Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
NO MATTER HOW much you know about cars, comparing specs across manufacturers can be tricky.
Upgrading from an older to a newer car means you’re likely to come across some features you won’t have seen before, and life isn’t made easier by the fact that features can change names depending on the manufacturer.
Looking for adaptive cruise control technology, for example? That’s Active Cruise Control if you’re buying a BMW, Intelligent Cruise Control for a Nissan, or (wait for it) Active Distance Assist Distronic for a Mercedes-Benz.
So how can you compare car listings with confidence, and decode the manufacturer brochures? With the help of car expert and motor journalist Bob Flavin, we’re taking the mystery out of the most common new-car features (and sharing the jargon to look out for).
Digital cockpit
This non-mechanical dashboard swaps out the speedometer, rev counter and in-car controls for LCD screens or touchscreens. There are variations to the name “digital cockpit” across manufacturers – keep an eye out for Peugeot’s i-Cockpit, Skoda’s Virtual Cockpit and Mercedes-Benz’s high-spec MBUX.
Most useful for? ”Night drivers, who will love the fact that everything is well lit-up,” says Bob. The cockpit is often personalisable too: change the colour, lighting and fonts to suit your tastes.
Smartphone connectivity
Depending on the age and model of the car you buy, the term “connectivity” can mean one of a few things. “There’s the basic level of Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to take a call through the speakers of the car,” says Bob. “Most newer cars also support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which allow you to use apps like WhatsApp or Google Maps within the car’s own system.” Moving up a level, some car companies offer bespoke smartphone apps, where you can monitor anything from your car’s fuel level to its next service date. If in doubt, ask your dealer exactly which connectivity features you’re getting.
Most useful for? EV drivers will get lots of use out of bespoke manufacturer apps – the NissanConnect app, for example, allows drivers to start charging their EV via their smartphone without going outside the front door.
Driver profiles or driver modes
SEAT Drive Profile, Volkswagen Driver Profile Selection, Ford Selectable Drive Modes… all of these serve a very similar function, allowing the driver to toggle between different driving and comfort preferences at the touch of a button. Want to drive more fuel efficiently? Try Eco Mode. Want a car that’s super-responsive to acceleration? Switch to Sport Mode.
Most useful for? “Households who are sharing one car between multiple drivers should look for models that offer individual driver profiles,” says Bob. These allow each of you to adjust revving capacity, seat height and even air-con to suit your personal preferences.
Adaptive cruise control (ACC)
A step up from standard cruise control, ACC keeps you safe by slowing down to match the speed of the car in front of you. And a whole lot more besides, says Bob. “Advanced systems will help you take motorway exits and navigate junctions, as well as dropping your speed if the speed limit changes.” You’ll find this under multiple different monikers – the American Automobile Association found 20 unique names for ACC across manufacturers, including “dynamic radar cruise control” and “distance assist” – but they all describe the same functionality.
Most useful for? “Anyone who is up and down the motorway regularly should have adaptive cruise control as a priority when buying a car,” says Bob.
Lane departure warning or lane assist
Cars with this feature help you to maintain a safe lane position, either by warning you if you’re about to cross the white line (lane departure warning) or adjusting your steering so you stay in the centre at all times (lane assist). Some manufacturers will bundle a group of safety or autonomous driving features together under one name, like Honda’s Sensing Suite or Nissan ProPILOT, both of which combine adaptive cruise control, lane assist and more.
Most useful for? “Anyone who’s relatively new to driving or is driving a lot on busy roads,” says Bob.
Matrix headlights
Want to feel safer when driving in low or no light? Opt for matrix headlights. “Instead of a single lamp on the front, matrix headlight are made of multiple smaller bulbs which can shine much further,” says Bob. The bulbs serve as cornering lights, lighting up the road ahead on a bend, and can also put oncoming drivers into a low-light blackspot to avoid dazzling them.
Most useful for? This feature is a game-changer for night driving in general, but is particularly helpful on dark rural roads.
