Least desirable cars of today

[Guest]

A lot of modern stuff seems to suffer this, I suppose the designers think it makes cars look very dynamic. Must be rubbish for rear visibility though, especially with the rear headrests - when following anything like that I wonder how much the driver can possibly see of me.

I had a go with a Fiesta hire car of the generation before the newest one and the rear headrests were enormous. If I was taking it any further than around the block I would have taken them off and chucked them in the boot. Another point was that the rear passengers sit up high above the driver, which didn't help.I think the thing is with boxy cars is that they "use" more of their space, bigger volume etc. My dad's old 407SW didn't feel like an enormous car but it took up the space of one on account of it bulging out everywhere, particularly the doors.

[r.welfare]

before the tyranny of the wedge took over.

It's all the fault of the Austin Princess! Speaking of 70's BL products, and dismal modern interiors, wouldn't it be nice if something Maxi-sized these days had the usable interior space of a Maxi.And I hate the way all new cars seem to come with MPV-esque depth of dashboards due to the slope of the 'screen - you need chopsticks to operate a TomTom (other portable satnavs are available) if you affix it in the "sensible" place, i.e. bottom right corner of the 'screen.

[reallyloud]

Like Retromatt of this parish, I chose to study automotive design at Cov uni a few years back with the hope of designing vehicles. I had the flexibility fairly early on the course to actually change the study modules without leaving the course, to eventually be a qualified transport and product designer. The main issue was that I couldn't get motivated by current car styling trends - with a few exceptions, like the Alfa 164, Chrysler 300C, Fiat Panda and a few Audis, I thought the then current car styling trend was gash and didn't want to be part of it. A lot of the guys on the course, were interested in mostly sports cars and the ultimate dream is to work for the likes of Ferrari. Some do make it, and deservedly so, alas the rest end up designing rear clusters and hub caps for GM products. Car designers design cars for other car designers, not the people who buy them. I can't wait for this current fish mouth, odd curvy negative surfaces (you can thank ex-BMW designer Chris Bangle for that one) and upswept rear pillar nonsense to end.By the way, Harris Mann was also a part time lecturer at the uni, who was by all accounts a very decent and genuine guy. He told me that the Allegro styling was ruined by the engineers who insisted in using the tall E series engines. He was also responsible for the TR7 and Princess, both good ideas poorly executed.

[Negative Creep]

A lot of modern stuff seems to suffer this, I suppose the designers think it makes cars look very dynamic. Must be rubbish for rear visibility though, especially with the rear headrests - when following anything like that I wonder how much the driver can possibly see of me.Also, it must make the back seat of these cars a pretty grim place to be, sitting in the gloom with teeny windows.

I drove a new Megane a few months ago - rear visibility is absolutely shocking. It's like looking through a letterbox and the c pillars creat massive blindspots. Reversing out of a space was a real barrel of laughs. I don't understand how a car can be sold with 20 airbags and 7 ncap stars, yet has such a massively obvious safety issue?

[dollywobbler]

People think the Laurel is a big car, but I think that's just an illusion due to its square-ness. With good steering lock and corners that can be seen it's probably more manouevreable than a modern supermini.

My Rover P6 (well, about to be sold hopefully...) and my old Volvo 740 estate are two of the easiest vehicles I've ever tried parking. You can see the corners from the driving seat and visibility in both is excellent.

[gallondrunk]

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[Guest]

The main issue was that I couldn't get motivated by current car styling trends - with a few exceptions, like the Alfa 164

Alfa 164? How long were you doing the course for?I'm not keen on the current crop of "big brand" motors, but there are some nice things out there. I'm fascinated by new Korean stuff at the moment - not just in a "look, future shite" way but because they actually look car-like. The latest Hyundai Sonata looks superb, as does the Chevrolet Epica/Daewoo Tosca. Probably because they conform to my rather narrow-minded view that a big 4-door car should be an obvious 3-box design.To be honest, I think full-size cars tend to usually look alright, but it's this strange way they seem to be trying to shrink the features of a big car onto a supermini that I can't quite grasp. Something like a Corsa should look quite cute, not like a Vectra after going in a giant vice.

[reallyloud]

Alfa 164? How long were you doing the course for?

Yes. Seemed like forever sometimes. I meant the 156....While the exterior design has gone a bit mental - like hirsty sez, a compressed big car with all the mal-proportioned big car touches (like the fecking headlamps) the interiors of these small cars seemed to have improved considerably - particularly when it comes to assembly quality, seat design and gadgets. The quality of the plastics used is still shocking though.

[Volksy]

I actually quite like the 'pre dented' styling of the newest BMW 7 Series, but it hasn't shrunk down very well at all for the smaller models. Although the 6 series - in coupe, rather than convertable form, is quite an attractive design.

