Jump to content

Car features


ETCHY

Recommended Posts

I was at work the other day & a bloke was on about a car he wasn't going to buy just because it didn't have a reversing camera & sensors. I mean what the F*** !?

Rather got me thinking about the stuff bunged on more recent cars vs older ones. I can remember a time not long ago when leccy windows were exotic & a rev counter meant you'd bought top spec. Low profile tyres were for exotica & even alloy wheels were rare. Now the amount of stuff on cars is mental, but do we really need all this crap, has it made motoring life better, do we enjoy newer cars with gadgets & fancy wheels more than older simpler ones?

I'm not talking about Austin 7 type basic, as you can possibly go too far, but I can't help thinking most of this stuff is just frippery.

I'd be interested in your thoughts?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nearly none of us in the family have top spec cars, except for Mother Fumbler's Jazz. This is because us, as a family, want at least one modern enough car that is with the times and will fetch a good price when we sell it. That is the ethos of having the car. That's it! Nothing else really. Because the Jazz is top spec, I really don't like it. It has everything from permantely live front and back parking sensors to a massive screen in the centre console and zero switches. It's all computerised and rather dry. There isn't even an ignition barrel and it's keyless entry. There's no control in the machine except for the pedals and manual transmission. It's also a trendy all black interior so it's really dark when you enter it, and the aircon gives me a massive headache. The problem I see is that it has so much stuff we won't need. That being said, driving it is much more fun and responsive than in the previous Jazz, I'm told.

The way I see it, we advanced technologically really quickly at the turn of the milennium and so cars had to catch up and nowadays the market wants the top. They want low profile alloys as standard. They want leather and so on. It would be nice to see a utilitarian, no frills car come into the market but I fear that it won't sell at all, otherwise we'd have several of them on the market today. It doesn't bother me anyway, I like older cars so I will buy older cars until there aren't any older cars left, or until my car is taken away from me because it burns liquified plants.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You only have to look at the amount of numpty e's driving around with no lights on at night, to realise the more automated features the better. Although that reliance on auto lights etc is what causes this in the first place.

i am not immune , last Saturday night I went out with Mrs N for dinner, we used the e30 because it was at the end of the drive.

After dinner( I only had 1 pint!) I started the car put it into drive, then said" Oh bollocks, that's all we need. the lights have packed up!" Mrs N sweetly pointed out that I hadn't switched them on...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like DAB (plug in thing got for a tenner off here) as non DAB stations around here are shit. Otherwise, indicators are nice, 5th gear is handy and I do like a cup holder. Otherwise meh (but my wife does take the piss out of me as I used the spare setting on the Volvo electric seats for when we have pizza in the car - all the way back and slightly more reclined).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How the fuck did we survive without cup holders?? The ones in my V70(My Donkey) are the best I’ve had.

Cup holders should be an acceptable retro-fit on shite, but only decent ones . . Not the thin   plasticy rubbish that pops out and spins round and unfolds. They remind me of the pop out cassette holders from the 80s .

My must haves are Leather, Cruise, Fuel Computer, Minimum 5  Cylinders, Diesel, Turbin, and doesn’t attract attention. 

Fuck cameras, And sensors I can’t be arsed with them

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About the only feature that needs to be on a car for me is an electric starter motor. An automatic choke is a bonus. Having said that, I do find cruise helpful especially on average speed motorways, and I like air con if it's fitted.

My 1st car had a rubber diaphragm thing on the floor to operate the screen washers and manual everything - had been specced with optional heated rear window and passenger mirror though (MK1 Fiesta). Also had the 45 rather than 40BHP high compression engine! As it was the bAse it ran the cooling fan all the time instead of having a thermostatic switch, and only had the centre vents in the dash for the heating. I do wonder if Ford actually saved any money by making a different dash and heater box just so they could punish you for having the bAse. Oh and it had no reverse lights.

