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Smart Buyer's Guide to Buying or Leasing A Car

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Which Type of Car Suits You Best?

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Research Cars Before You Buy

Choose Features for Your Car

Automakers offer three types of features in marketing and pricing their vehicles: standard features, optional features, and optional safety features. The specific features available vary from one car to another based mainly on make and model year. Before you buy a car, explore and compare the various features available in the cars that interest you.

Standard features: These features come as part of the car’s standard, or basic, package. Standard features vary, but usually include the core features you’d expect all new cars to have, such as power steering and driver- and passenger-side airbags. A car’s base price includes only the standard features.
Optional features: Often called options for short, these features cost extra and are mostly upgrades of the standard features. Power windows, locks, and steering are examples of optional features, though they can come standard depending on the make and model.
Optional safety features: These are options that upgrade the car’s safety features, such as the braking and airbag system. Though often the most costly, they’re also typically the most important options to consider when comparing makes and models.

The features that come standard vary widely based on the make and model of the car. For instance, in a high-priced luxury car, power seats might come standard, but seat warmers may be optional. In less expensive cars, features such as a CD player or remote key locks may be optional. As you begin to shop for a vehicle, consider the features that come standard and how much it will cost to upgrade those standard features to include the options that you want.

Optional Features

Most cars include the following features as options, though they come standard on some makes and models. The complete list of options and the cost of each varies widely by manufacturer, make, and model. The following list includes rough estimated costs:

Automatic transmission ($1,000)
Air conditioning ($500–1,000)
Power seats, windows, locks, and mirrors ($500)
Cruise control ($300–500)
Leather seating and upholstery ($1,000)
GPS navigation system ($1,000 and up)
Sound system with radio and CD player ($300)
Sunroof ($500) or convertible roof ($1,500 and up)
Alloy wheels ($300–500)
Remote engine starter ($500)
Trailer-towing package for trucks and SUVs ($300–500)

Optional Safety Features

Every year, automakers introduce new safety innovations designed to help drivers overcome weather-related hazards and avoid accidents and to provide impact protection in the event of a collision. Ideally, you should drive a car with all of these safety features. They’re quite expensive, though, and some makes and models don’t offer them all. Whether to make safety-related features or optional amenities a higher priority is a matter of personal preference.

Airbags: These offer cushioning in the event of a head-on or side-impact collision. All new cars are required to have airbags for the driver and front passenger. Optional airbag packages include side-impact airbags, sometimes called side-curtain airbags, for passengers in the front and rear seats. Typical cost is $600–1,000.
Anti-lock braking systems (ABS): These systems limit the distance required to bring a car to a complete stop and help prevent collisions. Typical cost is $300–500.
Traction control: This system redirects power to certain wheels to improve performance on wet, snowy, or icy roads. Typical cost is $600–1,000.
Electronic stability control (ESC): Also called vehicle stability control, this system detects when the driver loses control of the vehicle and adjusts braking and engine power to steady the car and prevent it from rolling over. Typical cost is $600–1,000.
Tire-pressure monitoring: Low tire pressure can lead to poor traction and loss of steering control. This feature notifies the driver when the car’s tire pressure falls below an optimal level. Typical cost is $100–250.
Collision warning: These systems use audible, radar-triggered beeps to alert the driver when there are obstacles, such as pedestrians, within a few feet in front of, or behind, the car. Collision warnings are particularly helpful when parallel parking. Some newer models can alert the driver to the presence of hard-to-see vehicles in neighboring lanes, at intersections, and more. Some even include rearview cameras that display on the dashboard real-time video of the area behind the car. Typical cost is $500–1,000 and up.