Readers Want Heated/Cooled Front Seats, Rearview Camera, Bluetooth In Their Next Car

Next week we’ll be at the Chicago Auto Show — seeing the latest from auto makers. After last year’s show my husband and I thought we’d buy a 2015 Hyundai Sonata — used in 2019. We liked that it had both 2-position memory for the driver’s seat & side mirrors. At least as part of an option package on the top trim level. Plus Apple’s CarPlay, panoramic sunroof, and other features we liked. They didn’t deliver on the CarPlay so we’ve decided on a 2013 Honda Accord EX-L in late 2017.

The 2013 Accord EX-L (and higher trim levels) has 2-position memory driver’s seat — but not side mirrors. Why is this so important? We share a car, currently a 2007 Honda Civic EX. My husband puts most of the miles on the car for work but when we go out together I drive. He’s quite a bit taller so I need to adjust the seat and mirrors. He has to readjust them when he goes to drive again.

I personally prefer the size of the Civic over the larger Accord — but we at least want the seat to automatically adjust for us. For now, that means a larger car — Accord, Sonata.  Upper trim levels of newer Civics have a power driver’s seat but since my left arm/hand barely work I couldn’t adjust the seat while seated. Our current Civic has a manual seat — usually I just need to slide it forward. Sometimes I have to get out and adjust the backrest incline. I know, first world problems. I was happy without a car — but helping to buy a shared means I want to get what works for me.

Hyundai’s Elantra is their Civic-sized sedan. Optional on the 2017 Elantra is a memory driver’s seat — one position. This is good if say a valet or mechanic adjusted the seat. Not good for two drivers. The 2017 Elantra can also be equipped with a heated rear seat. I’ve had numerous cars that had heated front seats — rarely used it. I can’t imagine ever wanting a heated rear seat — our rear seat is usually empty.

Before 2000 I thought the remote to lock/unlock doors was silly — but then I got a car with remote locks. Now I can’t imagine having to put the key into the lock and turning it. Many new cars now have the proximity feature — the car unlocks for you. Inside just press the button to start the ignition! This would take getting used to — but I had two Saabs with the ignition in the center console rather than the dash. I’ll adjust.

All but three of my 12 cars have had factory sunroofs — glass pop-up (1), sliding steel (3), and glass moonroof (5). I like the idea of a panoramic sunroof — after my cataracts gets bad enough to have surgery.

New safety features are nice too. The vanity plate I had on my Volvo in the 90s was BCKLUP — short for buckle-up. It didn’t have a ABS or a single airbag. Now cars have back-up cameras, blind-spot warnings, emergency braking, etc. Not sure which of these I’d appreciate most — probably the back-up camera.

One feature I just don’t understand is the wifi hot spot. I’ve seen the commercials.

Three kids each watching a movie in the backseat  — you’d burn through your car’s data plan so quickly. This is a very expensive way to buy data!

I do like the idea of Bluetooth to connect our iPhones to the car. We’ve rented a few cars with this feature, very handy. Even with Apple’s CarPlay I don’t think I could safely dictate & send a hands-feee text message while driving.

Anyway, here are the results from the Sunday Poll:

Q: Many automotive features are becoming more affordable, which would you like your next vehicle to have? (Pick up to 10)

1. Heated/cooled front seats 14 [8.7%]
2. Rearview camera 13 [8.07%]
3. Bluetooth 11 [6.83%]
4. TIE 10 [6.21%]
   1. Proximity key entry
   2. Blind-spot warning
   3. LED headlights
   4. LED taillights
5. TIE 8 [4.97%]
   1. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
   2. Auto up/down windows
6. TIE 7 [4.35%]
   1. Push button start
   2. 2-position memory driver’s seat/mirrors
7. TIE  6 [3.73%]
   1. Wifi hotspot
   2. Lane departure warning
   3. LED daytime running lights
8. TIE 5 [3.11%]
   1. Rear cross-traffic alert
   2. Navigation
9. TIE 4 [2.48%]
   1. Heated rear seats
   2. Panoramic sunroof
   3. Self parking
   4. Satellite radio
10. TIE 3 [1.86%]
    1. Engine stop/start
    2. Hands-free trunk/lift gate
11. TIE 2 [1.24%]
    1. Automatic emergency braking
    2. Other:

This poll is non-scientific so take the results with a grain of salt.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: What Features/Technology Do You Want In Your Next Vehicle?

Every year new vehicles have more technology than the year before. These new technological features often originate on very expensive cars, eventually finding their way to more affordable models.

The least expensive new 2016 car is the Nissan Versa, starting at $11,990. It includes features that weren’t even optional on affordable cars a decade ago:

• Air conditioning
• Bluetooth
•  ABS brakes
• Tilt steering column
• Rear window defroster
• AM/FM/CD audio
  • MP3/WMA playback
  • 4 speakers
  • Aux audio jack
  • Steering wheel controls
• Front & side airbags
• Tire pressure monitoring

The base Versa is one of few cars on the market with manual windows & locks — but most sold won’t be the base model. Still, I remember the 1986 Hyundai Excel which was only $4,995.

I’ve had two new cars in my life, but I don’t anticipate ever buying new again. I was car-free when I met my husband in 2012 — in 2014 we bought a used car that he uses for work.  Late next year our Civic will be 10+ years old and will have about 150,000 miles on it. At that time we’ll buy another used car.

In the last 4-5 years auto industry sales have improved, as have the products. As used car buyers we have a lot of choices. Based on available features, ee’ve already decided what our next car should be.

The poll today seeks to find out what features readers are looking for in their next car — assuming you drive.

