided to pamper ourselves a little bit with a new car. The automatic is because of the physical problem and that I don't like. But I do like the thought of the heated seats and the rear camera and a few other things. This will no doubt be the last car we buy so we're going to get some extras. Might as well try to be as comfortable as we can; we ain't kids anymore.

Trust me, I already succumbed to the fact that I won't be able to wrench on my own equipment all of my life, I can see me liking the creature features not all that long down the road. But for right now, I like simple things......You're still a mentor to me, my friend!