Scott Hinderer

An antilock braking system (ABS) moderates vehicle brake pressure in emergency-stopping situations. Instead of applying sudden, constant pressure to the brakes, ABS rapidly pumps them. ABS prevents the wheels and steering from locking up, causing the vehicle to skid and the driver to lose control. Locked wheels increase stopping distance and inhibit the driver from steering around the obstacle they’re trying to avoid.

A rear window defroster is an embedded or applied electric heating element that warms the rear window to rid the glass of fogginess and frost or loosen snow and ice. The defroster is usually activated by a button on the console or dash and sometimes with a remote start.

A tow hitch is an extension of a vehicle’s chassis that enables the vehicle to tow a trailer. A receiver attaches to the hitch to insert a ball mount. After a trailer ball is screwed into the mount, a coupler, extending from the trailer, hooks onto the ball. Once all the components are locked together, including chains (and sometimes wiring), the vehicle can drive and pull a trailer behind it.

Adaptive suspension adjusts the ride characteristics of a vehicle on the fly through the dampers. Adaptive dampers placed at every corner of the car use sensors to monitor road conditions and adjust the response of the suspension system from rigid to plush based on the driver’s demands. Adaptive suspension settings can be predetermined with selectable drive modes, with names like comfort, normal, off-road, sport, or race, depending on the type of vehicle.

Auto-leveling headlights are an anti-glare safety measure for a vehicle carrying a heavy load that tips the headlamps’ projection angle. Auto-leveling, or self-leveling, headlights adjust the cut-off line, which is the beams’ farthest boundary, to maintain proper visibility for the driver but avoid blinding other road users.

A block heater is an electrical device that warms a vehicle’s engine body and fluids to ensure the engine can start in winter conditions and freezing temps. Preconditioning the engine also puts less stress on the engine for driving through the cold. In such climates, engine block heaters are a popular option among truck buyers.

A limited-slip differential is a set of staggered gears that can divert more torque through the drive axle to the wheel that has more traction, thus limiting the amount of slippage a vehicle experiences driving on slick surfaces.