Most Americans drive a car to commute to work each day, making certain auto features more appealing and valuable. About half have a commute of more than 10 miles each way, and more than three million people have a round trip of more than 100 miles each day.
These features can keep you safe, save you money or help you pass the time more comfortably.
Here are five auto features that commuters should look for when shopping for a new car:
- Hybrid or start-stop systems. Hybrid technology and start-stop systems are designed specifically for in-city commuting. They don’t have much impact on the open highway, but they can significantly improve your fuel economy in stop-and-go driving.
- Automatic transmissions. These are standard auto features on most cars except for some economy vehicles that are specifically designed for commuting. But the idea that commuters can save money with manual transmissions is a myth; stop-and-go commuting wears out clutches faster and usually doesn’t improve fuel mileage.
- Comfortable seats. A long commute can be torture enough without having to endure physical discomfort. Look for seats with features like lumbar support and in-seat heating. And choose a driver’s seat with at least six-way adjustments: up, down, forward, backward, tilt forward and tilt back.
- Hands-free entertainment and comfort controls. To keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel, you should choose a car with either voice command technology or steering-wheel-mounted controls.
- Convenient storage for cups, phones or briefcases. Can’t get going without your morning coffee? Make sure your car has easy-to-reach cup holders. And if you’re using your smartphone for directions or as a portable jukebox, you’ll want some sort of phone holder to keep it from ending up underfoot.
Luckily, such auto features are becoming more widely available on newer cars. If you need a new vehicle for your daily commute, you can find one with the auto features you want, as well as low monthly payments and no down payment, by taking over an existing lease. To find out how, simply contact the lease swapping experts at Swapalease.com.
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