Really stupid design features

Really stupid design features

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Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Countering the thoughtful design features thread, what have you come across in your car where you thought, "That's ridiculous, I can't believe someone thought that was acceptable..."

A couple to start; Ford Puma's boot lid - designed with the sole purpose of filling the boot with rainwater when opening in the rain.

My 123d had a handbrake you couldn't actually operate with the centre armrest down as it required your forearm to bend in the middle like a reverse elbow to reach it.

I also recently drove the latest 3-series (F-something) and the design of the door bin on the driver's side seemed to be done in such a way as to dig into your right lower leg in the most painful way possible. One of the most uncomfortable cars I've ever driven which was a shame as the rest of it was pretty good.

RCBRG

603 posts

140 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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On my R26, moving the sun visor from windscreen to side window, means 90% of the time it hits the interior light switch and turns the light on

24lemons

2,629 posts

184 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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The inside door handle on my 120d is too far forward which means that when I open it there is nothing to grab hold of to stop it swinging open. The problem is made worse by the fact that I have to sit quite far back due to my long legs.

Poopipe

619 posts

143 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Another superb rs megane 2 one..

Opening the boot when it's been raining results in a pint or two of water pouring out of the base of the tailgate. Doesnt go in the boot but if you dont stand back you get wet.

Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
quotequote all
24lemons said:
The inside door handle on my 120d is too far forward which means that when I open it there is nothing to grab hold of to stop it swinging open. The problem is made worse by the fact that I have to sit quite far back due to my long legs.
3-door? Mine was the same. Surprisingly long doors.

24lemons

2,629 posts

184 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Funk said:
3-door? Mine was the same. Surprisingly long doors.
yeah 3 door. The long doors also make it more awkward if you are parked close to another car as they wont open as wide. Ive stabbed myself with the corner of the window so many times trying to squeeze in and out!

Conscript

1,378 posts

120 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Wasn't the "thoughtful features" thread in response to a "stupid features" thread?

Now we have another stupid features thread in response to that one. Threadception? biggrin

Anyway. No steering wheel audio controls "because racecar". Yes, it's a much more involved driving experience having to remove my hands from the wheel, glance away from the road and feel for the volume control knob instead.

Ridiculous.

Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
quotequote all
24lemons said:
Funk said:
3-door? Mine was the same. Surprisingly long doors.
yeah 3 door. The long doors also make it more awkward if you are parked close to another car as they wont open as wide. Ive stabbed myself with the corner of the window so many times trying to squeeze in and out!
If i recall correctly, a double- or triple-tap on the unlock button on the key fob drops the glass halfway down when you open the door (rather than the 2-3mm usual drop) and closes again once you're seated and shut the door. As for egress, drop the window yourself in the car and then press and hold the lock button from outside to global-close the window.

Sensibleboy

1,141 posts

124 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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The 1 series doesn't have any boot handle so the only way of controlling the fall of the tailgate is to hold the wiper arm.

Funk

Original Poster:

26,254 posts

208 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Sensibleboy said:
The 1 series doesn't have any boot handle so the only way of controlling the fall of the tailgate is to hold the wiper arm.
Technically it does have a boot handle (the badge flips) but I agree, it's nigh-on impossible to use that the slow the descent of the tailgate when closing.

Is it just BMW that suck at design then....? hehe

wildoliver

8,766 posts

215 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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I have a passat can I claim the entire car?

RenesisEvo

3,602 posts

218 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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That reminds me one particularly stupid design feature. The power tailgate.

Normally - pop boot, swing it open, grab offending item, swing it shut. Job done. Takes a mere moment.

Power tailgate. Press the button, then immediately stand back as it rises, ever...so... slowly...

Grab item. Press button to close. Wait...for...it...to...close...

And if you're unlucky, it thinks it's going to trap someone, stops, and opens again. Right up there with the electronic handbrake of a shining example of technology over-complicating and ruining the most simple of tasks.

Riley Blue

20,915 posts

225 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Conscript said:
Wasn't the "thoughtful features" thread in response to a "stupid features" thread?

Yes, but that was last week.

Eighteeteewhy

7,259 posts

167 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Funk said:
My 123d had a handbrake you couldn't actually operate with the centre armrest down as it required your forearm to bend in the middle like a reverse elbow to reach it.
Designed for LHD

Steve Benson

288 posts

153 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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RenesisEvo said:
That reminds me one particularly stupid design feature. The power tailgate.

Power tailgate. Press the button, then immediately stand back as it rises, ever...so... slowly...

Grab item. Press button to close. Wait...for...it...to...close...
Why would you do that? When I use mine it's opening as i'm walking towards it, fully open by the time I reach it, chuck stuff in and i'm in the drivers seat as it's closing, a real bonus in the rain.

With central locking do you walk towards your car then stand there in the rain, then find your key and then press the button?

SkinnyBoy

4,635 posts

257 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Try taking them apart. Some utter madness pervades the design studios in Germany.

kiseca

9,339 posts

218 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Rain sensing wipers replace the intermittent setting on my Nissan Note. They're crap, esp. in the weak drizzle that is common this time of year. They have a sensitivity setting that doesn't help much either. So I either have the wipers going full time or I have to flick them every five seconds. I hate them and would rather have an intermittent setting with speed control.

R_U_LOCAL

2,676 posts

207 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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Funk said:
Technically it does have a boot handle (the badge flips) but I agree, it's nigh-on impossible to use that the slow the descent of the tailgate when closing.

Is it just BMW that suck at design then....? hehe
The boot release button on the key fob is also made almost completely redundant by the lack of an external handle. Press the button, the boot clicks open, but the only way to open it is to use the boot badge/handle, or grab the wiper.

Al U

2,311 posts

130 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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As a design engineer for me it's more the bodges or reworks (the engineering term) that manufacturers try and most of the time do get away with to use up part stock before a design change comes in or even worse a vehicle lifecycle solution.

My golf mk5, the plastic tweeter covers that also cover the door mirror fixings. If you look closely you could see that probably due to a window seal design change the edge of the part had been badly hand trimmed to clear the new seal.

A friends brand new circa £35k bmw 1 series, when putting my seatbelt on I noticed the strips of felt tape that had been applied to the belt latch to stop it making noise when it knocks against the seat.

MG CHRIS

9,077 posts

166 months

Saturday 20th December 2014
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The most stupid design is wishbone bushes on the polo new style, the rear wishbone bush is mounted into a ally housing, the utter part of the bush is plastic which makes it awkward to push in without breaking the plastic. That's not the worst thing though as that housing then bolts into the sub frame, the arm then fits inside the bush and slots in between the housing and subframe to secure the wishbone.

Now what do they use to secure the wishbone in yes a steel bolt which isn't bad if the housing wasn't made of ally which of course seizes solid and you cant put much heat into it as at a certain temp the ally will just melt. So they snap off on the older model then you got to drill the s out.

Also on newer a4/a6 etc the wishbone arms of which are 4 each side, the ball joint go into a ally hub with a steel bolt to secure them yes again it seizes up.

Got so many tails of retarded vag desgins I could fill a book with it, would never own a car created by them.