[Spottedlaurel]

I find the ‘soft’ styling of the Insignia quite surprising, does look a big old thing though. Most cars in that class remind me of almonds – long, gentle, constant radius curves with a point bit at the end. Designers seem to shy away from a having a kink either at the base of the windscreen pillar or the top of it, which I suppose then gives that deep dashboard.On the headlamps, I think they’re nowadays hugely long to disguise the vast bulk that hangs out beyond the front wheels, stylists use them to break up the bulk forced upon them by FWD, pedestrian safety etc.

[Milford Cubicle]

And I hate the way all new cars seem to come with MPV-esque depth of dashboards due to the slope of the 'screen - you need chopsticks to operate a TomTom (other portable satnavs are available) if you affix it in the "sensible" place, i.e. bottom right corner of the 'screen.

Don't you find the 405 suffers from this a bit? Unless it's just that Garmin sat-nav mounts are much shorter than TomToms. I've mounted mine on the dash by the instrument panel.

[Pete-M]

I think I'm one of the few, but I love the look of the big Mercs at the moment, the E-S-SL type stuff.It's the number of MPVs that winds me up. Every fucker and his dog seems to find driving about in a Zafira / Golf Plus / Kuga / Scenic type thing. Why? I don't get it. My brother has an Espace and an E class Merc, he's got three young kids and they tend to go everywhere in the Merc instead of the Espace - ' because it's easier in the Merc '. There was some over-spawned bint in the Mirror today warbling on about how very wonderful the Honda whatever it is CRV when you've got triplets. It's a joke, when me and my brother were young we were happy enough in the back seat of a P6 or whatever my dad was using at the time. I remember going to bloody Stafford on the rear parcel shelfy bit in the back of a TR6. Yes, a TR6. Bit of a squeeze but no problem once I was actually wedged in. Not exactly comfy, but it meant I could go.Five up, 300 mile trips were a regular thing (not in the TR6), didn't need a bloody minibus or a roof box when we went on holiday. Any half decent saloon car (not made by Jaguar) had plenty of space..Mutter mutter. I blame decimalisation, etc.

[55bloke]

^^^^ Couldn't have put it better!

[r.welfare]

I think part of the problem is the "NCAP mentality" has spread to baby seats and buggies. The things are now chuffing enormous. Honestly, ours fills the boot of an Accord hatchback, and the boot on that isn't small.It's been like that for a while - my old boss's main claim to fame was he was involved in a What Car? group test about 12 years ago, looking at the E36 saloon, 1st gen A4 and S40 T4. For the purposes of the mag he went with the T4 because the other two wouldn't swallow the baby gear...in reality he went and bought a Fiat Coupe and got his wife to buy an Accord Aerodeck instead 8)I don't really like the styling of the big Mercs - the S-Class could pass as the new big Hyundai (which is clearing up in the US but they'll never release it here) and the CLS just looks daft. The new C-Class is one of the best-looking medium saloons though - along with the C5 (dark colours), Insignia (oh what!) and (I agree with Hirst) the Sonata/Magentis.

[pogweasel]

And I hate the way all new cars seem to come with MPV-esque depth of dashboards due to the slope of the 'screen - you need chopsticks to operate a TomTom (other portable satnavs are available) if you affix it in the "sensible" place, i.e. bottom right corner of the 'screen.

Hey, I'd noticed this too. Or rather I don't notice it until I get into my rakish BMW again... try to turn the wheel with a benson silver or golden virginia rollie other low-quality nicotine products are available on the go and you finish up wiping it all over the screen. GAH!

[garycox]

Every fucker and his dog seems to find driving about in a Zafira / Golf Plus / Kuga / Scenic type thing.

Hmmm... I agree with your sentiment here but I hardly ever see any Golf Plusses around (And they've been out for, what... 5 years now?) I'm not even sure what a Kuga is...I'm a bit late to the party here but about rear visibility, my mum's 'new' 5yr old 206 has the worst rear headrests I've experienced. They have a sort of crap backrest on too like the aftermarket front headrests from the 70s, so with them down the ridge between the actual seat and the headrest bit sticks in your back. There's 3 of them too so the visibility is poor whether they're up or down. With them up they reach almost tot the top of the rear screen meaning rear visibility is almost zero. Prepare yourselves for a full on rant about this car shortly! I might even start a new thread for it. It's that bad.

[andrew e]

Like Pete I find the Mercs very appealing, especially the new C class. Unlike Pete I find the zafira the best estate car in the real world.

[ashmicro]

I'll never look at current Mercs again without a mental olfactory image of burning plastic ( my C Coupe went on fire on the M5 (Belfast) at less than a year old)*. They're not that well made - you know, those little things you notice when you're REALLY cleaning a car.I love the Hyundai Tucson - so ugly it's cool, and a very capable motor.I know the Rover 25 is a seriously old design, but, to my eyes, it just looks, well, right. And mine's never went on fire. Not even a little bit.* Thank you PSNI for giving me a lift home!