[Telaneo]

When it's minus -20°C outside, you'll be very happy for that heated steering wheel! For someone living in the desert, I wish there were cooled steering wheels, on the same level as heated/cooled seats, but maybe that's asking a but much.

[gmueckl]

It's probably a complexity and cost thing: heating the wheel just requires heating wires in the wheel connected to a switch. Cooling requires a some cooling medium getting pumped into the wheel and back out into a heat exchanger or vented outside. You need pipes of some sort inside the wheel and wheel hub.

[sublinear]

You're way overthinking this. Making the steering wheel an AC vent is a Mercedes Benz patent. It's just hollow on the inside.

We also used to have crotch vents beneath the steering column! This was arguably the best idea since it could cool the entire driver area including the wheel.

This is artificial scarcity like the McRib.

[red369]

My 1994 Toyota Celica had a vent beneath the steering column. It didn't have airbags, ABS braking, cruise control, electric seats, a 5th gear - it was missing all kinds of features that more luxurious cars had then, and even basic cars have now. But it had that vent! It was such an amazing feature, and I can't believe that it's not in more cars, especially ones a lot more upmarket.

I'm always a little frustrated by all the little features that are scattered across car models, that would be so easy to add, but are only available in some cars. I suppose putting absolutely everything in would be expensive and overwhelming, but some of them seem pretty easy. Off the top of my head:

- The button to dim all the dials except the essential ones (in Subarus and Saabs)

- The little flap to block sun above the sun-visor (in Audis and probably others)

- Being able to turn the radio on again after the key has been taken out

- Being able to use the residual heat for a short time after the engine has been turned off (Usually in VW/Audi cars - becoming more common?)

- Being able to hold a button on the remote to shut or open all windows (for a coupe with frameless doors, this could make getting in and out of the car in a tight supermarket parking space massively easier)

- Fuel cap holders inside the fuel flap (have these become universal yet?)

Those all feel like they would cost very little extra to implement. There are a few more that I feel were complicated or expensive, but I still was surprised weren't universal - Having the remote/key recharge while driving (less useful now you rarely need to take the keys out of your pocket, but strangely missing from many luxury cars even when you did need to insert the key). - HUD

I don't feel this is a very good list, but most of the things I only remember when I see them. Most of the items above have gradually become more common. I remember noticing cheap but fantastic features more often with cars like old Peugeots and Volvos (and obviously Saabs), and also somewhat in 90s Japanese cars. Sure Mercedes and BMWs had nice features that other cars didn't, but it's the ones where they've thought of something really useful without it costing a lot that really felt impressive. And then disappointing when you never saw that feature again.