What don't you like about new cars today?

[ingenieur]

I've bought 2 new cars previously, I like getting to choose the colour and spec. I like being the first owner because I can keep the car in good condition. But with the way things are today I would hesitate to buy another just because I really don't like the way things are being done these days.

The newest car I've had recently was a 2018 E350 estate and it was very good in a lot of ways but I sold it and bought a car which was 17 years old instead.

I just feel like I'm not a fan of new cars for a lot of reasons. It's not the age that makes a difference though, todays new cars will get old but that won't change the way they're designed so I'm still not going to want one.

Are there any other dinosaurs like me out there?

[KaraK]

fking touchscreen controls for things that should be physical - I'm no luddite but there's such a thing as using the right tech for the right job, and touchscreens suck when you can't be looking at them.

[jameswills]

Too big, too heavy, poor visibility, poor quality interior, poor switchgear or lack of (touchscreens), nanny interference that’s not easily permanently switched off, extremely expensive.

[ChrisH72]

I don't like the price for a start!

I'm quite old fashioned with how cars are too. Not keen on all the tech, touch screens in particular. Also the bewildering amount of options in how a car drives annoys me. I'm a hot hatch fan with a mk7.5 Fiesta ST and what I like is that I just get in and drive it. My cat was set up by the manufacturer to drive the way it does. Now it seems you can choose various settings for the ride, steering, exhaust sound, rev matching etc. Might do it for some folk but not for me I'm afraid. I'd spend more time fiddling and less driving.

[vikingaero]

Bling. Big wheelz, big grillz etc. I know bling sells. Manufacturers want bling, buyers want bling. TikTok Instagrammers want bling,

Why can't someone make a mainstream car that has timeless elegance a la Mercedes W124?

[ingenieur]

It's not just me then... I've been agonising over this and wondering if I'm suffering from some sort of premature aging or something...

[croyde]

I've had this with new motorbikes too, tons of tech, flashy screens, loads of buttons on the handlebars, phone connectivity.

Then, because of all that tech, the cost, more to go wrong and very attractive to thieves.

I would just like a bike that handles and stops well and goes reasonably quickly.

I bought a new car nearly 2 years ago that's nice and basic. A Dacia Duster.

I love it.

ABS is about the only modern tech I'd accept, car or bike.

[OFORBES]

Two things that are incredibly annoying, well with VAG vehicles at least is;

1. You have to manually turn off the (in my opinion) very dangerous 'lane assist' every time you drive the car
2. That you have to also manually, every time, through multiple presses of menu options, disable the interior motion sensors.

I think that the lane assist is very dangerous, having had a near miss in the wet recently whilst progressively driving on open, scottish, country roads the car all of a sudden picked up a white line and nearly took the wheel clean out of my hands.

Regarding the interior motion sensors, I think it would be easier for me to train my dog to play dead and not move at all than it is to try to talk the wife through the menu options over the phone every time she takes the car out!

[MattyD803]

Interfering driver aids that haven't been given the necessary testing and development time....adaptive cruise control and lane departure to name but two examples.

Also - 'dumbing down' of certain features such as automatic headlights WITHOUT the ability over-ride, as per the latest VAG products which mean that you can't run side lights alone during periods of slightly overcast/shadier conditions where dipped are not required and where you would feel more comfortable with some rear lighting, or indeed when you want to turn your dipped off as it is unnecessary or unwanted.

Keyless entry/go which hasn't been developed enough such that some scrote with a laptop and dodgy software can open & drive away with your vehicle without having to try particularly hard....

[ingenieur]

croyde said:

I've had this with new motorbikes too, tons of tech, flashy screens, loads of buttons on the handlebars, phone connectivity.

Then, because of all that tech, the cost, more to go wrong and very attractive to thieves.

I would just like a bike that handles and stops well and goes reasonably quickly.

I bought a new car nearly 2 years ago that's nice and basic. A Dacia Duster.

I love it.

ABS is about the only modern tech I'd accept, car or bike.

I like some... but not too much. I like electric windows, remote locking, power tailgate, automatic climate control, sat nav... but any more than that and it becomes too much in my view.

[LordHaveMurci]

croyde said:

ABS is about the only modern tech I'd accept, car or bike.

I don’t even miss that on mine, you do sometimes have to remember you don’t have it though & drive accordingly.

[Gad-Westy]

I’m a miserable luddite so it’s a long list!

Turbos everywhere
Tiny rubber band tyres
Diamond cut wheel finishes (wtf!)
Optional/absent spare wheels
Absent dipsticks and temp gauges
Touchscreens replacing ergonomics
Lack of colours in and out
Demise of the manual box
Emphasis on power rather than fun
Massive weight
Massive grilles
Crossovers and SUV’s replacing estates and hatchbacks.

[Randy Winkman]

As has been mentioned above. Poor visibility is a big one for me. I used to pride myself in how easily I could park a car in a small space at the roadside. Now it's a right faff. I guess that's why many genuinely modern cars have cameras and even auto-park. The other thing is the width of modern cars. When I was a teenager in the 1980s we used to drive through width restrictions at about 25mph. OK, part of that was to impress mates but it wasn't that risky. Now I drive through them (in a Vectra) at walking pace.

[Glosphil]

I agree with much that has already been said.

Also I hate infotainment screens that look like a tablet stuck on top of the dash. We're looking to replace my wife's 2010 Clio with a 2018/2019 car & she has rejected any car with this 'feature', e.g, Fiesta & Clio. Fabia or Ibiza are current favorites.

[AllyBassman]

Too much tech.

I see these newer cars, with their impressive tech, screens and all the glitz and glamour of a well stocked Currys.....

But all I think is, how much is that going to cost to fix/replace when it inevitably breaks and out of warranty?

The golden era of cars (for me) was 2010-2015 - Enough tech and infotainment to be useful and impressive, but not too much that you'll be unable to replace stuff as the car gets older.

[Glassman]

Too much pandering to what car manufacturers perceive to be what the end user wants. Some of it is great, but some is just frivolous.

As a repairer (windscreens and glass) the parts on some cars are just cheap and flimsy. The emphasis is more on reducing production costs.

[Lotobear]

Electric parking brakes - bloody awful things and completely unecessary

And as others have said touch screen controls, which are just distracting.

..... and 'look at me' indicators and all sorts of other blingy frippery.

[CzechItOut]

The cost. £38k for an entry level 3 series. Lord above.

[MattyD803]

Lotobear said:

Electric parking brakes - bloody awful things and completely unecessary

I know there will be alot of personal preference here, but in reality, I never want to lift a manual handbrake lever again. Auto hold, with hill start assist is a game changer.

[LankyFreak]

Giant wheels, fussy styling, price, size, weight, numbness, fking screens everywhere, not much character, sound ste, grey grey silver black white grey, far too many doors, grey.