Car design quirks that do/did your head in

[Mrcento]

I absolutely detest the whole Ford thing of using the key in the grille to pop the bonnet.

It's a decent idea in theory, you can unlock the car then open the bonnet without going inside it to release it... cool.

But how many times do you want to do that?, Just about the only time that ever happens is if you're at home and just nipping out to go and put Screenwash in or something and not going anywhere after it.

Vast (and i mean VAST) majority of the time, you're either investigating a noise, engine or clutch issue, something electrical etc, which means if you're out and about, stopping, switching the car off, going to unlock the bonnet, back in the car to restart then back out again to the engine bay.... It's maddening.

[Rust Collector]

Mk2 L200 cup holders.

Use them, even with a small can, and every control on the centre console is blocked. Absolute wank.

Also Mk2 L200 turning circles.

And Mk2 L200 gear throw.

And Mk2 L200 acceleration.

And Mk2 L200 driver’s seat position.

And Mk2 L200 turning circles. Again.

Fuck Mk2 L200’s.

How the fuck were they so popular? They’re fucking awful to drive.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The stupid extra bit of window that doesn’t go down MercedesE classCoupes. 

Amazingly lazy solution to having a pillar less side profile.

The only way for glass to clear the inner wheel arch, you say?
Then how come the CLK, it’s predecessor, and the CL not to mention the convertible version of the same car manage with one piece of glass?

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

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.

Really, never found them a problem when wearing boots. Saxos on the other hand I could press all three pedals with one foot (almost), and Novas for some reason my toe always touched the UJ on the steering so I could feel it rotate all the time.

Anyway the ones that bug me are the washers operating on my Passat as soon as I touch the wiper stalk, so the blades always go up the screen dry, and my friend's Mondeo (MK2?) where you were forever turning the stereo off when you went into 1st, 3rd or 5th gears

[ETCHY]

A rear wiper that's just on or off why no intermittent setting.

Drives me batshit on our Picanto.

[FakeConcern]

Cup holders. Why would you want to have a drink while you're driving?

Probably almost as distracing as a touch screen.

[Split_Pin]

Opaque coolant header tanks on Rover 75s. I have got the nack of reading mine using a phone torch but I have yet to find anyone else that understands me when I try to explain it.

Cupholders on a 75. Fragile, overengineered and easily knocked by the passenger knee.

Boot release on a 75. Awkwardly placed interior button and it's slow and dumb opening it off the fob.

Sliding armrest on a Saab 93. The ratchet mechanism is too weak so if you lean on it, it usually moves and knocks you off balance.

Cavalier electric window switches down by the handbrake, at least they have a one shot facility though.

Triple centre face vents on Audi 80 B3/4. Makes my teeth itch when they aren't all adjusted perfectly even. #highfunctioning

HVAC systems on Saab 93 NG pre facelift and many 00s Audis. All the (many) buttons look the same so you need to take your eyes off the road to make adjustments. 

All rain sensitive wipers - shite.

Renault Megane MK1 RHD heated rear window switch. Out of sight low down on the centre console and too near the hazard warning lights switch.

 

 

[SiC]

1 hour ago, Mrcento said:

I absolutely detest the whole Ford thing of using the key in the grille to pop the bonnet.

It's a decent idea in theory, you can unlock the car then open the bonnet without going inside it to release it... cool.

I think that's more of a cost saving than anything else. It's quite fiddly and expensive in production to route a long bonnet cable from the front of the car right into the cabin and deep down into the footwell. 

3 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

HVAC systems on Saab 93 NG pre facelift and many 00s Audis. All the (many) buttons look the same so you need to take your eyes off the road to make adjustments. 

I never found that an issue tbh. But then I usually only use the temperature buttons and leave the rest in auto. Maybe front/rear demist but that's only starting off. I much rather have those design buttons that a modern touch screen anyday though. 

4 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

All rain sensitive wipers - shite.

Some systems implementations are better than others ime. 

On my Clio and Laguna II, I was always adjusting the sensitivity as never quite could find a happy medium between not seeing and wipers going crazy. My wife's Civic always seems overly keen no matter the sensitivity level. Our 2010 A4 was nearly perfect though and I never went onto manual mode - maybe a tweak of sensitivity occasionally. The W211 E320 doesn't have a sensitivity adjustment and it's really annoying.

Replacement windscreen can bugger up the calibration of the sensor though. Especially if the gel pack isn't replaced (which most don't). 

[SiC]

29 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

Cup holders. Why would you want to have a drink while you're driving?

Sometimes a sip of water on a very long motorway journey is needed to keep fresh and alert. Especially on a hot day with the sun beaming in. Or holding my water bottle on the way to the gym. 

