Driver unfriendly car features

[barrett]

So do Citroen Amis, but that's a bit more excusable.

 

The digital clock in my 406 isn't illuminated at all, but I'm not sure if that is a design fault or just the ravages of time at work, and in any case I'm always late so it doesn't really matter what the time is.

 

I'm amused at the first post in this thread suggesting that taking your eyes off the road for a second to look at the clock in a Renault 14 will instantly result in a fatal car crash, but I'm not familiar with the OP so I don't know if it's sarcastic or not.

[John F]

Automatic gearboxes.

 

Hateful things, swapping ratios whenever and wherever they bloody feel like it, sometimes several times in just a few seconds, always accompanied by a moronic soundtrack of ill-timed engine revving.

 

How anyone that thinks of themself as a motoring aficionado rather than a crippled commuter can relinquish control to one of these lazy, stupid devices is completely beyond me, especially since well-timed and well-executed gearchanging is arguably one of the most engaging elements of driving.

[MarvinsMom]

^this was my experience in a merc W210 E-class,

 

but not something i've ever noticed in either the xj6 we had, or the current lexus ls400.

 

so its only something in crappy mordenz do when they have too many ratios?

 

as both them big old barges above just make do with 4 speeds?

 

saying that, as i understand it these 7 and 8 speed auto boxes, are nothing pof the sort, just 4 speeders with what is in effect an overdrive on 3, or all 4 speeds.

[Aston Martin]

Automatics are the greatest, robotised manuals however...

[dozeydustman]

That buffeting noise you get on some cars when only one window is open. Normally if it's a rear window. Seems to be on more modern stuff than older.

[Rod/b]

Where I live, every single car has to have an audible tell tale when hit 120 km/h. In some cars it just goes “ping” once, which is fine. In my old Kia Sportage it pinged fucking CONTINUOUSLY until your speed went below 120.

 

On my Dodge it pinged at 120 on the way up, and at 120 when you were decelarating too, which seemed needlesly pointless.

[Ghosty]

My Rover does that with the front windows and sunroof open.

Tried to counter it by opening the rear windows instead, and the headlining collapsed.

That buffeting noise you get on some cars when only one window is open. Normally if it's a rear window. Seems to be on more modern stuff than older.

[Zelandeth]

The Mercedes indicator/wiper combined stalk is fine. At least it is in the 80s ones...not sure if they've decided to combine a heap of additional features in later years.

 

It's a bit like the Citroen pods, bit odd until you're used to it, but works absolutely fine then.

 

The problem with saying auto boxes are crap is that they exist in almost as many different characters as people do. Some are bloody awful, some aren't. Also there's a question of whether it's matched properly to the car.

 

Despite only having three speeds and no electronic controls the auto box on my old 8v Saab 900 was great. It just quietly got on the the job, always seemed to know which gear to be in, and the kickdown if you stomped on the throttle it would have completed the requested kickdown in a fraction of a second. It was still great fun on a twisty back road and didn't detract at all from the joy of driving it. Meant in town it could just waft around without any hassle at all.

 

Now, I've driven a 16V version and it was totally different. The torque curve of the engine just didn't work nearly as well with the 'box and it felt gutless. We proved conclusively that my 8v auto was quicker in the mid range than my mate's 16v manual...much to his surprise!

 

Touch screens are the invention of the devil though. In fact let's extend that...touch panel controls in general! Seems to be quite a few cars now seem to have capacitive touch sensitive controls that are basically a touchscreen without the screen.

 

Automotive controls should be something that I can easily find, interpret and operate purely by touch. Touch screens I need to actually look at. To my brain having to manipulate a touch screen while driving is often nearly as dangerous as using a mobile.

[Guest Hooli]

Another vote for touch screens here, they are shit in every application & the stupidest place to put them is somewhere you need tactile feedback & buttons you can find by feel. ie a car.

[lesapandre]

Touch screens and all this other crap. Who is going to fix it? Probably no one and cars will be scrapped - especially stuff where the items are mission critical. Satnav...personally I like a paper map. One the only gimmicks I do like in a car is cruised control when on long trips abroad oh and heated seats.

