Like 26-year-olds playing oddly mature high schoolers in films and on TV, some trends evolve into industry standards — the go-to blueprint for success. If the big guys are doing it, then by God, the creators say, so will we. This is the way to go.
The auto industry functions much like Hollywood in this regard, though the major players would insist that careful and predictive analysis of consumer buying behavior are behind their pursuit of the Next. Big. Thing. In crafting the vehicular landscape OEMs are convinced will make you hot, trends materialize. Rivals swerve into the same lane, desperate not to be left behind. Suddenly, once-unique attributes become ubiquitous. Departures become the norm. Think tailfins in the late 1950s, landau roofs in the late ’60s to early ’80s, plastic cladding in the late ’90s/early ’00s, and ginormous, child-swallowing grilles in the 2010s.
As there’s too many trends to mention, why don’t you list some you’d like to see hurled into the sun in the New Year?
I’ll get things started. I’m not sure about you guys (apologies for using a gendered term), but the “upcoming performance electric crossover that promises blistering acceleration” can disappear tomorrow, as far as I’m concerned. I can’t think of anything of less practical importance than a 210-mile two-row EV’s ability to duck below the five-second bar. We get it — EVs and crossovers aren’t lame if they’re pointlessly fast.
While I understand the need to tickle the ego of affluent-but-secretly-vain greenies, holy mother of God do I hate hearing about 0-60 times when the only figures buyers in this segment should care about are range and charging time. This writer simply cannot get excited over a really quick crossover EV. It’s a recipe for a low-emission impound lot, too.
Maybe while we’re at it, 2019 can serve as an assembly point for usage of the word “mobility.” Once gathered, we’ll usher those utterances into the sea. But wait, you protest — mobility isn’t a trend, it’s a thing that’s always existed. It’s like banishing the concept of travel or movement. True. For many folks, however, the word mobility serves as a tablet of Extra Strength Anti-Viagra, and it’s the overuse of this word that rankles many car aficionados. The future holds salvation for us all if we play our cards right, but for now, sales of cars and trucks are what’s keeping automakers afloat. Not scooters and ride-hailing ventures. These four-wheeled conveyances still matter.
Anyway, it’s your turn at bat. What automotive trend would you like to see diminished in 2019?
[Image: Toyota]
Driver assistance technology. I know why we have it and I wish it would die. Those who need it should be taking mass transit… or learn to drag their eyes away from their smartphones.
+1
+2
I drove a 2017 Maxima this year. It should have been the best car I drove this year, because who can argue with a 300HP sport sedan? Well, the adaptive cruise control was the worst. When it worked, it was a dream, slotting up in traffic and letting the car do the hard work while I was able to scan traffic farther in front of me. Until it got confused. Then it turned off. And cruise control won’t work without the “intelligence” part.
They have probably fixed this in the newer model with better sensors. But unless it works, I’m not interested.
I do not agree! I had a 2016 Accord with adaptive cruise, 30k miles, I think it worked great! the only problem I had is that on hwy speeds, if you are on the right lane and the car in front is about to exit, it will slow you down a little too much, meaning, it keeps slowing down up to about 5 seconds after the car is no longer in view. Other than that, it was great, driving long distances without worrying about speeding, you still have to steer the car so you are driving.
I now took delivery of a new Accord EX-L 2.0, it adds slow traffic follow, it stops and go in slow traffic, I did not use it enough to have an opinion on it but I did use it twice already, so far so good, the stop and go is super gentle, not sure I’m comfortable using it every time I’m in traffic.
Plus another 1.
I’m uncomfortable with the marketing around these aids. Mama Nissan isn’t infallible at saving your bacon when you’re driving with your head stuck up your apps. Don’t market it as such.
I get Car&Driver delivered to my house because somebody mistyped their address somewhere along the line and a recent issue had a real-world comparison of a bunch of the auto-brake systems on the market. The results showed a bunch of very scary “no-detects” for very common events (car immediately ahead of you jukes out of the way to avoid an obstacle – WHAM you go into the obstacle) that marketing brushes under the rug.
Yes, The ads scream “THIS CAR DRIVES ITSELF” …. then the fine print “This car won’t drive itself. You’re still responsible if it crashes.”
-1 As an older driver I want to keep driving as long as possible and any tech that can help me is welcome. ps there is no mass transit or uber in my area and my eyes aren’t good enough to see my phone and drive at the same time.
+111
Actually to be precise, I want trend of standard equipment nannies to go away
Ha, was wondering how far down I’d have to scroll to see this sentiment. I’m happy to report your wish runs counter to the trend. Driver assistance is a marvelous development for safety and driving comfort. You must not live in a city.
HahnZahn
I have different approach. Ban city people from driving a car. For everyone else, remove all the nannies.
The photo speaks volumes …I understand the “pedestrian safety” thing. I just can’t get my head around the ugly front view that is so prominent, in so many vehicles.
I have a question. It might be an incredibly stupid question, so everyone please be nice.
I was hit by a car as a pedestrian two years ago. It was an old Jetta, low to the ground with a pointy bumper. The car was travelling fairly fast, and struck me right below the knee. The collision basically took my feet out from under me, and I whacked the hood and then hit the ground. I miraculously suffered only minor injuries.
So whenever I hear about front end designs impacting pedestrian safety, I can’t help but wonder how this new design is better. If the car that hit me had a flat upright front end, I probably would have been completely crushed. What makes this design safer?
This is the reason why CUVS/SUVS have significantly worse effects when colliding with a pedestrian.
I don’t think it’s a stupid question, but I presume (hope?) the Europeans (who started this) tested the design theory on a bunch of helpless crash dummies.
Of course they did!
https://youtu.be/N9p0jLMssSk
Thats actually a good question!
This is partly why Saabs do well in their moose tests, they generally had low wedge front ends. The problem is that low front ends tend to go underneath cars easier, CUV/SUVs/Brodozers in particular.
I dont get what makes flat grille-less front ends safe myself, unless if the pedestrian is a stuntman and uses their arms on the car to shove themselves aside or something absurd.
Don’t forget those designs were coupled with pretty sturdy A-pillars, to help mitigate moose migration(sic) up the hood and into the windshield. Certainly more sturdy than what was usual for the time.