[SiC]

1 hour ago, grogee said:

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

My TT (and other Audi's I've had) has an ECON(omy) button that keeps the AUTO light on but disabled air con. However most I've found if have Auto on but you turn the Aircon off, it still has everything else on auto despite the auto light going off. Anytime you override a function that becomes no longer automatic until hitting the auto button. 

Strictly speaking if you are automatically controlling the climate of a vehicle, you need to keep control of the humidity and temperature. Air con off won't allow the humidity to be controlled as easily. So I can see why the Auto light goes out as it's no longer fully automatic - even if other functions not overridden are still automatic. 

[stuboy]

1 hour ago, Rust Collector said:

Mk2 L200 cup holders.

Use them, even with a small can, and every control on the centre console is blocked. Absolute wank.

Also Mk2 L200 turning circles.

And Mk2 L200 gear throw.

And Mk2 L200 acceleration.

And Mk2 L200 driver’s seat position.

And Mk2 L200 turning circles. Again.

Fuck Mk2 L200’s.

How the fuck were they so popular? They’re fucking awful to drive.

i drove a friends one, it had all the sick on chrome, drove out car park to the shops nearly stacked it and brakes where too the floor when pumped... apparently been doing that a while......

[Split_Pin]

Just now, SiC said:

I much rather have those design buttons that a modern touch screen anyday though. 

From time to time I have to sort out something on my parents' 22 plate Corsa because the touch screen is so bloody confusing. For example, the TPMS flagged low pressure in a couple of the tyres so my dad inflated them as per the handbook but he couldn't work out what it meant by 'reinitialise system' and the fact that there was still a light on the dash and a loud beep every time the ignition was turned on. On his Volvo V40, once you've set the pressures the message disappears. OK it only took me a few minutes to work out how to reset it but the Volvo is so much more intuitive on that front. Or why not jist use the term 're-set'? They also managed to change the language to Spanish and couldn't get it back. I sorted it but again my dad's pretty tech savvy yet he really had to battle with it. It shouldn't have to be that way.

[Split_Pin]

6 minutes ago, SiC said:

TT

Do you find the design of the faux-rotary knobs infuriating? It seems to take 3 years to action a significant change in temperature or fan speed setting. At least the car doesn't* automatically change it back again.....

I can see why they get broken frequently, so much so that someone has 3 D printed a replacement supply.

[lesapandre]

1 hour ago, Mrcento said:

I absolutely detest the whole Ford thing of using the key in the grille to pop the bonnet.

It's a decent idea in theory, you can unlock the car then open the bonnet without going inside it to release it... cool.

But how many times do you want to do that?, Just about the only time that ever happens is if you're at home and just nipping out to go and put Screenwash in or something and not going anywhere after it.

Vast (and i mean VAST) majority of the time, you're either investigating a noise, engine or clutch issue, something electrical etc, which means if you're out and about, stopping, switching the car off, going to unlock the bonnet, back in the car to restart then back out again to the engine bay.... It's maddening.

Especially if you have a flat battery and you know switching it off - it will not restart.

[Rusty Pelican]

4 hours ago, lesapandre said:

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? 😂

Same on my W201 - Strange idea 

 

[Alan_Green]

Why is the screenwash in the engine bay in the first place?  Why can't it be a flap outside, like a petrol cap? I always get dirty and break a nail.

[Richard_FM]

10 minutes ago, Alan_Green said:

Why is the screenwash in the engine bay in the first place?  Why can't it be a flap outside, like a petrol cap? I always get dirty and break a nail.

Especailly when it's hard to operate the bonnet release, the one on my Micra took ages to learn to release properly.

[lesapandre]

24 minutes ago, Alan_Green said:

Why is the screenwash in the engine bay in the first place?  Why can't it be a flap outside, like a petrol cap? I always get dirty and break a nail.

Do step this way Sir - the Government has a car almost ready for 2026 where you won't even have to look where you are going...let alone break a nail.

Mark Harper - [Transport Secretary] said "he expected to see the owners of those vehicles being able to travel without having to watch where they're going by the end of that year." Unlike a government who have no idea where they are going either.

I'm sure a car as sophisticated as that will fill it's own washer bottle too Sir.

Whole bread and circus here - the ultimate future AI car ready to drive off a cliff or end humanity or something:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-67825617

[sheffcortinacentre]

There's already loads of vehicles that drive themselves on our roads there call bus  & taxi.

[RoverFolkUs]

1 hour ago, Alan_Green said:

Why is the screenwash in the engine bay in the first place?  Why can't it be a flap outside, like a petrol cap? I always get dirty and break a nail.

