Let’s be honest — sitting in traffic is rarely a good time. But some cars make the gridlock, dare I say, almost enjoyable. There are the massage seats in the Jaguar XJ that emulate a spa between lights, and the brake hold function in the Honda HR-V that gives your right foot a break by not having to constantly hold down the pedal waiting for the crawl to move. Here is a roundup of the top five vehicles helping make traffic slightly more tolerable.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
There was a time when one had to go home in order to listen to high-fidelity audio. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class with the optional Burmester Surround-Sound system has made this a thing of the past. Comprised of 13 loudspeakers, front-bass technology, and a nine-channel amplifier pumping out 590 watts of power, it’s a little like being in a mobile concert hall. Almost equally as impressive are the elegant speaker covers crafted from a finely polished aluminum.
Jaguar XJ
Don’t worry about missing that RMT appointment and climb into a Jaguar XJ instead. The full-size luxury sedan is available with front seats featuring multi-zone massaging able to isolate different areas of the back. Occupants can also choose from five intensity levels, all via a touch-sensitive graphical interface on the main display. Turn on the heated seats to complete the relaxing experience.
Honda HR-V
Have you ever sat in stop-and-go traffic and wished you didn’t have to constantly take your foot on and of the brake pedal? Honda has solved the problem with Automatic Brake Hold function found in all HR-V crossovers. Basically, after engaging a dedicated switch on the center console, the brakes are applied and the vehicle won’t creep forward. To release, simply press the accelerator.
Chevrolet Colorado
GM was one of the first manufacturers to embrace modern smart phone hands-free technology like the MyLink infotainment system found in the Chevy Colorado. MyLink includes Siri Eyes Free that allows users to connect their Apple device to the truck. Once plugged in, the driver can press the voice command button on the steering wheel and then converse with Siri as per usual, asking her to queue up a music playlist, find the nearest restaurant, or tell you a joke.
BMW X5
Why surf the web from your tiny phone display inside your car when you can utilize the nice widescreen monitor in the X5 instead? Starting for the 2014 model year, the BMW ConnectedDrive onboard software was upgraded and given things such as a touch pad integrated onto the iDrive control knob, as well the ability to access the internet using a built-in 3G SIM card while the vehicle is stopped. The icing on the cake is a split-screen mode, which can display a browser on one side and other information on the other simultaneously.
