‘Changed My Whole Driving World,’ TikToker Discovers Her Subaru Is More Adjustable Than She Ever Dreamed
Allie is like many drivers. She admits that sometimes she struggles to reach her Subaru’s steering wheel. When that happens, she slides her seat forward: “Naturally, you just want to move closer.” Little did she know, there’s an easier way.
Then her partner, Charles, showed her something that made her say, “My whole life just changed.”
When they were sitting in her Subaru, Charles asked, “If you wanted to move your steering wheel up and down, how would you do that?” Allie obligingly unlocked her steering column and lifted it, then dropped it down.
Next, Charles said, “Pull it back towards you so you can adjust it.”
Allie grabbed the steering wheel and pulled. She was shocked to find it extend toward her. “My entire driving world, my whole life, just changed.”
She has what’s called a telescoping steering column. In addition to tilting up and down, it can extend toward the driver or collapse toward the dashboard. Allie, who admits, “I don’t even like adjusting my seat,” no longer needs to move closer to her wheel to reach it.
When the couple posted this video to their TikTok, @CharlesAndAllie, the video earned 1,423 likes and 22 comments. Some commenters gloated that they already knew this, but there are a number of car adjustment features most folks don’t know about. I’ve covered many of them in the list below.
Ways you didn’t know you can adjust your car
Inspired by Allie and Charles, I went on a deep dive to hunt down various adjustments and safety features many vehicles have, but many drivers don’t know about. From extra luggage capacity to important emergency features, her’e are my top nine.
Adjustable pedals. Many vehicles, such as Ram trucks, have an adjustable pedal assembly. That means instead of moving your seat, you can move your gas and brake pedals closer to you or farther away.
Adjustable seatbelt anchors. Once you get your seat and controls exactly where you want them, it’s time to adjust your safety equipment. You probably already know to adjust your mirrors. But did you know many cars allow you to move your upper seatbelt anchor up or down? This can give you a much more comfortable fit—and be safer, too.
Conversation mirror. Many cars have a convex mirror in the ceiling the driver can flip down for a view of the entire back seat. This is a very handy feature if you have kids horsing around back there.
Dimming mirrors. Ever had a lifted truck with high beams on drive behind you at night? It can be absolutely blinding. That’s why many cars come with “dimming” mirrors. These vehicles have a switch at the bottom of your center mirror you can use to change its angle and keep those bright headlights out of your eyes. Why don’t side mirrors have the same feature? Probably because your wing mirrors are adjustable, so you can just change the angle manually.
Sun visor upgrades. Next to that rearview mirror is your sun visor. While many cars have a basic flipping panel, most have other features. The most common is a sun visor that can swivel to block the sun from blinding you through your side window. But other visors have a sliding arm that allows you to extend them further. Still others have an extendable panel that doubles their size. It’s worth taking a long look at your sun visor to find out exactly what it can do. Your eyes will thank you.
Hidden storage compartments. Many cars have hidden storage compartments their owners never know about. These may be trays inside the lid of your center console that you can access when you open it. They can be hidden cubbies in your trunk. These could be under-seat compartments or even entire coolers hidden under a floormat. Automakers maximize space, leaving storage areas most of us miss. Your best bet may be watching an interior review of your exact make and model year to see what the reviewer points out.
Back seat secrets. Your back seat may hide some secrets. You may have a back seat that can fold down. But did you know some vehicles have a 40/60 back seat? You can fold down a single section of the seat, two-thirds of it, or the whole thing. Even if your car doesn’t have a folding back seat, it may still have a cargo pass-through that folds down in the middle of the seat. This is so you can carry long objects—such as skis—that must stretch from the back of your trunk to between your front seats.
Emergency features. Other car hacks could be critical in an emergency situation. For example, many automatic cars may lock into gear if your battery dies. So it’s good to know where your shift lock override button is located (often you need to remove a cover next to the shifting lever and press a button). Or if your key fob battery dies, knowing you have a mechanical key built into the unit may save you a ton of hassle.
Cooling off with your key fob. Getting in your car on a hot day? According to Car Care Clues, you can use your key fob to roll all your windows down before you even touch your vehicle. In Hyundais, simply hold the unlock button for three seconds. In Hondas and Volvos, hit the unlock button once, then hold again for three seconds.