Along with diesel incentives it is another stupid decision made by European bureaucrats and forced upon other countries by default. Design-wise I have no issue with it. It just reminds me designs of late 50s which I am fan of. Next trend will be lower wider longer and EU will cease to exits, just wait a bit – it will happen.
gear dials.
crossovers.
Curvaceous crossovers, crossovers are suppose to exude practicality. Bring back the box
Agree with every fiber of my being. And the fat, too.
How about 3 box sedans too? The segment is dying, might as well be as sedan like as possible on the way out.
I’m convinced that todays blobby designs have a huge part in the sedans demise. People dont like bonking their heads anytime they get in or out of their cars, then you have todays awkward mail slot trunks.
+1. Better visibility into blind spot and rear. Compare mid-2000s Cr-V to recent CR-V’s for instance. We have people riding in tanks.
-Fishmouth grills that take up the ENTIRE front end
-Infotainment units that appear to be nothing more than tacked-on tablets
-Gun-slit windows
-CVT
-hatchbacks masquerading as CUVs
“CVT” x1000
I will second the gun-slit windows, and high belt lines. The BMW 2002’s greenhouse should be a standard aspired to.
I agree with every one.
– Fishmouth grills might actually be a show stopper for a car purchase. I’m specifically looking at you, Toyota.
– Tacked on infotainment units started with luxury brands. WTF?
– Small windows are there for improved rollover and crash protection, but their poor visibility will get you in the accident to begin with.
– CVTs and the fact that they try to simulate shifting, speaks for itself.
– I don’t mind hatchbacks. Just all them hatchbacks.
I am most annoyed by fake exhaust vents at the rear of a vehicle. If the exhaust is tucked away under the vehicle, then just leave off the fake exhaust vents.
https://images.carscoops.com/2018/10/abe743bc-fake-exhausts-mercgle-02.jpg
Ditto.
It’s like they half ass them in a rush to get promo photos out but then just carry the empty plastic exhaust over into production….
I was behind a previous gen Buick LaCrosse and noticed the fake exhaust chrome trapezoids integrated into the bumper, with the cheap real exhaust tip lurking behind. Terrible. Or the Lexus IS-F’s stacked fake exhaust tips, which bear no physical relation to the real muffler exhaust tips.
Right. Earlier this month I was sitting behind a newer BMW SUV (I don’t know the model) in early morning traffic. My headlights totally illuminated the tailpipes. The one on the left was all black, the one on the right was nice & shiny inside with a dead end about six inches in.
All that money and you can’t get real dual exhaust? Or some black paint down the pipe?
Strange. My Fusion has kind of dual exhaust. It is a gimmick but still there are no dead ends.
Piano black trim— inside and out.
Please, do away with these grotesque front grill work started by Lexus that makes the vehicle look like a shovel nosed catfish or a large mouth bass. Enough already.
Lexus IS out of control…
…espcially when 90% of the “grill” is completely fake.
The civic is easily the worst offender, 90% is pretty spot on. Look at the civic with test mule camo. Most of the front, save for a couple slits is fake grill.
http://honda-spy.blogspot.com/2016/04/2017-honda-civic-hatchback-spied.html
Someone should market giant fishhooks to put in them!
The iPad like screens just next to the instrument cluster. Just design a dashboard where everything is integrated.
Ditto that. Who wants a mini drive in movie theater popping up out of the dash?
Ditto that. Who wants a mini drive in movie theater popping up out of the dash?
I don’t have to park one, feed one petroleum, wash and wax one, or drive one, so I can look on with bemusement . . . just how long, wide, and high will pickup trucks eventually get?
Heh between the sluggishness of this site’s server and my malfunctioning track pad I scored a double win. Snuck in a duplicate comment, and inserted the pickup truck comment in the wrong place on this thread.
I’m with you on the full-size pickup truck comment. I know people who have been a pickup truck guys for all their lives and view the full-size trucks as horrific beasts (Canyonaro!) not that they don’t serve their purpose.
They stick with their Nissan Frontier SC,(Interesting mid sized supercharged) old Rangers while waiting for the new one and the Colorado/Canyon.
The 2.0T-ification of everything.
This, just go ahead and get a lobotomy if a 2.0T is acceptable.
I’ll take them over the sub 2 liter turbo…
I disagree… best engines ever.
250 hp and massive torque in a dd with over 30 mpg? angels are singing and my prayers are answered.
every 2.0t ive driven is superior to the v6 it replaces in every way.
except long term reliability, simplicity, cost to manufacture, cost to repair/replace, emissions output (NO2 mainly), etc…
@arach
3800 accomplished your prerequisites twenty years ago.
Didn’t Smokey Yunick state 50 some years ago that most drivers would be best served with a high torque 4 cylinder motor?
Ugh, yes. There shouldn’t be any 2.0T versions of any car trying to call itself luxury. Why am I being offered $50-60k 4 cylinder cars?? They only get away with it because so many buyers are stretching their budgets to buy the luxury badge, and are used to driving 4 cylinders anyway.
This makes ZERO sense to me.
Why should I have a crappy gas guzzling V6 or V8 in a luxury car? I want a LUXURY car, not a dang race car. I want comfortable rides, some high end features and great fuel economy.
I’ve been turned off so many luxury cars because they FORCE some giant engine on you. 225 HP 4 cylinder is PLENTY. a 2.0T has no problem moving a FULL SIZE car, so why force me to settle for 25 MPG? I don’t have to compensate for anything.
Luxury cars SHOULD have small engines. they are there to get you from work to your house. Not to a race track… not a drag strip… to work… in stop and go traffic… and to the grocery store.
I really hate that cars like the genesis G90 don’t have 2.0Ts. That would be a wonderful match. Hyundai has an excellent 2.0t that would move the genesis just fine. instead you settle for 17/24 MPG in the 3.3L for WHAT? so you can go 0-60 in 4.9 seconds instead of 5.9 seconds? lol…That will be great the ZERO times you ever want to do that.
I want a luxury race car and I like being fast more than I like getting 30MPG.
@dwford,
$50-60k is bad enough, but you can price a 4 cylinder E class or 5 series deep into the $80s.
@arach,
I’m not necessarily opposed to the idea of the engine itself, just the idea that it’s the solution to every problem in every vehicle. 10-20 years ago, you could buy all kinds of engines: I6, V6, V8, flat engines, turbo, supercharged, naturally aspirated, high and low revving, diesel etc. Now, increasingly the 2.0T/ZF8/AWD powertrain is the only game in town.
