Worst Trends in Modern Cars

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by jeepman3071



Sealed beams?

My Cherokee had sealed beams from the factory. They were useless pieces of garbage, and flashlights would be brighter. One of the first upgrades I did was to an H4 housing.


Same here; every car I owned since 1978 got either Cibie or Hella E Codes. I have a set of Hellas in my Wrangler. Sealed beams were pathetic; you were over driving them at 50 mph.
Absolutely worthless.


The day I bought my '87 Plymouth Reliant (six mos. old at the time) 'till I sold it 27 yrs later (!) I had Bosch euro pattern halogen headlamps. Changed bulbs only once per side. Brilliant lighting (for me... YMMV)... Suffice it to say - no yellowed lenses (they were glass).

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted by JerryBob
I'd be happy if they could figure out how to make headlights that don't cloud over after a few years.


This

I HATE all these cheap plastic junk headlights. GLASS PLEASE!!

 

[DaRider34]

remember when unpainted black plastic cladding meant the base model or cheapness i guess mercedes would like to remind you of that new gle 350

"automakers for equating "cladding" with "capabilities,"

 

[Ifixyawata]

Originally Posted by littleant
Transmissions with no dipstick![/quote
Agree. Makes no sense. Would love to know the reason manufacturers are doing this.


People adding too much or incorrect transmission fluid.

 

[Ifixyawata]

Originally Posted by CKN
For this forum....anything that has showed up in vehicles in the last 50 years.......safety bumpers, electronic ignition (you know you can't become "one" with your car without changing points, plugs and condenser every 12,000 miles) and of course fuel injection, let's not forget ABS brakes, air bags, collision avoidance aids, I could go on but I think I painted the picture.......


I mentioned Fuel Injection and Seat Belts in jest in an earlier post. I think there are plenty here who would love to see a return to points ignitions and oil bath filters.

To add: Unleaded Gasoline!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Anything "sealed" is worthless. Dipsticks,drain plugs,and fill plugs should be required by law.

 

[Brigadier]

Plastic intake manifolds, donut spares, LED headlights, stop- systems, CVTs.

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted by Cdn17Sport6MT
Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by jeepman3071



Sealed beams?

My Cherokee had sealed beams from the factory. They were useless pieces of garbage, and flashlights would be brighter. One of the first upgrades I did was to an H4 housing.


Same here; every car I owned since 1978 got either Cibie or Hella E Codes. I have a set of Hellas in my Wrangler. Sealed beams were pathetic; you were over driving them at 50 mph.
Absolutely worthless.


The day I bought my '87 Plymouth Reliant (six mos. old at the time) 'till I sold it 27 yrs later (!) I had Bosch euro pattern halogen headlamps. Changed bulbs only once per side. Brilliant lighting (for me... YMMV)... Suffice it to say - no yellowed lenses (they were glass).


It is sad that, with a few exceptions, modern headlights are generally no better than a quality pair of true "E-Codes"; Hella, Cibie, even Lucas.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Originally Posted by JerryBob
I'd be happy if they could figure out how to make headlights that don't cloud over after a few years.


This

I HATE all these cheap plastic junk headlights. GLASS PLEASE!!

I don't have an issue with them. Even my Santa Fe 10 years later and 300K miles had perfect headlights. I do apply sealant wax to them once a year from when they are new though.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted by wings&wheels

It is sad that, with a few exceptions, modern headlights are generally no better than a quality pair of true "E-Codes"; Hella, Cibie, even Lucas.


That's the case with the HIDs in my 2 Series; they are only slightly better than the E Codes in my Wrangler.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted by StevieC

I don't have an issue with them. Even my Santa Fe 10 years later and 300K miles had perfect headlights. I do apply sealant wax to them once a year from when they are new though.

Same here, the lenses in my 1995 3er still look new. I think garaging the car helps a great deal.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Anything "sealed" is worthless. Dipsticks,drain plugs,and fill plugs should be required by law.


Sorry. Don't understand why a transmission needs a dipstick. It's a sealed system. If you have a leak-it needs attention. If you want to service it-there are access points underneath for both draining and filling.

Are there not fill points underneath all sealed systems?

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Anything "sealed" is worthless. Dipsticks,drain plugs,and fill plugs should be required by law.

Sorry. Don't understand why a transmission needs a dipstick. It's a sealed system. If you have a leak-it needs attention. If you want to service it-there are access points underneath for both draining and filling.