It got worse when they facelifted the MK1, later Populars had rubber mats instead of carpet, and no passenger sun visor. Mingebags.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

You only have to look at the amount of numpty e's driving around with no lights on at night, to realise the more automated features the better. Although that reliance on auto lights etc is what causes this in the first place.

I still maintain that this is down to the bloody stupid trend for the dash to be illuminated all the time instead of coming on with the lights. Relying instead on a poxy little green symbol on the dash. 

In town you can't really tell if the lights are on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My car has the following features:
Improved column stalks with rear foglights on the stalks and not on the centre console
Anti-roll bars
Driver's airbag
Radio
Rear demister and wiper
Manually adjusted steering column
16 valves!
and one for the moderns, an ignition barrel with no type of signal transmission from the key apart from an unpowered immobiliser chip.

Add on modern crash technology (because the modern cars are very safe), slightly nicer trim, air conditioning, cruise control, more power and perhaps taller gearing, and I'd be willing to buy the car if it was on the showroom floor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I enjoy some of the features in my 1997 Elgrand, like the remote control that operates most interior features inc the sunroof, auto lights and switchable four wheel drive. However these can all be switched off or ignored at will. Modern features that try and take over the driving for you I find are generally somewhere between off putting and dangerous. Being able to park and remain in the correct lane are things that should be within the capability and control of the driver, but maybe I’m a Luddite

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the 80s in order to boost the profit on their Metro City, my grandad put a stripe down each side, installed a sunroof and put on City X badging. Fools, they’ll never know.

And don’t forget the rule of the road: if you’re in the fast lane and the same model is coming up behind you with colour coded bumpers it is your obligation to let them through. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like cruise control, I use it all the time.

I did once tell an oldie I use it all the time to which they retorted "You should be able to watch your speed and everything else at the same time. We didn't have cruise in my day blah blah"

Yes, valid point. You didn't however have to share the road with mouth breathing morons that seem to want to do want to be as shit at driving as they are at thinking, and have cameras pointing at you every second of every day trying to fuck you for the slightest of transgressions .

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This I quite a good thread for comparison shits n giggles. 

 

I owned a mondeo ST diesel. It was a great car. Comfortable, fast, economic and well spec’d. Cost me £4000 iirc. My dad bought a 13 plate 1 series BMW for about £18k (about 4/5 years ago) so the BM wasn’t very old. But my ST Mondeo was better spec’d. I hated going out in the BM and loved getting back in my ST. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, puddlethumper said:

It's all fwippewy. Base is best. 

The Mk1 MX5 Monza we have is what I like to refer to as track day spec. 

Keep fit windows

no air bag

no air con

no boot latch lever

no abs

no cruise control

no front fogs

manual soft top

no CLOCK

It has a small modification.  The original owner specified a hard top (the 3rd owner flogged it) and that had a heated rear window. So when I replaced the roof, I went for a glass rear window and was able to plug it in and use the wiring from the hard top.

Unfortunately being a monza, it ONLY has 93 BHP as standard and really needs some forced induction. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am currently up in Yarkshire as i have started a new field based job with a company based near Leeds and they have given me a 18 plate Transit to get around in while they build my new Sprinter.

Imagine my shock to find the Ford is lacking air con and leccy mirrors,really an 18 month old van without a.c !!

I felt like doing a flounce.

To be fair the Sprinters spec is the mutts nutts and will be a lovely thing to pilot 

20190821_105614.thumb.jpg.62461ee801a6a2fedb9ee6dcd153a57b.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a six foot plus individual a seat and a steering column adjustment combo is more a necessity of things that aren't always available on smaller or poverty spec vehicles.

As stated by other posters before I think people over-rely on safety technology in their cars and therefore become complacent. Auto lights, auto wipers, radar cruise control etc. and as a result become detached from their vehicle and surroundings. If it was compulsory to learn to drive in a totally manual car - no PAS, no ABS, no gadgetry - I think it would prepare a lot of new drivers for their first car, which may not have the luxuries that a lot of driving school cars seem to have (there are 2 with top-spec BMW 1-Series in the area, and several with higher spec superminis) because there are plenty of 17-20 year olds that can only afford to buy and insure a real snotrag of a motor. I had to teach madam cadence braking in wet weather and how to not lock up the wheels on the Corolla after she passed her test as she was totally unaware it could happen.

