Details I Dislike

[Pete-M]

Geezer I know has a 2009 S-Class Merc which I took to the local M-B stealership to get a fault sorted (engine management light came on, then went off again but the thing is under warranty).

 

Service manager informed me that the nearside indicator repeater isn't working properly, and asked if they should fix it. I asked how much to sort it out, as it should be under warranty.

 

£71+VAT, but they won't do it under warranty as lights aren't covered....

 

It's waiting until its first MOT.

[tonedepear]

 

Design by comitee anyone?

 

"The rear number plate should go on the back door"

"The rear number plate should go on the back bumper"

"ok"

"which?"

"yeah"

 

Every time I see one I want to prise open the boot and beat it flat with my face.

 

 

Oh god, and who looked at a ph1 xsara and thought "hmm, if only it looked like a Ford Scorpio". Aaargh.

[Formula Autos]

This pointless piece of plastic at the front of the Gen II Lagunas. Either make the bonnet extend down to the grille, or the grille up to the bonnet. It ain't rocket surgery.

 

This serves no useful purpose, other than to make it look like Renault had redesigned the grille at the last minute.

Q: What you gonna do with the bonnet then lads? Redesign that as well?

A: Nah, just bung a bit of grey plastic between the two. It'll do. It's only the front of the car. No-one'll notice.

 

The rear lights on a 306 estate always looked odd to me too - why extend them up into the glass area? This spoils an otherwise handsome car.

 

Come to think of it, the back lights on the Mk2 Mondeo saloon were just as odd.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Suzuki WagonR

 

They're all like that? I walk past one every day and I just assumed it'd had a tailgate from a later or earlier model.

[Cheggers]

The back doors on the Mazda RX8. Looks awful, and doesnt need them.

 

 

Probably not why they're designed that way, but a lot of company car policies state that all cars must be 4-door...Mazda sold a lot of these as company hacks because they were the only 4-door "sports car"

[Spottedlaurel]

Suzuki WagonR

 

They're all like that? I walk past one every day and I just assumed it'd had a tailgate from a later or earlier model.

 

I think the plate's in that tailgate recess on the Vauxhall version? Poor old Suzuki drew the short straw it would seem.

 

Similarly, on the Chevette/RWD Kadett twins I seem to recall that Vauxhall had it in the right place on a bulge under the bumper but on the Kadett it was moved up to between the lights leaving an odd shape in the rear valance.

 

1979 Opel Kadett C City by Stokpic, on Flickr

 

OCTOBER 1975 VAUXHALL 1256cc CHEVETTE LNC283P by Leicestershire-Vehicle-Photography, on Flickr

 

Even as a youngster that used to catch my eye.

[cms206]

Pug 407 estate foglights always seemed very Mk2 Cavalier estate afterthoughty...

 

Pointless rear window extension and ugly on current model Focus and clear taillights...

 

Facelift Mk1 Almera tail lights...

 

 

The only other one I can think of at the moment is the electrically operated button handbrake on lots of new stuff and Mercs with a pedal for the handbrake which is just stupid.

[tonedepear]

Suzuki WagonR

 

They're all like that? I walk past one every day and I just assumed it'd had a tailgate from a later or earlier model.

 

I think the plate's in that tailgate recess on the Vauxhall version? Poor old Suzuki drew the short straw it would seem.

 

I thin you're right about the vauxhall one. But who put a gun to Suzuki's head? Christ. IIRC it's their design as well, that Vauxhall had off them. Mental.

[tonedepear]

Chevettes

 

Christ, you're right.

[worldofceri]

I wasn't too sure about this thread at first but it's actually really interesting in an 'oh yeah, I'd never noticed that' sort of way.

 

Another that annoys me is asymmetrical foglight/reversing lights.

 

It must add unnecessary complexity (and cost) to the production process because LHD and RHD models have to be different; and it makes the back of the car look wonky. So why do it?

 

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I think the plate's in that tailgate recess on the Vauxhall version? Poor old Suzuki drew the short straw it would seem.

 

Similarly, on the Chevette/RWD Kadett twins I seem to recall that Vauxhall had it in the right place on a bulge under the bumper but on the Kadett it was moved up to between the lights leaving an odd shape in the rear valance.

 

The Kadett thing reminds me of something else I dislike, although it doesn't affect me in the slightest. European cars sold in the USA without considering their unfortunately shaped licence plates.

BORT license plate by mastahanky, on Flickr

 

It's bad enough you need to attach a gaudy bit of tin to your expensive car (I assume you can do it without that ugly plastic frame) but a piece of tin which is both too narrow and too tall to fit in the recess... ugh!

[Timewaster]

The way the front and rear bumpers on last-gen Escort vans came from different decades:

 

Also the face smashed, sorry face lifted Partner/Berlingo

 

Oh, and Hirst. With your Corsa B rear door handles, you have ruined my lfe! I spotted 6 today.

