Annoying features.....what's your car got?

[acme]

Richard Porter's column in this month's Evo discussed features in current cars which are annoying or don't make sense. He notes a couple of examples such as BMW's which don't turn off the stereo as you switch the car off, thus wake the neighbours (presumably because it has a starter button but not a key?), or the 458 satnav which is so complex/has so many screens he gave in and used a tom tom.

So, what on your car bugs you, and may inform a potential buyer of what they're letting themselves in for, I'll start the ball rolling on my MK7 Golf;

- LED internal lights which emit far less light than the old regular bulbs
- Satnav post code function which is buried and I swear isn't referred to in the 500+ page manual!
- There isn't a mute button on the steering wheel control

Yep, agreed they're all very much first world problems, but would be intrigued what other features get on your nerves, some seem obviously stupid once you've lived with a car that's clearly had millions of R&D spent on it....

[Dog Star]

Merc - when you turn the engine on it's in ECO mode. I don't like it switching on at junctions so every time I get in I have to turn it off.

I ought to be used to it by now (I'm on my second one), but I haven't. It's annoying.

[Benbay001]

My lotus excel. The windows leak and the heater blows cold or colder.

[cdrx]

acme said:

I'll start the ball rolling on my MK7 Golf

Biggest annoyance for me on my Golf is that I can't turn the radio off. I can turn the whole lot of, satnav et al, but not just the radio.

If I turn it down to 0, the next time I get in the car and turn it on, the volume is at 1.

[john2443]

MG ZT - wipers stop when the car stops which is a good idea to stop them squeaking across the screen, but when it's raining really heavily you can't see when it's time to start moving again so have to move the lever to force them into action.

[Podie]

Focus ST - one touch window down, but not up! What the?

[Shnozz]

Battery in the boot.

Which is only accessible via a lever in the cabin.

Which is only accessible by push button central locking (the manual locks do not override the central door locking).

So if the battery goes flat you can't get into the car to open the boot to access the battery.

Genius.

[Patch1875]

cdrx said:

acme said:

I'll start the ball rolling on my MK7 Golf

Biggest annoyance for me on my Golf is that I can't turn the radio off. I can turn the whole lot of, satnav et al, but not just the radio.

If I turn it down to 0, the next time I get in the car and turn it on, the volume is at 1.

Mk7 Gti golf also! Annoys me that when I plug my phone into the cable it automatically starts the music on it.

[Daston]

MG ZS...water comes inside....a lot!

RX7 - makes more bongs than a legal high shop!

[Dannbodge]

E36 328i

Driving position isn't very good.

To get my legs in the right place I can barely reach the top of the steering wheel
The spring pins in the gearbox get stuck and make it difficult to get 3rd when driving at any sort of pace.
The Climate control is either hot or cold.

[AndrewCrown]

On annoying design features...

I was in a Skoda Octavia hire car the other day and it actually suggested via the display that I would get better fuel economy if I closed the window...
I told it to Foxtrot oscar.

I dislike my Mercedes Comand system... for only partially accepting post codes..

[bairn7]

Chrysler Delta (although I'm sure this is quite common) - when cleaning the windscreen with wiper fluid while driving, the wipers automatically wipe four times then stop...then 5 seconds later one solitary final wipe. Problem is if it's dry and i'm just cleaning becuase of dust/dirt, the windscreen has already almost fully dried due to the air and the wiper almost always scratches awkwardly across the windscreen, leaving a lingering trail of water across the screen!!

[littlebasher]

When i go above 50mph, the car makes a noise to remind me that i'm going fast.

.............Or it could be a fked wheel bearing

[thatdude]

Honda Civic (2005) - when i put the blower position on windscreen or feet + windscreen, it turns on the air-con as well

I know why the air con is advantageous, but I dont always want to run it because I dont always need it. I wish it would let me control what I have on and not on.

[GruntyDC5]

Podie said:

Focus ST - one touch window down, but not up! What the?

Girlfriend's Kia Sportage has this as well.

Edited by GruntyDC5 on Monday 8th December 13:42

[njd27]

Skoda Yeti - the wipers automatically wipe when you use the windscreen washers, but by the time the water comes through the blades have already passed the jet, meaning that when you're trying to clear salt from your windscreen, you end up wiping twice and wasting unnecessary washer fluid.

Also, it insists on spraying 5 seconds of water at the xenon headlights every time you wash the windscreen.

[phil4]

Don't you love that software is now accounting for so many of the annoyances. I wonder how long before a car service will be more like an update, upgrade and bug fix.

[masermartin]

VW Bora - rain-sensitive wipers which are hyper-sensitive. This one is prone to accelerating the wipers to warp speed at the slightest drizzle, even with the sensitivity turned down. PITA.

[kambites]

phil4 said:

Don't you love that software is now accounting for so many of the annoyances. I wonder how long before a car service will be more like an update, upgrade and bug fix.

None of the things mentioned are actually bugs though - they're all working as designed.

I suppose the computerisation of cars' systems has allowed manufacturers more freedom to do complex things which some people might not like.

[Pints]

If you open the rear hatch of the MINI, even the slightest amount of water on it will come pouring into the boot.