15 car gadgets that only empty your wallet

Everyone loves a good smell in their car. But that’s no excuse for buying a perfume dispenser that costs ten times as much as a conventional air freshener. All because of the power supply and other features such as Bluetooth connectivity, which aren’t all that advantageous after all.

The mini-vac promises to save on power consumption by plugging into the cigarette lighter. Combine this with a very attractive price and you’ve got enough to convince you to buy it. However, the power really leaves something to be desired. It will only move dust around, and is no substitute for proper cleaning.

Would you like to make your car’s interior look like a spaceship straight out of a sci-fi movie with all those LEDs? Keep in mind, however, that they will consume more energy, which will affect your expenses in the long run. What’s more, these lights are likely to distract you while you’re driving, which isn’t very good for safety.

It’s useful to mount your phone near the dashboard to keep your hands on the wheel. But you don’t have to buy a mount that looks like a robot arm, because the advantages are negligible. Worse still, they can be more fragile than conventional models costing just a few euros, due to their complex articulations.

what’s the point of heating or cooling your cup if it’s already air-conditioned? Just buy a hot coffee or a cold soda and you’re done! What’s more, the resistance means that the heated cup holder consumes a lot of energy. Otherwise, it will be very slow and inefficient.

Who doesn’t want to have a fridge in their car and be able to serve themselves a cold drink at will? The only problem is that you won’t be using it every day, except when you’re camping. And I won’t even begin to tell you how much this appliance can increase your energy consumption.

First of all, wireless charging is generally slower than wired charging. So don’t expect to fully recharge your phone in just a few minutes on the road. Also, any jolts from driving over a speed bump or bumpy road can accidentally eject the smartphone from the charger.

For one reason or another, you may need to tint your vehicle’s windows. And as always, low-quality products are not recommended. You risk the film peeling off after just a few weeks. Or small bubbles may appear here and there due to the poor adhesion.

If automakers have already integrated seat heating, it’s supposed to be sufficient and optimized for the vehicle. Therefore, a heated cushion is not very useful compared to a conventional cushion with integrated heating. It may not even be compatible with certain vehicles.

A reversing camera can be a great help when parking on the side of the road, provided it delivers a clear, sharp image. Imagine the hassle if you can’t even make out the difference between the bumper of the car behind you and the asphalt of the road.

Personalizing your car is a way of asserting your character and standing out from the crowd. As a result, some people install lots of colored lights on the underbody to make it look like a walking disco. However, they are often forbidden on public roads, so you’ll need to turn them off when you’re driving.

Many options exist for decorating the steering wheel, such as adding a special cover. While some of these accessories contribute greatly to ergonomics, others are there simply to look pretty and impress passengers. They can even be slippery, which can become very dangerous if your hands are sweating.

Frankly, we’re really up for anything when it comes to the car’s aesthetics. For example, these gear knobs are out of the ordinary. Sometimes they’re oversized or simply don’t offer the same ergonomics as the original model. This means you’ll have a hard time shifting gears.

Smart mirrors are supposed to improve safety, not least by avoiding blind spots. But when you’re taking your driving test, you’ve always been advised to keep a certain distance to avoid blind spots. So you’ll almost never need these additional features, despite the disproportionately high price compared to the good old mirror.

If your car is equipped with GPS from the outset, there’s nothing to worry about. But if you drive an older model and have chosen to integrate the function specifically, there’s no advantage. As everyone now has a smartphone, all you have to do is use it to find your way around.