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Biggest new car per peaves


Buick35

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My biggest pet peeve with our newer car (2016) is the sound system. It came with an operating manual that's thicker than the cars owners manual and if I accidentally touch something on the screen I have a he'll of a time trying to get back to the basic radio mode. I've got a 74 MG with a cassette player, cassettes are even getting hard to find. Don't get me started on power windows. They laughed at me if I could get our new car with wind up windows.Give me knobs and a radio and do away with that stupid touch screen! What the he'll is a blue tooth an ah ha anyway? I do kinda like the rear view camera but then that's why God put out heads on a swivel. Greg.

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Agreed. I HATE the touch-screens. Who thought that was a good idea? You have to take your eyes off the road, scroll through multiple screens, and aim your finger at a thing that may or may not be a button. I don't need to wear my glasses to drive, but I do need them to read the radio. It's beyond idiotic.

 

On the plus side, however, that touch screen can certainly take a punch. Didn't even crack when I lost my temper.

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I share the pain. I’m having almost the same problem with my car’s sound system. My car is a 1935 Cadillac. It has an AM radio, but a key is required to unlock it. I don’t have a key. 

Apparently the key is different from the one that opens the doors and opens the glove box.  Also, I can’t find the slot for the CD.  :)

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I mean... you guys know most cars with touch screens have voice control too right? What are you doing touching the touch screen? That's not what it's for =-D

I got my 2015 Fiesta just the way I wanted it though. Simple radio (with bluetooth), crank windows, manual transmission. Going to my comment on the Ford thread, with you can't sell a young person and old persons car, I would be the exception. IMO luxury is a nicely appointed interior without technology. But then again, I'm in your club, not the young people club, and I bought the cheapest car Ford makes, so they aren't really making much money off me.

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29 minutes ago, Buick35 said:

I think that the cds are going the way of the eight tracks,what will they be replaced with?

 

I bought a new Honda for my wife last month and when I brought it home she asked where the slot was for the CD player. I looked it up in the owner's manual and eventually found out that starting in 2017 Honda doesn't put CD players in their cars anymore. She wasn't too happy because she has many books on CD that she listens to on her way to and from work. My 2018 F150 has a CD player in it. What are those Honda idiots thinking?

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No knobs is a no-go for me.  I don’t like pushing buttons and I sure don’t like touching screens.  Voice controls take too long and sometimes don’t even work.  I just want to turn a knob that I know works.  I don’t want to speak to a machine and wait to see if it understands me.

 

Something that hasn’t been mentioned are the endless gears in new automatic transmissions.  They can’t wait to upshift, so, unless you floor it all the time, most advertised power is never available.

 

Many of the 2017 GM vehicles without CD players now have them again.  Customers weren’t ready for that and GM listened.

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1 hour ago, 51dyno said:

The other thing is they put the same size seats in all models . 

 

Have you noticed the rear seats in many modern cars?

The middle position in the rear has a seat belt, showing that

it's made for an occupant;  but it's usually on a hump and

very uncomfortable.  In fact, that position is barely usable.

I even looked at the new Lexus LS sedan, and it was the same way.

 

What are the new designers thinking?  Are they going backward?

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Programming the built-in GPS (Global Positioning System)

isn't always  ideal, either.  Sometimes, a map is better.  To wit:

 

I flew to visit my aunt and uncle.  My uncle is the sort who

always loves the latest in electronics and computers,

so when it was time to drive me back to the airport in his

new 2016-or-so Ford sedan, he just had to program the GPS

and let it do his thinking for him.

 

So, we sat in the car in his driveway while he did his thing.

First, find the airport in the list of known places.  Is it an

attraction?  A business?  A what?  He couldn't find it listed.

Well, he looked up the physical address elsewhere and

entered that address--street name and number.

 As we were en route, we found that the airport's address

was taking us to the administrative office, not to the terminal!

He had spent 20 minutes in the driveway trying to get

that GPS to find the airport! 