[New POD]

On a facelift Omega there is a double din stereo with cassette, radio and 4 disc changer. If you have it in park, you can't get the 4 disc cassette out because the gearstick is in the way.

So the only way to swap discs is to turn on the ignition. Press the brake and move the stick back to N.

Stupid.

[R9UKE]

Cupholder in a Clio 2.  Impossible to use without spilling the drink everywhere on the way in and out

[New POD]

Automatic gearboxes.

 

Hateful things, swapping ratios whenever and wherever they bloody feel like it, sometimes several times in just a few seconds, always accompanied by a moronic soundtrack of ill-timed engine revving.

 

How anyone that thinks of themself as a motoring aficionado rather than a crippled commuter can relinquish control to one of these lazy, stupid devices is completely beyond me, especially since well-timed and well-executed gearchanging is arguably one of the most engaging elements of driving.

And yet the auto box in the omega is a nice thing.

 

I think it's learned how i drive. The kick down seems to read my mind. Or reads the position of my foot.

 

or maybe I've learnt how to make it do what i want. At 69 mph, the last thing you want is to change down just because you try to increase your speed to 70 mph

 

There's a point where if you press hard it will change down one and even 2 gears but it's predictable.

[Guest Hooli]

Automatics are lovely in big lazy engined cars, they are bloody awful in tiny engined town cars or anything sporty.

[dozeydustman]

Automatics are lovely in big lazy engined cars, they are bloody awful in tiny engined town cars or anything sporty.

 

 

Depends on the car, and the selection of the ratios in both the autobox and final drive. The difference in engine revs between a manual o/d or 5-speeder and a 3 (or even some 4) speed auto at cruising speeds is very noticeable in some cars, particularly in the classics and general chod we run around in, maybe not so noticeable in others. Some may have a lower final drive in the auto version, so even a 4-speed manual with a 1:1 top gear would be a little more relaxed.

 

Owned 2 scimitars, an auto and a manual. The auto was so busy at motorway speeds 3000-3500 rpm for a V6) it detracted from it being a relaxing touring car, which the manual o/d version certainly was (around 2000-2500 rpm). Same final drive IIRC.

 

The 6-speed auto in my dad's discovery 3 is a dreadful unit with an oversensitive kickdown and couldn't pick a suitable ratio if it tried. At some road speeds with the cruise set and on a flat road, it faffs between two ratios unless you adjust the set cruise speed. I believe the same unit is fitted to mum's Jag XF, and it seems better suited to a wafty-ish saloon than a 4x4 as it doesn't fartarse around so much in the Jag.

 

I fully agree with small cars with busy engines and autoboxes. Modern over square, 4-valve per cylinder engines, especially the smaller capacities, lack the torque and laziness you need for an autobox to be worthwhile fitting. Even the self-shifting manuals ponce around finding a decent gear for the road speed.

[Guest Hooli]

Fair point. My old W124 260e was undergeared with it's autobox, it always felt like it needed another ratio at motorway speeds. It was doing something daft like 3k at 70mph, much too high for a 2.6. My XJ40 was doing under 2k from memory with a 3.2 and I know the 4.0 revved even lower. Both four speed autos of similar ages.

[dozeydustman]

Just looking up a few facts and figures, the 2.6 Merc engine produced its peak torque at 4,600rpm, which for a six is quite high. The AJ6 units fitted to your jags had their peak torque at 4000 for the 3.6 and 3600 for the 4 litre.

 

The gearing of their transmissions was substantially different though. The Merc, even with a 4-speed auto, had a 1:1 ratio top, but the jags had quite a good overdrive ratio of 0.75:1, thus the lower cruising speeds.

[Guest Hooli]

That'd make sense from how I remember them driving.

[Alusilber]

Metal inserts on the plastic gear knob on VAG chod.

The metal is freezing cold on your hand in the winter and searingly hot in the summer.

What was wrong with a plain plastic gear knob which was at the wrong temperature all year round?

 

 

The Pug 2008 has a big slab of aluminium on top of the gear knob and hence exactly the same problem.

 

Also, a gratuitously oddly-shaped handbrake lever. At least it isn't electronic...

 

The weird instruments vs. steering wheel business doesn't annoy me as much as I thought it would though. 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

LED brake lights that blind you in traffic at night...