The poll is open until 8pm, the list is shown in random order.

Wednesday I’ll discuss the results and reveal the one feature from this list driving the decision for our next car.

— Steve Patterson

New Parking Payment Stations Finally Added To South Side of 11xx Block of Locust Street

Scaffolding next to the condemned parking garage at Tucker & Locust prevented the adjacent parking meters on the South side of Locust Street from being upgraded with the rest of downtown. Until last week, the old meters remained on the South side of Locust between 11th & Tucker (12th). The North side got new individual meters last year.

The other side of the street has new individual meters, not the multi-space pay stations added to the South. This is far from the only block that has both individual meters and multi-space pay stations. I guess having lots of one-way streets and streets that are closed for a block wasn’t confusing enough — now we have two different types of electronic payment machines to understand.

— Steve Patterson

Proposed Alterations To Soldiers’ Memorial Should Take These Issues Into Consideration

Soon the Missouri History Museum is expected to show final designs for two blocks of the Gateway Mall bounded by 14th, Pine, 13th, and Market — Soldiers’ Memorial & Court 0f Honor. A big unknown is Chestnut Street which runs one-way Eastbound between the two blocks.

Since the Slay administration chose to abandon the Gateway Mall Advisory Board, I don’t know what to expect in the way of review for compliance with the master plan, public input, stakeholder input, etc.

Here are my primary areas of concern:

• Festivals
• Street grid, traffic flow
• Linear hallway along Gateway Mall

Let’s examine each:

FESTIVALS

This might be moot, since the Slay administration ran off great events like the Taste of St. Louis in favor a concert series that never happened:

After a year without major summer festivals in downtown St. Louis, the city may have finally had enough. On Black Friday the mayor’s office announced that it had ended its agreement with Los Angeles-based International Creative Management (ICM) to produce a promised but never held “Summer Rocks” series on the Gateway Mall.

That controversial deal, spearheaded in part by developer Steve Stogel (president of Clayton-based DFC Group) and approved by the city via Festival Reservation Bill 328, blocked out a downtown area from Union Station to City Hall from May to September 2015, and would have continued to do so for another nine years (and possibly more). The non-compete clause had already forced out local festivals like Taste of St. Louis, Ribfest and Bluesweek. (RFT)

The Gateway Mall Master Plan calls for this area to be the city’s main space for festivals. It calls the blocks including, and around, Soldiers’ Memorial the Civic Room:

The Civic Room will create a large uni?ed space well-suited for civic events, markets, festivals and concerts. In order to achieve this, it is anticipated that Chestnut Street would be closed incrementally over time, beginning with temporary closures for festivals, and ultimately consideredfor permanent or seasonal closure, though still allowing emergency and service vehicle access.Chestnut Street should still be hard surfaced with a paving different than surrounding areas, to accommodate tents and other services necessaryfor festivals. Locations for performance stages and cultural or art annexes should be provided to further de?ne the civic character of the space and create attractions to activate the Mall.

Before Citygarden was built a few blocks to the East, that area was used for large events as well — the Taste of St. Louis started where Citygarden is now. With this new agreement, the Missouri Historical Society (MHS) will have discretion for the use of the middle of the Civic Room festival area:

Although MHS will not host concerts or festivals that do not meet with the mission of Soldiers Memorial, it is willing to collaborate with festivals held in its neighboring parks for something that is mission driven. For example, MHS might have a wreath laying ceremony during Pride on the Soldiers Memorial grounds for LGBTQ members of the military. (FAQ)

Personally, I’d like to see large festivals held elsewhere, perhaps in & around the new Kiener Plaza?  Kiener is closing next month for a 12-14 month makeover, the median will be removed from Market Street.

STREET GRID, TRAFFIC FLOW

I never liked the master plan’s suggestion to eventually close Chestnut St. When you close one block of a street that kills activity on the rest of the open blocks before & after the closure. I’d like to see Chestnut & Pine return to two-way traffic West of Tucker. Then they’d feel like neighborhood streets again rather than very long highway on/off ramps.

The problem with this draft is it doesn’t show the surrounding context. What about the blocks to the East West, & North?  What is the whole concept for all of these blocks? It doesn’t need to be built by the history museum but all needs to be part of the design process — so it’ll all work eventually. Looks like they’re designing this in isolation — an island. Chestnut is two lanes with diagonal parking to the East & West — lanes, crosswalks, curb ramps need to align. Without showing surrounding existing conditions it is hard to determine if these have been considered. Most likely they haven’t.

The new parking-protected bike lane on Chestnut is an issue, but it should’ve been on Olive. That would’ve required building accessible bus stops in the parking lane — Chestnut was picked for the bike lane because it was easier than Olive.

HALLWAY

One of the best parts of the Gateway Mall Master Plan is the hallway concept — a wide tree-lined sidewalk along the North side of Market St.

Their preliminary design doesn’t show the hallway. So far we only have the two blocks along Citygarden.

— Steve Patterson

Sunday Poll: Support or Oppose the Closure of Chestnut St in front of Soldiers Memorial?

Earlier this year approval was given for the Missouri History Museum to take over the city-owned Soldiers Memorial Museum, the agreement was finalized last month. A preliminary sketch showed Chestnut St closed to vehicles, allowing the WWI Memorial building to connect with the WWI/Korean War/Vietnam War memorial to the South. Final designs will be presented early next year.

It is unclear if the street is closed to vehicles, if the city’s only parking-protected bike bike lane would be interrupted.  Which brings us to today’s poll:

The poll will be open until 8pm.

— Steve Patterson