Awkward design details on production cars

[Blown2CV]

Dads Taxi said:

The position of the rear foglight switch on the Jaguar XF is irritating - down by your right knee, next to the boot release, and hidden by the steering wheel. Why?

the previous generation XF was ergonomically abysmal, despite the fancy bits. If anything many of the details are contrary to this thread, as they'd put so much thought into the elegance of design that they'd left how people might interact with it more or less completely out of the frame. Far too many of the controls were provided through the (really slow and ste) touchscreen which meant paging through menus and waiting for the fking thing to catch up before you could set the heater or whatever. At least with the newer edition they took some of those often used functions and exposed them through traditional style separate controls elsewhere.

[GSE]

Vauxhall Ampera with those black bits under the windows to make the glass area look bigger. Well you don't fool me, they look ste. Why not just make the windows bigger?

[cptsideways]

JonnyVTEC said:

ollywhite said:

No words needed.

Not sure functional purpose equals 'awkward design details' ?

Engineering wins over fashion, its why I have one and its does a gazillion miles to the gallon

[miniman]

rohrl said:

miniman said:

I've never quite understood this:

Could people please stop posting entire cars to this thread without describing the individual awkward detail?

Thankyou for your co-operation in this matter.

In the rear wheel arch, alongside the rear wheel, there is space for another wheel.

[Jimbo.]

Blown2CV said:

Dads Taxi said:

The position of the rear foglight switch on the Jaguar XF is irritating - down by your right knee, next to the boot release, and hidden by the steering wheel. Why?

the previous generation XF was ergonomically abysmal, despite the fancy bits. If anything many of the details are contrary to this thread, as they'd put so much thought into the elegance of design that they'd left how people might interact with it more or less completely out of the frame. Far too many of the controls were provided through the (really slow and ste) touchscreen which meant paging through menus and waiting for the fking thing to catch up before you could set the heater or whatever. At least with the newer edition they took some of those often used functions and exposed them through traditional style separate controls elsewhere.

I love the XF. However, did anyone ever manage to get in the drivers seat without smashing their knee on the bottom corner of the dashboard?

[Antony Moxey]

Jimbo. said:

Blown2CV said:

Dads Taxi said:

The position of the rear foglight switch on the Jaguar XF is irritating - down by your right knee, next to the boot release, and hidden by the steering wheel. Why?

the previous generation XF was ergonomically abysmal, despite the fancy bits. If anything many of the details are contrary to this thread, as they'd put so much thought into the elegance of design that they'd left how people might interact with it more or less completely out of the frame. Far too many of the controls were provided through the (really slow and ste) touchscreen which meant paging through menus and waiting for the fking thing to catch up before you could set the heater or whatever. At least with the newer edition they took some of those often used functions and exposed them through traditional style separate controls elsewhere.

I love the XF. However, did anyone ever manage to get in the drivers seat without smashing their knee on the bottom corner of the dashboard?

Yes, me, never any problems with the dash. However, always had big problems with the centre console, particularly the ultra shiny surround for the the gear knob that without fail perfectly reflected the sun right into my eyes - did no-one ever drive one outside in daylight before signing that one off?

[wst]

Blown2CV said:

sorry to break it to you, but those parts are all plastic.

Well they all have a chrome finish which is the point that really matters. Pistonheads: Pedantry matters.

[marmitemania]

wst said:

Blown2CV said:

sorry to break it to you, but those parts are all plastic.

Well they all have a chrome finish which is the point that really matters. Pistonheads: Pedantry matters.

I wouldn't have thought the door handle was plastic. I've had cars with chromed plastic handles and chromed metal and you can tell the difference. I doubt Aston Martin would take the chance with plastic for something touched a lot.

[wst]

marmitemania said:

wst said:

Blown2CV said:

sorry to break it to you, but those parts are all plastic.

Well they all have a chrome finish which is the point that really matters. Pistonheads: Pedantry matters.

I wouldn't have thought the door handle was plastic. I've had cars with chromed plastic handles and chromed metal and you can tell the difference. I doubt Aston Martin would take the chance with plastic for something touched a lot.

We're talking about a Citroen, not an Aston Martin. Unfortunately even the contact surfaces are chrome-coated plastic (is that better Blown2CV?) - it's slightly peeling off of the gearstick top and has some mildly uncomfortable edges. That's a bit of crap design actually. I'd have been fine with just black plastic...

[ajprice]

Range Rover Sport mk1, there is a lot of car here with lots of places they could have designed and fitted the side indicators to, like in or around the wing vent, or the mirror, so why is it a plain rectangle stuck on the door?

[McAndy]

Ease of wiring?

[wilfandrowlf]

Slightly TLDR, but has anybody thought the back end of the new Jeep Renegade looks like it's died!
I remember reading Viz a few years ago and when a character was dead it's eyes were represented by simple crosses....

[ajprice]

wilfandrowlf said:

Slightly TLDR, but has anybody thought the back end of the new Jeep Renegade looks like it's died!
I remember reading Viz a few years ago and when a character was dead it's eyes were represented by simple crosses....

Yes! Apparently its meant to look like the X on the jerry cans that US army Jeeps carried. Still looks dead though.

[wilfandrowlf]

ajprice said:

wilfandrowlf said:

Slightly TLDR, but has anybody thought the back end of the new Jeep Renegade looks like it's died!
I remember reading Viz a few years ago and when a character was dead it's eyes were represented by simple crosses....

Yes! Apparently its meant to look like the X on the jerry cans that US army Jeeps carried. Still looks dead though.

Well, every day is a school day here on Pistonheads! I would never in a million years have linked the two.

[anniesdad]

miniman said:

I've never quite understood this:

I agree with others who say...drive one!

[mgtony]

This pointless detail on the rear wheel arch of the new Clio. Thought it was the result of a minor accident the first time I saw it.

[kambites]

mgtony said:

This pointless detail on the rear wheel arch of the new Clio. Thought it was the result of a minor accident the first time I saw it.

I suspect they'll be to get around type protrusion limits for type approval with a certain wheel option. Not sure why they didn't design the arch to pass type approval with all the wheel/tyre combinations they intended to fit, though.

[F1GTRUeno]

The whole car inside and out is a mess to be fair.

Gopping is the best way to describe the current Clio.

[IN51GHT]

cptsideways said:

JonnyVTEC said:

ollywhite said:

No words needed.

Not sure functional purpose equals 'awkward design details' ?

Engineering wins over fashion, its why I have one and its does a gazillion miles to the gallon

I've had four of these, looking for a fifth.

[sidgolf]

kambites said:

I suspect they'll be to get around type protrusion limits for type approval with a certain wheel option. Not sure why they didn't design the arch to pass type approval with all the wheel/tyre combinations they intended to fit, though.

oh thats what they're for. seen this little detail on lots of cars over the years, had always thought it was some aerodynamic tweak up 'til now.