Goodbye Roll Down Windows, Hello Keyless Entry…

If you haven’t been new car shopping in a while, you may have to take a moment of silence as you mourn the loss of some of your favorite features. So say goodbye to the bench seats, hinged-vent windows, and antennas (I guess it’s a good thing drive-ins are also going to the wayside), as you make room for the fancy new features that the engineers of today believe that you can’t live without. Here are just a few of the car features that you probably won’t be seeing at the car lot anymore.

Stick Shift

According to CNN Money, only 3.8% of car sales are for manual transmissions anyway, so it’s not that big of a loss. Why the huge switch? Automatic transmissions are not only easier to drive, they are also smoother, cheaper, and use less gas. Plus, you don’t have to worry about stalling in the middle of the busiest intersection in town.

Keys

But how can you drive a car without keys? Easy, with a magic fob and the push of a button, that’s how. Not all cars have push-button start yet, but most of them have keyless entry. Instead of having to fumble with the key to try to unlock the door, you simply push a button on the key fob. If you are really feeling fancy, you can get a car that automatically unlocks when the fob gets close to it. You don’t even have to dig the keys out of your purse (or pocket). It’s great for safety reasons and can help you feel super James Bond-ish.

Roll-down Windows

Electric windows are not only so much faster, but they also help you drive defensively. Instead of taking your hand off the wheel for an extended amount of time while spinning your hand around and around, you simply push a button. Many cars even have a one-touch automatic roll down feature. The only downside: if you leave the window down, you have to restart your car to fix your error.

Full-size Spares

In a never-ending quest to save money, most automakers are no longer using full-size spare tires. Instead, you will find a donut spare, a repair kit, “never-flat” tires, or even nothing at all. It’s a good thing road side assistance is often an included feature when you buy a new car these days.