There are many high-tech solutions and options in today’s cars. Most of them are certainly useful. But there are some that frankly piss off drivers. The most “annoying” options – they put a dock instead of a spare tire, impossibility to switch off the system “Start-stop” and ESP. And what else is in the “black list” of car owners?
A spare wheel instead of spare tire
Let’s start with a dock instead of a regular spare tire. The manufacturers explain this decision by the fact that in the city in case of blowout you can quickly get to the nearest tire fitting shop, and it is quite realistic to do on a compact spare.
But we all know that the roads we have, even in major cities, not in the best condition. What to say about out-of-town highways! A wheelbarrow on the driving axle while driving on potholes or on ice can provoke an emergency situation. And if it rains, the situation is aggravated doubly!
Impossibility to switch ESP off
ESP is a system of brake stabilization. In most cases, it is a useful thing. But if the car is stuck in mud or snow, it is necessary to rock or to rotate drive wheels intensively to get out of “captivity”. You can’t do it without ESP switch-off function.
Some cars have a forced disconnection of the traction control system from the stabilization system. However, in the majority of modern cars, these systems are interconnected, and there is no button to switch off ESP. Then, if you cannot take out the fuse (you should know where it is and don’t be afraid to do it!), deactivating traction control system, you have to pull the car with a shovel, rope and tractor. For example, in early versions of Renault Kaptur crossover there was no such button. But then the manufacturer “corrected” and made a button to disable ESP.
Eco leather seats
Eco leather is now proudly called ordinary artificial leather. Seats are covered with it most often in a standard complete set of a car. But it is uncomfortable to sit on such material in summer and winter. In summer heat the upholstery heats up to temperature over +60 degrees. T-shirt immediately sticks to the body. And if you sit in an armchair in shorts, your legs will be very uncomfortable! In winter, the eco leather is always unbearably cold. It is a pity, that the hygienic textile trimming becomes a thing of the past. Apparently, because of fashion trends.
Royale varnish
Now in many cars, the surfaces in the cabin are covered with royal lacquer. Car owners are not happy with this, because this coating attracts dust and fingerprints are too visible.
OEM multimedia
It’s a paradox, but OEM multimedia systems of many modern cars are equipped with outdated navigation, and the software unbearably “lags”. This leads to the fact that the drive on the navigator ends up wandering through yards and industrial areas. You have to install alternative applications, connecting with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. And meanwhile, for the regular navigator, which is essentially of little use, they take a considerable surcharge.
Such situation happens because the development of the head unit is made taking into account the features and functionality of a particular car model. But while the car is on the conveyor, the multimedia system becomes outdated. They say that this will soon change, and the head units of the cars will be updated no less frequently than smartphones of the leading manufacturers. Well, as they say, we’ll see.
Wide rear body pillars
The buyers are known to be “led” by beautiful appearance. In the modern car, wide rear end-pillars are considered to be beautiful. But any driver will tell you, that they, along with narrow rear window, interfere the view. And if there is a choice between beauty and safety, a reasonable person, naturally, will choose safety.
“Country Club Effect.”
Some motorists complain about too effective interior illumination, which, in their opinion, would be more suitable for a budget village club or cafe. At least, it creates that atmosphere, while in a car bright illumination is simply not needed.
Sensors instead of mechanical buttons
Nowadays, everywhere in cars, touchscreens are installed in the menus instead of the usual control keys. Many drivers find it inconvenient. Moreover, the menu itself is not intuitive. In order to activate the desired function, you have to look for a long time for the corresponding item in the menu and numerous submenus.
There is another negative side of this innovation. Given that the touch panel is surrounded by black plastic inserts covered with royal lacquer, it constantly leaves fingerprints. I guess the manufacturers wanted to make this element beautiful. But this beauty does not last more than 10 minutes after a comprehensive cleaning of the machine.
“Start Stop”.
This option infuriates many drivers. Some save the battery with the starter, others are frightened when the engine suddenly stops at a traffic light, so they disable this function. However, after restarting the motor, the Start-Stop is reactivated. In most cars, these settings are not saved, and you have to disable the option every time, which is very inconvenient.
Active safety systems are annoying for the same reason:
blind spot monitoring;
- lane keeping;
- emergency braking before an obstacle.
- Turning the ignition off and on activates all of these features by default.
Planned wear and tear
There used to be cars whose engines ran properly for decades. For example, a 1965 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz is still in perfect condition. And all because they used to install “eternal” metal elements, and now – quickly wearing out plastic analogues. And both Asian and European manufacturers of prestige brands are guilty of this.
For example, the chrome moldings of some modern cars need to be restored just a few months after the start of operation.
Gap between the seat and the tunnel
There is a gap between the seat and the tunnel in modern cars, where smartphones, documents and keys can slip freely, but your hand can’t reach it. But some of the items missing in the “black hole” are needed when driving. Attempts to get them can lead to an accident.
Car owners struggle with this “trouble” by caulking the gap with plastic pipe insulation or special store-bought “plugs”. But it would be much more aesthetic if the producers offer a standard solution.
Plastic trunk trim
Sometimes we carry hard objects in the trunk, which leave scratches on the soft plastic. But here the question is debatable. If you cover the trunk with cloth on the inside, there will be a problem with its cleaning. There is no universal solution to this problem yet.
Temperature sensor in the plastic pipe
The temperature sensor installed in the plastic branch pipe begins to lie, which leads to excessive overheating of the engine. As a result – damage to the power unit.
Other “useless” options and limitations
Among other factors that create problems, motorists say the following:
- Environmental restrictions;
- Many functional components in the limited space of the engine compartment;
- low-quality materials in order to keep costs down;
- non-disassembled working units, which cannot be repaired.