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NEW car features: What do you like, what do you HATE ?

Kern Dog

Kern Dog

Life is full of turns. Build your car to handle.
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My 2007 Ram 1500 has been a great truck but with the miles now over 323,000, I am thinking that something is due to break sometime soon. Because of that, I may be looking to replace it. I have considered just swapping in another 5.7 Hemi and keeping it but I'm not sure.
In 2015, The Wife and I ordered a Challenger R/T. Unlike the 60s and 70s, you can't just pick and choose as freely as you want. There are "Option Groups" with selected features bundled together. We didn't want a sunroof, didn't need the big NAV screen or the super duper stereo. Luckily, the other things we wanted were not grouped in with them.
I may look at a "gently used" truck. I've seen some 2014-2016 trucks with under 50,000 miles for under $20,000. Not bad.
I miss CD players! The Challenger did not come with one...None of them do now!
This brings me to the topic in question....
What new car features are you happy with and which ones would you rather not have?
I'm happy with the safety features...Air bags and crumple zones.
The 8 speed automatic trans is a great unit. The car never feels as if it is in the wrong gear.
The multiple pockets and stow areas are nice. Cupholders too.
USB ports, Power ports, Dash gauges with multiple specs on tap.
Great power balanced with decent fuel economy.
Now...Some things on newer cars that I'm NOT happy about:
Vans & SUVs with automatic closing doors. If I want to close a door, I don't need your help.
Lack of CD players.
Lack of auto trans dipsticks!
Lack of choices for interior color.
I'm sure there are a few more....What is your list?
 
There's a CD player in the Challengers.. what you talkin about willis... LOL
2017challengergtawd 040.JPG
 
KD, you have way too much time on your hands,lol. Backup camera, blind side warning are a couple.(vertebrae not as limber anymore!)
 
Spying, data collection would be a big dislike. Don't care how much much money I had, would not buy new of any make, any class.
 
The only thing I don’t care for is when my stereo has a computer glitch. The day after I bought my 2018, the stereo froze. And wouldn’t play anything. Had to unhook the battery when I got home to reset it.

F93AB3B0-7D68-42FC-A73B-55EC74226998.jpeg
 
One "feature" I would never want:
A car that shuts down at a stop light.
We used to work to fix those when I was younger.
 
Wow, 323K and still going. I'm impressed! One of the benefits of not living in a rust belt state. Your truck here would likely have lasted half as long even with proper maintenance. :)

I also don't love the option groups, and how annoying it can be to get the right combination of features. It feels like there's no real way to 'customize' it the exact way you want it. Just less personal than it used to be.

Love, love, love the safety features. Back-up cameras are indispensable. Automatic cruise control is great for reducing driver fatigue on long trips.

The dealers I dealt with all (except one) seem to expect that you'll buy something off their lot, or agree to some compromise of features on some vehicle they can trade for quickly.
Auto doors are nice if you have kids and they feel a little 'fancy' but I don't 'need' them and if I had a choice to not pay for them I'd opt out.
Abundance of plastic crap in the engine bay.
Factory Nav. It's always garbage compared to a cheap handheld and the cost to update the maps is outright robbery.
Many cars won't let you completely disable the nanny features like traction/stability control. Yes, sometimes I want to drive like a complete idiot (offroad, private property, yadda, yadda)
The dumbing down of 4WD/AWD. Many AWD cars are brake-assisted, computer-controlled vs. mechanical haldex-style.
 
My 2015 JGC Overland has no CD player but has a SD card. I only use my phone for music and am radio for sports or news. Cars today have way too much electronics ! It will fail at some point in time. A lot of cars have that start stop tech, that would suck big time!
 
Two things that annoy me is the prevalence of leather trimmed interior - code for part leather part vinyl. The other is all the plastic parts in the interior. I’m talking about a luxury DD. When I pay top dollar I expect full leather and real wood minimal plastic. If it’s just a regular moderately priced DD I don’t mind as much - but for luxury class I expect better. I do like all the new safety features.
 
