useless gizmos and annoyances in modern cars

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#1066067 15-Jun-2014 16:40

Speedo in the center of the dash so you have to look over to check your speed ... Reflective bits on the dash that catch the sunlight and send it right into your eyes ... Computers between your foot and the gas.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

insane

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#1066069 15-Jun-2014 16:43

I don't think I'd buy another car that doesn't have
Auto window wipers
Auto headlights
Cruise control
Steering wheel audio controls
Fuel trip computer
Curtain Airbags
ESP

Once you have them it's hard going back.

scuwp

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#1066078 15-Jun-2014 17:03

Funny...just about everything the OP is having a rant about are the very features I would see as either essential or preferred.

Driver modes - can adjust the nature of the vehicles handling and performance according to the conditions/desired driving behavior - win!
Multiple set ups - nice way to accommodate all different shapes and sizes for multiple drivers, even better if they have a memory - win!
Electric parking brakes - win! (handbrake slides are soooo 80's) - win!
Non-defeatable nanny systems - cover your butt when you do something dumb, also many are now mandatory and contribute to the 5 star safety ratings - win!
Small steering wheels - what...you prefer to drive with the steering wheel of a Bedford truck? Power steering systems have made large steering wheels redundant
Obscured instruments - OK, will have to give you that one
Buttons on the steering wheel - allow control of the main functions without taking your hands off the wheel or eyes off the road. +1 for safety and efficiency - win!
Keyless start - convenience+ The car knows I have the key, why do I need to instert tab A into slot B? - win!
Flappy paddles/tiptronic - goes nicely with the sport suspension settings and permits an allowable level of driver input without blowing something up - win!

I would have thought as Geeks the majority around here would love MORE buttons and features not less ?

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Sideface

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#1066080 15-Jun-2014 17:05

ilovemusic: rant thread !

what annoys you about modern cars ?

let's start with...
non-defeatable traction control/esp/nanny systems.

Turn off traction control and die. It's there for a reason.
A few years ago a rich idiot in Auckland bought a shiny new Ferrari and turned off the traction control to see what would happen.
He found out within minutes, and wrapped his new toy around a power pole.
The driver survived and famously put up half a Ferrari for sale on TradeMe.

Sideface

Dingbatt

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#1066083 15-Jun-2014 17:15

ilovemusic:
alasta: I actually really like modern cars and don't find any major annoyances with mine, but when I was hanging around a Ford dealership a few weeks ago I was surprised to see that some models have a small rocker switch on the side of the transmission lever for manual gear changes. This seems like a very awkward design compared with most other modern vehicles which have either a separate gate which allows the lever to be thrown up or down, or steering column paddles.

It does also bug me a bit that Asian and European cars have the indicator stalk on opposite sides.

the side switch is typical ford penny pinching on their dual-clutch transmissions.
cheaper to use that type of switch than steering wheel paddles.

which brings me to some more gripes...

auto tranny cars that offer manual shifting but with a backwards gate action, i.e. push forward to go up a gear instead of the correct pull back action.

and bmw's with non-manual gearboxes that don't give you a full width brake pedal !

grrrrrrrrrr

I have the latest model Focus with this dual clutch transmission. I almost invariably tries to accelerate away from an intersection where you slowed, but not stopped, in way too high a gear. A simple blip on the rocker switch you mention drops it down to the proper gear. For the record, I dont like the transmission.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

bluedisk

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#1066091 15-Jun-2014 17:20

I usually drive a Holden Commodore 2004 model which is a pretty solid workhorse, but I do get to drive a big range of rental cars when I travel. When I pick up a rental car at the airport, I don't want to be diving in to the owners manual to work out how to get the park brake off.

My pet hates of newer rental cars;
- fiddly bluetooth connections to my mobile phone, I just seem to spend way to much time trying to sort this out usually. Once set up its brilliant to be able to listen to my own music.
- cars without the ability to connect with my mobile.
- parking brakes that are not just pull up levers "old school style"
- cars that lock themselves after a set period, was once badly caught out by this. I know its in the set-up, but frustrating if you have not set this up youself.
- cars that talk to you like you're an idiot, or their best friend, Grrr

The jury is out on cruise control, there's not too many places in the lower North Island where you can use this (but I'm sure there are plenty of people who live where there are plenty of flat, straight sections of road where it fits the bill.

Otherwise I quite like a lot of newer cars, but for rentals they need to have a quick learning curve.

Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all...

surfisup1000

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#1066096 15-Jun-2014 17:31

Climate control -- never been in a car where climate control worked.

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sdav

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#1066100 15-Jun-2014 17:42

Non standard petrol flap lever! There should be a consortium created and devoted to establishing a standard for this!

MikeB4

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#1066102 15-Jun-2014 17:42

surfisup1000: Climate control -- never been in a car where climate control worked.

That's odd every car I have owned with it has worked great. That would be from memory the last 6 cars.

oxnsox

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#1066107 15-Jun-2014 17:52

sdav: Non standard petrol flap lever! There should be a consortium created and devoted to establishing a standard for this!

Agree. I think rental case companies must pay car builders to put fuel openers in weird places so you don't fill them up and thus get charged Rental refill rates. (Strangest place I never found the release button was on a roof mounded centre console)

JimmyH

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#1066111 15-Jun-2014 18:06

I love most of the new features - sadly, I don't drive with them often because my car is too old to have them.

The only two I hate are:

1. Automatic transmissions, in any form, whether computer controlled or otherwise. I would much rather have a traditional manual "five on the floor" stick shift configuration.

2. Those really annoying continuous chimes you can't turn off if it senses someone in a passenger seat and the belt isn't done up - as it can't tell whether there is a person or a box on the seat. When I get a new car, I will only buy one of the cars that offers this "feature" if the dealer disconnects the sensors before I take possession. I don't want to suffer that all the way home when I have just put a box on the back seat.

MikeB4

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#1066113 15-Jun-2014 18:11

JimmyH: I love most of the new features - sadly, I don't drive with them often because my car is too old to have them.

The only two I hate are:

1. Automatic transmissions, in any form, whether computer controlled or otherwise. I would much rather have a traditional manual "five on the floor" stick shift configuration.

2. Those really annoying continuous chimes you can't turn off if it senses someone in a passenger seat and the belt isn't done up - as it can't tell whether there is a person or a box on the seat. When I get a new car, I will only buy one of the cars that offers this "feature" if the dealer disconnects the sensors before I take possession. I don't want to suffer that all the way home when I have just put a box on the back seat.

I have found modern auto transmissions work better than manual, the chimes you talk of seem to be prevalent on Japanese imports, NZ new that I have always owned only have a warning that the lights are on if follow me home is not present and a warning for the key is in the car if the drivers door is opened.

benokobi

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#1066123 15-Jun-2014 18:25

Cooled seats and heated steering wheels.

zocster

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#1066127 15-Jun-2014 18:35

I reckon this is cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPOWVUrHJyI

Andy Ghozali Geekzone Member	E: andy@ghozali.ru M: +64 21 395 458 A: Andy's Business Services, 231 High St, Christchurch 8011, NZ
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scuwp

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#1066131 15-Jun-2014 18:40

JimmyH: The only two I hate are:

1. Automatic transmissions, in any form, whether computer controlled or otherwise. I would much rather have a traditional manual "five on the floor" stick shift configuration.

Manual tranny is a redundant dinosaur that will soon be completely obsolete IMO. Modern auto/tiptronic transmissions walk all over manual's nowadays. Also nothing worse than spending 2 hours in the drawl of Auckland motorway with a manual, left leg sure gets a workout (and the clutch) ...thats gets tiresome really quickly!!

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

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