. With the seemingly never-ending race to load as many features into vehicles as possible, car shoppers need to be aware of the balance between benefit and cost — especially when cruising pre-owned lots looking for that unicorn cream-puff. There are some systems and components that will provide reasonable service life with minimal upkeep, but there are others that can break both the bank and the love affair between a driver and their metal. Glass panel roofs The X7’s three-panel panoramic glass roof lets the light in and provides one-of-a-kind views of the Coast Mountains. Marley Hutchinson I personally never understood the supposed benefit of a glass roof in any type of vehicle. First, you can’t drive with them open at any speed over a crawl without excessive wind noise. On hot and sunny days, you’ll be reaching for their pull shade to give the air-conditioning system a fighting chance. And then there’s the dubious idea of building a roof panel (that’s supposed to protect you in a roll-over) with a fragile substance like glass.