The 5 Things I Hate Most About New Cars and One That I Love
Today, cars are more modern than they have ever been, but technology is not always a positive argument. In fact, on more than one occasion, it creates more problems than advantages, as I explain well.
It is easy to get into a new car today and be captivated by its screens and details. In the last 10-15 years, cars have evolved more than in the last century. Technology has finally entered the automotive industry to take on an increasingly leading role. We can do almost anything we can think of, except fly, but sometimes, too much is too much. Modern cars are too smart - or so they think - and more and more things drive me crazy.
The harsh reality is that, for some reason, manufacturers have wanted to deceive us by telling us that screens are better, when it is the opposite. Digitalization, in moderation, is necessary and well received, but it has been a long time since designers crossed the thin line that separates the practical from the useless. Time has shown that many of the technologies that cars incorporate today are nothing more than a smokescreen. Systems that we will only use a couple of times to show our brother-in-law, neighbor, or friend that we have a better car than he does.
5 Things I Hate About Modern Cars
- Screens
As expected, screens focus almost all the attention when talking about a new car. Brands seem determined to increase the size of their digital panels, even though no one has asked for it. Bigger does not mean better (sorry, gentlemen), in fact, it is quite the opposite. The screens in a new car border on the ridiculous. More than 10 or 12 inches seems unnecessary. The problem does not lie in their presence, but in the way they are usually integrated. Marketing departments have coined a common term "floating" to say that the screen is anchored to the rest of the car only by its base.
This, which they paint so well, is often a source of constant problems over time. Gaps, noises, and 'rattles' tend to appear when the car gets older. It's not that I consider myself an analog person; after all, my generation has lived with technology from the beginning, but I believe the best solution is to combine digital with analog. Physical buttons are still, for me, essential. I often criticize climate control systems integrated into the screen, although I admit they are getting better made.
- Glossy Black Plastic
I will never defend that a self-proclaimed premium brand floods one of its cars with glossy black finished plastics. They can call it whatever they want, Pianno Black they tend to say, but it is plastic after all. Cheap plastic covered with one of the worst finishes conceived by mankind. It combines black with a shiny effect. Two finishes that tend to be dirty or scratched and deteriorate quickly over time. Is there really nothing better?
It is something that we at Motor.es often criticize as it is something we often see in particularly expensive cars. Audi, Mercedes, BMW... the main German brands, the premium reference firms in the market, have been abusing Pianno Black for years and, worse, have tried to sell it as something elegant and good. It is not. Over the years, glossy black plastics have receded in favor of trims that I don't know if are better, but at least not worse. Still, it can be seen.
- Automatic Shutdown
How nice, the car turns on and off by itself! Not at all, it is neither right nor comfortable. It is an annoying hassle that leaves humans at the level of asphalt. In fact, this is one of the things I hate most about a new car. I like keyless access and start; I think it is a great practical evolution that simplifies the lives of drivers. They have my full support. However, for a car to turn off without me ordering it to turn off, drives me crazy. It happens to us more and more.
You stop, put the P in the gear lever, take off your seatbelt, and the car, by itself, understands that you are no longer going to drive. You are already parked in the middle of Puerta del Sol or in your home parking lot. No! Don't turn off until I say so. Until I press the start button or until I close the door. Why does it bother me so much? Because there are situations where we can get out of the car without wanting to stop the engine. Many. Whether it's because we need to put something in the trunk, because we left something behind, or for whatever reason. The main problem is related to the next point.
- Driving Assistants
All brands boast during presentations when they talk about safety features. "Our car has 15, 20, 30 driving assistants". When they say that, I only think about how many buttons I will have to touch before starting to drive so that the aforementioned car does not beep every 5 seconds. Safety is appreciated, but it becomes unbearable to drive under a constant rain of beeps and interventions from ADAS that work poorly most of the time.
Many times I feel like a plane pilot with the startup procedures. As soon as the car comes to life, you start turning off driving assistants. The most annoying are: speed warning, lane-keeping assistant, and fatigue warning. The three worst elements invented by man. We all tend to drive above the speed limit, especially in the city. It is normal, due to traffic, to have to leave your lane from time to time - some lines are read terribly - and the driver recognition cameras do not work very well.
What is the point of so much safety if it only annoys and disconnects every time you start the car? It makes no sense to strive to integrate all this technology if it annoys more than it helps. More and more manufacturers have realized that the vast majority of drivers disable these functions and integrate commands to disconnect them quickly. Still, every time you start, you have to do the same operation again. So, as I explained in the previous point, imagine the rage when the car turns off by itself. Frustrating.
- Fonic Remote
Screens have eliminated buttons, and soon voice will eliminate buttons on screens. Brands seem determined to use voice assistants and fonic remotes. I try hundreds of different cars throughout the year, but I have never talked to one while driving unless I was conducting a technology test. "Manolito (just to say something) raise the driver's window"... seconds of waiting..."raising the driver's window". In less than a second, I can do the same by pressing the button on the door. It seems stupid to me.
Yet brands continue to invest huge amounts of money in this impractical technology that, almost certainly, is used by only a minimal part of their customers. I mention the window as I could mention the heating or the radio. The only place where I find it comfortable is in entering the address of the navigation system. Beyond that, just put a button, which hardly breaks, to perform each and every one of those tasks. In the end, the only thing achieved is to increase the product's cost.
Not Everything Is Bad, There Is Something I Do Like
I am not a critic; not everything about new cars seems bad to me. There is one thing I could not live without: connectivity systems. For better or worse, the mobile phone has become an extension of our body. When we leave home, we check that we have it, and being able to link it with the car and continue enjoying many of its applications is a great favor to drivers.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay seem to me the best inventions of recent years. Easy to use, quick to link, and extremely comfortable. Spotify, Waze, Google Maps, and many other common applications at our fingertips to make our lives much easier. See, I also support technology! Anything that is a help is welcome. Everything that brings discomfort is unnecessary. I do not reject screens, but not everything can be integrated into them for safety. People drive worse every day, and I believe that part of the blame lies with the assistants and the screens.