I wouldn't remove things that protect the occupants of the car in the event of an accident - airbags, safety cage structure etc.

It's interesting to not that the driving schools round here with the 1-series Beemers have working indicators. Must be a special driving school spec.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For my daily driver I do like toys. Cruise control, car play, DAB and speed limiter is all things I use every day. I was reversing the Granada the other day and kept looking into the centre of the dash for the camera before I realised I really had to think hard about how I park without it.

The spec on my almost base spec KIA was way better than what came as standard on my bosses competitively aged BMW 335d. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most stuff added is bollocks really.

These days, I expect electric Windows and remote central locking and I do like air con but it's not a deal breaker. I'm In and out of moderns all day with work and I find parking sensors very frustrating and incredibly distracting and I don't trust reversing cameras.

I can't see the point in a car that parks itself, you have to be able to park a car in order to pass a driving test. If you can't park, you shouldn't be driving. Plus what if it goes wrong? 

Electric handbrakes are an unnecessary thing. There is no advantage to them except perhaps if you aren't strong enough to pull the lever on tight enough and if they go wrong they are expensive to fix.

A knob that electronically pops up out of the centre console that you use to select gears is another head scratcher. What's wrong with a lever? Probably just a styling thing though.

I wonder if it's just the different marques competing with each other to create the next best thing to fool people into buying?

I just want my car to be reliable and cheap to maintain.

It's all just answers to questions that nobody asked I Think.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, stuboy said:

never owned a car with cruise control

I have spent alot of time on the motorway.  Cruise control aids my ability to not get cramp after a while. And helps not get points. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its all in the name of progress really. As a former trade-plater driving all sorts of different cars with different gadgets it was fun to try gadgets out. Never had a self-parking car though.  It's also fun to see what gadgets cars will come with. Some stuff is useless/showboating crap like rising gear selectors out of the centre console or electronic handbrakes. This stuff just seems to be there because 'they can'.

Personally I'm not really fussed anymore. I have got used to electric windows and remote central locking and I guess after a while I probably would miss them. I sometimes drive my Ma_Sterling's Micra and it reminds me that most gadgets just aren't needed.  I did up-spec it though by adding small upper spec details like rear speakers and tweeter grilles in the A-pillers, JDM Nissan March mats, a rear centre console ashtray, cigarette lighter plug (was just a blanking plate before) and rear passenger under window (non-door) cards with pockets etc....

Gadgets to me were a thing back in the day, like in Fatha_Sterlings Rover Sterling; electric seats all round, electric windows back and front, the big trip computer with the electronic image of the top of the car on the screen, all fun to a 6/7 year old me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want my next long termer to have cruise control,  No so much for laziness, but more for the fact that it will make average speed cameras that are cropping up all over a doddle instead of constant needle watching.

I'm against electronic handbrakes, but the one that really bugs me is electronic fly by wire throttles.

There's no need for them, they're higher maintenance, harder to diagnose, less reliable, more complex to fit and far worse at their job of opening a butterfly valve on the throttle body than a simple bowden cable.

£10 to fix v £50 to diagnose and upwards of £200 to replace some sort of potentiometer, motor or sensor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Fumbler said:

My car has the following features:
Improved column stalks with rear foglights on the stalks and not on the centre console
Anti-roll bars
Driver's airbag
Radio
Rear demister and wiper
Manually adjusted steering column
16 valves!
and one for the moderns, an ignition barrel with no type of signal transmission from the key apart from an unpowered immobiliser chip.

Add on modern crash technology (because the modern cars are very safe), slightly nicer trim, air conditioning, cruise control, more power and perhaps taller gearing, and I'd be willing to buy the car if it was on the showroom floor.

Rear wiper phwoar that was an option on a Shape! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...