So why do we choose one vehicle over the other? What drives us - no pun intended - into making mostly irrational yet the second largest purchase of our lives, the one that most of us will have to co-exist with for five or more years?

Professional salespeople - whatever their expertise might be in - know that the color of a vehicle - interior and/or exterior - is one of the if not the most important consideration. Sometimes, however, people use more "commonsensual" approach. I knew a guy who bought an extremely poorly made yet quite expensive vehicle because it had radio control on the steering wheel. That guy once barely avoided an accident while being busy setting radio controls... Makes sense? In a sense, it does. But what good do fancy buttons on the steering wheel do when the owner is riding a tow truck or patiently sitting in a repair shop since both locations are unlikely to provide so much sought luxury? Same goes for heated seats, sunroof, hi-fidelity stereo, and suchlike. All these features are good only when a. the vehicle is drivable, and b. they [the features] are operational. And if anybody thinks that they do not break, or are easy to fix - time to start thinking more realistically in order to avoid major disappointments.

Example one: my one-day-old work truck had unbalanced tires. What could be more basic than balancing them??? My cat could do it A very respected local dealer tried four (4!!!) times, and every time damaged the rims. After the second time, I suggested that they replaced the entire wheels since it seamed to be a more feasible way of dealing with the problem. Not that easy! The truck is equipped with a nice little feature - air pressure sensors in each stem valve on each wheel. The sensors communicate with one of the on-board computers, and a warning light illuminates on the instrument cluster if pressure in any one of five (spare included) tires drops below certain limit. The sensors are matched with the computer, and cannot be replaced separately. Can you reprogram the computer or the sensor? No. Finally, the dealer assigned a Master Technician who managed to balance the tires without major damage to the rims.

Example two: Mercedes Benz feels that it's upscale customers cannot shut the door or a trunk lid without assistance, and it used a vacuum pump to implement the pull-down function. Essentially, this pump is not any different than a blood pressure measuring device that can be purchased for $25 at any drug store while the Benz implementation is sold by dealers for about $1,000. Plus labor.

Example three: ABS [Anti-Lock Brake System] is a very useful device. It's intended to prevent wheels from locking up during brake application thus helping the driver to maintain "steerability" of the vehicle. Unfortunately, like everything else, the system has its drawbacks. First of all, it increases braking distance, and this is something salespeople fail to tell the buyer when selling every imaginable option. More than that, at one point the American Insurance Institute reported that vehicles equipped with ABS had a greater probability of being involved in an accident because drivers felt that they could stop on a dime even on pure ice. In fact, ABS only allows to pick the target. Don't get me wrong - this function is a good enough reason to have ABS as long as the driver is aware of its shortcomings.

Now, why have I started this ABS discussion in connection with automotive blows and whistles? This is yet another complicated add-on device but unlike heated seats, pull-down trunk lids, etc., it has a significant practical value... when implemented correctly. Most manufacturers design ABS system so that in case of a failure brakes operate just like on a regular vehicle not equipped with this feature.

A few years ago, one of the European "luxury symbols" had a little problem: all of a sudden, one of its front wheels would lock up without prior warning, and - considering the fact that driving that vehicle in normal operating condition was about the same as driving an 18-wheeler - staying on the road was a task beyond the capabilities of an average driver... During one of the inspections, I encountered that problem @ 15 MPH, and it was anything but fun when I found myself at the opposite side of the road.

CONCLUSION: every extra part, or device like seat heaters, traction control, voice activated stereo, pull-down trunk lid, automatic nose wiper, etc. reduces reliability, increases maintenance costs, and may be very difficult or impossible (in the best case-scenario - expensive) to repair in case of a failure. Also, a tow truck may not be equipped with any of these conveniences thus making them completely useless when installed on an overall poorly built vehicle.

Comments and questions can be sent to lruss@precisiondiagn ostics.net. Information about Precision Diagnostics, Inc. can be found on the company's site www.anti-lemon.com .

This article is a courtesy of Precision Auto Diagnostics, Inc. The contents can be reprinted without changes, and with reference to the author.

About Author :
Leo Russ, an Independent Breakdown Inspector since 1989, has performed tens of thousands of inspections for the leading extended warranty companies such as Chrysler Contract, Geico, Allstate, etc. Since 2000, Precision Auto Diagnostics, Inc. - the company Mr. Russ is a founder of - started focusing on pre-purchase auto inspections for individual used vehicle buyers who deserve the same quality expert service as the above mentioned corporations.