City emergency braking
This semi-autonomous feature is designed to prevent low speed collisions, particularly on busy city roads or in stop-start traffic, where you’re driving under 30 km/hr. “If the car in front of you suddenly stops and you don’t intervene, your vehicle will brake and stop for you,” explains Bob. Look out for names like Volkswagen’s City Emergency Brake, Audi’s Pre Sense City or Ford’s Active City Stop.
Most useful for? Anyone who does short hop drives on busy roads, or who often drives in the city centre.
Self-parking system
You’ll often see this referred to as Park Assist or Intelligent Park Assist. While there are different levels of functionality and effectiveness, the basic theory is the same: the car parks itself or helps you to park correctly, using cameras or sensors on the outside of the vehicle.
Most useful for? “If you’re not a fan of parallel parking, this will take away the stress,” says Bob.
Pre-crash system
Often called Pre-Crash Assist or Pre-Collision Assist, this feature helps your car to “prepare itself for a collision”. That can mean warning the driver of an obstruction ahead, tightening seatbelts, activating airbags, applying the full force of the brakes – any or all of the above, depending on the manufacturer.
Most useful for? Everyone, really. “Features like these are becoming standard on newer cars, helping to keep road users safe,” says Bob.
Want to buy a new car with confidence? DoneDeal hosts the widest selection of cars for sale in Ireland, with over 80,000 on sale today. The vast majority of those, over 60,000, are from over 1,000 trusted local car dealerships that offer certainty in your purchase through warranties and history checks.
To check out DoneDeal’s range of cars from all of Ireland’s trusted car dealerships, see here.
Joke shop
What does ejit know about local politics??
A political heavy weight? Give me a break, he hasn’t one iota if political knowledge. X factor reject in the making!
Joe
Nothing. He admitted that himself before the election and the people vote him in !!???
A proper pair of langers.
As opposed to the councillors who have won a few terms. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is good.
At least he might know how to spell EEJIT
It appears that no experience… Is the best experience to become a politician in Ireland.
Sign me up!
or a dead relative
I don’t really care what experience someone has, for me if they know what the people want and have a set of balls to fight for it back filled with a large bottle of cop on then I have interest in them, in saying that you man should stick to boxing
My jayus what next!!!!!!
Fr Jack for Pope..
Would love to know on what logic the community of clondalkin voted him on to the south Dublin county council . Eamonn choughlan was found out when pushed on his political views and so was Egan ahhhhhhhh .
It’s Kenneth now, as he explains in this priceless clip https://soundcloud.com/bloodboylan/kenneth-egan-on-classic-hits. Well done to him, but honestly, ffs!
To quote Gene Wilder in “Blazing Saddles”, “What did you expect? You gotta remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land, the common clay of new West. You know…..morons”. I’d say that sums it up; clowns voting for someone they recognised regardless of experience, skill or ability.
Brilliantly
No disrespect to the lady who took her sisters seat (Rip) in Westmeath ,but she knows nothing about politics and never involved . People voted for her because her sister passed away . Sounds harsh but it’s the truth .
Pg
But isn’t that what always happens in Irish politics. Its ridiculous.
Don’t be ridiculous, Gabriele McFadden has been a Councillor in Athlone for years.
She’s been a councillor on athlone co council for years, and was mayor of athlone last year. She has some experience at least. To equivocate her to kenny egan is a bit much, when kenny egan getting elected is farcical.
Not entirely true she’s been a councillor for years
One Kenny was bad enough, now there are two..
It’s a new low in Irish politics
Egan you gobsh!te. Love yourself some austerity for the people, do you?
It’s Kenneth don’t you know.
Keep it real for gods sake.
Kenny had Kenny there but why did he not throw a punch for us?
Do people realise that Clondalkin somehow had 8 seats and only 12 people ran for them. Egan got the final seat and just about got it, so to be honest he didn’t get a hell of a lot of support, so giving people of Clondalkin grief is fairly harsh
Absolute Disgrace! Shows how desperate people are to keep Labour out!!!!
Come on people – he does great work with the youth in Clondalkin – is that not the type of hard working local person who should represent their community??? He wasn’t elected president.