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
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My 1 series bmw (don’t know if you even get them that small in the US) use a dial rather than a touch screen to access the infotainment and its much easier

to use than the one in my brothers VW. They have shortcuts for just enough stuff so when you’re driving you don’t have to fiddle about with the screen 

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Went to the Ford dealer in Sherman, Texas last month since my Ranger is bumping 400k miles and may need work one of these days. Salesman came running out and asked what I liked to which I replied, "nothing". I told him I didn't want a 4dr sedan with a tiny box but one with maximum cargo area and minimum passenger area. Adding a flat floor with no console, bench seat,  column shift, no radio,  cloth seats, and no power anything except steering and brakes made his eyeballs roll back in his head. I'm still driving the old Ranger.

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Touch screens can be quite useful, best place on the dash to stick your 3M post-it note with the directions to the airport terminal gate that the GPS can't find. Yes the touch screen was dangerous to use while driving when it first came out, but newer models have overcome the eyes off the road distraction with radar distance sensing safety automatic braking system. They also have side impact airbags for those days when you drive through the stop sign while you are busy turning off the heater fan that went to full when you touched the wrong part of the pad.

 

Got to have the new car infotainment systems, no getting around it. It's not just a radio anymore, it's part of the computer network that makes the car work. Can't think of anything more irritating to have prominently displayed on the dash than the name of the song and recording artist. Guess they had to put something on the screen to justify the couple thousand dollars of computer aided network that replaced the oil and alternator lights while you are waiting for an important "your vehicle has experienced a lock system failure pull over and seek service" message.

 

I have the big thicker than the owners manual radio book and I figured out how to get rid of all the worthless information the radio displays. I've gotten quite used to driving with the radio turned off over the past couple of years and when I need to use GPS, I plug in the old tom-tom.

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11 hours ago, 39BuickEight said:

They can’t wait to upshift, so, unless you floor it all the time, most advertised power is never available.

The Ford (and Chevy) 10 speed isn't like others. It skips gears so it ends up feeling more like a traditional automatic, well... like a 6 speed, which anymore, is sorta traditional.

 

11 hours ago, Lebowski said:

I bought a new Honda for my wife last month and when I brought it home she asked where the slot was for the CD player. I looked it up in the owner's manual and eventually found out that starting in 2017 Honda doesn't put CD players in their cars anymore. She wasn't too happy because she has many books on CD that she listens to on her way to and from work. My 2018 F150 has a CD player in it. What are those Honda idiots thinking?


As for CDs... yeah, other car companies are going that way too. I haven't used a CD for several years. You can pretty easily transfer anything you have on CD onto a digital medium. It's really easy and when you see how many CDs you can store on a USB drive you'll understand why it's a bit silly to bother with CDs at all. They take up a big part of the dash that can be used (or not used) for other purposes and a cleaner look. Also to go with the above comment for how much cheaper a car could be without all the crap on it... a CD player is more complex than any of the sensors you are complaining about, and it's something a many of today's buyers don't use.

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My daughter has a 2017 Ford Expedition and when I drive it I am overwhelmed with information that I neither need or want.  I really can't seem to operate most of the equipment without pushing the wrong thing. I hope my 2001 Astro lasts as long as I do.( and at my age that is a possibility)

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On pre war cars parts can be difficult to come by but frequently can be made as many talented car restorers have demonstrated.  Can you imagine trying to restore any of todays cars in 50 years with all of the electronics needed?

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OK, i guess it's my turn to be the contrarian.  The are many aspects to today's cars that make any comparison to yesterday's cars apples to oranges.  First, I am no millenial having almost completed my 65th trip around the sun.  I also love many old cars, particularly Buicks of the 1960's having owned and restored many.  That said, I love my "new" car and vastly prefer driving it to driving an older car.  Mine is a 2013 Lincoln MKX and it has that dreaded touch screen.  I don't know how much fiddling you all do while driving but basic functions like volume and fan speed or temperature control are also on buttons, most of them at my fingertips on the steering wheel.  When you think of all the functions of my radio, AM/FM/CD/satellite/MP3, the control  buttons would take up half the dash and be distracting as well just to locate them.  Having options like blue-tooth where I can answer calls, make calls, or even have texts read to me all, without my hands leaving the wheel, are much safer than fumbling with a cell phone while driving.  I do not have a built in GPS but I do have a portable Garmin that I find very helpful and useful.  

