What feature did you absolutely hate the way it looked, but then totally got used to it?

I was just looking at Jeremy J's thread on his new dodge truck.  He was talking about everything he wanted to change, including some headlights. I wondered how fast he would get used to them.  For example:  I was driving in my miata ls with my son the other day and he commented on the fake wood trim and the ghastly metal trim around the vents.  I hated that trim and vowed to change it.  I had the same thing happen with my focus svt.  Some type of fake metal around the trim.    I totally got used to both of them and don't even think about it anymore.    I twisted the shift knob on my mustang and only realize it's backward when someone asks why it's like that.

So, what are you living with that you thought you never would?

No dead pedal in my P71. 

Never thought it would be comfortable driving.  Definitely improved when I swapped the vinyl for carpet, but still took some getting used to.  I used to always drive with my left foot firmly on a dead pedal.  Now I don't really think about it.

Same with the lack of a center console.  I weirdly like having the space there.

Wood steering wheel in our two lexus. Vowed to change when I bought them. 
 

never did. Enjoy them now. Sign of old age and AARP membership

Yeah, i definitely relate about an actual nice wood steering wheel. 

Not a feature, but i guess you could say the 'wheel gap' on our Cayenne. At first I thought I wanted to lower it, but then I decided that I love the way the suspension functions so much that I dont even trust myself to 'improve' it and I haven't touched it for the 2+ years we've owned it. I did put wheels on it..

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

What is it with age and AARP?  At first you are mad to get the application in the mail, then you are mad when you don't get a discount at a hotel.  That was a transition for me that I never saw coming.

I thought four-door pickup trucks looked ridiculous when they first started showing up in half-ton PUs ~20 years ago.  Now a pickup doesn't look right to me without four doors.  Couldn't imagine not having a crew cab truck.

In reply to Tyler H (Forum Supporter) :

Short bed standard cab still looks best dimensions wise, but utility wise crew cab is the way to go. 

Haven't seen the thread about the truck, but the headlights on my 2010 Dodge truck suck. There's a reason you always see the foglights on with those things. Awful. I've had that thing for 10 years, I'm not used to them :)

Umm, otherwise...I never knew how much I'd appreciate steering wheel controls. I didn't absolutely hate them, I just never realized how useful they could be.

Wood grain in general

Amber turn signals and fried egg headlights on  the 986/996

captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Tyler H (Forum Supporter) :

Short bed standard cab still looks best dimensions wise, but utility wise crew cab is the way to go. 

And I can't get over the idea of building a SWB truck with an LSx and transaxle in the bed so it would have ridiculous handling and GIGANTIC meats under the fenders.

Dashboard cupholders in my Honda Fit. Turns out that's where a cupholder should be.

Nothing. I could go back to a work truck trim tomorrow and not miss a single "feature" that my current LTZ truck has. Several of them I'd be glad to see gone. (Looking at you automatic wipers.) 

Your nose?

The rotary transmission shift knob in my 2015 Ram. I thought it was pretty gimmicky when I first drove the truck and kept reaching for the column shifter.

I'm used to it now and I installed a billet aluminum knob because everyone knows that billet makes it faster:

I also had a 2010 Ram with the dual beam headlight housings and I know exactly what Keith is talking about. They were easily the worst headlights of any post 1965 vehicle I have ever experienced. They were terrible. I ran the fog lights 24/7 out of necessity.

Tyler H (Forum Supporter) said:

I thought four-door pickup trucks looked ridiculous when they first started showing up in half-ton PUs ~20 years ago.  Now a pickup doesn't look right to me without four doors.  Couldn't imagine not having a crew cab truck.

I agree. 

When when ford ruined the looks of their trucks with that “box” they released in 1980, it took 20 years for me to get used to that change. Still don’t care for the 97 150 change. But 99 up superduty I almost like better than the 70’s dent sides

03Panther said:

But 99 up superduty I almost like better than the 70’s dent sides

Those Superduties looked big to me when I first saw them as a kid (compared to other trucks), but at this point, the design has aged quite well.  It pretty much just says "hi, I'm a truck, give me something heavy to move" without being bulky and flashy like a lot of newer trucks. 

For me it was the red illumination in the newer Kias. Just seemed so ..... ricey. But after having it in a few over the years I actually prefer it to the white/green in the other cars.

In reply to bobzilla :

I came from the fantastic XKE ( the most beautiful car ever made. Enzo Ferrari 

To the XJS.  A dxxx  taxicab in comparison. 
From a light nimble car developed from the winning D type Jaguar to a sedan. With back seat and power steering!   Yuk!  
 

The XKE is now a distant memory but there are still 115,000 XJS's some of which are disturbingly cheap but steadily going up in value. It's possible to spend $1000 or less and ride that elevator up to some very interesting numbers. A local investor went and bought 9 early ones and in the period of a few years tripled his money and then some. 

My Tacoma has an Extra Power (or smoething) button that changes the shift points and probably some other stuff. Unlike the Sport button in other cars that I've had, you can't just push the button and leave it on forever, you need to hit it every time you start the truck. I even mentioned it in a Toyota customer survey ("Why would I ever want LESS power?"), but now I actually prefer the way the truck drives without it turned on, unless I'm pulling a trailer.

Airbag steering wheels.

Pubic hair?

Backup cameras.  When they first came out I thought they were just a high tech crutch for bad drivers.  You know, something my mom would need, but not a “real” driver.  Now I can’t imagine life without one, to the point that I now regularly consider retrofitting them on the older cars in my fleet.

Edit: What I still hate though is that manufacturers use cameras as an excuse to design cars with high beltlines, tiny greenhouses, and blind spots for days.  Modern cars now have all the airiness of a Sherman tank.

The right mirror mounted side view camera in our 2014 Accord.  First thought was "why"?  Now I wish for one on the left side also.

jerrysarcastic (Forum Supporter) said:

Backup cameras.  When they first came out I thought they were just a high tech crutch for bad drivers.  You know, something my mom would need, but not a “real” driver. 

The camera on my 2016 Silverado was an option now required on 2017 or newer vehicles.  Government telling......I know how to use my mirrors!

I felt the same and grew to love my camera. I can get really close if needed and I'm glad I have it.