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This is my first post, and this has been on my chest for a long time, so I wanted to get it out there.
(edited for more reasons plus what I’ve experienced from other’s replies)Modern cars tend to have more bells and whistles, better safety, and better gas mileage over much older vehicles, but there are things that seem to break on only modern cars, and here’s my list of things that drive me crazy about modern cars.
The main issue for me is implementing plastic where metal should be, and what could happen if it happens to break on you (listed in no particular order). * by numbers indicate that they broke at least once on my vehicle, a 2012 Ford Fusion S with the 6-speed manual and 58K miles.
1*. Plastic door handles (attached to metal cables) = cables always win. Broke inside and out once.
2*. Electronic throttle bodies with plastic gears that open and close the throttle = stress breaks gears and disables vehicle. Poor timing of failure could be a safety hazard.
3. Plastic intake manifold: crack = “check engine” and poor running, chunk breaks = possible blown engine.
4. Plastic valve cover: crack = oil loss, possible blown engine if left unchecked
5. Plastic pulleys on window regulators = windows drop and/or jam due to temperature cycling over time
6. Plastic latches to close/open center console = will always fail
7. Plastic oil pan (ex. 2011 Ford 6.7 Diesel) = oil leak if it cracks (possible blown engine if failure occurs while driving and left unchecked)
8. Plastic electronic water pumps (I’m looking at you, BMW) = overheating
9. Plastic hose fittings on radiators = cracks, overheating until hose fitting is fixed or radiator replaced
I would spend a few more bucks on the exact same car with the metal parts instead of plastic. The gas savings from the reduced weight of plastic would not cover repair costs. I know they do plastic because of lower production costs and CAFE.Other plastics (instead of soft material)
5. Hard plastic dashboards, especially if black (ex. later Gen 2 Dodge Rams or ’07-13 GM trucks) = cracks
6. Plastic armrests = reduces driver and passenger comfort (even more so if the front door panels have soft material but the rear door panels don’t)Other things that drive me crazy about modern cars: (edit starts with rim sizes)
If you want a manual transmission in a mainstream car you need the most stripped model (for the most part, they’re not even an option on most midsize sedans and full-size trucks, except for the Ram 3500 with the diesel).
More computers, sensors, and electronic controls = more points of failure.
Hybrids don’t have a backup generator in case the main generator fails = money saved on fuel gone.
Are any engines/transmissions introduced in the last 5 years proven to go 300-500K miles or more with just regular maintenance?
Rim sizes on almost every new car = too big, too heavy, too expensive to replace (and the tires that go on them). 17-inch rims max, and only on truck-based SUVs, Mustangs, Challengers, and Camaros I could tolerate. (note: The 16-inch rims on my Fusion are the largest I’ve ever had on any car)
They’re harder to see out of = bigger blind spots increase chances of crashes.
RPM doesn’t immediately drop when you’re trying to upshift.
Some vehicles have their rev-limiter set far past redline (ex. 7,250 limiter on a 6,500 redline in a 2009 Mazda 3) or produce peak horsepower PAST redline (ex. Dodge Hellcats: 707HP @ 6,000 with a 5,750 redline)Things that drive me crazy in my Fusion: (part of the edit)
Engine will not drop to idle RPM, even in neutral, unless going slower than 5 MPH. It will hang between 1,000 and 1,400 RPM, depending on speed and what the ECU thinks how fast the engine should be running.
I get zero engine braking going down hills unless in the lowest possible gear, and even then, not immediately after I take my foot off the accelerator.
The engine has a 6,250 redline but sounds like it’s going to blow up if I exceed 5,900.And one other thing I miss are certain sounds that older vehicles make that the new ones don’t. To me, they’re part of their charm and character.
And my question to you all ETCG faithful: what do you hate about modern cars?
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[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=122028]Call me a crazy redneck but I actually prefer a rough ride.[/quote]
I agree with this to a point. Any more there is too little feedback from the vehicle to what is going on. I have electric steering there is no feedback or road feel which helps to let you know how your traction is, how much control you have on a gravel road. If you ask me its all just too digital.
There is something hugely missed from the older cars where you actually had to know how to drive them in inclement weather. I miss when it snowed how little the number of people were on the road and how fun it was to shovel the driveway at the top of a 30 degree hill. Smiling as people tried to make it up an excessively icy hill is so enjoyable.
Now you have things like abs, traction control, esp. It is hilarious because I auto correct before the car and then the car starts doing weird stuff and making me have to correct again. Also did you ever think i was trying to lock the brakes up and slide. I am just happy I have a button to shut it off because quite frankly it de-throttling the engine and pulsing the brakes when I drive on wet snow has caused me to swerve into other peoples lanes. So if I get more then 2 inchs I shut it off. I learned to drive on black ice and spent many states of emergencies driving to wawa cause the plow men have got to eat and I had to serve them.
[quote=”MDK22″ post=122994][quote=”Chevyman21″ post=122028]Call me a crazy redneck but I actually prefer a rough ride.[/quote]
I agree with this to a point. Any more there is too little feedback from the vehicle to what is going on. I have electric steering there is no feedback or road feel which helps to let you know how your traction is, how much control you have on a gravel road. If you ask me its all just too digital.