 

The seats in my MKX are amazingly comfortable on long drives, much more so than the reupholstered buckets in my old '65 Skylark.  Air conditioning was a rare option in most non luxury cars of the 60's but almost standard in today's cars.  You haven't lived until you experience  the AC blowing through your seat on a hot summer day.

 

Let's talk mileage.  I can transport 5 people in relative comfort on a trip and average 25 MPG or better.  Around town I get 20-21.  By the way, my MKX has AWD and a 305 HP V6 engine that has plenty of scoot.  It also has a satisfying growl when you accelerate.  Of course, I'll concede that doesn't beat the sound of a Buick V8 dual exhaust note through Walker turbo mufflers.  It is also impossible to do a burnout with traction control.  AWD and traction control do make driving safely much easier on our NW rain soaked streets.

 

Let's talk safety, I don't have the options of lane control or automatic braking but being surrounded by numerous airbags means a much less chance of injury in an accident.  Also knowing how a vehicle fared in a crash test before you have one is information worth having.  Pre-tensioned shoulder belts are way more safe than lap belts or no belts at all.  My MKX also has safety tie downs built in and engineered to keep a child seat restrained if I want to take my grand kids along.  The back-up camera in conjunction with back up sensors, are safety features that, now that I have used it, I can't imagine doing without.  It doesn't eliminate using your eyes and swiveling your head, but it does give a better view of what is behind you than you could see without it.  One touch power windows take the distraction of rolling up a window like in older cars.  ABS makes stopping much safer.  Built-in alarm systems, and immobilization have made it much more difficult for some lowlife to steal your car.  Having chipped keys makes hot-wiring or even shaved keys useless.

 

Finally lets talk about reliability.  My wife's 2005 Escape Limited went 130,000 miles with nothing more than oil changes, a couple of brake jobs and 2 rear shocks.  When I sold it I knew the new owner would still have many more  pleasurable trouble free miles.  My MKX has 55,000 trouble free miles on it so far.  It still has the original brakes and tires on it.  Annual tune-ups are a thing of the past.  Spark plugs last up to 100K.  Oil changes are done at 5,000, 7,500 or even 10,000 miles depending upon the make and usage.  It is expected that a car gets to 200K miles or more before it is worn out.  Twice what was expected back in the day.   Suspension and steering components are sealed and lubed for "life".  New car warranties today are for up to 100,000 miles on drivetrain components, much superior to yesteryear's.  Valve jobs are almost unheard of at 75,000 miles, often going for 200K or more.  

 

I love old cars and I also love driving them.  The one thing I'll never get in my MKX is a thumbs up from a passing motorist or admittance to a car show where I get positive comments from people seeing my car.  But then again, that's why I owned the old cars too.  I also agree that in 15 to 20 years no one is going to want to restore an MKX or any car of today.  Both vintages have their place.  It is all about using the right tool for the job.  

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11 minutes ago, Phillip Cole said:

Sounds like most of us have aged out at least in spirit of the target market for car manufacturers today.

 

Don't sell yourself short, Phillip!  You probably have

more purchasing power than anyone who's just beginning

his career and stretching his family finances in order to 

afford a bland, colorless, and undistinguished $50,000 vehicle.

 

I might be a "target market" for many vehicles, but

I don't have much desire to own a gray 4-door sedan

with all sorts of expensive gadgets.  A few current cars may

be appealing, but I'll save my money and put it

toward the antique-car hobby and other pursuits!

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AND... I have a 2013 Fiat 500 and love everything about it EXCEPT the key fob. It's a switchblade affair that flips the key out when a button is pushed.  Cute, I thought, when I first saw it. Not so cute when it doesn't stay closed in your pocket. AND... I used to carry a key to both my wife's car and mine just in case that was needed. Now I can't because hers is one these big clunky "keyless" things that won't fit on the same keyring and are uncomfortable in the pocket. Oh, and I guess when the left side windshield wiper dumps it's load right in the driver's line of vision, I get a little peeved too.

