Windshield Time
Chances are you spend a lot of time in your car. Here’s some automotive-related news that might help you appreciate your home-away-from-home a little more.
What women want
Turns out what women want most (in a luxury car, at least) is the Volvo S40, which, perhaps not coincidentally, aced the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s frontal crash test, according to J.D. Power & Associates. (Men, on the other hand, prefer the Audi RS4.) Sales data shows that most women gravitate toward sensible, entry-level cars and small SUVs that emphasize safety, quality, reliability and value. (There wasn’t a sports car to be found in the top 10 list). Women’s Top 10 Luxury Cars are: Volvo S40, Jaguar X-Type, Lexus IS, Acura TSX, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus RX, Volvo V50, Acura RDX, Volvo S60 and BMW X3.
They’re watching you
Lexus has introduced a driver-safety system that uses six cameras to monitor the driver’s face while driving, according to Business Week. (“Lexus Introduces World’s First Driver Monitoring System,” Sept. 7.) If there’s an obstacle on the road and the driver’s head is turned the wrong way, the car will hit the brakes. Available on the new Lexus LS 600h, which was set to go on sale in October, the system uses an algorithm to map the position of the driver’s facial features and monitors movement of the driver’s head. A CCD (charge-coupled device) camera is mounted on top of the steering column with six built-in near-infrared LEDs, which are said to allow the system to work accurately both day and night. When the vehicle is started up, the system automatically plots the position of the driver’s eyes, nose and mouth, and measures the width and center line of the face. If the driver’s head is turned away from the road at an angle of more than 15 degrees when the vehicle is moving and an obstacle is detected ahead, the system automatically activates the Pre-Crash warning buzzer and briefly applies the brakes to warn of the danger. If this fails to prompt action from the driver, the PCS engages emergency braking preparation and pre-tensioning of the front seatbelts. A rear-mounted miniature camera constantly monitors the area around the back of the car. If it detects an imminent collision, the front seat headrests will automatically move up and forward to cushion the occupants’ heads and help prevent whiplash injury. The system operates whether the car is moving or stationary.
Cutting-edge gizmos you’d like to have
What are the coolest high-tech goodies available on cars today? N.A.D.A. Appraisal Guides is glad you asked. Here are some of the company’s favorites: 1) A collision warning and preparation system, such as that available on the 2008 Lexus LS; 2) blind-spot assistance and lane-change warning systems, available on the 2008 Audi A8, which detect when a driver is outside of traffic lanes and sends a warning via a vibrating steering wheel, and detects when another vehicle is in the blind spot or rapidly approaching from behind, and sends a warning via flashing lights on the exterior mirror; 3) parking assistance, available on several models, which alerts the driver with a special audio signal when an object is within approximately 12 inches of the front or rear of the vehicle; 4) voice-enabled navigation, which allows the driver to verbally communicate with the navigation system while his hands and eyes stay focused on the road; 5) Bluetooth® technology, offered in many cars today, which turns a cell phone into a hands-free device by routing incoming calls through the car’s stereo speakers and using voice recognition technology for dialing phone numbers; and 6) Apple iPod® integration, which allows drivers to plug in their iPods and listen to their music through the car’s factory-installed stereo. Honorable mentions include keychain ignition systems, center-console heated and refrigerated cup holders, refrigerated glove compartments, night vision systems (with radar that detects objects beyond a driver’s field of vision) and rear-mounted video cameras.
Shake a stick at
Own a car with manual transmission? Do you envy your compatriots with automatic transmissions, who can start their cars remotely in the cold weather? Now, owners of stick-shift vehicles can remotely start their vehicles from up to a mile away and allow the climate control system to pre-warm the car and defrost the windows, thanks to a keychain remote system from Directed Electronics, Vista, Calif. The system costs about $100. [FI]
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