My latest new vehicle design trend pet peeves

[glock19]

My biggest pet peeve is newer transmissions. 5/6 speed torque converter transmissions from the 90's were smooth as butter. I know they're not as efficient, but it sure was a lot more luxurious.

 

[jeepman3071]

My biggest pet peeve is newer transmissions. 5/6 speed torque converter transmissions from the 90's were smooth as butter. I know they're not as efficient, but it sure was a lot more luxurious.

I feel like this is a good point. Anything with the ZF 8-speed is buttery smooth. Heck it would be a tough choice on a newer BMW when it comes down to a manual trans vs. the ZF8, but anything with a CVT just feels really cheap in my opinion. Nothing like hearing that 4 cylinder scream for a few seconds and rubber band acceleration to remind you that you're in an econobox.

 

[Duffyjr]

If you think big ugly consoles/arm rests are bad try owning a vehicle with out one at all. I owned a 92 Bronco for 22 years with the arm rest and lots of storage between the seats and all the cars I owned in that time period had similar, then I purchase my 89 Sierra with a bench seat and no arm rest or storage, drove me nuts until I found this. It is held in place by the center seat belts.

https://amazon.com/gp/product/B003BYFT9O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

 

[PF52]

If you think big ugly consoles/arm rests are bad try owning a vehicle with out one at all. I owned a 92 Bronco for 22 years with the arm rest and lots of storage between the seats and all the cars I owned in that time period had similar, then I purchase my 89 Sierra with a bench seat and no arm rest or storage, drove me nuts until I found this. It is held in place by the center seat belts.

It's funny how quickly we get used to new conveniences. I had a couple old Novas with bench seats and I managed to put a ton of miles on them, but now if I drive a car with no center armrest I find it dreadfully uncomfortable.

My dad bought what was most likely the last Honda Accord sold in North America that lacked a center armrest, a passenger-side mirror and a rear defroster. It was a chore to drive.... Uncomfortable because it lacked the armrest, and the rear window would fog up constantly in cold or rainy weather and there was no way to see out that side because there was no mirror. It was crude and uncomfortable.

 

[10WSmuckers]

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

Not just some cars. All touch screens are terrible.

 

[svtrit]

I rented a Carolla this week for a trip, and found a few pet peeves.

1. Touch screen visibility: Any sun makes it useless.
2. Touch screen sensitivity: My calloused hands have a hard time making buttons on the screen work.
3. CV transmission: you can feel it jerk around while using cruise control, especially in hills
4. Adaptive Cruise control: WAAY to sensitive. It is slowing the car down way behind where I would if I were not using it. Even lowering the sensitivity is too high
5. Too much data on the dashboard screens. Simple gauges are best.
6. Lane control. The car fights you if you don't fit it's parameters, making driving a chore. It was fun to play with, but stayed off most of the time. It was nice to use in a construction zone.

 

[BLND1]

Not just some cars. All touch screens are terrible.

I thought the screen in my new atlas was very well done. Volume and tuning knobs with touch “buttons”.

Very user friendly and intuitive.

Piano black gloss interior. Gloss plastic in general. Look at it wrong at it smudges. Disgusting. My BIL had a great looking (and driving BMW) - but OH MY GOD it didn’t look clean more than 5 minutes after a detail.

 

[Andrew1972]

Lack of volume knob and temperature knobs in some vehicles. Steering controls for volume are okay but adjusting climate control on a screen makes no sense.

 

[kkreit01]

I hate interior chrome pieces on center console/stack. They blind you, and are dangerous when the sun is at it's peak height.

Kia's new logo/badging is stupid.

All-electric vehicles.

 

[Surestick]

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!

I feel your pain.
I had to climb out through the window of a Ford Taurus a few years ago when it went through the ice on a puddle just deep enough for the ice to be high enough on the body once the car was through it to pin the doors closed.
It wasn't easy. I'm happy no one was around to see it!

 

[gregk24]

1) fake “floating roof” design
2) gloss black
3) fake exhaust
4) no transmission dipstick
…I’m sure I could think of more.

 

[jeepman3071]

Not just some cars. All touch screens are terrible.

I tend to agree. Many of my friends find it odd that a millennial like me isn't for all the tech gadgets in a car. Maybe I'm old fashioned, or maybe it's because I work in IT, but touch screens or screens in a car in general are very unappealing to me because it instantly makes the car outdated. My iPhone will always have the most up to date maps, which isn't the case for many car infotainment systems.

Sure, many of them do over the air updates, but at what point is the hardware not compatible with the updates or stops being supported? Are you going to have glitches where you can't turn up the radio because the infotainment won't update? Ever drive a car with infotainment from the late 90's/early 2000's? It's like playing video games on a classic Nintendo.