 

Comfort in a vehicle shouldn't need a manual.

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My newest vehicle is a `82 S-10 I bought new in Dec. `81, almost 900,000mi and I can fix it at the side of the road if need be, don`t have to take to someone to hook up a computer to it to charge and tell me what`s wrong, and I can fix anything on it for less than one months payment on a new vehicle, I haven`t had a car payment since 1984. I don`t even have a cell phone, wouldn`t even know how to turn one on. Just barely know how to use a personal computer. I guess I just don`t know what I`m missing. To me the best invention ever is "Pay at the pump".. Hope all you people with these new-fangled-contraptions have a nice day..

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I am in a unique position in that I work for a Ford/Chrysler dealer group and get a company car so I get to drive a variety of modern vehicles.  Currently I have a Ford Fusion Hybrid which I like—smooth, comfortable, over 37 mpg.  I like the Bluetooth hands free phone system, the heated seats and even the touch screen after getting used to it.  BUT….

 

.…for my personal vehicles I retain a 2001 Jeep XJ Cherokee Sport and a 1994 Chevy pickup, both usually driven by my wife who at one time received a new vehicle every 3 years or so.  We bought the Cherokee with plans to keep it for a while and around 2009 I offered to trade when it was approaching 100,000 miles and she firmly refused.  She likes the handy size of the Jeep compared to later models, the authentic styling and simple features, but above all the fantastic visibility.  She has correctly noted that after having the side and rear visibility of the old Cherokee she feels much more comfortable parking and maneuvering in it than with the many blind spots of newer vehicles.  At that time I joked that with modern electronics it must have been cheaper for a bean counter to provide a backup camera than a larger rear window.  Apparently it was not a joke.... 

 

The size and visibility is also a factor in my pickup, a regular cab long bed K3500 single rear wheel.  This was the largest non-doolie in the lineup then at 9200 GVWR.  And when I park next to it in, say, a current Ram 1500 and approach from 100 feet away the 1994 profile looks laughably small by comparison even though it is a 3500 truck.  The visibility is excellent and the step in is manageable without running boards, unthinkable in current heavy duty models and even most half ton 4x4s.  I can stand beside the truck and reach into the cargo bed, also not usually possible today.  It is apparent that the old “bigger is better” sales mentality is now much in effect in the truck market.  Every new generation must be larger, heavier and more expensive just like critics used to lament about big cars in the 1960s and 1970s, Todd C 

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I would love to have some 20 to 30 year olds read this thread.  Remember when we made fun of our parents or at least couldn't understand why they hated Elvis? Ok, ok, I may still be a generation off on that one.  Maybe something like:  "Why in the world would we ever need color television"?  Or......dad - you bought a Ford with a 6 cylinder????  As Ed Sullivan said:   "The Beatles" !!

Times change..... go with it or get out of the way is what they say.  :)

 

 

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On 4/28/2018 at 6:53 PM, John_S_in_Penna said:

Programming the built-in GPS (Global Positioning System)

isn't always  ideal, either.  Sometimes, a map is better.  To wit:

 

I flew to visit my aunt and uncle.  My uncle is the sort who

always loves the latest in electronics and computers,

so when it was time to drive me back to the airport in his

new 2016-or-so Ford sedan, he just had to program the GPS

and let it do his thinking for him.

 

So, we sat in the car in his driveway while he did his thing.

First, find the airport in the list of known places.  Is it an

attraction?  A business?  A what?  He couldn't find it listed.

Well, he looked up the physical address elsewhere and

entered that address--street name and number.

 As we were en route, we found that the airport's address

was taking us to the administrative office, not to the terminal!

He had spent 20 minutes in the driveway trying to get

that GPS to find the airport! 

I experienced this going to Austin airport. It routed me to a commercial area behind the airport and almost made my daughter late for a flight. 

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1 hour ago, AJFord54 said:

Times change..... go with it or get out of the way is what they say.  :)

 

Good point, A. J.  I agree with you to a certain extent.

