Worst automotive details.

[89911]

Answers: The Worst Automotive Details | The Truth About Cars

This article got me thinking and agreeing on some of the picksl I especially like the blank switch covers in a car, one of my biggest pet peeves:

"Another great suggestion, this from user madanthony, is blank switches. Blank switches, to me, are the single biggest determinant of whether an interior is high quality. No blank switches? High quality. Lots of blank switches? It doesn’t matter if the interior is made of the same material as the Crown Jewels… this interior is awful!

There are tons of great blank switch examples (*cough* Volvo *cough*) but my favorite by far is the Porsche Panamera. Because some models had independent features (think Hybrid vs. Turbo S), there wasn’t one configuration where you could eliminate every single blank switch – even if you spent over $200k. There’s nothing like buying a car for the price of a home and being reminded that you’re still a cheapskate."



I got another one, Bmw putting the unlock doors button in the center of the dash. Get out and forgot to unlock a back door, now you have to lean in and try to unlock it, always close to throwing your lower back out!

[wdfifteen]

No mention of iDrive. Or flush switches that are all the same shape and size. Blank switches? Who cares?

[onewhippedpuppy]

One of my least favorite car websites (blog?), this is more proof why. They complain about backlit gauges then show a picture of an LCD? Good luck seeing an LCD image without illumination you morons. Brake light/turn signal combinations? Remember the big ugly ass orange turn signals that were common on cars a few years ago? You know, the ones that enthusiasts paid big money to swap with euro spec lights that didn't require orange? How could any list of bad car design details be complete without listing fender vents, the most cliche, lazy, and pointless feature of the last decade?

[kach22i]

I once had a 1986 Diesel Golf, I loved the blank switches, seriously.

Do they look any different these days? The ones in the article look fine to me, they also leave room for adding custom features later on.

Volkswagen Golf GT Turbo Diesel (Mk2) 3-door hatchback 1986 until 1989


At least my VW tach used single digits, which came in handy as the head gasket failed.

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

How could any list of bad car design details be complete without listing fender vents, the most cliche, lazy, and pointless feature of the last decade?

The article does mention them.

Buick Portholes – Silvy_nonsense

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by kach22i

I once had a 1986 Diesel Golf, I loved the blank switches, seriously.

Someone should come up with little decals to put on them to make them look functional:

Turbo Boost
Super Turbo Boost
Tailpipe washer
Ejection Seat
Condom dispenser
Ash tray warmer
etc.

[RWebb]

tailfins

[89911]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

One of my least favorite car websites (blog?), this is more proof why. They complain about backlit gauges then show a picture of an LCD? Good luck seeing an LCD image without illumination you morons. Brake light/turn signal combinations? Remember the big ugly ass orange turn signals that were common on cars a few years ago? You know, the ones that enthusiasts paid big money to swap with euro spec lights that didn't require orange? How could any list of bad car design details be complete without listing fender vents, the most cliche, lazy, and pointless feature of the last decade?

You need to see the forest through the trees and lighten up Francis Nitpicking details aside, just use it as a topic to build on. So they were out of stock backlit gauge photos and went with what they had.

I will vote for another, voice activation commands that require you to speak in a voice not of your own making. My Acura MDX requires me to talk like Alan Thicke if I want it to respond.

[rwest]

I got to meet the local Police one morning thanks to the stupid backlit dash on my Toyota Yaris. Officer completely understood when I showed him how little the look of the dash changed when the headlights were on.

I totally agree with the two digit tach being confusing when it is so simple tomdo it right. but don't a lot of Ferraris have the same tach arrangement? You think companies building race cars would be smarter than that.

[HardDrive]

The worst part of the volvos is not inside, its outside. The rear bumper cover is cast with a space for 2 exhaust outlets. But if you happen to get one that has a single exhaust, they simply put a color matched half moon of plastic over the space. So....Ahefing......lame.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Good luck seeing an LCD image without illumination you morons.

au contraire 89999999911, I consider the above stmt. a model of moderation

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Someone should come up with little decals to put on them to make them look functional:

You have no appreciation for the tectonic rhythm or grid pattern?