The ones that really annoy me are when they're at a 90 degree bend or so, if you try to pour it in relatively quickly, it just splashes out and spills everywhere. Especially annoying when you're trying to fill with neat screenwash and end up wasting half of it

To actually have half a chance of filling it up without spilling it everywhere you have to pour it really slowly which turns a simple task into a needlessly time consuming process 

This is basically another MK2 Focus gripe as it's the first example that springs to mind: 

Rubbish picture pinched from Google, but you probably get my gist. 

The opening is really small as well, maybe 1.5-2 inches diameter?

[rainagain]

5 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

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.
 

100% agreement with this, the storage in my 9-5 is shocking. You get one glove box and that’s your lot. The door pockets are pointlessly tiny. The ones in the rear are even worse. I don’t know why they bothered even adding them as you’d be literally struggling to fit a pack of fags in them. My 307 had a handy cubby hole above your right knee which was perfect for works passes, etc. It also had long deep door pockets and a drawers under each front seat. 
 

Why was it felt necessary to not let your passenger have a drinks holder? 

[dozeydustman]

8 hours ago, Asimo said:

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).

A lot pf modern Japanese/Korean stuff has this ‘feature’.

The curved dash on the later Marinas and Itals, angling the radio and fag lighter etc toward the passenger. What was that about?

[ProgRocker]

8 hours ago, ETCHY said:

A rear wiper that's just on or off why no intermittent setting.

Drives me batshit on our Picanto.

No intermittent rear wiper annoys me on my otherwise well equipped Hyundai i10. I'd gladly swap the seldom used rear electric windows* for an intermittent rear wiper. The other thing that I could do with is a single slot CD player. That got phased out of the Hyundai range in 2016/17.

* not necessary on a city car with rear doors. 

[lesapandre]

Self seeking radios with tiny buttons that never quite tune in.

What's wrong with a big knob...fnar fnar

[lesapandre]

3 hours ago, dozeydustman said:

A lot pf modern Japanese/Korean stuff has this ‘feature’.

The curved dash on the later Marinas and Itals, angling the radio and fag lighter etc toward the passenger. What was that about?

Probably someone at BL thought driving while listening to the wireless was frivolous.

Quite a tradition of moralising...

Lord Austin said - good brakes encourage bad driving; and Issigonis - comfortable seats are bad for drivers concentrating...😂

[MarinaJosh]

The Marina/Ital dash thing came about as part of a safety research project, when BL produced the SRV2 (Safety Research Vehicle) in 1974. It was concluded that things like radios were a distraction for drivers and it would be better if they were operated by the passenger, so the new dashboard was introduced on the Marina MK2 in 1975. Great idea, but only if you have a passenger...

Pet hates:

Pug 306 (and probably others) door locking pins- exactly where you want to put your elbow

Vauxhall's weird indicator system. Not sure what it's called but the indicators on my girlfriend's Corsa don't latch into place like normal indicators, so when you go to switch them off you invariably end up indicating the other way.

[lesapandre]

Citroen GS had non- cancelling indicators may be other Citroens too.

[Captain Mainwaring]

One thing that did get on my tits about my otherwise faultless Mazda 2 when I first got it is that the radio comes on every time you switch the ignition on, regardless of whether you turn it off before you get out or not. This was particularly irksome if I'd been in a particularly good mood on the way home from work on a Friday and I'd been blasting some Van Halen out or something, and then get David Lee Roth screaming at me on the Saturday morning. It was a bit like 'No, Mazda, I'm not the same person I was last night!'

[SiC]

10 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Do you find the design of the faux-rotary knobs infuriating? It seems to take 3 years to action a significant change in temperature or fan speed setting. At least the car doesn't* automatically change it back again.....

Ha yes. Even worse is that it goes up in 0.5c increments and holding it doesn't make it go any quicker either. The A3 of a similar era has the same design controls too. 

I reckon it was the designers wanted rotary controls but was a cost saving to not have the rotary feedback mechanism put in. So two cheap switches per knob had to do. 

14 hours ago, lesapandre said:

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? 😂

Cost saving LHD laziness that they never bothered making the arm fit on the RHD market drivers?

[lesapandre]

1 minute ago, SiC said:

Ha yes. Even worse is that it goes up in 0.5c increments and holding it doesn't make it go any quicker either. The A3 of a similar era has the same design controls too. 

I reckon it was the designers wanted rotary controls but was a cost saving to not have the rotary feedback mechanism put in. So two cheap switches per knob had to do. 

Cost saving LHD laziness that they never bothered making the arm fit on the RHD market drivers?

But even on the LHD cars the arm rest was set too low and non adjustable- just a weird feature.