Plus, haven’t you talked about owning a Ferrari before? You can’t possibly tell me a 2.0T is the “best engine ever”.
@ajla,
+100000000. 5 or even 10 mpg difference is a rounding error compared to the price of a luxury car.
I live and drive in an area where my idea of luxury includes letting her stretch her legs to 90 MPH on two lane county roads straight as an arrow for miles ahead. Oh, and these roads were laid out two hundred years ago over elevations that vary by about 300 feet, so being able to maintain 60+ uphill is a must. Six cylinder is not wasted. YMMV.
Arach
2.0T s are awful, I have never been able to get more than 24 MPG on any 2.0T, which is V8 mileage. And 225 HP is V6 power from 20 years ago, the world moves on.
@Hummer: “2.0T s are awful, I have never been able to get more than 24 MPG on any 2.0T”
The fact that YOU can’t doesn’t mean it’s not easily achieved. I do it all the time.
And then when I want to play, I get…24mpg.
Here’s what makes ZERO sense to me, I’m going to spend an F ton of money and I’m going to settle for middle-of-the-road-oh-its-good-enough in my power train? I want the blow me edition; I want it to be so ridiculous I have a mad scientist laugh every time I pass someone even if it was only at 30mph. Why is it acceptable to spend gobs of money and still get this same POS johnny six pack can get in his Chevy? Why is this acceptable? Can I get a $20K credit from Daimler for being saddled with mediocre on my sad I4 E-class?
I’d want to get rid of bland beige and gray interiors, bring back the fabulous colors and designs of the 1950s-1970s.
I would also vote to bring back tailfins. I’ve always been of the opinion that a car does not look truly sleek and modern without them. Yes, today’s cars are built better and last longer but for style I’ll take a ’57 DeSoto any day of the week.
Hey give beige a break, it often is the only non black or grey option for interior “colors”.
First, let’s get rid of black interiors in 90+% of vehicles.
I’m with redrocket. When I buy a car, it’s hard to find one that doesn’t have a freaking black interior. Black interiors feel confining.
Black interiors show dirt, and they get real hot when parked in the sun.
My 1986 Mazda 626 had a blue interior that matched the paint color on the outside. With just-in-time manufacturing you would think all automakers could color-coordinate –even if it’s just variations of black, silver, gray and white– but the bean counters probably shot this idea in the head.
Blacked out wheels. Enough already. When I see these I think of accumulated brake dust on the wheels. I’m not sure when the whole blacked out trend started but it can’t go away fast enough.
Also, as noted earlier, these gigantic, all-the-way-across-the-front-of-the-car grills. Please start showing some restraint.
Sticking an Etch-A-Sketch on the dashboard and calling it an “Infotainment Display”. Either integrate it properly or leave it out.
Those look so cheap, every car that has them instantly looks like a cheap tacky $14k special Kia.
Idle Stop and Go. If present, give us a way to disable it…….permanently. This gimmick to help manufacturers eek out every last 0.001 mpg is NOT something I want or need.
This is another good one I can agree with, I will never buy a start and stop vehicle that is not permanently defeatable, I wouldn’t accept Fords off button that requires it to be pressed every start. It must never come on again.
” I will never buy a start and stop vehicle that is not permanently defeatable”
You may never buy a vehicle then. They’re all heading this way.
” I wouldn’t accept Fords off button that requires it to be pressed every start.”
Ford may actually be your best bet. With ForScan, you can permanently disable the feature.
I just bought a new vehicle and when looking at several different choices none that I looked at have it.
They can all be turned off with scan tools but I expect the manufacturer to correct the issue before it leaves factory if it expects me to spend my money on their products.
This right here. It’s never going away.
The EPA won’t use the feature for testing if it can be permanently defeated by Joe Sixpack. So it’ll never be configured for permanent defeat.
Don’t like that? Then vote out the people who create or allow the EPA to put their fingers into your everyday life like that.
Ding-ding-ding…we have a winner! Engine start/stop is an automatic Don’t Buy for me. Along with no spare tire being provided, it is probably the only thing that gets immediate dismissal without even a second thought being given. As much as I despise the Fisher Price Floating Tablet trend, there is a chance (albeit infinitesimal) that I would try and deal if the rest of the package on offer was outstanding. Undefeatable Start/Stop and No Spare get no such chance.
AS long as you can turn this feature off , I have no problem with it. Apparently some makes are on all the time, that’s just stupid!
Yes. Ugh.
I quite like it. Still not comfortable with the longevity of it all, but in addition to saving LOTS of fuel in stop and go, it also helps make the creep-a-slushbox army better, more decisive, drivers in slow moving traffic. Hence less depressing to coexist with.
Does it really save “LOTS” of fuel? Does it amount to more than $50 per year? For some (you?), maybe. For most, nope.
I wish to see gone GRAY or GREY metallic paint on every make and model. There are lots of names to describe it, that nasty IT; i.e. Predawn Gray Mica (Toyota) Modern Steel Metallic(Honda) Nightfall Gray Metallic (Chevy) Graphite Metallic (Chevy) Stone Gray (Ford Truck) Magnetic (Mustang) Granite Crystal Metallic (Chrysler) AND that’s only some of them. Toyota and Honda have at least 2 grays each. ETC ETC ETC …my adult daughter was driving me somewhere recently and she truly doesn’t give a damn about cars (I tried, god knows I tried) but said “Was it you who told me how many gray cars there are/”. Yes, dear. “Well, thanks. It’s the only color I notice now.
Anyone driving throughout the ’80s remembers the ubiquitous Japanese silver cars.
On a dark and rainy day a dirty one of those was better camouflaged than anything the military has yet to demo.
Nearly was t-boned by one when even my hyperattentive head swiveling failed to spot it approaching against a row of brownstone, tree-shrouded frat houses. Hit the brakes just in time.
I hate silver cars and gray ones are even worse.
I remember reading somewhere years ago that silver is visually the stealthiest color.
I’ve had more close calls with silver cars than any other.
Errrm, my car is silver, btw…
No need to apologise tome for using “gendered” terms. I know who reads these posts–they have Y chromosomes.
Endless bragging regarding sub-7 second 0-60 times.
In the real world, 10.0 seconds 0-60 is entirely sufficient in day to day use, sub 9.0 seconds are sufficient plus. Anything I buy today, with damned few exceptions, will give me the necessary acceleration for passing in a tight situation, and squeeze me well enough back into the seat for a momentary giggle should I get terminally bored.
