Which extras are worth getting (and which aren't)?

Good question...

A must:

Auto transmission

Adaptive cruise control

Satnav

Front & back parking sensors + camera

Upgraded sound system

Not bothered with:

Leather

Sunroof

Keyless

Voice commands

Elec boot opening

HUD

Climate control (regular a/c would be grand)

Adaptive suspension

Lane assist (nuisance)

Heated seats are definitely on the list for me, even in Ireland.

Adaptive cruise, auto gearbox, parking sensors & climate control have all been in my last 3 cars and I would not go without them. My last car had no heated seats and I missed them terribly... the current car has them again :)

Having Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is handy as well and negates the need for baked in Sat Nav software in the head-unit.

I could not be bothered with an electric boot, HUD, adaptive suspension, leather or a sunroof even though I have had cars in the past with all or some of these things. I can do without them completely.

I find that car manufacturers are increasingly using "packages" of features now which give you some of these extras but you need to specify two or more packages to get what you really want. Makes it annoying when buying a new car but increases the profits for the manufacturer of course.... otherwise they wouldn't bother.

Never bought or speced a new car, but there are certainly things I'd look out for when choosing a second-hand one.

Cream leather seats are at the top of my list of requirements after the basic things like size of car, engine, etc. I just love them. Make the car feel airy, and they actually are easy to clean. Current car has them with heating and and ventilation - I was thankful for the latter during the summer, and will be thankful for the former in a couple of weeks, so I think I'd put them on my list of requirements now, even though no car I had before had them. Problem is, it's easy enough to find a second hand model with heated seats, but not so with ventilated ones, so I'd say I'll be compromising on that in the future. I'd also pay extra or go out of my way for Bi-xenon or LED lights over halogen ones. Parking sensors would be on my list of musts, but they're pretty standard on almost anything I'd be interested in anyway. CarPlay (Android Auto if I was on the other side) is an absolute must now for me too - futureproofs your satnav and entertainment system, which is one place that your car shows it's age the quickest. Electric handbrake is something else I didn't know I wouldn't want to be without until I got a car with it. My other car doesn't have it, and that's fine - but given the choice, I'd have it. AirCon is an absolute must, and while I don't complain that one of my cars has three zone climate control, and the other two zone, one zone regular AC would do me.

I appreciate automatic lights and wipers, heated windcreens and auto dimming mirrors, but I could live without them. Had a heated steering-wheel in a rental car in Iceland once, and it was a godsend there, but here I wouldn't be too bothered.

Wouldn't be much interested in sun roofs, adaptive suspension, keyless entry (security issues) and tow bars and rear window blinds. Regular cruise control does me over adaptive. Even though I love music, I wouldn't pay significantly more for an upgraded sound system. Nor would I pay extra for wheels over 18" on most cars (both current and all recent cars have 17"). Skoda charge €55 for their "Driver Alert" system - a picture of a cup that appears on the dash screen if the car thinks you might be tired. I'd pass on the likes of that.

All that said, if I was specing out a brand new car, I would find it very hard to resist ticking all the options. "I don't need it, but it would be nice to have...". Probably best that I stick to used cars.

Decent front lights. LED or whatever

Cruise control

Climate control

Auto-dim rear mirror

Leather seats

Rear parking sensor

That's it.....

Not worth it to me (that I've had)

Sunroof

HUD

Auto handbrake

4wd

Rear camera

Front camera

Front parking sensor

Diamond cut alloys

Any wheel over 19 inch

Sat nav

Dynamic chassis control

Lane departure

Keyless start

Extra height (SUV or crossover etc)

Auto tailgate

Auto doors

Haven't had but reckon be worth it

Auto Cruise Control

Blind spot

A must for me...

• Auto gearbox
• Auto lights, not arsed having to turn on
• Auto wipers, see above
• Keyless start, means key must only be on my person
• Dual zone climate control, no 'it's too hot, it's too cold' commentary when carrying a pain in the hole passenger
• Leather, easy to keep clean and comfy
• Parking sensors front and back, gives a nice guide as to where you are
• 200bhp plus as the faster the car the safer you are
• Sub 8 second 0-60, see above
• Heated/Ventilated seats
• Xenon, difference between standard and these is really night and day

Nice to haves, I wouldn't pay actual individual cost price for but would try to get model with them...

• As few spokes as possible in alloy wheels, preference for as few as possible to speed up cleaning
• Blind spot monitoring, it's a nice aid but I wouldn't depend on it with my life
• Boot release by putting your foot under sensor at rear of car, nice for when both hands full of shopping
• Rear camera, nice from a safety point of view
• Sat nav, not bothered unless it's updated, phone is just as good
• Self parking, nice to have but wouldn't shell out for
• Tiptronic gearbox, not bothered whether the auto has this option or not, it's rather pointless

What extras would make me avoid buying a car if they couldn't be ordered without

• Sunroof or panoramic roof, go AC or go home to stay cool, adds things to go wrong or leak etc

Funny how people are so different on this.

Musts for me,wouldn't buy a car without any of these

Heated seats,

Leather

Parking sensors

Cruise

Sunroof ( if the car has it as an option)

O-60 in 8 secs or less.

Auto wipers/lights

Not too bothered about anything after that but would take it if it's going,I've never specced a new car and most likely never will

Must have:

4wd

Diff Lock

Leather seats

Mud terrain tyres

LED lights

😏

blind spot monitor is the best new option I’ve used for a while.

it also uses the sensors for 2 additional functions apart from the obvious use on motorways/dual carriageways

• sounds an alarm if you parallel park and crack open the door while a car or bike is passing
• sounds an alarm if you’re reversing out of the drive and a car is approaching, or someone is on the footpath, way out of eyesight

it’s really works too