But not all change is for the better.  For example, in 1957,

the Imperial did away with the familiar turn-signal stalk

and decided to create cumbersome turn-signal buttons

on the dashboard!  They didn't go over well.

 

I reserve the right to decide whether any new development

is beneficial, and adopt it or not.  Is something an elevated thought,

a better idea?  or is it just change for the sake of change?

There are a few "improvements" that I'll avoid!

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
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How about a couple of tire-related ones?  Looking for the spare tire and jack on an increasing number of cars is an exercise in futility as they are quietly being replaced by run-flat tires.  And in many cases, there wasn't even a full-sized spare that was being eliminated, it was a space saver.  I take one of my cars to a shop for tire rotation for warranty purposes.  I always need to remind them that there are five tires in rotation, that sometimes causes a panicked look on the tech's face as he doesn't know the rotation pattern for five tires.

 

 Also, the tire pressure monitoring systems can be another source of additional expense (think TPMS module replacement) and maintenance troubleshooting issues.  Quality tires today are not cheap and adding on potentially several hundred dollars for TPMS sensors doesn't make it any easier.

 

The increasing use of all-wheel drive systems has also made tire replacement more costly for cars so equipped.  Many require replacement of tires in pairs or as a complete set.  That must be fun when one has a fairly new set of tires and irreparably damages one tire.

Edited by Writer Jon (see edit history)
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The biggest "new car & truck" pet peeve for me is "DEF" ( Diesel Exhaust Fluid) and everything related to the system.

Not sure if the US vehicles deal with this.

This pollution control program equipment came in 2011 for CDN models.

A real pain in the butt adding DEF at regular intervals.

It is expensive and you have to have a couple of 5 gallons jugs on board all the time.

Chevron offers bulk at commercial card locks but you can get a "poor DEF quality error message" from this product.

My truck which I bought new is a 2011 GMC 3500 duramax so I buy Delco DEF by the case from a GM dealer to avoid the poor quality DEF message and related reduced speed mode if it does not clear.

There are so many issues with this system a lot of people pull the complete system after warranty expires.

Not to mention the tank freezing in sub zero winter temperatures and shutting the truck down.

All these problems are from the day you drive off the lot.

After the warranty expires things get even more problematic.

 

As Mark Twain once said the "the inconvenience of modern convenience" DEFinitely applies here.

 

The rest of the problems with new vehicles are minor minutia in my opinion.

Edited by dodgebrother (see edit history)
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i rent a new car every year. it's almost impossible to find anything i can get in and out of. i'm not 5'3 and 130 pounds, i'm 6'3 310 pounds. 2 years ago i requested a "full size" and was given a hyundai sonata of all things. even a chevy impala is a b**th to get in and out of. this year, i finally found one that fits well, a dodge challenger.

 

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Touch screens in cars should be illegal.  They are just as bad if not worse than texting on a cell phone.  The only way  to control anything is by looking at the screen.

 

My daily driver is a 2002 BMW Z3 with all manual control knobs and switches.  I can control everything in the car without taking my eyes off the road, just by reaching and feeling the knobs.  I would bet you cannot do that with a touch screen and layer upon layer of menus. 

 

I am 68 and in 15 years plan on being one of those old geezers driving around sunken down in the seat of my old car, ticking everyone off while I'm driving slow and holding up traffic.

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One thing I noticed today that is a direct result of all this: I mentioned that both my Cadillac and Suburban start when I simply turn the key quickly to start--I don't have to hold it in the start position until it fires, I'm just signaling that I want the engine running and the computer does the rest. Just a quick twist and then it starts itself. So I got in a 2007 Mustang today and turned the key for a half-second to the start position they way I do in my daily drivers. And the starter engaged for a second then quit without starting the car. Craps! Those two stupid modern GM cars have trained me to not start a car properly anymore! It happened twice to me and once to Melanie while we were driving the Mustang. I felt like an idiot, but it has sadly become habit to just let the car start itself. I don't like that one bit. Not. One. Bit.

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