Mingebag cost cutting, cheeseparing ,not Project Drive.( oh OK then)

[NorfolkNWeigh]

This morning I observed a Davd Brent salesman type topping up the washer fluid on his Mazda 6. Now,I quite like these,big,swoopy and a bit flashy. I'd rather have one than an A4,3 Series or Insignificenta if someone was stupid enough to give me a job.

But....when he finished , he un propped the bonnet and clipped the bendy bit of metal to the underside of the lid before clanging it down.

WTF? I didn't even know you could buy cars without self supporting bonnets in this century,let alone a quite expensive executive* one.

 

This set me to thinking about what the worse cases of manufacturers thought they could get away with on the name of saving a few pence per car.

I've got a few other ideas,but first I'll open this subject to the floor.

[spike60]

2011 Octavia all set up for remote central locking but keys are extra. I didn't know you could spend that much on a car and have to put the key in the door.

[Pillock]

My recent modern cars:

 

'14 Polo. Key in door to unlock.

'64 Astra. Twangy bit of metal to hold bonnet up, and several missing bits compared to my colleague's 12 plate of the same model - no rear power, no armrest, no front fogs. Project drive is alive and well on my £20,500 car.

[dollywobbler]

I was always amused by the Metro City, where one fog light was deleted, and the side indicators (until mandatory) which were replaced with reflectors. 

[CortinaDave]

Cortina mk3 base came with no carpets... A single rear view mirror and no passenger side sunvisor. Brutal

[Richard]

The early Mk3 Escort base had no carpets and only one (legally required) door mirror. I can't remember if it had a passenger visor or not.

 

Chrysler Sunbeams and Avengers used to come with pretty much everything pre-wired. The fog and reversing lights even had bulbs in them, all you needed to add was a switch. The Sunbeam LE also had no carpets and a single visor- no heated rear window either IIRC.

[Timewaster]

My '14 Focus Edge has a totally different centre console and handbrake layout to my colleagues posh Tit something or other version.

Can't imagine what value that adds.

Mine is the only car in the car park with wheel trims.

There are people that actually pay for options on their company car out of their own pocket. Mental.

[dollywobbler]

Citroen 2CV. The handbrake is in the same place whether LHD or RHD. That's offset to our nearside, so closer to the LHD driver. Frustrating mingebaggery. See also bonnet releases on many cars, including (very frustratingly) Land Rover Discovery/Range Rover.

[HH-R]

I disliked that on the Rover 75 too, handbrake is on the passenger side.

 

I think most cars are still sans bonnet struts, though I'd have expected a big car like a Mazda 6 to have them.

[Richard]

The earliest base model Mk2 Escort came with crossply tyres. In 1975.

[PiperCub]

Alfa Romeo Alfasuds pedal box:

Like the 2CV's handbrake, it was the same unit used for both euro LHD & UK RHD. That's why in a Sud or Sprint you sit with your legs offset to the left (towards the transmission tunnel) with no room to put your clutch foot. Also, it's possible to hit the gas instead of the brake pedal if you aren't used to it or you panic.

 

And I'm not joking either! Cheap bastards.

 

(Didn't stop me from owning 3 Suds and a Sprint down the years!)

[PiperCub]

Also, vans back in the day didn't come with a passenger seat, made them cheaper to buy so my dad's boss used to take this option then send him off to a scrappy to get another seat to fit!

Dad said the boss was so tight he squeaked when he walked.

[mercrocker]

I love cost-cuttings.....Mind you I wouldn't be chuffed if I spent 20K on ANYTHING.   The Cowley was cheese-paring to a fine art.  No passenger sunvisor.  Chrome strips on front wing?  Not on this model, Sir.   Sound deadening?   Army surplus blanket under the rubber mats, then.   Heater?  Try the breakers yard.  Etc.  I mean, it must have COST Morris money to delete this stuff.  The tooling for the badges that say "Cowley" instead of "Oxford" was probably more than they ever saved whisking out the underlay.   And they homogenised the bonnet release to LHD position so I have to lean across the dash (a bloody long way from the seat, I might add) to pull the bastard.  Mind you, even these cars have proper Ammeters and Oil Pressure gauges AND illuminated ignition key holes  - how many steps up popular model ranges are these included at today?       

[PiperCub]

LHS bonnet release? My 205 has that too!!!! (Mind you it's French, what do you expect?)

[Bren]

This morning I observed a Davd Brent salesman type topping up the washer fluid on his Mazda 6. Now,I quite like these,big,swoopy and a bit flashy. I'd rather have one than an A4,3 Series or Insignificenta if someone was stupid enough to give me a job.

But....when he finished , he un propped the bonnet and clipped the bendy bit of metal to the underside of the lid before clanging it down.

WTF? I didn't even know you could buy cars without self supporting bonnets in this century,let alone a quite expensive executive* one.

This set me to thinking about what the worse cases of manufacturers thought they could get away with on the name of saving a few pence per car.

I've got a few other ideas,but first I'll open this subject to the floor.

Buy a mazda 6, and find out where mazda saved a few £ on rust prevention when the backs of the sills disappear.

[doobietoo]

Rover 400 has AUTO in big letters on the drivers door window switch it is only auto on the down stroke though you have to hold it to close it. On the stupid extra switches side it has a full set of window switches in the centre console in addition to the door mounted ones.....

[steve_earwig]

Base model D9 Pug 406s actually came with a trip computer, only they lacked the button in the end of the wiper stalk to actually work it, so all you got was outside temperature and a clock.

