While it’s acceptable to go for the basic car features anytime, it would be a better choice if you ensure that you will get some upgrades in the future. This is especially true if you’re aiming to increase safety measures even before you hit the road. 

Below are 11 of the most important car features if you’re currently on the fence with what to get. Some of them are meant to increase driving precautions while some of them are recommended for practical use. 

You don’t have to get all of them in one go – prioritize your most important concerns and goals when driving and you’re most likely good to go. 

Automatic Headlights 

This is a good feature to get if you’re forgetful and you want to save on gas. Automatic headlights are meant to avoid the hassle of manually turning off the lights in front. 

All you have to do is to place the settings on auto mode, and your car’s lights will act accordingly. 

For some models, the headlights will automatically turn off the moment you switch off the engine, while some will be on for a few seconds before they go dim. 

Whatever type of automatic headlights you’ll get for your car, the main purpose remains the same: You don’t have to manually switch off the lights. 

Fog Lamps 

These are additional features that you may have installed in front of your car lighting system. Getting its functionality from the term itself, front fog lamps are meant to increase the visibility levels of the road in front of you. 

This is a feature that’s really, really helpful if you have no choice but to brave the rain on a stormy evening. 

It comes in handy because the second to third quarters of the year give the Philippines some harsh weather. Therefore, you may take advantage of this feature for at least half of the year. 

Blindspot Warning 

This is especially important if you often have to drive during the evening. 

As the name implies, blindspot warning is a car feature that alerts you when something (objects or other vehicles) or someone (pedestrians) approaches your auto from a blindspot. 

As a result, this gives you enough time to avoid these things or people and get yourself to a safer spot on time. In other words, you can have this car feature installed to ensure that you’ll not run into an accident, especially during dim lighting conditions. 

Airbags 

If you haven’t yet installed the usual front airbags, do so ASAP – you'll never know when it will come in handy. 

Aside from these airbags, you should get the side airbags as well that’s meant for your passengers. 

At this time, it’s still relatively expensive but if you have the budget and the means to have them installed, make sure to consult only reputable car part dealers. 

Traction Control 

This car feature becomes increasingly important as the rainy season approaches. Basically, it helps your car have some traction when you need to negotiate slippery surfaces. 

Some traction features allow you to use the brakes to help you gain control of the auto if you feel you’re about to spin out of control. 

On the other hand, some control features disconnect power from at least one of the wheels to ensure that you can get as much control of the car as possible. 

USB Ports 

As the traffic on major roads becomes heavier by the minute (especially if you’re driving during rush hour), the need for this feature increases, especially if it will take you a few hours more to get home and “properly” recharge your devices. 

This feature is also ideal for people who are constantly on the road, as the battery life of a fully-charged mobile phone or other device can only last a few hours.  

Gone are the days when you’ll need an additional set of charging cord and hub just to power up your mobile devices. With the rise of smartphones, one or more USB ports have become an increasingly required feature if you want to level up your vehicle. 

If converting your ports to these beauties is still not feasible right now, at least get some high-quality adapters to get you through until you finally switch to USB ports: 

• Lighter adapters to USB ports 
• Lighter adapters to Android ports 
• Lighter adapters to iPhone ports 

And so on... 

Dashcam 

This car addition is also pretty much straightforward, just like the others. Dashcams are meant to be installed on the dashboard to ensure you can extend your field of vision, thus giving you the leeway to predict if you’re still driving safely or if you need to make some adjustments in turning your steering wheel. 

Most common types of dashcams also have the recording feature if you install a memory card inside.  

For best results, go for an established brand of memory card with high capacity. This will help you create important footage even if you’re on a long drive. 

As far as legalities are concerned, you can use the recordings to address disagreements with fellow motorists if ever it comes to worst (hopefully not). 

While you’re at it, consider getting backup cameras for your car. It's not a hard recommendation, but it can help you a ton when your main dashcam suddenly dies down on you while in the middle of the road. 

Parking Sensors 

If your parking skills aren’t as good as you would want it to be, consider getting this feature in tandem with your dashcam. 

You've most likely encountered this somewhere as you see a vehicle backing up. Even if parking sensors have different “ringtones” to them, you can never go wrong with its main purpose: to make sure you’re traversing a clear path when parking or getting out of the space. 

Lane Keep Assist 

While not exactly a safety feature, lane keep assists help you align your auto to its respective lane. 

If you’re a veteran driver who definitely never plans on breaking the law, you may not need this feature. Most likely, you already know the ins and outs of the road you usually traverse. 

However, it may be a slightly different tale for novice drivers who are still figuring out the basics of road negotiation. 

Use this feature in conjunction with your other sensors and front cams to make the most out of it. 

Forward Collision Warning 

Compared to most of the car safety features presented in this article, forward collision warning is a relatively new vehicle addition that can help you avoid head-on collisions. 

This feature signals you with visual or auditory cues when you’re about to approach a car with seemingly unpredictable driving patterns. 

Use this feature with other car safety additions (such as blindspot warning and traction control) for best results.  

Automatic Emergency Brakes 

Ideally, have these installed on the front and back of the car for added safety; you’ll never know when someone or something suddenly blocks your path from the front or back. As such, this feature can help you hit your brakes on time, thus avoiding accidents. 

Hopefully, this walkthrough of the much-needed car features has been immensely helpful to you. If you still can’t decide what to get for starters, refer to car reviews in the Philippines so you can have a rough idea of the key features that make each car model worthy of getting.