These add-ons offer enhanced safety, better connectivity, and more

If one of your New Year’s resolutions involves trading in your clunker for a nice, new car, you’re making an exciting decision. If it has been years (or maybe even decades) since you bought something new, you’ll be in for a treat. Cars are always improving. Many modern cars get great gas mileage, provide exceptional storage space, and – perhaps best of all – come with tons of cool features. When you start shopping, think about these amenities:

Phone integration

We all know how dangerous it is to mess with a phone while driving. Fortunately, many car makers have done something to help with this. Whether you use an Android or iPhone, you should be able to find a car that will allow you to hook up your device directly to it. This will allow you to make hands-free calls and use voice commands to control music, navigation, and more.

Back-up cameras

Back-up cameras have been around for a while now, but they’re still not in a lot of vehicles. If safety is a big concern for you, you’ll make sure your next ride has one. The people you avoid hitting will certainly appreciate it.

Blind spot awareness

Another great safety component concerns your blind spot. Instead of constantly having to crane your neck, this new feature will detect another car in your blind spot and send a warning signal that will appear in the glass of your side mirror.

In-car surveillance

If you plan to take a road trip or two with the family in 2018 or beyond, you can now keep better tabs on everyone in the back. In new Honda Odyssey minivans, parents can watch everyone with a rear-facing camera and dashboard video display. There’s also kind of an intercom system that lets people communicate easily.

Automatic emergency braking

Even if you consider yourself an excellent driver, it’s always good to have extra safety measures. With automatic emergency braking, the brakes will be applied before a crash. Some cars with this feature even give a warning to the driver about a possible collision. But even if the driver doesn’t react, the brakes will kick in.

Parking spot GPS

Living in a city is great, but parking can often be a nightmare. And while some cars make it easier – with self-parking systems, for example – you still have to find a spot. Thankfully, some car models are making this much easier. BMW will start to use GPS to locate open parking spaces so you can find the closest one available.

Just don’t forget the insurance!

No matter what type of car you buy or what it comes with, you have to think about protecting your investment. This is where the right insurance is paramount. To make sure you get a policy that provides adequate coverage, contact Avante Insurance. Get in touch for a free quote.