useless gizmos and annoyances in modern cars

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#1066600 16-Jun-2014 13:16

On my car I can turn off the Traction control off but never have, I switch off the 4WD for 80% of the time. My SUV I do turn the Traction control off when needed usually when I am engaging lo ratio in mud etc. I leave the traction control on in the SUV 90% of the time.

ilovemusic

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#1066602 16-Jun-2014 13:21

KiwiNZ:

Do do believe that following are waste of time gimmicks?

Anti submarining seats, Airbags, Pyrotechnic seat belts, Seat belt pre-tensioners, ABS, Auto door locks, Brake assist, brake force distribution, collapsing pedals and steering column, etc

No, but neither are they essential.

ilovemusic

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#1066606 16-Jun-2014 13:25

Mark:
scuwp:

ESP if installed is part of the safety system of the vehicle. The car cuts the power to ensure you keep good grip ensuring you do not lose control. Depending on the car you may very well be making an illegal modification, and that's even if the computer will permit such a modification without causing issues elsewhere. ESP/ABS are often integrated. If you fiddle with the factory safety systems on a car don't expect to get a WoF, and good luck claiming insurance if anything happens.

Blah blah blah, stop sucking the fun out of the room! :-)

Yes I know those things you said, not a complete moron you know :-) And yes the ESP and ABS are linked on my car, but then I also know that the ESP/ABS will re-enable when the car goes beyond 30kph regardless of what button I press, the whole reason I want to disable it on my car is because the traction control and ABS do not always know when it's best to engage, I'd like to go skiing with my car this year, any icy hill I encounter with ESP enabled will basically mean I'll never get up the hill.

Ditto !

I had a Mk5 Golf GTI, a brilliant little car, where turning ESP off meant it really stayed off until you switched it back on.

On the latest Golfs it always hovers in the background, except on the top Golf R model but that has other problems... haha

Technofreak

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#1067078 16-Jun-2014 21:44

Annoyances

Radios that need a user manual to figure out how to pair your mobile to the bluetooth handsfree functions - rental cars in particular
Those stupid paddles on the steering wheel to change gears on a "tiptronic" style auto gear box.
The ridiculous number of control sticks/levers some cars have around the steering wheel.

Good stuff
Being able to turn off traction control - nothing worse ( bordering on dangerous) than losing power on a gravel road when one wheel has a hint of wheel spin.
Anti lock braking (ABS)
Manual gearbox
Climate control
Auto off for lights

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

Satch

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#1067368 17-Jun-2014 12:07

Satch: I have both a 2012 Kia Optima (first reg 31/12/2012, and is the second to top model EX) and a Sept 2013 Kia Cerato SX 2.0L hatch (top model). Kia's these days have a lot of standard features on them as they are still trying to break into the mainstream with great cars at competitive prices. I can't help feel I am taking advantage of them at the moment...

Anyway here are the features I like on my two Kias:

Keyless entry
Push button start
Auto retractable side mirrors (Cerato only, Optima requires a button push - annoying)
Cooled drivers seat (Cerato only)
Steering wheel controls
Climate air
Proximity sensor LED guide lights on side mirrors and door handles (Cerato only)
Built in sat nav (Cerato only)
Memory seats
LED day headlights
Heated side mirrors
Two stage indicators (Cerato only)
Cooled glovebox
Dimming rear vision mirror
Hill start assist control

The things I am not so hot about include:

Heated seats (Cerato only. I tend to generally run hot so don't need them, but the gf loves them in the cold)
Cup holders are always too small for bottles like Pump water etc

I'm sure I've missed some things that I just haven't thought about...

Forgot to add auto headlights and auto wipers (Optima only) as likes.

And flappy paddle gears on both my cars as a dislike. Without a clutch I don't have a good feel for when the car needs to change gears. Don't ask me why I feel this way.

scuwp

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#1067397 17-Jun-2014 12:40

ilovemusic:
KiwiNZ:

Do do believe that following are waste of time gimmicks?

Anti submarining seats, Airbags, Pyrotechnic seat belts, Seat belt pre-tensioners, ABS, Auto door locks, Brake assist, brake force distribution, collapsing pedals and steering column, etc

No, but neither are they essential.

I would beg to differ. These are exactly the safety/technology developments that are saving more and more lives on our roads every year. I would not dream of even getting into a car without most of these features these days let alone buying one. This kind of stuff gives you the best chance of survival regardless of the cause of the crash.

One recent annoyance I have come across lately however, the way manufacturers make it so only the dealer can carry out work or repair a vehicle. You get trapped into inflated costs because there is no option (no competition). At least older cars were a bit easier to DIY.

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

MikeAqua

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#1067475 17-Jun-2014 13:58

Touch screens on cars. Especially on a centre mounted controller panel . A no-no in my opinion - too distracting to operate. A tactile jog control, with a well placed readout is much safer to use.

Automatic transmissions. The new ones are smart, but they are all blind. I will choose my own gears thanks. Give me 6 on the floor any day. Manuals aren't obsolete - driver's cars still offer them e.g. VW Golf-R.

An AT can't see the road ahead and take pro-active decisions. An AT can't pre-select a gear to allow me optimal control of under-steer/over-steer as I corner, or pick a gear to get me out of a spot of trouble. An AT can't pick a good gear for a gradient when I am towing. I can do all these things using my eyes and brain.

