Car design quirks that do/did your head in

[RoverFolkUs]

Something got me thinking earlier, what irrational design quirk of an otherwise pretty decent car really bugs you? 

I'll start with the Audi (B6 A4, C5 A6 etc) handbrake which interferes with the centre armrest... 

And the lazy LHD placement of the handbrake lever on RHD MK2/MK2.5 Focus

[sierraman]

No cup holders, Mk2 Mondeo. 

[adw1977]

LHD placement of the handbrake is common in RHD cars.  My Volvo V40 has that. 

I had an Audi Q2 as a hire car recently that had no cup holders, very strange.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Initially using the BMW indicator stalk that self centres. It took a wile to work out how to use it and not keep turning the indicators for the other direction on when you try to cancel them before the self cancel works. Maybe this is why so many drivers of these cars do not use them as they do not understand how they work.

I have a Mk2 Focus and have never found the hand brake to be a problem, but having to turn the radio on to reset the clock is stupid. As for the temp gauge that either reads cold, normal or hot so you get very little warning of an over heating engine is also pants.

[Floatylight]

Cup holder not big enough for a decent cuppa

Merc W203

[hairnet]

the upswept window line on capris on the doors heading for the mirror

i dont like capris anyway but that makes me hate them even more

and modern manufacturers do it and i just dont like it

[SiC]

W211

No cup holders. Surprising given America was one of its largest markets. 

Foot handbrake. Acceptable but useless on an auto but I imagine it's awful on manual.

[loserone]

1 minute ago, SiC said:

W211

No cup holders. Surprising given America was one of its largest markets. 

Did the US market ones not have a cup holder in the centre console 

[hairnet]

modern cars that (although its getting rarer)

have no button to open the boot - whether it be a pressure pad type or a keyhole

the japanese used to do it

and dacia did it on sandero

grrrrrrr

[lesapandre]

The foot operated parking brake in the Citroen XM - just horrible on a manual car.

I'll add the cable-operated clutch on the XM too. Why oh why oh why Citroen cheapen such a wonderful car...

[DSdriver]

35 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

LHD placement of the handbrake is common in RHD cars.  My Volvo V40 has that. 

I had an Audi Q2 as a hire car recently that had no cup holders, very strange.

Doesn't that go right back to the MG TC?

[artdjones]

2 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

The foot operated parking brake in the Citroen XM - just horrible on a manual car.

I'll add the cable-operated clutch on the XM too. Why oh why oh why Citroen cheapen such a wonderful car...

They are lovely as an automatic.

[Schaefft]

50 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Something got me thinking earlier, what irrational design quirk of an otherwise pretty decent car really bugs you? 

I'll start with the Audi (B6 A4, C5 A6 etc) handbrake which interferes with the centre armrest... 

And the lazy LHD placement of the handbrake lever on RHD MK2/MK2.5 Focus

Alfa 166 have the same issue, I feel like its actually worse there. And to add to it: The damn fuel door release is in the glove box. And while we are at it: The soft touch coating Fiat/Alfa used on their cars, which is worse than anything I have ever experienced in other cars as its goopier and covers the entire lower dash and center console. Absolute madness.

[Rust Collector]

Just now, lesapandre said:

The foot operated parking brake in the Citroen XM - just horrible on a manual car.

I'll add the cable-operated clutch on the XM too. Why oh why oh why Citroen cheapen such a wonderful car...

The foot operated handbrake in the XM is the worst of all foot operated handbrakes I’ve encountered. Assuming my one is working as intended.

For those that haven’t enjoyed one, you have to put the release handle into the locking position before you can press the pedal to set it. Which I always forget to do, so I have to press the pedal twice normally. And to release it you seem to need to put slight pressure on the pedal to take the tension off the ratchet so that you can pull the release handle (sort of like pulling a normal handbrake up slightly as you press the release button).

The Mercedes one is at least intuitive in that the pedal sets the brake with no other input and the handle releases it with no other input.

My personal favourite type of handbrake…

is the umbrella handle pull type, such as you see on the early Hilux Surf. There’s something really satisfying about how they work.

[Stanky]

17 minutes ago, SiC said:

Foot handbrake. Acceptable but useless on an auto but I imagine it's awful on manual.

THIS

Its the same setup on the W203 and as mine is manual, its just not a good system. Hill starts - especially steep hills or going up a hill in stop/start traffic - is horrible.

If it actually did something different to a conventional handbrake lever then maybe, but it literally just makes a simple and reliable system needlessly complex and worse to use. The only reason its OK in an auto is that you don't have to use it.

[lesapandre]

The early Jaguar XJ6 had a pull-out umbrella type handbrake operating a separated drum on the rear axle. 

Fine on the automatic cars - but really ineffective on the manuals and prone to cable stretch and seizure either on or off on all of them - particularly the autos where they got little use.

