I often wonder about over-gadgetting in modern vehicles. In the nine
years I had my 406 I only had one puncture - picked up a nail and I
did not need a monitor to tell me I had a flat (though the vehicle
sailed along pretty happily - it took me a few seconds to work out
what was going on; but the tyre was a write-off anyway). I gather the
development of these monitors may have begun as an over-reaction in
the US to instability problems with
suvs. There must be five of these monitors on my 407 (presumably the
pressure in the spare is monitored or what?) each costing, I gather,
about as much as a tyre. In my early years as a driver I heard scare
stories about crashes caused by sudden deflation of front tyres (blow-
outs they were called). Yet I have spoken to a few people who actually
had front 'blow-outs and they reported no special difficulty - nothing
frightening.

Electric windows are another example. In a dozen or so vehicles, most
of which had manual windows (my 1989 F150 is still going strong) I
don't recall having any problems with window winders. Come to think of
it, there have been a dozen or so posts to this group about electric
window problems (usually related to resetting the ECU).

Motorised seats I like - especially ones with two memories, like my
406 SV. And side mirrors.