10 ways cars have changed in 10 years

Published Jan 5, 2011

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The past decade has been revolutionary for several parts of our society, but few sectors have seen as much change as the car industry.

In reflection of this, Ford has compiled a list of the ten most important ways in which cars have changed in this time period:

-INFOTAINMENT: Vehicle options 10 years ago, such as in-dash compact disc players and speed control systems, are now standard features. Consumers' desire to have constant access to information helped spawn technologies such as voice-activated controls, real-time traffic and Wi-Fi mobile hot spots.

-ENTERTAINMENT: The days of packing a clumsy library of CDs or VHS movie tapes are gone. Today consumers have a wide variety of compact ways to be entertained while behind the wheel, from iPod connectivity to build in hard drives for music and DVD players .

-REMOVING THE GUESS WORK: Today's vehicles are equipped with new technologies that make driving easier, including self-parallel parking, rear back-up cameras and rain-sensing wipers.

-ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE: In 2000, the average car had at least two airbags. Today, most vehicles have at least four, with some models equipped with up to 10 airbags.

The biggest change, however, is in the area of accident avoidance, with features like collision warning systems that detect moving vehicles ahead; blind spot Information systems and cross-traffic alert to sense oncoming traffic when the driver is backing out of a parking spot.

-FUEL ECONOMY: In the early 2000s, bigger was better. But now cars and the engines that power them are shrinking and have become more fuel efficient. According to the EPA, fuel economy between 2000 and 2010 improved by 14 percent.

-BUILT IN NAVIGATION: TripTik gave way to MapQuest, which soon led to the first commercially available automotive navigation system in the late 1990s. According to Berg Insight Research, there are an estimated 150 million in-dash, aftermarket, compact personal and navigation-enabled mobile guidance devices used globally. Today, navigation systems are integrated into vehicles and are much more comprehensive.

-CREATURE COMFORTS: Consumers today enjoy a more comfortable ride. Better interior materials, sleeker interior designs, heated and cooled seats that automatically adjust driver position, remote start and more storage capacity all offer more comfort and convenience.

-CUSTOMISATION: Features such as ambient lighting colours that can be changed to fit the driver's mood, driver's seats with customizable settings that adjust automatically with the push of a button, even decal kits have become more commonplace.

-SECURITY: Keyless entry and start systems, alarms and warning systems, and anti-theft systems have come a long way toward making life on the go safer for many. There are even systems, such as what Ford offers in the USA, which allows parents to restrict vehicle speeds when a teen driver is behind the wheel.

-PAINT COLOURS: Brighter, more vibrant paint colours are edging their way into consumers' hearts. Black and silver still top the list, but colours like Lime Squeeze found on the Ford Fiesta or Yellow Blaze found on the new Focus have become more popular.

What of the next ten years, then?

The next decade will bring more revolutionary change for both the auto industry and American consumers. Look for higher gas prices, better lithium-ion batteries, alternative fuels, more advanced safety technologies and more connectivity such as vehicle-to-vehicle systems that will allow vehicles to "talk" to each other via wireless communications embedded into the car.

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