My latest new vehicle design trend pet peeves

Temperature guage that indicates hot and cold, no numbers just relative. That wouldn’t be so bad but why is the normal spot for the needle then not dead center?

Not sure if I like the lcd in the dash. Wonderful to see mpg readout but its now yet another place to splash yet another warning at me. Wifes car, when I turn on cruise, it tells me to pay attention. WTH? wasn’t I doing that already? why is my car insulting me?!

Alloy rims. Small mirrors. No full size spare. Sedans without tow rating.
 
I am just too old fashioned about my vehicles. I'm with AutoMechanic about the blob shape new cars. Can't tell a Hyundai from a BMW. Give me cars with character and looks that set each brand apart. I am no fan of LCD screens, They distract the driver and with quick and precise steering today you take a real chance looking away from where you are going to adjust anything on that screen.. Cup holders on my 07 Ram Laramie are great and adjustable for a snug fit. I don't need fancy duel exhaust. It just adds expense to replacement. I am not a fan of consoles. My daughter delivers mail on a rural route. Try finding anything newer that can be driven from the passenger seat.
 
I too hate the huge grills.
I heard somewhere that the really ugly, huge grills on BMWs was to cater to the Chinese market which is growing rapidly. The culture there is for a more ostentatious display of wealth and the bigger grill makes sure no one mistakes the BMW for a "lesser" brand.
 
I once had a car where the lock mechanism would jam (or something?) and I had to climb over to the passenger's side to let myself out of the car. Try that with one of the new cars with the giant console! I ain't as agile as I was when I was a kid.

I don't like the touch screens. They get fingerprints too easily and rely on too many menus. I don't have a smartphone so I have nothing to "sync" to and no Apple Play. Give me knobs!
 
My Jaguar F Type has a very snug cabin, The storage compartments in the doors are so shallow that a 16 oz. water bottle won't fit. The storage compartment in the center console is tiny, and worst of all, the cup holders in the console are so shallow that a 16 oz. water bottle will fall out when I am cornering hard so I have to buy those little 8 oz. half size bottles of water. I'm not even going to attempt to put a coffee cup or soft drink with a snap on lid in the cup holders.
The speedometer is analog but also has a digital readout in the center of the gauge. Why ? Thankfully, much of the HVAC system has good old mechanical switches except you have to go into the infortainment screen to select which vents you want the airflow to come out of. And you have to go through several different screens to find the folder that has a particular artist when listening to music from the USB drive, and that requires eyes off the road for much longer than is safe.
 
The stupid looking (IMO) grilles are definitely a pet peeve.

Someone mentioned the lane departure stuff. Those are beyond a pet peeve for me - they rendered my valentine one useless, causing constant (literally) false alarms. [I could "upgrade" to a new version but it'd cost me around $300).
 
The HUGE grilles and brand badges just look downright wretched. It honestly look comedic.

My favorite on the other hand is the dual exhaust, even it it's fake (the one pipe that splits right before it gets to the outlets). I think it just makes the back of the car look symmetrical and gives it a "look of balance" vs one pipe off to the side.
 
I also love the 160mph speedometers. My 77 280Z had a 160mph speedometer and I always thought it looked sweet!! I hated the 85mph speedometers with the "55" mark circled in red all cars of the 80s had.
 
Surestick said:
I too hate the huge grills.
I heard somewhere that the really ugly, huge grills on BMWs was to cater to the Chinese market which is growing rapidly. The culture there is for a more ostentatious display of wealth and the bigger grill makes sure no one mistakes the BMW for a "lesser" brand.
Click to expand...
That one definitely wins the ***** prize. It looks like a huge giant ghetto buttocks.
 
Black wheels, vehicles that are all blacked out, the ridiculously over sized grills, way too many lights on the front ends, black plastic trim pieces that run around the entire bottom of vehicles, fake grills covering the rear end of vehicles (like the Civic), all of the sharp angles on body lines, the list is really never ending. I think the problem is there are to many young people in the design divisions within the automotive industry who have no clue how to style a vehicle...they have no taste...
 
I've been in some cars with truly awful touchscreen designs. Very slow to respond with ridiculous menus the require multiple selections to change an HVAC control. I can see it being "neat" when sitting in a parking lot showing someone, but not when grandma is trying to figure out where the setting is while she's driving on a curvy back country road.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
New car for my wife.
2 3 4
Replies
62
Views
4K
TomYoung
tiger862
AC Work
Replies
12
Views
701
zzyzzx
O
Early Oil Change on Brand New Vehicle a Good Idea?
2
Replies
33
Views
5K
TiGeo
Hermann
One year/10,600 mile review of my 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid
2
Replies
22
Views
7K
supton
C
Features you do NOT like on new vehicles?
13 14 15
Replies
281
Views
17K
Kozman011
Back
Top