 

LED DRLs that blind you day or night.

[Guest Hooli]

LED DRLs that blind you day or night.

 

It's not beyond the wit of man to focus LEDs properly like dipped beam yet for some reason it's not done.

[SiC]

Cupholder in a Clio 2. Impossible to use without spilling the drink everywhere on the way in and out

And invariably goes between the plastic molding and gives the Airbag module a soaking! Especially problematic when its an acidic, sticky and sugary soft drink.

[binhoker668]

Xantia - lights on/full beam. With the seat at full height (as I usually prefer) I don’t have enough leg room. So with the seat down to accommodate this, and the wheel down a bit as a consequence, I cannae see the full beam dash light. Which wouldn’t be an issue if the lights weren’t totally shite anyway!

Ok, it’s a minor grump.

 

 

Oh, and the rear heated screen button on the end of the left hand stalk. Irritating!

[binhoker668]

AND one more thing. Did Bertone/Citroen/French interior designers have a problem with coffee drinking? Where does me cup go guys????

Ok, done.

For now.

[Pillock]

Lights that come on full beam if, whilst the lights were off, you interacted with the full beam control in any way.

 

You're going to turn the headlights on but you have to remember your movements over the past 18 hours to remember if you might have pulled that lever, hence you're going to blind someone coming towards you.

[PhilA]

Automatics are lovely in big lazy engined cars, they are bloody awful in tiny engined town cars or anything sporty.

Kinda agree. The Borg-Warner 35 that was bolted to a Rover V8 was pleasant and could be instructed what to do with a simple modulation of the accelerator; with only 3 gears it was rarely in the wrong one because the engine has enough torque.

The modern 6 speed auto in my Challenger was ferociously quick, much faster than I could ever change gear and the program it was running was very much akin to driving a manual in the way it would change, particularly in deceleration- it would change down and use the engine to brake.

 

I've driven small cars with small engines with automatic gears and usually what ends up happening is the poor thing is screaming its nuts off with little additional acceleration because it's run out of torque and the torque/power characteristics of the engine are still far too peaky for automatic gears so every gear is the wrong gear.

 

Phil

[barrett]

I would never drive a car with cup holders. Drink yer coffee before/after your journey, it's not rocket surgery.

[PhilA]

Lights that come on full beam if, whilst the lights were off, you interacted with the full beam control in any way.

You're going to turn the headlights on but you have to remember your movements over the past 18 hours to remember if you might have pulled that lever, hence you're going to blind someone coming towards you.

My Renault does the latch on/latch off thing on the high/dip beam with the headlights on.

 

However, no matter which position it was in when the lights were on the mechanism inside resets to dip beam next time the lights are put on.

 

It does, however have the horn push on the end of the stalk. It would be fine but in the Jeep that action on that stalk operates the screen wash.

 

Yes! Yes you, the car that just pulled out dangerously in front of me! I'm now washing my windscreen and can't see where I'm going any more! Screw you!

 

Phil

[Pillock]

I keep flashing people on the motorway instead of engaging cruise control (Mercedes).

 

Thankfully there's some speed logic involved as where I'd expect the windscreen washers to be is in fact "park". Doesn't engage above 3mph.

[bramz7]

Not had many cars with cup holders, the 605 has a handy storage space (with lid for added support) that can be used as an adhoc one. 

Auto boxes are either good, or bad. The 323i auto is doing 2k rpm at 70, which is great! My old 605 Auto was doing 2.9k at 70. Not so good. The manual 605 is about 2200 at 70. Much better and marked improvement in fuel economy. 

 

I don't like the 605s wiper movements. They rest on rubber mounts (which all perish) but when in use they are raised up. Downside is that it does an extra one (sometimes two) sweeps to reset the wipers to their resting position, which means scraping wipers on the dry screen.

 

I hate internal boot releases which need battery power to work. Why! What if the battery is flat, and the lock is missing?! At least other cars use cables.

 

The 605 (and XMs I believe) have buttons to turn all the interior lights on, which is great.

 

Cars without foot rests. Or foot rest shaped mounds of carpet. You hateful people. Not so bad on older, smaller cars but in Xantias and such like it's just mean.