There is something hugely missed from the older cars where you actually had to know how to drive them in inclement weather. I miss when it snowed how little the number of people were on the road and how fun it was to shovel the driveway at the top of a 30 degree hill. Smiling as people tried to make it up an excessively icy hill is so enjoyable.
Now you have things like abs, traction control, esp. It is hilarious because I auto correct before the car and then the car starts doing weird stuff and making me have to correct again. Also did you ever think i was trying to lock the brakes up and slide. I am just happy I have a button to shut it off because quite frankly it de-throttling the engine and pulsing the brakes when I drive on wet snow has caused me to swerve into other peoples lanes. So if I get more then 2 inchs I shut it off. I learned to drive on black ice and spent many states of emergencies driving to wawa cause the plow men have got to eat and I had to serve them.[/quote] Exactly. Working on the newer trucks at work and then at the end of the day jumping into my old beast and driving home you truly notice a night and day difference. My 1974 is far more responsive and I feel connected to the road. An older car with a manual tranny feels like an extension of yourself. When I drive the newer trucks, it feels isolated and too refined. When in the newer trucks, the road feel is worse, the noise insulation doesn’t allow you to hear things as well and it just feels..too luxurious. The electonically controlled trannies and the electronic throttle feel so synthetic and unresponsive by comparison.
The last time I bought a new car was January 2004, a left over 2003 model. That will be eleven years this next month. In that time, other than the normal maintenance items, like brakes and tires, I have had to replace one strut. The passenger side strut got stiff and then it got noisy. No electrical problems, no engine or transmission problems, no nothing. The car is about to turn 100k miles and when that happens I plan to replace the radiator – just being preemptive.
The point is – new cars shouldn’t be troublesome. If yours is you own the wrong vehicle. They are not all that way.
[quote=”barneyb” post=123028]The last time I bought a new car was January 2004, a left over 2003 model. That will be eleven years this next month. In that time, other than the normal maintenance items, like brakes and tires, I have had to replace one strut. The passenger side strut got stiff and then it got noisy. No electrical problems, no engine or transmission problems, no nothing. The car is about to turn 100k miles and when that happens I plan to replace the radiator – just being preemptive.
The point is – new cars shouldn’t be troublesome. If yours is you own the wrong vehicle. They are not all that way.[/quote] Now, I agree with you that anything should last if maintained and care for, however, the general consensus is that for lack of a better quote “things just ain’t made like they used to be” which is true. There is a reason KISS exists. The more complex you make something the more potential failure points there are. Keeping it simple eliminates those failure points.
[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=122028] Call me a crazy redneck but I actually prefer a rough ride.[/quote]
I wish I had stiffer springs, my car feels a little floaty at times, I like the rougher feel, then you get like my dads ford ranger and its ridiculous.
[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=123098][quote=”Chevyman21″ post=122028] Call me a crazy redneck but I actually prefer a rough ride.[/quote]
I wish I had stiffer springs, my car feels a little floaty at times, I like the rougher feel, then you get like my dads ford ranger and its ridiculous.[/quote] Ya, thats one of the many reasons I’ve always been a truck guy. Solid axles help the rough feel.
[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=123102]coil overs do too :lol:[/quote] Ha true, and what we truck guys can do with torsion bars, y’all do the same thing with your coil overs.
except you want the truck higher so you can go over things, we want the car too ride lower so it has a lower center of gravity… (not because it looks cool riding low.)
[quote=”13aceofspades13″ post=123109]except you want the truck higher so you can go over things, we want the car too ride lower so it has a lower center of gravity… (not because it looks cool riding low.)[/quote] Haha exactly my point. Although both ends of the spectrum often do it to look “cool”
[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=123031][quote=”barneyb” post=123028]The last time I bought a new car was January 2004, a left over 2003 model. That will be eleven years this next month. In that time, other than the normal maintenance items, like brakes and tires, I have had to replace one strut. The passenger side strut got stiff and then it got noisy. No electrical problems, no engine or transmission problems, no nothing. The car is about to turn 100k miles and when that happens I plan to replace the radiator – just being preemptive.
The point is – new cars shouldn’t be troublesome. If yours is you own the wrong vehicle. They are not all that way.[/quote] Now, I agree with you that anything should last if maintained and care for, however, the general consensus is that for lack of a better quote “things just ain’t made like they used to be” which is true. There is a reason KISS exists. The more complex you make something the more potential failure points there are. Keeping it simple eliminates those failure points.[/quote]
Think of how we are communicating here – using a box containing millions of transistors – a box made as cheaply as possible, and yet they are reasonably reliable. I like some of the gadgets this makes possible in my car like headlights that automatically turn off and interior lights that automatically turn off if I leave the car unattended, windows that will still roll down when the key is off or doors that automatically relock if the dongle in my pocket gets accidentally pressed. And all of that can be done without adding a lot of equipment to the vehicle.
My car has a FBW throttle , while its good in a way , I still prefer being able to manipulate the throttle via the cable under the bonnet and throttle plate , a small thing but still an annoyance .
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[quote=”Commodore665″ post=123387]My car has a FBW throttle , while its good in a way , I still prefer being able to manipulate the throttle via the cable under the bonnet and throttle plate , a small thing but still an annoyance .
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote] I can’t stand FBW, ETC, DBW whatever you wanna call it personally. Too synthetic a feeling. Disconnection at it’s finest.
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