And one the rare occasion, she I really need an adrenaline junkie off-the-line thrill, I just go into the garage and grab one of the three motorcycles sitting there. Two of which will happily loft their front wheel in addition to trying to slide me off the seat, should I want it.
What if you don’t have three motorcycles in the garage?
I don’t know of anyone that seriously claims they “need” a very fast car for safety reasons. They buy them because it’s fun. I assume that’s similar to why you own your motorcycles.
If we are going back to 1983 with respect to performance, can we get rid of the Keytar at least? Seeing that stupid instrument in 80’s rock videos annoyed me for some reason.
ASnd no, 10 seconds to 60 sucks. Time has moved on.
10 seconds to 60 will stop being adequate when people stop being afraid of revving over 3k RPM (although the 2.0T-ification is helping with that). I’ve driven a string of cheap compacts that barely break the 10 second mark, and have no trouble keeping up with traffic.
Syke, while I agree most vehicles don’t need sub-7 second 0-60 times, 10 seconds feels sluggish. For me the “quick enough” line is around 8 seconds for general purpose vehicles.
I have to agree that acceleration times are mostly overrated. When stuck behind somebody who takes 12 city blocks to get to 45 mph it’s a bit pointless. Also mergers who can’t find anything above 50 mph.
I usually keep the Mazda boiling in 3rd gear so I can take off with plenty of speed. It’s not a pocket rocket but 186 torques at 3250 rpm is just fine.
Bring back carburetors! I want more smog, more fuel waste, more cold stalls! And breaker points! And zerk fittings! But…most importantly, drum brakes and bias p!y tires!
Truly, today’s automotive landscape is so vibrant, so much better than the past, that I must concede I have no complaints. I believe there is a new car out there to satisfy anybody’s desires…probably three!
Really? If your desire is a crossover with a 2-liter engine, then, sure. I’d like a premium or luxury sport sedan that focuses on driving fun, with AWD for the snowy months, and a manual transmission. Nobody sells that. BMW gave up on sporty. Audi canceled the stick in the A4. The Guilia is auto only. Etc.
@ smart
By “vibrant” he means you can get a lot of cars in different shades of ELECTRIC BLUE! PRETTYYYYYYY! Some people’s perspective on cars does not go beyond the infotainment systems and body panels.
Agree with the fun to drive manual transmission sedan. Sure wish the Chevy SS was offered in AWD.
“Some people’s perspective on cars does not go beyond the infotainment systems and body panels.”
And some people look at the past with rose colored glasses. THE car when I was in High School was a Mustang 5.0. My Fiesta performance wise with is better and will no doubt offer more trouble free service and turns as a bonus.
I’ve owned a ton of “In the know” enthusiast machines from my time in Europe. I cherish my time behind the wheel of an e30 touring tearing up the roads along the Amalfi Coast and up Mt. Vesuvius. But as I drive more of the newer stuff…its just better. Except styling, ill give you that.
I am going to have to do a restomod one day I suppose. E30 with a modern driveline or B13 SE-R with my Fiesta’s driveline.
Sure, newer cars are superior to old cars in almost every way except cost to own after the warranty expires. That is important to me. To fix most newer cars requires a masters in mechatronics, an expensive scan tool, a fully stocked garage and a full weekend to fix the car. I could just pay someone else to do it but id rather not take out a second mortgage just to replace a motor mount or turbo. I like cars of the past because I am capable of performing 95% of the repairs that they require.
Story about driving in Europe: In 2006 I was stationed in Germany. My friend rented a 328i just so he could “go fast on the autobahn”. We got out of town and he pinned the throttle on the on ramp. The car topped out at 125mph. He thought he was hot s***. Then an Audi station wagon, driven by an elderly man, passed us going about 145-150. His ego shrank pretty quickly. We made fun of him all the way back to base as he pinned the throttle at every light just to make himself feel better.
I disagree Jon. Most modern electronics troubleshooting can be done with a laptop and some sort of cable. Heck I have a device at work that for around 400 bucks lets me sniff raw CANBUS traffic and transmit data. Most of the makes have some sort of open source stuff that simplifies this. Much easier than the old “jump 2 wires on the diagnostic port and count the flashes of the check engine light” from back in the day.
Ironically I did the top mount on my Fiesta this weekend with a stiffer one. It took 10 minutes. The worst I’ve ever done? Easy, 1968 Cougar with a 289 and headers. That was an all day affair.
I worry a bit about modern transmissions, but I don’t buy CVTs. My 2 Autos are both 6 speeds (F150 and Hyundai) that had been around for a while. My other is a manual.
I actually was sweating carbon build up on my 2.7 DI as it was a first year and Ford went with the dual injection later, but I gave it a peep with a scope when I did the plugs and it looked like any other 60,000 mile engine I’ve ever looked at. I’ve run good oil from day 1 though.
Anyway, I think there is a lot of worry over a few mistakes that were made. Steer clear of CVTs and German metal out of warranty. The first bit is new, the last has been true since before the turn of the millennium.
I’m with Art in that modern cars are much easier to diagnose thanks to modern electronics. For under $100 I’ve got a tool that can do all the factory level stuff for my Fords, including adjusting configurations and actually adjusting things to non factory available configs.
“B13 SE-R with my Fiesta’s driveline.”
N14 Pulsar GTi-R would seem to fit the bill.
Art, $400 is pretty steep but im curious; what is the scanner you have at work? Im looking to upgrade my $60 amazon special.
Good oil does wonders for an engine. What frustrates me is that most manufacturers specify 6k+ oil change intervals. This might work on cold climates but in the low hot desert where I live; oil breaks down faster. When i was a technician (2004-2014), most of the cars i worked on, the oil began to smell burnt at around 4-5k but then folks continue to run it until the car told them it was time to change the oil – for an additional 2-3k. Then they wonder why they need a cam and lifters at 160k. Part of me wonders is GM (and others) are planning obsolescence for their vehicles just to get folks into a NEW car.
It also needs to be brown.
So get a hatch or spend 40k and do a concours resto on an e30 chassis 325ix. I mean that’s what you are really after anyway, right? Take it from one thats been down this path however, no matter how much you spend it won’t live up to your memories of those cars.
@smartascii, have you driven the Alfa? The dual clutch is really good.
