When it comes to finding the best vehicle for families, every mom has a list of the features she'd love to see – even if they're totally wishful thinking. Auto-buckle feature for every child in 5-point harness? Check! Pneumatic-tube trashcan with ports accessible from all seats? YES PLEASE.
Until these wishes are a reality, the Buick Envision comes close by offering many smart features to make driving your family around safer and more convenient.
1. A car that's fender-bender proof. While there is no such thing as a completely fender-bender-proof vehicle, the Envision's available Surround Vision Camera, with its 360-degree view, helps you avoid obstacles. With a total of five cameras, 10 ultrasonic sensors and three radars, the Envision can help you spot and circumvent unexpected hazards.
2. A car that can read your mind. The Envision may not be clairvoyant, but it comes close with its IntelliLink voice recognition technology that allows you to play music, make a phone call or access real-time maps without taking your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel. Plus, it displays incoming calls on the Driver Information Cluster and reads incoming texts out loud.
3. Eyes on the back of your head when you're in reverse. The Rear Vision Camera with available Rear Cross Traffic Alert helps you get out of parking spots, especially when parked between larger vehicles that block your view, by alerting you to traffic approaching within 65 feet.
4. A car that automatically morphs into a truck to haul larger items. The Envision's back seats fold completely flat with the simple pull of a lever. And the Hands-Free Power Liftgate lets you open the back by simply waving your foot under the bumper so you don't have to let go of whatever (or whoever) you're holding in your arms.
5. A car that keeps the kids entertained the entire trip. The Envision offers a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices so you can stream movies for your kids and let them play their favorite apps from point A to point B. The best part is that it's free for the first 3GB or 3 months, whichever comes first!
6. A car that saves gas. The Envision's Auto Stop Technology helps conserve fuel by automatically shutting off when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarts when you take your foot off the break. It happens so seamlessly, you won't even notice it!
7. A car that reminds you where you parked. The MyBuick smartphone app will help you locate your vehicle even in the most vast and crowded parking lot.
8. A car that drives itself. We can all dream, right? Well that dream may be closer to reality than you think with Envision's available Adaptive Cruise Control feature which not only sets a speed but also a following distance behind detected vehicles, so it can break and accelerate automatically to maintain your desired speed in traffic.
Image via iStock