I hope that’s the case ? But if it is the case he probably didn’t need the FG tag and should have run as an independent….he might have been elected on first count ??
paul
what have kenny egan and fine gael got in common?
serious question
What has Fine Gael and undoing Kenny’s work in the community got in common???
they are hardly aa party for the youth…how many have emigrated in the last year?
The Kenny bit!
It’s a pity Egan didn’t connect with that punch.
Boom boom eh ?
Give the chap a chance for flips sake, he might be a decent councillor
At least he’s a new face unlike that horrible slug down in Blackrock !!
Are you seriously comparing Clondalkin to Blackrock? Or Bare knuckle boxer to a once former minister for education? It’s hard to tell.
And kate Feeney is a newly elected face.
In fairness he wasn’t a bare knuckle boxer
Knuckle dragger then?
As if Irish politics wasn’t farcical enough. This says more about the electorate in Clondalkin that it does about Egan.
Give the man a chance. He has a Goal.
He represented our country in the Olympic Games and won a silver medal, he has more chance of achieving his goal than others elected.
Really! You think he has more of a chance at representing the people who elected him and doing a good job, over the presiding councillors that know what they’re doing purely on the fact he came second in the Olympics? Great, now we know the mentality of the people who voted for him. And he didn’t even win a bloody gold.
His goal is to address one key area in society
Your summary on not winning a gold medal !! Says all anybody needs to know about your character & outlook on life
They’ll see his ghetto ass coming from a mile away!
Eddie, I think you missed my entire point. Choosing to pick a candidate on their Olympic record is farcical whether it be gold or silver.
But given that you missed my plainly obvious point I could assume things about your social class too, but I won’t because I’m better than that ;)
And you bring it to social class
What a pleb!!
And you bring the stupid. What a dunce. Get too many knocks to the head?
They tried the same trick with Eamon Coghlan in Dublin 15 but people saw him for the clown he is when he start doing his version of PJ Gallagher’s Jake Stevens on Vincent Browne.
I find it very difficult to understand why people have such a problem with having someone like kenny egan voted in as its for local council, where he does great work with local kids and on the national side we seem to think its acceptable to let teachers run the country, and look were that got us!! let he without voting sin cast the first stone
Typical FG, using the celebrity card
Did you include yourself as one of the backward people in that statement Helena?? The cheek of you to include the whole irish nation in the comment…and how do you know he is a dope? Do you know him? Do you know the work his does in his community?
This country gets worse. Who next Bosco?
Oh my god they picked Kenny, you bast**ds
Smack him Kenny.
Go on just one by mistake but make it a good one !
Remember how defensive and threatening he got in the Niall Boylan show when he was asked a question.
Should fit in well.
Good man Kenneth, congratulations. Can’t say I’m surprised though.
This is embarrassing, the rest of the country voted well and for politicians for change, these people voted for a celebrity who’s been bought out like a gogo girl by a desperate party because he’s been beat in the head a bit too much much…
I think the youth in Neilstown could do with some one looking out for them and even he manages to help even one its a result.
Best of luck to him.
Jesus wept ..
We really deserve every thing we get . We are what we vote .
I’m glad for Kenny that he recovered from his ‘bad patch’ but aligning himself with the hardline Banker-Austerity party, Fine Gael, sealed the deal for me.
I have no doubt he will try his best to do the right thing for his community but I just can’t support him because of his allegiance.
And the same is true for any other ‘personality politician’ working for the Establishment.
It’s time for him to get Enda and Eamon some gloves and they can give each other a real good pounding in the ring!
KY colonition of the filling…..bracelets and watches optional!
The voting system of proportional representation should be abolished. Otherwise, we end up with local councillors like Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Egan.
Pathetic!
This just proves that our current government have no interest in the major mental health problems we have in Ireland. Fine Gael would never have secured a seat in that area. Yet the put forward for election a guy who has admitted his own mental health and alcohol problems . I feel sorry for Kenny Egan and I hope the mental health services are in place when he realises Fine Gael just used his local popularity to obtain votes. Very low blow shame on Fine Gael
I definitely know a lot about politics and I absolutely and definitely know Kenny Egan will be the next three taoisigh in Ireland by miles
have your say