All good things must come to an end, so the saying goes, and rarely has it been truer than when applied to cars today. Between electric vehicles, advancements in autonomous driving technologies, and even improvements to safety and technology integration, the automotive industry is constantly changing at a breathtaking pace.
As updates inevitably arrive, they replace vehicle features that were once considered ground-breaking and potentially render them obsolete. Here’s a look at some of the features that can still be bought on modern-day vehicles today but that may not be around for much longer.
Car Features that May Soon be Extinct
- CD and DVD Players
- Car Keys
- Spare Tires
- Manual Transmissions
- Manual Handbrakes
- Analog Gauges and Instruments
- Actual Buttons and Knobs
- Antennas
CD and DVD Players
Remember that feeling of standing in line at the music store on the day your favourite artist’s latest album was released? You’d exchange your hard-earned cash for it and then hold the disc in your hot little hands, and the feeling was exhilarating. Okay, you probably don’t remember this at all unless you’re at least 35 years old. Very few people expect anything more than a digital copy at best when paying money for music these days, and automakers have slowly been allowing other features to take precedence on the centre stack. As a result, the CD player is a feature that’s likely to go the way of the dodo in the very near future.
DVD players may take a little longer, especially those connected to factory rear-facing entertainment systems. There’s a confidence that comes with popping in a movie and knowing the kids will be occupied for a couple of hours. But as handheld devices such as tablets become more prevalent and USB ports become increasingly common in the second and third rows of family vehicles, it’s becoming easier to let kids manage their own viewing on individual devices than to referee arguments over the in-car entertainment. This may mean it’s not long before DVD players are deemed unnecessary as well.
Car Keys
There are two layers to this. The first one is most of the way there already: relatively few new vehicles are sold anymore with etched keys that need to be inserted into a cylinder in the steering column. It’s too convenient to live with a fob that allows for keyless entry and push-button start, especially since they can be left in purses or pockets and most now integrate technology that won’t allow them to be locked inside their vehicles accidentally.
The second extinction is further away, but it’s likely coming regardless: even key fobs could one day give way to alternate forms of driver recognition such as digital keys stored on smartphones or even fingerprint recognition, which Genesis is beginning to integrate on some of its newest vehicles. In the not-too-distant future, it may not be necessary at all to carry an object to gain access to your car.
Spare Tires
These days, it’s rare to find full-size spare tires equipped on any vehicle that’s not intended for hardcore off-roading along the lines of a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco. However, even the expectation of having a donut spare equipped is not a foregone conclusion anymore, and it’s becoming increasingly common to find tire inflator kits in the cargo area instead. This is one change that doesn’t sit well with everyone: even if run-flats are installed, a tire inflator kit can’t save you from catastrophic tire damage, so not having a true spare could mean a long wait for a tow truck in an emergency. It’s becoming important to do your research and know what to expect with your new vehicle before you commit to a purchase and end up with an unpleasant surprise.
Manual Transmissions
Cue the gnashing of teeth. Dare we suggest that rowing your own gears will one day be impossible? Perish the thought, but when even a BMW M5 isn’t available with a stickshift anymore, it’s no wonder that manual transmission stalwarts are having an existential crisis. On the other hand, some cars like the Porsche 911 haven’t yet dropped it, and there’s even a rumour that the 2022 Toyota Supra may add an MT option. However, it’s battery electric vehicles that may be the manual transmission’s final death knell: electric motors don’t need multiple gears to function optimally, so as sales of BEVs go up, the inclusion of manual transmissions will go down as a natural consequence.
Manual Handbrakes
Sorry, Ken Block fans, but it seems many of the folks who prefer the convenience of an automatic transmission also prefer the space-saving that comes with equipping an electronic parking brake. This means skills such as J-turns and controlled drifting may soon be reserved for action movies. And don’t assume this is only true of mainstream cars: even the Honda Civic Type R is sold only with an electronic e-brake in Canada. If you enjoy partaking in these types of maneuvers, expect to need to shop around an increasing amount for manual handbrakes in the future, even among enthusiast vehicles.
Analog Gauges and Instruments
Why is something as classic and functional as putting a needle on a speedometer or tachometer falling to the wayside? Well, for one thing, converting these instruments to fully digital displays allows automakers to introduce some new functions: some Hyundai and Kia vehicles will overlays views of the car’s blind spot when a turn signal is activated, while Audi and Porsche will allow digital maps to overtake some or all of the instrument cluster. Sure, there’s something fundamentally satisfying about watching a needle climb up through the revs when you’re sifting through gears, but the potential benefits likely outweigh the drawbacks for most drivers.
Actual Buttons and Knobs
This is tough to predict either way. An increasing number of automakers are putting functions like HVAC and audio adjustments under glass, either by integrating them into infotainment systems or converting dedicated panels into touch-responsive panels. They sure do look pretty a lot of the time, but whenever an automaker goes too far down this road, it never seems to be long before it needs to backtrack. Honda tried removing the volume knob from some of its most popular vehicles a few years ago, for example, but the outcry forced them to put it back in the next redesign. Is this change a short-lived moment of fashion folly, or will drivers eventually become so used to buttonless panels that they become permanent? Only time will tell on this one.
Antennas
This is one feature that might not be missed, except that their modern replacements don’t always work as well. The former radio antennas that used to flop around in the wind and needed to be removed or retracted before going through a car wash have been replaced with shark-fin antennas mounted above rear windows or, in some cases, antennas hidden away inside A-pillars. Sometimes, internally mounted antennas are tucked away so well that they don’t pick up some radio stations as their predecessors used to. But for all the benefits these newer solutions provide – and the paint they save – these upgrades are worth it.