The engine cover isn't for aesthetics, it's for noise reduction.
The fact that they don't have to be concerned with how things look beneath it is a nice bonus.
The engine cover isn't for aesthetics, it's for noise reduction.
The fact that they don't have to be concerned with how things look beneath it is a nice bonus.
In reply to Knurled:
Strange as it is underhood beautification is actually a big thing at the moment. This is certainly form following function though...
Touchscreens. There's nothing more distracting than trying to tap a screen while going 70 MPH.
In reply to G_Body_Man:
No. I can guarantee that trying to hit the rear window spray in my 94 Escort wagon is more distracting than a touch screen. Most poorly thought out switch ever.
Aw, c'mon. All this bashing of touchscreens... I mean, they only put them in cars in Phoenix. Because in the rest of the world it gets cold and people wear gloves and, well, gloves and touchscreens...
David
In reply to DWNSHFT:Come on man. Don't you have gloves with touchscreen useable fingers? How Early Century is that? You probably don't even have a smart phone that let's you text while you water ski!
In reply to BlueInGreen44:
What about trying to access the USB port on a Micra? (it's behind the handbrake)
In reply to Rupert:
I don't even have a smartphone. Or a dumbphone.
Knurled wrote: I wonder how many people who complain about drive by wire also complain about the fuel economy they are getting now that the manufacturer can make the engine more efficient under cruise by whacking the throttle wide open and controlling power with cam timing and fuel injection, something you can't do with a cable throttle. Some DBW implementations leave something to be desired drivability-wise but you can't knock the benefits reaped from the paradigm shift.
I cant stand drive by wire and the only car ive owned with it got worse gas mileage then an 86 Toyota pick up with 22r and a 4 speed. not buying the gas mileage hype. I much prefer my vehicles built before all the electronic crap and prefer non a/c vehicles.
My Volvo has endless-style knobs on the radio, and one of them has bad contacts so when you try to turn the knob right, it misses a pick-up and it thinks you turned the knob left, so it becomes an exercise in frustration akin to trying to put lipstick on a pig that keeps trying to eat the lipstick WHY YOU FIND LIPSTICK SO TASTY, PIG, IT IS BAD FOR YOU! ANYWAY I JUST WANT TO TURN THE FADER MORE BACK NOT FORWARD QUIT BITING ME PIG AAAAAAARGH THIS METAPHOR IS EVEN MORE FLAWED THAN THIS STUPID KNOB
...But that is still a whole lot less heinous than any touchscreen ever. Tactile feedback is an absolute must. For all of the talk about "haptics" that they used to go on about, you'd think that they would have realized that a touchscreen is the absolute worst idea when the goal is being able to control things without looking at them.
In reply to G_Body_Man:Me neither. Someone recently called me a Luddite. I call me free.
DWNSHFT wrote: Aw, c'mon. All this bashing of touchscreens... I mean, they only put them in cars in Phoenix. Because in the rest of the world it gets cold and people wear gloves and, well, gloves and touchscreens... David
I have a set of the gloves that work with smartphones and touchscreens for use in the Volt, since the heater isn't the greatest in there. That touchscreen is so easy to use, and it's mounted high up on the dash so you never really take your eyes off the road. best touchscreen layout and use that iv'e ever tried.
Best touch screen <<< average button/knob/wheel HVAC or Radio controls.
ProDarwin wrote: Best touch screen <<< average button/knob/wheel HVAC or Radio controls.
Disagree, actually, after living with both. Especially European cars with a mass of little stupid buttons for the HVAC and radio controls.
All these little buttons were just as hard to accurately hit as the worst touchscreens.
This is easy to use, right up there at eyeball height with big "buttons."
Temp and fan controls are also right htere and easy to reach and see.
ProDarwin wrote: Best touch screen <<< average button/knob/wheel HVAC or Radio controls.
Abso-freaking-lutely. Touch screens and I do not get along.
That is a terrible interface, but not what I would call "average" for buttons.
Look at this though. You don't need to look at it after the first day of ownership.
This is my DD setup:
That HVAC setup is simple, straightforward and unberkeleyupable. You cannot berkeley that up. There is hitting the wrong button. You don't have to take your eyes off the road.
Radio is pretty simple too. You can tell the difference between presets, volume, and tune without looking at it. I have an aftermarket unit, but the same applies.
In reply to Rupert:
I call me broke.
What about displays that wash out when wearing polarized sunglasses? Those are horrible.
Chris_V wrote:ProDarwin wrote: Best touch screen <<< average button/knob/wheel HVAC or Radio controls.Disagree, actually, after living with both. Especially European cars with a mass of little stupid buttons for the HVAC and radio controls. All these little buttons were just as hard to accurately hit as the worst touchscreens.
Um... No
I keep missing the spot that I need to touch on the touch screen while driving. Between road irregularities and such, I need to actively look and concentrate on the touchscreen to touch the correct spot. Then, I need to resort to touching buttons that don't feel like buttons (they don't depress) to set the fan speed which is on the far right and the adjust the temp using buttons on the far left.
The usability of the Volt's touch screen sucks. especially when you split the task into touching the screen and touching buttons that are nowhere near each other.
Give me logical button layouts dammit! 
The RX8 woulda been a great car with a gutsy V6. ducks and hides
Chris_V wrote: That touchscreen is so easy to use, and it's mounted high up on the dash so you never really take your eyes off the road. best touchscreen layout and use that iv'e ever tried.
Your "high up so you don't have to take your eyes off the road" is also my "glaring TV screen screwing up my vision when I'm trying to drive at night".
I don't have to take my eyes off the road at all to adjust knobs and buttons, if I know where they are by feel.
BlueInGreen44 wrote: The RX8 woulda been a great car with a gutsy V6.
Honestly IDK why mazda hasn't done this by now. The RX8 was everything everyone wanted from the FRS aside the rotary. High revving decent HP engine in a 2800lb sports car. Easily could be done with a V6. Plus the car had 4 doors yet looked like a coupe. It was genius. Just wish they gave up on rotaries already by then.
NOHOME wrote:clutchsmoke wrote: Tire pressure monitoring systems. I do not wish to elaborate.^times a bazillion.
Almost every modern safety "feature" fits this category of annoyance
We wouldn't have it if people weren't so stupid as to drive on flats because they don't ever look at their cars.
mad_machine wrote:CobraSpdRH wrote: There was that time in the 80's with the automatic seatbelt too,absolute worst feature ever
A safety feature so bad that the government decided to get rid of it. Insane to think of.
pres589 wrote: Electronic throttles that don't act like averagely decent cable throttles.
Subaru WRX I had the electronic throttle was the absolute worst.
Late to the party but...
Overly intrusive/annoying "maintenance minders". My wife drives 30K per year and her 06 Acura TSX would start the the "minder" with 15% oil life left. It was "minding" more often than not. I could never reminder the multiple key sequence to shut the berkeleying thing off in order to get the information I needed.
She has a 15 Outback now that afaik doesn't even have a maintenance minder (it has over 10K on it already). Yes, I've done the maintenance.
The 06 TSX was so close to being a great car but was ruined by E36 M3 that wasn't necessary. I don't miss it.
That is all...
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