@Art I have. It’s a lovely car, with two exceptions: I am the only person on earth who doesn’t love the ZF 8-speed, and the brake-by-wire system is inconsistent and weird.
R Henry, there was a steady progression where disk brakes, overdrive transmissions, electronic multiport fuel injection, computer control of the air-fuel ratio and timing, variable valve timing, the three-way catalytic converter, etc. were so obviously superior that many people Restomod antique cars up to this level. The problem is that government mandates are pushing changes that may reduce reliability and increase the long-term cost of ownership. The problem isn’t that new cars aren’t great compared to antiques. The problem is that large numbers of changes were forced across the board in the last decade and we’re losing things like engine smoothness, steering feel, engines that outlast the rest of the car, etc.
I would like larger vehicles with sub 18-inch wheels to be a thing again.
+1
And e rateds, with attendant suspension upspec and tuning, on ALL trucks as well as SUVs with any pretense of ever touching a pebble of gravel.
The past five to fifteen years of everything, its all been a slow downward progression.
Same, gimme boring over todays eye sores. Gimme old Top gear over The Grand Tour.
How about getting rid of small turbo engines, CVTs, black interiors.
Bring back decent size normally aspirated engines and real transmissions.
And send Toyota’s exterior design people to design school.
Lol this is funny because we’re most likely about to add a Grey, 1.5t, CVT, car with a black interior to our family. At least it’s a sedan, right?
I hope it’s not the same 1.5T in Chevys Malibu, I wouldn’t give that POS to a new driver let alone deal with another one as a rental ever again.
They DID go to design school…Where do you think they learned the “Infantile Postmodernist” design language? Note to automakers-If a dude walks into the interview dressed in all black and/or a bad haircut on purpose DON’T HIRE the goof!
Floating roofs
Strip of chrome below trunk
Floating roofs was going to be my reply also. They are going to be so “2018” in the future, like all of those rear spoilers were in the ’90’s. Worse than Day light opening fail.
I don’t mind the floating roof so long as it is done like a gen 1 Saturn with wraparound glass everywhere. The fake ones created out of plastic trim, not so much.
That strip of chrome can actually be a hazard if the sun hits it just right. Floating roofs are just silly imo.
SUVs, CUVs, crossovers, whatever they’re called, I want them all to go away. Too big, too ugly, too inefficient. CVTs need to die. Had a Nissan Rogue rental I drove from DFW to BNA. Awful, awful, awful. HATED the CVT.
When designers leave out a Volume AND tune dial, a button is not an acceptable replacement, I should be able to quickly change the station with the turn of a dial.
All of the stupid LED lights on the front of the vehicle. Most of them look like the manufacturer put them on to be trendy but slapped them in a random location that looks awful going down the road. The Ford Focus is one that comes to mind.
Belt lines that rise to the rear. Roof lines that drop to the rear. Flattened fenders around the wheel wells. Pointy shaped head and tail lights. Whoops, that eliminates at least 80% of the current crop of me-too styled vehicles.
“Angry design”.
I really don’t like that cars designers are trying to intimidate the world. I speak very directly to Toyota, Lexus and Honda designers, as well as all of the Jeep bros with their “angry eyes” aftermarket parts.
This is a biggie for me. I don’t think that malevolence is funny at all. I’m only glad that I’m old and will be dead reasonably soon, as the assholication of society progresses.
.
Definitely the scourge of a thousand blocked-off fake grilles on every damn car. A Prius-C does not need more grille space than my 7.3L Powerstroke had, especially if most of it is just blocked off black plastic.
Soft Touch Dash Boards – A waste of money that hurts durability, and the only time you touch it is on a test drive.
heated rear seats on a non-luxury car – A waste of money 99.999% of the time.
Lame Color Options- the fact that I can’t get an exciting color on any normal car is depressing as all get out.
“Soft Touch Dash Boards”. This is a great answer. Every time I watch a reviewer gush about “soft touch materials” I wonder what exactly they are rubbing on the dash when the camera isn’t rolling. Honestly, how many times do folks lovingly caress their dash or their door panels?
This, I generally stop reading a review when I see “soft touch plastics”. Its nice in some areas but things like the dash and center stack don’t really need it- well with the exception of the poor bastard that bruised themselves test driving a Mustang but I suspect they have bigger problems in that case.
I hate the lack of good color options on most cars. I love the color options that dodge has. Plum crazy, go mango and yellow jacket for example.
Anyone who has kids in a cold climate, should have heated seats. The heat pads cost approximately nothing to add, and heat up way faster than the engine/cabin heater.
While on the opposite end of affordability, heated windshields are really nice as well. The less idling just to heat the car in the morning in cold climates, the better.
High belt lines and pillbox gun port window glass. Car designers should be forced to meet or exceed the driver’s seat visibility level of a 1982 VW Jetta.
Honorable mention to crappy aftermarket HID / LED headlight mods that blind other drivers.
We could eliminate most of these horrible trends by wishing away the government regulators responsible for them.
Pug nose front end = pedestrian impact standards.
Gun slit windows = side impact standards.
Turbo everything, shrinking sideview mirrors, “SUVs” with chopped and pinched rear ends, engine stop-start = CAFE.
Fire the regulators; their job is done. Cars don’t pollute to any significant degree anymore and they are safe enough. This has been the case for going on 20 years now.
+1. The wave of half-baked tech is a lame effort to make up for design compromised by regulation.
Inventing ever harder to meet standards, and convincing the halfwits in Brussels they are somehow meaningful, is how the Germans keep the Chinese from undercutting them at producing a product that has long passed the point of being essentially a commodity.
Well, you guys covered just about all my pet peeves.
– Can the mandatory nannies on top trim levels.
– Want a 2.0T? Fine, but don’t cancel the V6 options for petesake.
(and my daily driver is a 2.0T)
– Quit cutting into cargo room with fastback crossovers!
– Ditch the ridiculous overstyling trends that often look pre-wrecked.
– Eliminate the fake shifts on CVTs, let them do their job, or just use a conventional automatic.
– I was very happy with 17″ wheels. Can I have some on my next car, please?
But above all … CEASE AND DESIST USING THE TERM “4-DOOR COUPE” THERE IS *NO* SUCH THING! ARRRRRRRRRGH!
So many cars have way too many creases. So many times my wife has pointed out a car and asked me if its dented. Nope, they just look like they are.
