Check Out These Five Essential Summer Options For Your Car

There is nothing worse than a back seat driver, scratch that, there is nothing worse than an uncomfortable backseat driver. The front row of your vehicle may have dual climate control, leather seats and a 10-way adjustable  toggle but if your vehicle doesn’t have rear climate control you’re going to have a bad time. The vast difference in climate between the front and rear seat has been a point of contention for years during family vacations and the ability to mitigate that with rear climate control is a beautiful thing. Whether your vehicle comes equipped with a digital dial or a basic knob, any way to give the rear occupants a sense of control will shut them up for a little.

Convertibles may be fun for a few hours but if you intend to keep your hair from turning into a 70s fro and like to hear yourself think, a panoramic sunroof may be your best option. Usually somewhere in the ballpark of three feet long and two feet wide, the panoramic sunroof gives the effect of the open air without tossing around the occupants of your car. Unlike convertibles, panoramic sunroofs can be retracted and closed at any speed and do not drastically effect road noise. Essentially, you get all the benefits of a convertible without the downsides.

This may seem like more of a winter option, but that is far from the case. All-weather floor mats allow easy cleanup after the beach, the trails or that one farmer’s market that sells popcorn-covered ice cream cones. This is a cheap way to take a lot of hassle out of your next summer adventure and you can easily convince the dealership salesmen to throw them into your next purchase.

Big in the 90s among SUVs (looking at you Chevy Tahoe), the rear liftgate is a mobile bench that can be brought to every event. Whether you are cruising the beaches of New England or watching elk cross the Grand Tetons, the rear liftgate allowed families to quickly set up shot and enjoy the fruits of summer. Now you have to really hunt to find a rear liftgate. If you are willing the shell out a little dough, the Land Rover lineup is flush with liftgates, otherwise you may need to focus on the pickup segment.

Affectionately known as “cold butt” in the office, cooled seats are a welcomed addition to any summer vehicle. There is truly nothing worse than stepping out of your vehicle and having your pants or shorts stick to you in a wet, disgusting admission of perspiration. This relatively new feature seems like common sense as we have had heated seats for decades but it has yet to become as popular. The cooled seat may be one of the quickest ways to take an uncomfortable ride back from the gym and turn it into a leisurely cruise. Unfortunately, this option is usually found only in higher trims, for example, you can only start considering the option when you go Lariat or higher in the Ford F-Series.

There you have it, five essential summer options to keep you and your family happy during your next adventure. If you think we should include another feature drop a comment below.