Top 7 New Car Features to Benefit Kids

Many automakers don’t have an issue pampering front-seat passengers with amenities like heated seats and dual-zone air conditioning, but kids in the back seat are sometimes overlooked.

Check out these seven cool new car features your kids will love when you’re shopping for your next vehicle.

Many manufacturers are beginning to cater to backseat passengers; consumers are looking for ways to entertain their under-twenty-one passengers while riding in the family car.

Suppose you’re in the market for a new vehicle to transport your clan and looking for some ideas.

Check out these top seven kid-approved new car features to help make your commutes a lot more peaceful.

1. Rear Heated Seats – Many vehicles have had this feature available for the front passengers to warm themselves up quickly on cold winter days.

Recently, manufacturers are beginning to include front and rear heated seats as standard or optional equipment on certain vehicles. Your troops will love this feature on those cold winter drives.

2. On-Board Screens with Blu-ray Technology – Watching movies in the car has become a regular occurrence during long family trips or just quick runs to the store. Many automakers have upgraded their technology to include Blu-ray technology.

Some vehicles also have multi-screens to allow multiple kids to watch different shows simultaneously.

They can also plug in or wirelessly connect headphones and listen to the audio without disturbing or distracting the driver or other passengers in the vehicle.

Vehicles like the Toyota Sienna have a built-in microphone to project the driver’s voice to the back of the car, so you don’t have to talk over or through the middle passengers.

3. Folding or Fold-Away Running Boards – This feature benefits kids and adults. More oversized vehicles such as full-size SUVs can be challenging for kids to get in and out of with ease.

When children climb and slide off the seat to get out, it tends to tear up the leather or fabric, causing excessive wear. Vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ or the Cadillac Escalade equipped with folding running boards greatly help small children.

The running board extends when a door is opened, providing an extra step up or down from the vehicle. When the door is closed, the running board neatly tucks away adjacent to the vehicle’s body. These running boards also light up to help you see the step when it’s dark outside.

4. Built-in Wi-Fi Hot Spot – One of the current best kid-approved new car features. A vehicle like the Ford Explorer with Wi-Fi hot spot acts just like Wi-Fi in your house.

All you have to do is log in with your password, and you can use the vehicle’s 4G LTE connection. The antenna on top of the car boosts the signal, and you can even stream movies in some locations.

Wi-Fi allows your kids to have their content with them without having to worry if they’re downloading vast amounts of data from your wireless plan.

5. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – These two systems are new to the industry and began to show up in 2016 model vehicles; two vehicles equipped with these systems are the Chevrolet Colorado and the Honda Accord.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow passengers to share and browse each other’s media easily. Plugging your phone into the system using a cord, you can switch between everyone’s devices connected to the system. Parents can even use voice commands to control the system and playback.

6. Wireless Charging for Your Devices – We all know kids can run down a battery on a wireless device in record time. Wireless charging, also known as inductive charging, can recharge your phone without having to plug it in.

Most houses don’t have a wireless charging station, so having one in your vehicle will score you “cool points.”

You can charge most iPhones wirelessly, but several aftermarket products can help take advantage of this technology if you don’t have a phone with this feature. This feature is available on the Toyota Camry Special Edition; it’s located in the center console to make it easily accessible to the driver and passengers.

5. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – These two systems are new to the industry and began to show up in 2016 model vehicles; two vehicles equipped with these systems are the Chevrolet Colorado and the Honda Accord.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow passengers to share and browse each other’s media easily. Plugging your phone into the system using a cord, you can switch between everyone’s devices connected to the system. Parents can even use voice commands to control the system and playback.

6. Wireless Charging for Your Devices – We all know kids can run down a battery on a wireless device in record time. Wireless charging, also known as inductive charging, can recharge your phone without having to plug it in.

Most houses don’t have a wireless charging station, so having one in your vehicle will score you “cool points.”

You can charge most iPhones wirelessly, but several aftermarket products can help take advantage of this technology if you don’t have a phone with this feature. This feature is available on the Toyota Camry Special Edition; it’s located in the center console to make it easily accessible to the driver and passengers.

7. Get All of the Above in One Car – Kids may not understand technology, but they love it. Don’t just spoil your kids with one thing; take your time and familiarize yourself with all the new tech.

Keeping your kids comfortable in the backseat while adding technology that supports smartphones and tablets will keep your kids happy during commutes in the family car.

Parents know that the more satisfied their children are in the car, makes the trip is much smoother.

Before visiting a dealership to buy a new car, it’s essential to know the dealer invoice price and what other people are paying for the vehicle in your local area. Otherwise, you won’t know a reasonable price to pay for any car you’re looking to buy.

When negotiating a new car’s price, it’s essential to know the dealer invoice price and what other people are paying for the vehicle in your local area. Otherwise, you won’t know what’s a reasonable price to pay for the car.

I highly recommend using an online referral service such as Ryde Shopper or Motor Trend. Their quotes will automatically include any discounts or cash-back incentives currently available in the marketplace.

About the author
My name is Carlton Wolf, and I’ve been in the car business since 1994, both retail and wholesale. I created the Auto Cheat Sheet to better educate buyers about the deceptive sales practices used by many dealerships throughout the country. Please understand that not all car dealers are dishonest. However, you never know who you’ll be dealing with, though. I’m willing to share my knowledge and experience with anyone who listens. Keep in mind that I’m a car guy, not a writer.