"I'm In Charge Here"

Aaah... that new car smell.

I have been enjoying it recently, having finally been able to replace my increasingly costly, decreasingly trustworthy old SUV with a smaller, newer model. Specifically, I now own a Toyota RAV4, and I have to say I am enjoying the experience even though I bought a fairly basic version of the vehicle.

However, nice as it may be, the vehicle has managed to annoy me in much the same way as many other newer vehicles have done when I have ridden "shotgun" with friends & family. The problem is simple: many of the features of the RAV4 and its brethren (sisteren?) challenge us poor, non-digital, squishy-soft humans for control. Witness:

Automatic windshield wipers need no human intervention to operate; they turn themselves on or off according to input from their built-in sensors. My vehicle does not have this feature, but my parents' previous car did -- and it was not the least bit unusual for us to be riding down the highway and suddenly have the wipers flick across the windshield two or three times for no apparent reason. Frankly, I would prefer to control if and when a piece of equipment that rises directly into my field of vision (and that can smear tree sap, bird droppings, et al. across the windshield) becomes active.

Automatic volume control adjusts the volume of the sound system to counter for road noise as the vehicle moves. The theory is simple: the sound will be slightly quieter when the vehicle is at a standstill or moving very slowly, slightly louder at speeds up to 47mph (the exact number may vary), and slightly still at higher speeds; this theoretically keeps the music at the same apparent volume to the listener. The only problem is that I am very much aware of the change in volume, and as much as I might appreciate the Toyota engineers' attempt at keeping my ears happy I cannot help but wonder why the problem of road noise versus my ears has failed to bother me in any of the other vehicles I have owned over the years.

Automatic headlights will turn themselves on and off according to how much light they sense (the sensors are usually inside the passenger compartment, close to the base of the windshield). My old SUV had fully automatic lights and I admit they were a convenience -- except for those times I was checking something in the electrical system and they would turn themselves off, or would turn on because the vehicle was parked in the shade or in a tunnel and I would have to manually adjust the brightness of the controls so I could see them. The RAV4 headlight's are manual-on but automatic-off if I forget to turn them off myself (an unfortunately commonplace situation to date)... but the automatic-off feature leaves the switch in the "on" position so when I start the engine the next day the instruments are essentially invisible.

Automatic power windows go all the way up or down with a single quick push of a button. This can be very helpful when approaching a drive-through service window, friends standing beside the road, or a toll booth -- assuming your vehicle is not equipped with a fully automatic toll payment system similar to E-Z Pass. But, as I quickly discovered, it makes opening the window just a little bit for a cooling breeze a real challenge. Opening the window just a couple of inches, or adjusting how large the opening is, very quickly becomes a test of one's reaction time; it is necessary to push or pull the window switch just so at exactly the right moment to stop the window's motion at the desired point -- a skill I must admit I have yet to develop.

Automatic environment control allows a driver to set a comfortable temperature once and then forget about the heating, air conditioning, defogger, et al. because the vehicle will do whatever is necessary to maintain that (supposedly) comfortable temperature. Speaking as the (previous) owner of several vehicles equipped with this type of system, I have to say that the idea is simple but execution thereof is... well, difficult. It was not long before I lost count of how many times I was suddenly blasted with hot air during a midsummer's day, or felt the air conditioner pumping sub-zero air into the footwell in the midst of a snowstorm. (And no one in my family has forgotten the first-generation "climate control" system on my folks' old Buick that literally melted a pair of my mother's pantyhose onto her ankles!)

Automatic memory seats (and sometimes automatic memory pedals & steering wheels) will memorize all your settings for height, angle, distance between items, lumbar support inflation, an other settings ad infinitum. This is great if you happen to be one of those people who never wear heavy coats in the winter but lightweight clothes in the summer, sometimes drive in constrictive clothing and sometimes in loose clothing, sometimes have a sore back or appendage(s), or any of the other day-to-day variations that can totally change the size, shape and angle of your pre-programmed comfort zone... Not to mention what happens to Driver A's settings when the same key is loaned to physically different Drivers B, C, and D...

Automatice Bluetooth connectivity means a driver never has to worry about hands-free phone laws; some subset of the vehicle's electronics will automatically pair with the driver's phone via Bluetooth. This certainly is a convenience... until one decides to use a headset for more privacy, or wants to have the radio continue playing emergency and/or traffic updates instead of turn itself into a speakerphone for every wrong number, or have a child sleeping peacefully in their car seat until the quiet music on the stereo is suddenly replaced by loud ringing and loud voices, or any number of other scenarios wherein quick and easy Bluetooth DISconnect -- the only option not offered by most such systems -- is the option of choice (or necessity).

I can certainly continue, but I think I have made my point. A "convenience" in a vehicle is not actually a convenience unless it is convenient for the person who is operating that vehicle at any given moment. Automakers are increasingly likely to install electronic systems for their "wow factor" without actually allowing the drivers of the vehicles to fully control their vehicle (and/or their immediate physical environment)... and once the "WOW!" has worn off, that is indeed...

...annoying.