Are there not fill points underneath all sealed systems?

Agreed.

I'd rather need a special tool to fill my transmission from the bottom, than have a dipstick and have to remove the transmission pan to drain it.

I'd also argue that an oil level sensor is better for the average driver, who would never otherwise check their oil.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Anything "sealed" is worthless. Dipsticks,drain plugs,and fill plugs should be required by law.


Sorry. Don't understand why a transmission needs a dipstick. It's a sealed system. If you have a leak-it needs attention. If you want to service it-there are access points underneath for both draining and filling.

Are there not fill points underneath all sealed systems?



Omitting the diptsick _aka fill hole) essentially deprives the owner of the ability to perform a simple fluid changes.

With sealed systems you either need jack stands/small lift, a pump to fill the fluid, and a scan tool to measure fluid level based upon temp of the unit.

 

[CKN]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Anything "sealed" is worthless. Dipsticks,drain plugs,and fill plugs should be required by law.


Sorry. Don't understand why a transmission needs a dipstick. It's a sealed system. If you have a leak-it needs attention. If you want to service it-there are access points underneath for both draining and filling.

Are there not fill points underneath all sealed systems?



Omitting the diptsick _aka fill hole) essentially deprives the owner of the ability to perform a simple fluid changes.

With sealed systems you either need jack stands/small lift, a pump to fill the fluid, and a scan tool to measure fluid level based upon temp of the unit.


Depending on the vehicle it can be done through the lines that cool the transmission.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Well, during an oil change, I would not like it if the fill location was not easy to access...
And I do like the ease of checking the oil via a dipstick...

At least part of the reason manufacturers did away with the dipstick/filler tube is to get cars into the dealership for service.
I am a DIY to the max person.
And lifetime ATF? Not for me either.

There are accounts of people finding under filled transmissions form the factory.
I am about to service our GS350 F Sport. I have an OBD2 reader to get the temp right...

Finally, because it is more difficult, it is somewhat more likely that proper service might be missed.

Just sayin'

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by aquariuscsm
Anything "sealed" is worthless. Dipsticks,drain plugs,and fill plugs should be required by law.


Sorry. Don't understand why a transmission needs a dipstick. It's a sealed system. If you have a leak-it needs attention. If you want to service it-there are access points underneath for both draining and filling.

Are there not fill points underneath all sealed systems?



Omitting the diptsick _aka fill hole) essentially deprives the owner of the ability to perform a simple fluid changes.

With sealed systems you either need jack stands/small lift, a pump to fill the fluid, and a scan tool to measure fluid level based upon temp of the unit.


NOTHING on a car should be made to where the owner can't maintain it with a good set of tools. My gf's Mustang has the worst transmission setup ever. No dipstick,no idiot light,no drain plug,no fill plug,nothing. Only that worthless Ford specific combo plug that fits up to the dealership's "transmission machine". Come on guys,everyone should be able to maintain their own car in their garage or driveway.

 

[97prizm]

A few things stand out. Fake engine sound in the cockpit, adequate headlamps. While the USA and other countries have made leaps and bounds in crash protection our headlamps lag behind Europe. Three one of my biggest gripes is integrated non-upgradeable audio systems. Several Lexus vehicles and the Tesla model 3 are two huge culprits among others.

 

[jeepman3071]

1. Infotainment:

I work in technology, but the integration into cars is terrible. Nothing like taking your eyes off the road while trying to fumble through menus to turn down the HVAC fan speed or change the radio station. If the infotainment is through a touch screen it is even worse. Nothing like trying to tap on a small icon on the screen while whizzing through traffic at 75 mph. The Audi system and BMW iDrive isn't terrible with the scroll wheel, but some are just awful.

2. Styling:

Cars have bold refreshes every year, making each design seem quickly dated. Many are just ugly and look like spaceships.

 

[Voleak]

The demand for turbo engines, to get a lot of power to the asphalt. Huge wheels and tires to reign all that power under control...

Thing that cracks me up about that is, I see a lot of high powered SUV's with the cheapest tires available on them. Tires brands such as: Ling Long, Triangle, Vercelli, Atturo, Zenna, etc. So, the owners will pay upwards of $1,000 a month for their car payment, But won't fork out a grand every two or three years for quality, safe tires. They want tons of horse power, but they put hockey pucks on it.