[barrett]

One thing that gets me annoyed for no reason is the little quarterlights on the new Puntos. I can't believe they give you that much more visibility, and they force the mirrors to be in a really stupid place, forcing them to be attached with stupid little stalks... eugh, I just think that whole area is really badly designed and ruins what was an otherwise handsome modern car.

[retrogeezer]

yeh, thats a good idea isn't it.....get your wing mirror knocked and you will need a new doorskin and paintwork!

[RoadworkUK]

You can extend that to virtually any current supermini; Fiesta, Corsa and many more all have idiotic front quarterlights that achieve nothing. It does, however, give you a colossal acreage of useless plastic on the dash-top, and ridiculously long doors that are an arse to use in car-parks, garages etc.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

The Punto is quite good looking for a modern small car, but it still has the gash outsized headlights and generic blobby one box profile shared by most of the rest.

 

 

 

Still, it's a lot better than a 207. Look at its horrendous sociopathic grin and sub-Cosy Coupe plastic details.

I hope they're all recycled into Paykan pick-ups.

[dollywobbler]

I genuinely thought that was a 308 for a minute. How did the 205 evolve into such a huge, pig ugly monster?!

 

Oh, here's one. Renault Kangoo, Volkswagen Caddy (the Polo-based van one) with their off-set split rear windows. The wrong side for us Brits. Actually Isuzu Trooper fits that as well, and that was designed in a RHD land!

[tonedepear]

Oh, here's one. Renault Kangoo, Volkswagen Caddy (the Polo-based van one) with their off-set split rear windows. The wrong side for us Brits. Actually Isuzu Trooper fits that as well, and that was designed in a RHD land!

 

Bit like the Mini traveller's back passenger door on the driver's side. Ugh.

[Formula Autos]

Followed one of these for a while on my journey home tonight. The offset rear numberplate looks all wrong to me. Particularly in the dark, when the reason for it (the handle) isn't so immediately apparent.

Hyundai seem to specialise in poor details at the back of their cars. The small panel above the numberplate on the Getz always seemed too small to me, as if it wasn't originally intended for the recess in the tailgate.

[Pete-M]

 

WTF? Why is this little window here? Are 1/4 lights back in fashion? It looks gak.

 

It may be so the rear side windows can drop, but still, that's a shite design 'feature' and I'm sure the scrotes of Manchester are already potting the things on a daily basis.

[Rusty Pelican]

Renault 12 , the shitists dream except I hate the way the number plate was booted to one side for the petrol filler , just looks shit

 

[myglaren]

Cars with no 'proper' rear door handles look wrong. I don't know who did it first , but everyone seems to be jumping on the bandwagon now.

 

CULPRIT 1:

 

 

 

I also thought that offset number plate on the Alfa looked a bit crap - as if they designed the car forgetting that it would have to have a plate stuck on it somewhere

 

My second daughter swore she would never have an Alfa just because of that.

She drives a GT Cloverleaf

[CIH]

I hate the way new cars have double waistlines, presumeably to hide an otherwise slab-sided wall;

 

-makes it look like a fat arse, basically.

[M'coli]

Mk3 Discovery rear door windows - the first ones had their spare wheel there, so the window was shaped to suit and you don't really notice it.

Whereas, this just looks like a wanky affectation:

[Jon]

The rears of these Alfa Romeos:

 

 

I don't care much for the styling of these at all really but the vast expanse of no design whatsoever on the bootlid isn't helped by the small lamps, which only highlight it. Fiat Coupes had similar bootlids but at least they were livened up a bit at the rear by interesting lamps.

 

On a more Autoshite level, facelifts of corporate grilles, like these:

 

 

 

I understand why things change over a number of years but the replacements always seem to take place for replacements' sake. Few I can think of look better than the original results and are often more fussy. In fact, that goes a lot for most restyles. The facelift of the front and rear of the Peugeot 406 wasn't bad but the original one could never be accused of being ugly. However, I'll accept the restyle of the second generation Daihatsu Charade, which improved its looks no end.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I genuinely thought that was a 308 for a minute. How did the 205 evolve into such a huge, pig ugly monster?!

 

 

Where did it all go wrong?

[dollywobbler]

Sorry M'coli. I really like the rear styling of the Disco 3. I like the neat way the rear wiper follows the contours.

 

Not sure I like the cars much, especially as lots of people in them around here drive like complete twats. I'm not sure I like the fact that those near-3-tonne monsters can accelerate that quickly.

[chaseracer]

 

When did Peugeot start making tanks...?

[Pete-M]

Sorry M'coli. I really like the rear styling of the Disco 3. I like the neat way the rear wiper follows the contours.

 

Not sure I like the cars much, especially as lots of people in them around here drive like complete twats. I'm not sure I like the fact that those near-3-tonne monsters can accelerate that quickly.

 

I quite like them. Even the diesel ones. For precisely that reason.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Please don't repost that image, it's a visual emetic.