If you took the surface shaping out, the slab sides and excessive beltlines of newer cars, would still look bad. Cars are supposed to look like E30s. Then they’d need no artificial creases to break up the slab.
I mean, I wish the styling would go back to the mid 90’s I suppose…I really like those clean designs as opposed to today, but other than that I’m fairly content.
I guess the big wheel thing is my least favorite. My Fiesta has 18’s. Seriously? You look at those rims and they get curbed. I thought 18’s looked dumb on my F150 and that was among the smaller rims you could get (I put 17’s on it because a truck should have 70 series tires at a minimum IMHO). I know some lightweight 15’s on my old Mazdaspeed Miata made a noticible difference so I’ll probably look at something like that if I keep it.
I miss the interior design of the mid 90’s as well. I liked how everything was oriented towards the driver.
So yeah, bring back smaller wheels and functional interiors.
meant 17’s…my bad
I’ll take 15s or 16s.
Agreed. I think 15’s look right on the Fiesta.
Also would have gone smaller on the F-150, but 17 is as small as you can go and clear the front brakes so at least there is a reason.
Low profile wheels is what I came to say. You basically said the same thing. The whole thin strip of rubber thing, pretending to be a tire, has gone too far.
I’m running -2 diameter wheels with my winter tires and they’re still 17s. I’m kind of morbidly curious how much the factory tires will cost to replace especially since I’m avoiding OEM Dunlops on the next go around.
On the subject of tires; can the trend toward “eco” tires die slow in a fire. They’re hard, lack grip and are unpleasant to drive on. Might as well be driving on wagon wheels.
Black wheels.
Agreed…I always think someone stole the hubcaps when I see them.
I wish ALL trends would die. We need more cars that are designed my people and not by committee and focus groups. There are no more “quirky” cars. It killed SAAB (with the help of GM) and Subarus are now mainstream.
Crossovers will die, but the sooner the better.
Also, manufacturers need to stop putting climate controls in the infotainment system.
I concur about the Billy bass grills on most cars and crossovers and the Peterbilt and Kenworth big rig grills on most pickups. Not a fan. Also don’t like the beds on pickups that are so tall you need steps to reach into the bed. Don’t like the trend to black only interiors which make you long for an option of gray and tan.
Traditional car dealers.
TV car ads. With very few exceptions they all suck. GM is one of the worst offenders with their “real people” campaign.
Trouble is by playing to the lowest common denominator they’re hitting the nail right on the head.
+1 on car ads. They rarely tell you anything about the vehicle.
I’ll make a list:
– Touchscreens, be it aftermarket or factory. In my cars I’ve used basic knobs and buttons for years. They react instantly and dont need to “load” or require me to look at them while I’m driving.
– Styling trends, there seems to be an unwritten rule for modern cars, “No straight lines for more than 2 inches”, so we get overly busy blobby cars with no interior space, not helped by todays large center consoles.
– Fake exhausts, grilles, spoilers. These look like crap and do nothing but make production and repair costs higher. Its simple inefficiency with no gain.
– Cupholders, my current car has 6 but I rarely use them, and when I do its one at a time. I dont need 18-20 cupholders, I dont like eating food in my cars!
– XM Radios, I greatly prefer CDs if I want ad-free music. With XM I’m expected to pay to use something thats already in my car which always kinda bugs me, especially when FMs free.
– Auto journalists, specifically the youtube-type. I dont like auto journalists in general but most of the youtube clowns cant even do basic research. Then you have RCR with its irrelevant humor, and SCOTTY KILMER YELLING INTO MY EAR, CRAZY HUH?
Unfortunately younger generations have used touchscreens for all of their life so they arent going anywhere. I can live with them so long as I get knobs for volume and tuning. They need to put some effort into the interface though for sure…most suck.
Honestly I have always wanted a normal display with knobs, but an old school iPod click wheel right where my thumb rests on the wheel for other functions.
“They need to put some effort into the interface though for sure…most suck.”
Indeed, I see this with many modern interfaces. Instead of making them easy to navigate they attempt make them simple to reduce confusion. This ends up burying and hiding many options underneath other stuff.
wait a minute–you object to having the choice of satellite radio?
YOU prefer CDs for ad-free music. But satellite radio is much, much more than just what you can get on CD. But even if you stick with music, it’s much more than you’ve ever bought or otherwise acquired in your life.
All that notwithstanding, it’s perfectly fine that you prefer CDs for your ad-free music. But you apparently want to deny a simple alternative to everyone else?
And yes, with satellite radio you have to pay for them to provide the service to you. But that’s not “paying to use something that’s already in your car” any more than buying CDs is “paying to use something that’s already in your car”.
In short: we get it. YOU don’t want to use sat radio, for irrational reasons begotten out of ignorance of what sat radio actually provides. Go ahead and live in your own world, but don’t force the rest of us to live in that same world.
the two most irritating modern car changes to me would e the disappearing front bumper and rear view.
there is no excuse for the chrome of the grill to be poking itself farther out than the damn bumper.
there is no reason the rear views of today’s cars are forcing the electronics.
“XM Radios”
Point taken, but after my first ‘free’ 6 mos subscription I kept subscribing because the DJs were so entertaining, and worth the $0.60/day. Plus, ‘Tom Petty Radio.’
Yes, They had me at Pearl Jam Radio
The way to get Sirius XM at a much lower price is to call to cancel just before the promotional price ends. They’ve never failed to offer to extend the promotional price.
Crossovers and SUVs. I’ve driven and ridden in several….they’re pretty much all alike. And a good portion of the owners don’t really need them.
If my Hyundai copy of a Pontiac Vibe is a crossover, it’s the single perfect vehicle.
The main trend that I’d like to see go away is the high hood forcing a high beltline and large wheels. I get that there is a European pedestrian safety standard, but they don’t buy the larger vehicles that can sell at a profit in the US. Why inflict their preferences and proportions on anything other than their dorky dwarf-proportioned city cars? Something is very wrong when wheel sizes smaller than 19 inch diameter look too small.
I may run out of paper here
– Wheels that are too big and too skinny
– Non-lever gear levers
– Electronic parking brakes
– In-dash iPads (without buttons and command controls)
– standard nannies in some cars
– leatherette
– Digital dashes/gauges
– disappearance of rear independent suspensions
– turbocharging everything
– big car – small engine duos.
– spare tire, where are you?
I agree with slavuta.
