Ten new car features headed for extinction

Jan 19, 2012, 11:45am ET

These new car features are on their way to the automotive graveyard.

Every year, a few features on new cars head to the automotive graveyard. Good luck finding a 2012 model in the United States with a tape player and only two airbags; in a decade, we'll probably laugh at the notion of mere six-speed automatics and non-navigation audio systems.



Using our knowledge of the new car industry, the Leftlane team put our heads together and came up with a list of 10 features that you can still find in 2012 but you probably won't see over the next few years. Some of these items are being phased out in favor of higher-tech powertrains aimed at improving performance while reducing fuel consumption. Others yet are the result of waning interest among new car buyers.



The upside to all of this is that our cars are more advanced than ever; even a subcompact today boasts more technology than most 15-year-old luxury cars. The downside? Car prices continue to escalate as automakers add content.



Our list is hardly exhaustive. Can you think of other items headed for the annals of automotive history?





Ten new car features headed for extinction

Four speed automatic transmissions. While we don't necessarily think that more gears are the answer to every automotive conundrum, there's no denying that a good six-speed automatic offers way more flexibility, power and fuel economy than a four-speed unit. Only a few cars still offer four-speed automatics, including the Toyota Corolla and Jeep Liberty, both of which are set to be redesigned soon.



V8-powered sedans. The ranks of V8-powered sedans are rapidly dwindling. Luxury brands Lincoln, Volvo, Cadillac, Lexus and even BMW have pared down the number of V8s in their lineup over the last couple of model years and others are set to follow suit. If you're not in the market for an upmarket brand, you're restricted to either the Dodge (Charger R/T, SRT8) or Hyundai (Genesis) dealership. What's the cause for their demise? Turbochargers, which boost power to size-up levels while generally reducing fuel consumption.



Manual transmissions in midsize sedans. The stick shift is the most well-publicized member of the automotive endangered species list, but nowhere is its demise more imminent than in the midsize sedan class. A few years ago, nearly every midsizer offered a stick shift on just about any trim level, but the row-it-yourself units are now generally relegated only to low-specification trim levels on a handful of models. We wouldn't be surprised if the next-generation models of most of these lose their sticks entirely.



CD changers. Most consumers probably don't even realize that CD changers are disappearing since single-disc in-dash players and multi-disc changers look the same from the outside. Most cars are now available with a hard drive audio system that can store at least 10 GB of music, while just about everything on the market offers some sort of auxiliary connectivity. Don't be surprised if single-disc CD players and auxiliary inputs show up on this list soon as streaming Bluetooth devices take over entirely.



Steel wheels. General Motors in particular has almost entirely scrapped steel wheels with hubcaps in favor of alloy wheels. Its cheapest model, the Sonic, comes only with alloys, while most other models restrict them to only the most basic trim levels. For a while, it seemed like steel wheels and hubcaps had made a resurgence since automakers were designing plastic caps that could fool just about anyone, but they've since learned that reducing unsprung weight can increase fuel economy.



Temperature gauges. Whether they're pulled from instrument clusters to cut costs, simplify designs or to make room for efficiency meters, powertrain temperature gauges are on their way out. Some cars feature a light that remains illuminated until the car is up to a proper operating temperature, while others forgo such luxuries entirely. Automakers tell us that most modern cars don't need to be warmed up except in extreme cold conditions, so any genuine usefulness for this gauge is history. Good riddance? You be the judge.



Bench seats. Six passenger seating suffered a major blow last year when GM severed its Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS and Ford said adios to its Panther platform. Pickups still offer benches, as do GM's full-size body-on-frame 'utes like the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, but their days are likely numbered since fewer and fewer buyers see fit to seat a threesome up front. They were once great for first dates, but, well, this isn't the '50s any longer.



Roll-up windows. Power windows are standard most today, but a few compacts and subcompacts still come standard with cranks (wind them quickly with minimal arm motion and you might convince bystanders that you popped for the 'lectric units!). While there's some added complexity to power windows that could hinder reliability, their sheer convenience more than makes up for any issues down the road. They're especially useful for those with dogs and kids, since both parties might want a little fresh air in the back seat.



A la carte options. Back in the day, you could order just about every option individually, which is why dealers wound up with awesome but almost unsellable Chevelles with big blocks and non-power brakes. Now, automakers group available features together to reduce the number of combinations. Just about everybody other than the pickiest consumers (like enthusiasts) wins since dealers can stock fewer combinations and manufacturers can simplify the production process.



Ignition keys. Proximity fobs are starting to make traditional keys as archaic as crank starts. They're super convenient, but they're also generally pretty pricey to replace. Lose one and it might cost you a few hundred bucks for a replacement since they contain all sorts of electronics that are specifically synced to your car. The good news is that they're very difficult to lock in a car, so at least you won't look like a complete rube.



