What we need in our vehicles, but we’re not getting

If you’ve ever wondered where auto designers get their inspiration for their creations, Canada shouldn’t be on your mind.

It seems, more and more, we are cursed with features and systems just meant to fail in our gloriously diverse environment and weather conditions.

With the popularity — at least among automakers — of offering options in group packages or trim levels, it’s hard to avoid some of the things we never really cared about in the first place and will soon learn to hate.

But when you’re kicking tires on a retailer’s lot, try to take an objective look ahead at how your dream vehicle might end up after a few seasons of our discontented driving.

WE NEED STRONGER BUMPERS

We need bumpers that will stand up to a little snow. Instead, we’re getting thinner and more fragile covers and air dams that crack or snap with the smallest amount of force, especially in sub-zero temps.

Even so-called “trail-rated” SUVS aren’t immune from this collision-weakness. And don’t assume you can leave that broken, black-plastic front air dam in the snowbank when it rips off.

You might not need it in winter, but come the warmer weather, you’ll find out that cheap-looking strip actually does serve a purpose by directing more air through the engine’s cooling radiator, thus lowering operating temperatures.

WE NEED BETTER LIGHTS

We need vehicle lights that are visible in a snowstorm. Instead, we’re supplied with frosted LED units that become invisible after a short distance down a snow-covered road.

Don’t get me wrong, LED lamps do provide the benefit of extended vision without glare and with lower power usage, but they don’t create enough heat at the bright end of the bulb to melt ice and snow build-ups on the lenses.

They turn a cheap bulb replacement into an entire lamp assembly purchase in many cases, and at some exorbitant prices. And if someone tries to sell you some hype about LED bulbs outlasting the vehicle they’re mounted in, ask if the printed warranty matches that claim.

WE NEED BETTER DETECTION

We need a better way of detecting fuel vapor leaks. Emission control systems have evolved, but most of us are driving rides that use a hodgepodge of vulnerable tubing, and vapor leak detection systems that don’t always stand up to our roads or harsh winter environments.

These can leave drivers staring at the dreaded checkengine light. Surely a sensor or two could replace all that, bringing some long-needed reliability to this automotive sector.

AND WE NEED THAWED WINDOWS

When we put a man on the moon, did NASA ever think of the ramifications of that historic feat?

That phrase now starts more water-cooler laments than any country song ever written. Why do we have vehicles with windows that freeze shut, leaving us to do the contortionist’s best moves when attempting to get a drive-through coffee?

How about some NASA engineering to create window seals that resist clinging to the glass in cold weather?

Maybe a sensor system to let you know the window is frozen shut before you get to the snack lane?

That’s the NASA engineering we want to see.

Scraping the windshield is always a hassle, but windows frozen shut is another issue altogether. 123RF

123RF Replacing LED lamps in some vehicles can be a costly venture.