I was going to post a list, but you seem to have covered everything on it. Well done. I actually like digital gauges that look digital, for example the Honda S2000 cluster. I loath just sticking a screen in there that displays analog gauges. Its a shortcut and screams lazy design, configurability be damned.
That’s a great list. The No Spare Tire thing is just egregious. I’m sure part of the “logic” was that they’re seldom used and most people don’t understand what to do with them when they are needed. Well, you could make the same argument about car insurance.
Floating roofs. Floating roofs and giant front grilles. They must go.
I feel your pain.
After sitting here and reading all the comments, it appears the perfect car for all you people is the 2012-2018 Volkswagen Passat SEL V6. It’s not expensive, it’s not overly styled, it doesn’t have an iPad at the top of the dash, and it’s a V6. Yet hardly anyone bought them.
Actually I came very close to buying a V6 Passat a few years ago. It wasn’t the car that soured the deal but rather the dealership. Too bad, I really liked the car and how it drove.
We ended up with a V6 Chrysler 200 Limited, also a nice car, which the missus liked better because it had more toys.
More like this.
youtube.com/watch?v=pt2p8y6UtPg
#1 Tires
get rid of run flat tires, bring back the standard spare tire and jack.
#2 No sidewalls
Roads are getting worse, I am sick of bending rims. I don’t care if some product guru thinks they look cool. Replacing alloy wheels is not worth the coolness factor.
#3 Agree on the front grills. Car’s look like have a mouth full of steel braces.
#4 Infotainment systems. They don’t work and are outdated long before I want to trade my car in. It is robbery what a stealership charges to perform a software update on these clunky interfaces. Manufacturer’s should just throw in the towel and build an ap interface to everyone’s cell phone. Let the smartphone be the infotainment. Car manufacturers should focus on making cars not trying to sell electronics. Radio Shack was better at the car stereo game than the manufacturers and look where that got Radio Shack—Bankruptcy.
#5 Onboard telemetry tracking. I don’t want insurance companies using my data against and I certainly don’t want manufacturers and others using my data to profile me.
I actually disagree on the adaptive cruise control/brake assist. Too many idiots don’t use turning signals. Front collision warning can shift the insurance liability to the idiot tail gating me. Eventually, the technology will be done right. It might take a lawsuit where the accident was “caused by” the emergency brake assist, but it will be made to work or fade away.
I couldn’t agree more on infotainment. The one in my new car is trash. It also has android auto which is one of the most over rated things I have ever used. The functionality is greatly limited in the name of “safety.” My daily driver is a 94 Miata and I love the lack of features. My next new vehicle may very well be a base jeep wrangler due to the old school nature of it. I’m talking crank windows, a basic stereo and not a lot of modern crap I don’t want.
How many mass consumer vehicles have run flat tires? Thankfully, it’s a rarity and I believe it is reducing in popularity. I think we’re OK with that one.
They are terrible.
” the only figures buyers in this segment should care about are range and charging time.”
Really? Who cares what the charge time is when all you ever do is plug the thing in and sometime in the middle of the night it’s charged? Who cares how much time it takes as long as it’s good to go the next morning. Same thing with range. We have plenty of 200 to 300-mile range EVs now. When you’re driving 25 to 50 miles a day, who cares. Any further than that, you take a plane. If that’s your situation, who cares about range. So, maybe there are a few people that enjoy the fun of quick acceleration. They’re out there believe it or not. Why not let them have some fun. It’s okay. Too bad if you don’t like it.
Your reply was more kind than mine would have been.
EV buyers need to know their place.
“Any further than that, you take a plane.”
So, maybe there are a few people that enjoy the fun of roadtrips. They’re out there believe it or not. Why not let them have some fun. It’s okay. Too bad if you don’t like it.
It costs $800 for the two of us to fly 400 miles to see our relatives, but $30 in gas and $10 in electricity. It’s the 3 hours of recharging in the middle that’s stopping us from doing it in an EV.
@mcs: “We have plenty of 200 to 300-mile range EVs now. When you’re driving 25 to 50 miles a day, who cares. Any further than that, you take a plane.”
Really? You take a plane to go 100 miles to the next city?
Here’s what I want to go away: ignorant commentors.
Many of the trends I’d like gone have been mentioned:
Turbocharging all the things.
Ginormous wheels.
Discordant design. (There are two basic types of shapes, angular and organic. Don’t mix them. And flame surfacing or whatever it’s called can die. Nissan is pretty terrible at this.)
Floating roofs.
I’ll just add one more. It’s sport utility coupes or coupe utility vehicles. I’m thinking the BMW X7. Looks like a bloated dog running with its feet too close together while doing a poo.
Those coupe SUVs need to die in a fire. Were I made king of all things automotive, my first act would be to kill every last one of them.
Two trends come to mind that I wish would just go away…..
1-Design inspired by a crumpled-up paper cup. Yes, I’m pointing directly at you Toyota C-HR. Nary a straight, coherent line in the design of this vehicle. Double negative bonus points for the miniscule glass area and the rear door handles pointing straight up. Why?
2- Newly re-engineered 1/2 ton pickups going on a diet and still averaging 5,500 to 6,000 pounds curb weight? Thats not a diet, thats just a 95th percentile Andre the Giant! Okay then, how about all of this heft equalling more payload capacity? Naah…Let’s keep it below 2000 pounds (but let’s try to cover it up with a slightly higher tow rating…)
More weight in the truck itself, is a plus when it comes to actually driving with a big load in the bed and, particularly, in tow.
Lowering truck weight and adding tow rating at the same time, may look cute on a spec sheet, but for actually controlling the trailer, it’s nothing but a step backwards. Ditto the combination of lower truck weight and higher payload; perched atop an ever taller bed, and (due to crewcabization) ever decreasing cab to axle distance. No amount of marketing and ratings gaming, can make up for basic physics.
-SUV “coupes”. They were ugly when the Aztek did it, they’re still ugly now.
-High hoodline vehicles. Good luck seeing past one in traffic
-Everything in a screen. Putting everything in a single failure point is a moronic design decision. Volkswagen should be commended for bucking this trend; you don’t even need the (cleanly integrated) infotainment screen a lot of the time, and you can turn the display off so it doesn’t blind you at night.
Where to begin?
* No more 4-door coupes. No one over 6-foot can sit in those things and not hit his or her head.