The grid of unused buttons is art or an art.

It's like a city grid or other pattern, some of the buildings may be unoccupied, but the space they occupy still contribute to the feel of the city.

I'm not a big fan of vacant houses mind you, but once they are gone, there is a hole in the heart of the city.

On a car dash the buttons useful or not create a texture, a pattern. This is sort of like a lot of the buttons on stereo equipment, I'm not a fan of useless unused buttons but sometimes it can be beautiful if done artfully.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by 89911

Answers: The Worst Automotive Details | The Truth About Cars

This article got me thinking and agreeing on some of the picksl I especially like the blank switch covers in a car, one of my biggest pet peeves:

"Another great suggestion, this from user madanthony, is blank switches. Blank switches, to me, are the single biggest determinant of whether an interior is high quality. No blank switches? High quality. Lots of blank switches? It doesn’t matter if the interior is made of the same material as the Crown Jewels… this interior is awful!

There are tons of great blank switch examples (*cough* Volvo *cough*) but my favorite by far is the Porsche Panamera. Because some models had independent features (think Hybrid vs. Turbo S), there wasn’t one configuration where you could eliminate every single blank switch – even if you spent over $200k. There’s nothing like buying a car for the price of a home and being reminded that you’re still a cheapskate."



I got another one, Bmw putting the unlock doors button in the center of the dash. Get out and forgot to unlock a back door, now you have to lean in and try to unlock it, always close to throwing your lower back out!

Same with the Jag.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Quote de onewhippedpuppy

Good luck seeing an LCD image without illumination you morons.

au contraire 89999999911, I consider the above stmt. a model of moderation

That website has a long history of posting stupid stuff, maybe I got a bit carried away.

[RWebb]

No, not carried away. Human factors design is important.

[Eric 951]

I never understood why factory head units--esp in GMs- were so friggin huge, when any aftermarket unit you pruchased contained twice the features and was half the size

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Eric 951

I never understood why factory head units--esp in GMs- were so friggin huge, when any aftermarket unit you pruchased contained twice the features and was half the size

Designed for old people?

[sc_rufctr]

Details aside I like the more functional aspects of a car.

Like.. How about windscreen wipers that will last more than one winter? Or properly placed interior door releases.

I do like the lock buttons and twist knob combo in the later 911. No one has copied that as far as I know.
The 911 interior works very well and yet it's always criticised by the car review people.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Details aside I like the more functional aspects of a car.

Like.. How about windscreen wipers that will last more than one winter? Or properly placed interior door releases.

I do like the lock buttons and twist knob combo in the later 911. No one has copied that as far as I know.
The 911 interior works very well and yet it's always criticised by the car review people.

Buy good wiper blades to remedy that issue. Bosch Icon blades are excellent.

[Joe Bob]

Yew fergot "Autosuck"......just sayin'....

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

That website has a long history of posting stupid stuff, maybe I got a bit carried away.

No, that blog pretty much sucks.
Anywho, my list:

-The aforementioned fender vent
-Any fender accent (Scuderia shields, Lincoln Crests)
-Ornate LED headlights (thanks Audi)
-Excessive sloping of the bone line down from tail to front, simulating an aggressive rake.
-The inability for most Asian carmakers to create a front end that doesn’t look like a Predator (as discussed before)
-Rear parking sensors that look like grommets spanning the rear bumper (really, this is the best you can do?)
-Product badges that are unnecessarily oversized (I’m talking to you Chevy and Nissan)
-Doors that taper up make it easier to get hit in the chin when opening them.
-Odd and unnecessary surface changes (The Furai was a cool show car, but translating that language to the slab sided Mazda5 is stretching a bit)
-Touchscreens in lieu of knobs (I currently adjust my radio and HVAC without taking my eyes off the road, can’t do that with an ipad)
-Voice activated anything
-IDrive/Command anything
-Design by committee