Biggest Pet Peave on New Cars

pretty much everything about new cars sucks..

a few years ago at the Car Craft Summer Nationals, i got to got for a 5mph ride around the Minnesota state fair grounds with a GM marketing guy in a brand new Z06 Corvette. you know, one of the 500+ hp beasts that go close to 200mph. this car was an actual Indy pace car with all the decals and flashing lights on it...

my first impression was that the door latches were stupid- you push a button and an electric solenoid opens the door. i told the guy that i thought it was a really, really bad idea and that if i was paying $75k for a car i'd better be able to open the door if the battery dies.. he seemed confused.. then he started it, and i commented about how the engine was too smooth and i couldn't even hear it. he said Corvette people don't want to hear the engine. i also didn't like the seat- it was too soft and cushy for a car like that. also, there were too many buttons and the plastic felt cheap. i don't think i was his favorite person that day..

really, other than the actual mechanical parts that make a Corvette so awesome- the engine, driveline, and chassis- the car pretty much sucked. he couldn't believe that someone didn't like the car, and was shocked when i told him i would have rather been taken for a ride in the '55 Chevy NASCAR replica race car they had at the show- which i got to ride in later on with a 20-something GM marketing guy that didn't know where any gears other than reverse and first were located on the 3-on-the-tree shifter.. he kept killing the engine (the clutch was too stiff and grabby for him) and he was complaining because he had to drive the car with no AC in the 90 degree heat..

motomoron wrote: Let's band together, all 500 of us and find a manufacturer (Mazda? Subaru?BMW?AMC?) to release the "GRM Edition Miata/Impreza/e30 325is/Gremlin" of our dreams... Sure, it's a small niche, but we're the ~trend setters!~.

I've thought a lot about what it would take to start a small, niche-market car company that catered to our kind of crowd.

My ideal model lineup would echo mid-80's Toyotas: a small 2WD pickup with a decently torquey 4-cylinder, a station wagon that used the drivetrain from the pickup, a FWD proper hatchback, a mid-engine car that used the drivetrain from the FWD hatch, and a RWD 2+2 hatch.

Cars would be sold with no infotainment systems, however would have a single-DIN stero slot and knock-outs for speakers in the expected locations. All cars would be equipped with a full complement of analog gauges. A/C and power-steering would be options for all cars, but not standard. Tube frames would be used instead of unibody. Cars would all be designed to be easy to work on by shadetree mechanics by doing things like using Megasquirt for the EFI/Spark controller.

Problem is, when I start running the numbers. I just can't make 'em work so that the car would be priced competitively with what already exists

Not sure if this is a pet peeve but new Mini's are too damn expensive. I'd like to see a stripped down non turbo Mini with no power options/no sunroof for $12-$15k. A stripped Mini Clubman would be rad too.

At least I'm not the only one that feels this way about the newer offerings from auto manufacturers. I don't like that the same car gets bigger with each update, heavier, and usually uglier. I also hate that I can't find a car that I can buy stripped out with radio delete as I usually swap in a better unit anyway(Although Toyota did this with the Tc for tuners that take out all the factory bits anyway). When I went out and got me a '04 VUE, they actually didn't offer manual windows that year. Nor could I get a manual trans with the Honda V6. I ended up with the EcoTec, 5 spd, FWD.

And with that car, I looked into it, and the DBW throttle does a few things. Less holes in the firewall, IAC deleted, traction control, and better emissions controls. What GM did with the programming on that is, even if you have the pedal to the floor, the throttle isn't opened 100%. As RPMs climb, the throttle will open more as I read it. This was from a guy who works for a dealership. This also gets rid of the reactionary personality between throttle body opening and engine response. So, now everything at happen at once and the reaction is between pedal and throttle (The emissions part).

dlmater wrote: Did anyone else see this article? http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/03/autos/backup_cameras_nhtsa/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin The complexities continue to increase. I can just imagine if every car had a LCD screen, what wonderful new "standard features" would the car manufacturers dream up to force on the car buyer.

No.

Really, just no.

If people are too stupid to back up without a camera to see for them, they shouldn't have licenses.

Then again, I guess this is just a product of the ridiculously high belt lines. Maybe they should do away with those for the safety of the children?

Tom Suddard wrote: No. Really, just no. If people are too stupid to back up without a camera to see for them, they shouldn't have licenses. Then again, I guess this is just a product of the ridiculously high belt lines. Maybe they should do away with those for the safety of the children?

How about a device that blocks cellphone calls while the car is in motion. Makes too much sense.

ReverendDexter wrote:

Brett_Murphy wrote: In reply to Jay: I am seriously debating painting my '95 Golf "Safety Orange".

Heck, manufactures could list that as a safety feature... hard to claim you didn't see something when it's RETINA PIERCING NEON ORANGE.

I like what VW did in 96. Let's have another Harlequin!

New Cadillacs Suck Balls!

what I love about a $50k car is after it reaches 2.5 k mi. it is only worth $30k.

A black car that still has grey primer where the gas filler door is located.

A cts v coupe that doesn't allow you to do a proper burn out. GHEY

$350 tires that only last 7500 miles.

everything is plastic and it still weighs as much as the older cars that were made of metal.I don't get it

Datsun1500 wrote:

Bababooey wrote: How about a device that blocks cellphone calls while the car is in motion. Makes too much sense.

And if the passenger wants to make a call?

Or if you have a headset? Can't we talk and drive at the same time either? I mean... often we converse with people who are IN the car. It isn't that much different than speaking with people who are not as long as you can keep both hands on the wheel. In fact - it might be safer because there is no reason to turn and look at them.

There IS no reason to look at a passenger while you are driving. What are you checking to see if he/she left?

Since we've all been bashing new cars, I figured I would make a list of those new cars I would love to own.

1. Anything by Lotus
2. Anything rear or mid engined by Porsche
3. Genesis Coupe
4. Ford Focus RS
5. Nissan 370Z
6. Civic Type R/Si
7. BMW 1 M-Coupe thingy
8. Upcoming Toyota F86
9. STI
10. Anything with a Renault Sport badge
11. RX8/MX5

Wow, nothing that is both American and available in the States.

92dxman wrote: Not sure if this is a pet peeve but new Mini's are too damn expensive. I'd like to see a stripped down non turbo Mini with no power options/no sunroof for $12-$15k. A stripped Mini Clubman would be rad too.

I have the same issue. Most of the cars I want are way too expensive, even when "stripped down" Just silly expensive.

Lack of manual transmission, drive by wire, size, weight, etc.... pretty much what's already been said 463 times.

On a slightly related note... what the E36 M3 happened to the Subaru Legacy/Outback?! I thought it was a wagon, not a damn SUV!

4eyes wrote: There IS no reason to look at a passenger while you are driving. What are you checking to see if he/she left?

Well there isn't any REAL reason to look at them but if they are in the car next to you - at some point you probably will. Especially if you just spent $100 on dinner trying to get into her pants or the little bastards are jumping around in the back seat because they know you can't smack 'em from way up there.

If they are in a little microphone and speaker then there isn't even the temptation.