 

D8's came with individual reading lights in the overhead console for driver and passenger, D9s got one light that could point either way.

 

D8s came with two bonnet catches, D9s with one (except coupes) although I'm not sure if this was just cost.cutting or more to do with bonnets only catching on one side and then popping open at speed, with not-so-hilarious consequentness.

 

I can't really comment on the RAV because it's hard to imagine how they could make any part of it cheaper than it already is but I do know on later RAVs (particularly the wonderful* 2.2 D-CUP CAT) there is no spare tyre, all you get is a tin of jollop (I don't think Toy otter are alone in the particular cost-cutting exercise either).

[colnerov]

Rover 400 has AUTO in big letters on the drivers door window switch it is only auto on the down stroke though you have to hold it to close it. .....

 

 Hi, that was introduced (I think by law) because a number of children were seriously injured or killed by haveing their head trapped between the window and door frame after hitting the switch. If a car has auto up then it has a load sensor and stops or drops the window.

 

 Colin

[twosmoke300]

The original aygo /c1 /107 didn't have a boot light or even a bloody passenger side courtesy light switch

[HH-R]

Rover even cost cut the AUTO writing off the switch by 2002.

[320touring]

On the e30 front caliper bolts are 19mm, by the e36 they were 16mm.

 

My xj40 has an escort key and the world's cheapest plastic for the obc buttons.

its like pressing a basin

[Ghosty]

Bini Clubman rear half-door.

 

It's behind the (UK) driver's side door, as it was designed for Mainland Europe so the passengers could get in the back more easily. 

In the UK it opens onto the road

[Bren]

My vectra has keep fit windows in the back. Shite for a 2007 car.

 

Also, it has a fiat engine - Vauxhall's research and development budget was obviously on a par with the special effects budget for an episode of Blakes 7.

[I_am_Diesel]

SWMBOs Freelander doesn't indicate the outdoor temperature or have a tell tale for the lights being on. Luxury brand? I think not.

[Pillock]

My Astra also has analogue rear windows, and as with a lot of new cars doesn't have a spare wheel - £90 option is that.

 

Mk1 Mondeo had no footwell lights, but had all the wiring and bulb holders. Slide a bulb in and get SHEER LUXURY.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

It doesn't matter how much you spend either . F10 (latest shape) 5 Series BMW's have a chrome blanking thing on the front wings where the indicator repeaters should be if they weren't in the door mirrors.

The M5 avoids this by having a big fuck off vent and M badge,although you could spend £100k on a loaded Alpina and still have this half arsed solution* first used by VW on the facelift Sharan in 2004.

[bigfella2]

The original aygo /c1 /107 didn't have a boot light or even a bloody passenger side courtesy light switch

SHMBO 2004 Ibiza sport TDI has just about every conceivable extra you could want, but Seat in its infinite wisdom decided to omit the boot light too. Real handy if you need anything out off the boot, or even change the wheel at the roadside. But i will give credit to Seat, in that they supplied a full size wheel and not something that looks at home on a BMX.

[KruJoe]

This 106 D we have here is utterly poverty stricken, apart from the fancy-pants bonnet gas struts! Go figure.

[2MB]

Were gas struts standard on the 106? Because the 205 and 306 are firmly in the bonnet stand camp

[Hendry]

Vauxhall are masters of this shit:

 

Prefacelift Vectra C has a bonnet gas strut, facelift doesn't. Base special editions don't have a 12v socket, 55 plate facelifts have rear heater vent ducts, 06 and newer facelifts have a shitty useless space where the vents should be.

 

Mk5 Astra Design models have trip computer and check control displays from 04, 54 and 05 reg, 55 and newer have the basic clock, outsidr temp and radio station display.

 

Facelifted Insignia SRis don't have a middle rear head rest or centre armrest. Prefacelifts do.

 

Even the handbook wallet has suffered, my 1997 mk3 Astra had a decent quality leather folder with a metal, coloured griffin emblem and a metal stud fastening to keep it closed, my 2002 mk4, 2005 mk5 and 2005 Corsa C all had a cheap leather one, no fastening and no metal emblem. Ford black canvas zip up handbook wallets used to have a stitched Ford logo, now its just a sticker/transfer. Can't see why theyd bother when for example every mk8 Fiesta is fitted with electric mirrors even on base model when on mk7 base had manual ones the expense must outweigh any savings on handbook wallets by quite an amount

 

Ford Focus Zetecs seem to come with totally random centre console arrangements, we have a load of them at work, all 64 plate with consecutive reg, diesels, petrol autos with sat nav, petrol manuals with sat nav, petrol autos without sat nav, petrol manuals without sat nav and there is no common theme with console, some have a front centre armrest between the front seats, Z shape handbrake below the heater controls and the2 cup holders across the way in front of armrest, others have no armrrest, a tiny cubb hole where the handbrake is on other ones, handbrake further down and the cupholders one below the other beside handbrake.

 

VW Jetta (mk5 Golf shape) in Sport spec (the highest spec model) with 17" alloys, front fogs, sports seats, front and rear armrests, 4x electric windows, cruise, trip computer, air con, 8 speaker CD MP3 aux in stereo, leather steering wheel, map lights, illuminated mirrored sunvisors, height adjustable front passenger seat, auto dim rear view mirror, auto lights, rain sensor wipers, basically fully loaded but missing steering wheel/column mounted audio controls that come as standard on base Clios, base Focuses etc on the same 2009 year.