Combine that with losing the brakes in the event of engine failure - the servo stopped immediately and you'd have little breaking on an auto - couple that with a car of 1550kg - and when you pull the handbrake out and nothing happens - just frightening😳

[SiC]

6 minutes ago, Stanky said:

The only reason its OK in an auto is that you don't have to use it.

But then it's right as shin level if you put your clutch foot far to the left and instinctively move your leg to change gear. 

[primeradoner]

Not having a temperature gauge on Toyota Yaris . Just a light which indicates cold or HGF. 

[Austin-Rover]

Pre-facelift Dacia Sandero/Logan MCV electric window switch placement; Front window switches were located low down on the centre console in front of the gear lever, which meant they were a pain in the arse to use for example at multi-story car parks. No 'one shot' up/down function either. Rear window switches were located behind the handbrake, so accessible from both front and rear seats.  Post-facelift they sorted this out, as what were the switches for the front windows now control the rear windows from the front seats, each door got its own window control where they should be - on the door card. Plus, the driver's door got controls for both front windows with 'one shot' function for the driver's window. Hurrah! 

Rover 800 door bins; Wafer-thin and bloody useless. Stuff drops in them and is hard to fish out. Even back in the day I can't see they would have been satisfactory storage for anyone! 

 

[lesapandre]

Mercedes W124 front armrest on the better-specced cars is attached to the passenger seat in RHD cars and is not height adjustable - so the passenger seat has to be cranked right back to get it at the right height. Pretty useless as a place to rest an arm. Why? 😂

[wesacosa]

26 minutes ago, Rust Collector said:

The foot operated handbrake in the XM is the worst of all foot operated handbrakes I’ve encountered. Assuming my one is working as intended.

For those that haven’t enjoyed one, you have to put the release handle into the locking position before you can press the pedal to set it. Which I always forget to do, so I have to press the pedal twice normally. And to release it you seem to need to put slight pressure on the pedal to take the tension off the ratchet so that you can pull the release handle (sort of like pulling a normal handbrake up slightly as you press the release button).

The Mercedes one is at least intuitive in that the pedal sets the brake with no other input and the handle releases it with no other input.

My personal favourite type of handbrake…

is the umbrella handle pull type, such as you see on the early Hilux Surf. There’s something really satisfying about how they work.

according to the manual its so you can use the pedal as an emergency brake without it locking in place. 

[Ghosty]

R8/Concerto - door locking pin too easy to lock with your elbow
95-01 Civic 5dr/Rover 400: same as above, but the door pull only works if you reach around and pull the door pin up - also the driver's window switch is on the door but the other three are around the handbrake...

[Datsuncog]

Saw the title and came here to bitch about the manual XM handbrake arrangements, only to find I've been comprehensively beaten to it.

At least I'm not alone in my fury...

I'll throw in the needlessly close pedal arrangements on the Mk1/2 Fiesta, which frequently caused me to clap the brakes on while trying to change gear when wearing my workboots.

[Spiny Norman]

Lack of easy access stowage space from the driver's seat. It's amazing how some manufacturers can get this so right or so wrong. The Saab 9-5 was terrible for this, there were small awkwardly shaped door pockets and that was it, anything else needed you to open someting up. Nowhere obvious to put a phone, or sweets, or a second drink for the passenger, actually this was the worst one although it never directly bothered me but if you've got a drink in the cupholder there's literally nowhere for the passenger to put theirs down, not even a flat surface.
A Land Rover Freelander was the exact opposite, huge door bins, cubbies and shelves everywhere, rubber mats on the dash top, more space than I ever had shite to fill.
 

[chodweaver]

Something got me thinking earlier, what irrational design quirk of an otherwise pretty decent car really bugs you? 
I'll start with the Audi (B6 A4, C5 A6 etc) handbrake which interferes with the centre armrest... 

And the lazy LHD placement of the handbrake lever on RHD MK2/MK2.5 Focus

First shape V70 has a similar handbrake issue - except when the lever can be pulled on more than 4 clicks, it cracks the flimsy, weak-ass plastic trim surround...

[AnnoyingPentium]

The cup holders in the Vectra B. Blocks the heating controls and the radio, you whack them with your knee when using the clutch, and they're flimsy as fuck.

[chodweaver]

Initially using the BMW indicator stalk that self centres. It took a wile to work out how to use it and not keep turning the indicators for the other direction on when you try to cancel them before the self cancel works. Maybe this is why so many drivers of these cars do not use them as they do not understand how they work.

Don't start making excuses for them. The cause is ignorance and arrogance.

[Asimo]

Dacia Duster has a blue indicator lit if the engine is cold. It is right next to the blue main beam indicator.

Also, no way to turn off the headlights when it is dark. (On or automatic).

[wesacosa]

Instruments that light up without you turning the headlights on, brilliant for letting you drive at night having forgotten to turn your lights on

 

[grogee]

Climate control: I want AUTO but without air con please. Car: "Haha, no, I don't think so"