As we all know, almost every car has optional features, but some of them are not very practical and rarely used in daily driving. Instead of spending money on impractical options, it is better to upgrade to a higher version. Some optional features can cost almost as much as a car itself, with the lowest price for a Baojun Xiaoma being only 26,900 yuan (3700$).
Rear Entertainment Screen Many new cars now come with rear ceiling screens to highlight the tech feel. The Wey VV7 even offers a 32-inch large screen projector for car use, but some netizens say the image quality is average.
The rear screen is standard, no need to pay extra. In most cases, it is rarely used.雷军 also mentioned that he has never used the rear screen in the cars he bought.
Depending on the different car models, the optional price of the rear screen varies. For example, the optional price of the intelligent laser projection system for the Wanjie M9 is 20,000 yuan (2750$), and the optional price of the intelligent home appliance upgrade package for the Dongfeng Yipai 008 is 10,000 yuan (1380$). So, do you think the rear screen is useful?
Air suspension Compared to regular suspension, air suspension adjusts vehicle height and suspension stiffness automatically to improve comfort and handling.
But the price of air suspension is expensive and the maintenance cost is high, so air suspension used to be exclusive to luxury cars. Nowadays, in the era of rolling configurations, cars costing over 200,000 can also enjoy air suspension. In fact, air suspension is a non-essential feature. If your car is only used for daily commuting, mainly in urban areas, air suspension is basically unnecessary. Even if it can be used, raising the height by a few millimeters, I believe ordinary consumers will find it difficult to notice.
Optional air suspension costs quite a bit, almost around 20,000 yuan (2750$), for example, the optional MoTan dual-chamber air suspension costs 28,000 yuan (3850$); the Star Era ET’s IAS intelligent air suspension costs 20,000 yuan (2750$); the ZhiJi L6’s all-scene smart air suspension costs 22,000 yuan (3030$). Therefore, if you only need a family car, there is no need to spend extra money on air suspension.
Electronic rearview mirrors Since electronic rearview mirrors were legally allowed on the road, vehicles equipped with this technology have emerged, including BAIC Magic Cube, Aweita 12, JAC S7, Lotus Emeya, and the upcoming Xiangjie S9.
Compared to traditional rearview mirrors, electronic rearview mirrors offer a wider field of vision and are more suitable for rainy and foggy weather. However, as electronic products, they are prone to malfunctions such as screen freezing and delayed response. In addition, repairing electronic rearview mirrors is complex and costly. Compared to mirror reflection, electronic rearview mirrors also easily cause visual fatigue.
So, although electronic rearview mirrors are very advanced, they may not be suitable for you. Most car models now require them to be optional, with prices ranging from 5000 to 16000 yuan (2200$). For example, the optional electronic rearview mirror for the BAIC Magic Cube costs 5000 yuan (690$), the Avita 12 costs 12000 yuan (1650$), and the Lotus Emeya costs 16000 yuan (2200$).
Panoramic Sunroof More and more vehicles are equipped with panoramic sunroofs. Despite the wider field of vision and increased natural light they provide, most users find their experience not friendly, especially in hot weather. Let’s not add more words, pictures are more intuitive.
Buying a car should be enjoyable, not a hassle. Many cars come with panoramic sunroofs as standard, but some require optional installation. The cost of adding a panoramic sunroof is around 10,000 yuan (1380$). For example, the panoramic sunroof for the Landtour FREE 318 costs 12,999 yuan (1790$); the light-sensitive sunroof for the NIO ET5T costs 9,500 yuan (1310$); the LV zoning dimming sunroof for the Xpeng 001 costs 16,000 yuan (2200$); and the intelligent light-sensitive sunroof for the Song L costs 6,000 yuan (830$).
In addition, the panoramic sunroof is a large glass that has a certain negative impact on the strength and rigidity of the body, posing a safety hazard. The frequency of using the panoramic sunroof is really low, it is not necessary to spend money on it. Irregular steering wheel Irregular steering wheel is not a new configuration, Tesla and Zhiji cars have models equipped with it. The steering wheel gives the feeling of driving a race car or flying a plane, very cool.
However, the experience of the alien steering wheel is average. Consumer Reports, a leading consumer evaluation organization in the United States, once evaluated the Yoke steering wheel of the Tesla Model S, and the results showed that the square design made it easy to slip during driving operations. The steering wheel cannot be operated with the usual two-handed handover when turning, and testers even complained of fatigue after getting out of the car. Some netizens have modified Tesla’s steering wheel into a Yoke steering wheel, but because the later experience is not good, it is not recommended for everyone to modify it. There are also safety hazards, as it is easy to lose control of the steering wheel in sharp turns.
Currently, the alien-shaped steering wheel is optional. For example, the YAT cruise semi-half soft instant hot steering wheel of the Zhiji L6 costs 2000 yuan (280$), and the Yoke steering wheel of the Tesla Model S costs 8000 yuan (1100$).
So, if budget allows, would you choose to install a customized steering wheel?