* No more infotainment nonense. Cannot wait for those things to get hacked.
* Stop with the scooped lines. Honda is the worst offender.
Here’s something that I want to return: a car that you actually want to drive. I have driven plenty of rentals and have not found a single reason (except for a Miata) that makes me want to rush out buy a new vehicle.
Gawd, where begin! CUVs, ‘tough’ cladding on CUVs, low-profile tires on full size 4x4s, huge fake brake ducts, huge fake grilles, huge fake rear brake extractor ducts (Honda), 17-18 inch wheels on small cars and the expensive tires that go with them, touch screens, mouse controls for touch screens, gun-slit windows, CVT transmissions, that parchment feeling leather on steering wheels, the fact that steering wheels in all cars look like they come from the same supplier. Pretty much everything done to cars since 2010.
Your comment about steering wheels reminded me of something. I’d like to see a return to more choices in steering wheel design. Everything now is shaped like a T. I prefer a steering wheel with spokes at 8 and 4, so I can drive with one hand with two fingers wrapped around the spoke. Driving with the hands at 10 and 2 like the nannies insist is a good way to get carpal tunnel.
Honda Accord abandoned the 8 and 4 configuration after 2007. On the CR-V it was 2006. I understand that air bags and the desire to move a bunch of controls to the steering wheel play into this, but some of that maybe should be re-thought. I used to be able to find the audio button and adjust the stereo in the dark while keeping my eyes on the road. Moving the audio controls to the steering wheel was not a huge improvement. And the reasoning is hypocritical anyway–while we’re putting audio controls on the steering wheel, we’re asking the driver to use a touch screen on the dash…
All vehicles becoming meat compactors in the service of our AI overlords.
Ever lower rooflines, especially at the rear; thickening pillars; rising beltlines; encroaching upholstery and consoles; malevolent, posture-destroying headrests and, finally, the growing intrusion of electronic displays into critical sightlines and electronic nannies into manual control of direction and dynamics.
What they will never again permit is an alert, upright, sovereign and situationally aware meatsack piloting a motor vehicle.
+1
The worst thing all are doing is taking weight out of cars to minimize customer’s CAFE fines. Most passenger vehicles are so chintzy now that child’s toys are built with better structural integrity.
And your qualifications as a automotive structural engineer were issued by which mail-order university? Have you heard of high-strength steel and how it’s utilized in different grades in crash structures? Probably not, judging by this piece of nonsense.
It’s obvious you haven’t been keeping up with crash test results either, lo these past six or seven years. The only two companies that have had any success lightweighting cars are GM and Honda. The rest have had mixed success at best. Mazdas have put on weight, a good 200lb on the 6; Subaru are similar – the Impreza put on a couple hundred pounds for 2017. Your average porker of a compact crossover weighs near enough 3800 lbs or more. The Ford Fusion Sport trundles around with 4200 lbs weighing it down.
So without a doubt, you’re wrong.
@JoDa: “The worst thing all are doing is taking weight out of cars to minimize customer’s CAFE fines. Most passenger vehicles are so chintzy now that child’s toys are built with better structural integrity.”
Absolutely! Ground-hugging weight rules! Let’s bring back the 1959 Chevy Bel Air!
Malevolent-looking design.
It should be clear and obvious that people who like malevolence should die. The world would be a much better place if that were to happen.
.
+1. Like a festering planet of 8 billion and breeding needs encouragement to be aggressive.
Jaguars that look like Volvos.
TPMS
Black carpet. EVERY single speck of dust and dirt shows. You can take the car off the showroom, get in and out twice at a couple of stores/stops, get home and it looks like you haven’t vacuumed the damn car in 6 months. That is absurd.
The so-called floating roof look that’s on the Nissan Murano and the Lexus RX and popping up on several other cars/SUV’s…. They always look like an after thought or a J.C. Whitney add-on. Next the amount of body panel side swoops on just about every vehicle out there is beginning to look silly as well as over done. Bring back names over Letters and numbers to identify models. MKZ , RLX , UX , what the hell? Stop it with the obviously fake vents placed all over the hood,fenders,etc.
…And one more thing…Lexus needs to re-think that Large Mouth Bass look they have pasted on the front everything they build. It’s hideous! Don’t be as stubbord/stupid as Acura has been with their Beak/grills
Ugly non-colors: hearse black, toilet white, March snowbank gray.
Colors…bring them back. I know sales managers order white, silver, and sometimes black, but it takes a custom order to get a color. My 08 MDX is silver off the lot…Honda did ONE good color per year, and rotated it in and out.
Spare tire, please. My last two cars had none. I know that the 35 lb space saver and jack are just begging to be removed for fuel efficiency, but runflats suck.
Mondo wheels. What moron spec-ed 19 inch wheels for my FIL caddy XTS ? They aren’t even the big ones..this is a luxury car for older folks who aren’t pushing envelopes. Likewise, I ordered 18 inch wheels and passed up 19’s on my current car….I got potholes, MAAN.
I think that one is somewhat planned obsolescence. They sell you a warranty for the wheels for potholes. One OE rim is normally the price of two and a half aftermarket wheels. Good business all around, and I only opted out once I realized that I need a 55/50 sidewall in the NYC area and once I went -1 on the low profile 17 inch wheels to a 255/50/16 my rim bending dropped to ZERO…and the tires were still pretty much as sticky as the OE fitments- current car has 40/45 split, but the winters will be equal and probably 50 series again…..
Runflats. Waiting for my current set to wear out….
2.0T engines in luxury cars. Great for that GTi….or Nissan POS Rogue. Don’t insult me with a 2.0T in car with a sticker over 40K. We aren’t europe….gas is not $10/Gallon . Be a hero and for my 50k toss me two more pistons….
I’m ok with the grilles that scare kids and small pets…at this point they have to do something to make them look different.
Last rant…CVT does ok in snow machines, but please, please keep them out of my car. A cvt is a clear “no buy” for me.
edit : 225/50 x 16
“why don’t you list some you’d like to see hurled into the sun in the New Year?”
Hydrogen.
Those thousands of tons of highly toxic nuclear scattered around our planet in temporary storage could probably get hurled into the sun. We could start with, say, a hundred pounds, to make sure we aren’t getting too much of it sent back our way.
This would be either a good solution to a bad problem, or possibly the worst, most widespread and poisonous pollution ever created by mankind.
…highly toxic nuclear waste…