DashboardPractical owner tips, hidden features and ways to get more from your vehicle.
Older Cadillacs put unusual thought into comfort, controls and the way a car looked from the curb. These model-specific features show what made them distinctive, including ideas that remain familiar today.
Older Jeeps mixed practical cargo ideas with unusual interiors and open-air designs. Some features disappeared with a particular model, while others remain part of the brand’s appeal.
Older Hondas found clever ways to make limited space useful, from a cargo-floor picnic table to seats that lifted clear. These examples identify the American-market models and years behind those practical ideas.
Older Toyota trucks combined practical work features with a few unusual conveniences. These American-market 4Runner, Tacoma and Tundra examples include ideas that disappeared and others Toyota kept.
Pontiac mixed theatrical details with useful everyday ideas, from a hood-mounted gauge to a Vibe passenger seat that became a table. These examples come from specific American-market models.
Older Chevrolets offered some unusual ways to load cargo, enter a seat or open the cabin. These American-market examples show the specific models behind those ideas.
Older Fords had some unusually specific answers to everyday needs. These features show how much personality could fit into a roof, a rear door or a small piece of cabin hardware.
The useful Forester details are easiest to learn with an empty cargo area. Start at the rear gate, then pack a weekend that still leaves the everyday controls usable.
A glowing dashboard does not mean your rear lights are on. A few minutes parked can uncover the controls that make a long drive less frustrating.
Those paddles behind the wheel may control slowing down rather than changing gears. These CR-V examples separate useful everyday features from assumptions that can trip up a new owner.