Yes I could get a car with an auto and shift paddles or tip-tronic but then what is the point of an auto? A CVT is great until you have to service it (typically high volumes of expensive AT fluid), very expensive if the belt goes (of course that won't happen until after the warranty period).

Traffic congestion does not indicate a problem with a manual it indicates that you should probably be on public transport if only it was available, cheap and dependable.

I love ESP, it has saved me from a serious incident or two. But I'm glad I can turn mine off in some circumstances e.g. boat ramp, mud, snow, gravel. It's a liability in those situations.

Mike

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MikeB4

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#1067483 17-Jun-2014 14:03

MikeAqua: Touch screens on cars. Especially on a centre mounted controller panel . A no-no in my opinion - too distracting top operate. A tactile jog control, with a well placed readout is much safer to use.

Automatic transmissions. The new ones are smart, but they are all blind. I will choose my own gears thanks. Give me 6 on the floor any day. Manuals aren't obsolete - driver's cars still offer them e.g. VW Golf-R.

An AT can't see the road ahead and take pro-active decisions. An AT can't pre-select a gear to allow me optimal control of under-steer/over-steer as I corner, or pick a gear to get me out of a spot of trouble. An AT can't pick a good gear for a gradient when I am towing. I can do all these things using my eyes and brain.

Yes I could get a car with an auto and shift paddles or tip-tronic but then what is the point of an auto? A CVT is great until you have to service it (typically high volumes of expensive AT fluid), very expensive if the belt goes (of course that won't happen until after the warranty period).

Traffic congestion does not indicate a problem with a manual it indicates that you should probably be on public transport if only it was available, cheap and dependable.

I love ESP, it has saved me from a serious incident or two. But I'm glad I can turn mine off in some circumstances e.g. boat ramp, mud, snow, gravel. It's a liability in those situations.

I remember trying to retrieve our boat on a rather steep wet and slightly algae covered ramp and forgot to turn off the traction control..embarrassing

BTR

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#1069259 19-Jun-2014 15:23

One of my hates is automatically adjusting drivers seat i.e. the seat moves backwards when you stop the car and forwards again when you start it. Hyundai i45 has this feature, also its engine is to small for such a large card and results in it being gutless on hills.

One other feature which is both good and bad with my car is the clutch pedal has to be pressed in order to start the it, this is great for safety but a pain when you are working on the car, have dirty overalls on and are trying to start the car without actually getting in it i.e. checking for leaks after an oil change.

MikeB4

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#1069264 19-Jun-2014 15:31

BTR: One of my hates is automatically adjusting drivers seat i.e. the seat moves backwards when you stop the car and forwards again when you start it. Hyundai i45 has this feature, also its engine is to small for such a large card and results in it being gutless on hills.

One other feature which is both good and bad with my car is the clutch pedal has to be pressed in order to start the it, this is great for safety but a pain when you are working on the car, have dirty overalls on and are trying to start the car without actually getting in it i.e. checking for leaks after an oil change.

Easy fixed, take it to Oil Changers

BTR

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#1069267 19-Jun-2014 15:33

The other thing I forgot to mention is AWD cars being promoted as being able to do the work of a true 4wd, AWD is not 4WD and never will be, the later have High and low ratios and if lucky locking differentials.

The amount of AWD cars stuck in places they shouldn't driving be amazes me. I think the manufacturers are giving buyers a false sense of security.

MikeB4

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#1069286 19-Jun-2014 15:39

BTR: The other thing I forgot to mention is AWD cars being promoted as being able to do the work of a true 4wd, AWD is not 4WD and never will be, the later have High and low ratios and if lucky locking differentials.

The amount of AWD cars stuck in places they shouldn't driving be amazes me. I think the manufacturers are giving buyers a false sense of security.

I think it is more people misunderstanding AWD v 4WD as opposed to manufacturers misrepresenting them.

BTR

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#1069705 20-Jun-2014 08:04

KiwiNZ:
BTR: One of my hates is automatically adjusting drivers seat i.e. the seat moves backwards when you stop the car and forwards again when you start it. Hyundai i45 has this feature, also its engine is to small for such a large card and results in it being gutless on hills.

One other feature which is both good and bad with my car is the clutch pedal has to be pressed in order to start the it, this is great for safety but a pain when you are working on the car, have dirty overalls on and are trying to start the car without actually getting in it i.e. checking for leaks after an oil change.

Easy fixed, take it to Oil Changers

Why pay someone when I have the tools and space to do it myself. Also I am more likely to take more care when doing the job than they are.

Bung

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#1069723 20-Jun-2014 08:48

MikeAqua: An AT can't see the road ahead and take pro-active decisions. An AT can't pre-select a gear to allow me optimal control of under-steer/over-steer as I corner, or pick a gear to get me out of a spot of trouble.

It sounds like you're talking winding road. In many cases the driver can't see far enough ahead to justify the speed that "needs" a manual gearbox. If you ignore all the usual rural hazards the Police have a bad habit of doing U turns around blind bends.

My pet hate is the anti carjacking door unlock on some cars. Unless you deliberately open all doors you can't unlock a 2nd door without shutting the 1st.

MikeB4

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#1069727 20-Jun-2014 08:53

There is nothing wrong with Auto transmissions or CVT's, the problem is most drivers do not know how to use them correctly. They generally use D, R and P and that is it.

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