If you’re in the market for a new car this year, you’ve probably got it narrowed down to a chosen few, based on your specific criteria.  Usually, new car buyers do their narrowing down by price, color, style, type, safety specifications, etc.  But have you considered buying a car based on how well it knows you?

Consider, for example, the most recent model Mercedes Benz or Volvo, which creates a profile of you (and up to 6 other drivers) based on your driving traits.  While you’re driving, it matches your profile against the driving scenario - how long you’ve been driving for, the time of day or night, your ability to coordinate your steering, etc.  Maybe you’re kind of swerving, or jerking the car back into lane, or you’ve been driving for five hours straight or it’s 3:00 a.m.  The car knows these things.  When it senses that something isn’t quite kosher, it alerts you with a buzzer and an icon on the dashboard (of a coffee cup, naturally) flashes.

The Saab goes one better.  While it incorporates much of the same wake-up features as the other imports, it also vibrates the driver’s seat.  Of course, that vibration might have the opposite effect on some drivers… nothing like a great massage while you’re speeding along at 90 mph, is there?