Kern Dog said:
My 2007 Ram 1500 has been a great truck but with the miles now over 323,000, I am thinking that something is due to break sometime soon. Because of that, I may be looking to replace it. I have considered just swapping in another 5.7 Hemi and keeping it but I'm not sure.
In 2015, The Wife and I ordered a Challenger R/T. Unlike the 60s and 70s, you can't just pick and choose as freely as you want. There are "Option Groups" with selected features bundled together. We didn't want a sunroof, didn't need the big NAV screen or the super duper stereo. Luckily, the other things we wanted were not grouped in with them.
I may look at a "gently used" truck. I've seen some 2014-2016 trucks with under 50,000 miles for under $20,000. Not bad.
I miss CD players! The Challenger did not come with one...None of them do now!
This brings me to the topic in question....
What new car features are you happy with and which ones would you rather not have?
I'm happy with the safety features...Air bags and crumple zones.
The 8 speed automatic trans is a great unit. The car never feels as if it is in the wrong gear.
The multiple pockets and stow areas are nice. Cupholders too.
USB ports, Power ports, Dash gauges with multiple specs on tap.
Great power balanced with decent fuel economy.
Now...Some things on newer cars that I'm NOT happy about:
Vans & SUVs with automatic closing doors. If I want to close a door, I don't need your help.
Lack of CD players.
Lack of auto trans dipsticks!
Lack of choices for interior color.
I'm sure there are a few more....What is your list?
Click to expand...

(1) Continue with the regular maintenance and keep driving it until it dies.

(2) New vehicles cost too much and rapidly depreciate. Buy a used one...Certified Pre-Owned if that makes you more comfortable.

Things I don't want in a new truck if I ever lose my senses and buy a new one:
(1) Sunroof. They add cost, weight, and raise the center of gravity. Is there a delete option please?
(2) Four doors. I would buy a sedan or an SUV if I wanted four doors. I currently have 2 SUVs. I used to have a Ramcharger...I liked the 2 passenger door configuration. Never had any issues with the hatch.
(3) Short beds. Why would you ever want anything shorter than an 8' bed if you're going to have a work truck? Maybe 6' is ok if you already have a trailer to haul stuff.
(4) V-6. Need I say more?

I like the new automatic transmissions, truck ride quality, and the quiet cabin. Heated seats and heated steering wheel are nice. Those backup cameras look like a handy aid.

Overall, I hate the manufacturers for loading down their vehicles with all sorts of non-essential gizmos. It drives up the purchase cost and (eventually) the gizmo fails and adds to the overall maintenance costs.
 
My newest car is a 2012 mustang convertible base model. It's not overloaded with electronics and features.
I recently rented a 2019 Honda minivan. It scared me to death with all of the lane alerts and steering wheel shake alerts. Took me 20 minutes to disable all that crap.
Tucson is a pot hole laden town. I know where the potholes are and automatically swerve to miss. That lane alert crap was constantly going off. I also was distracted with the light indicators every time a vehicle approached my blind spots. I absolutely hated the brake warning alerts when cars ahead slowed.
I was listening to a car show podcast awhile back and the guy was discussing that he refused to buy a car newer than 1991. I tend to agree that the newer cars have gone too far on the nanny mechanisms.
So to answer your question there is nothing I like on the 2019 models. I'll keep my cars until I cannot drive or repair.
 
Don Frelier said:
One "feature" I would never want:
A car that shuts down at a stop light.
We used to work to fix those when I was younger.
Click to expand...

My friend's dad has a 2018 Grand Cherokee that does this. I didn't even notice it until he said something. Would I like it? No. What's the point, do you really save that much gas? They use a heavy duty starter but the feature does cause more wear than if it wasn't used every time you stop. He told me you can disable it but the next time you go to drive the car it resets. I look at it as just another thing to go wrong.
 
Just about every 2018, 2019 vehicle auto starts now. I had only owned my '18 F150 for two days when I pulled the dash apart and jumpered the autostart button so that it thinks I've pushed it every time I get in!
 
I've heard of that Stop/Start feature. You can thank certain politicians for RAISING the CAFE standards which led to these odd fuel saving ideas....
The backup camera....Our Challenger has it. I have driven well over a million miles in my 37 years of driving. ALL without a backup camera and I have never hit anything while backing up.
The blind spot monitoring would not help on my truck. The visibility is excellent and the "warning/alerts" would be unnecessary.
 
I don't like how heat & a/c along with other features I never use, goes through the touch screens on the radio. Add to that, all the buttons on the steering wheel that change all sorts of dashboard set-ups. I understand why they are giving you all this crap.....because of youngsters who love computer screens and all of the functions they have, but for me, I'm more old school.....as I suspect many others here are.

Lastly, why do all cars have two trip meters; Trip A & Trip B? One is enough.
 
I hate the tire gauge on the screen. My wife tells me her tires are low all the time. Maybe 2 lbs.
 
Whatever you do, DON'T get a vehicle with heads up display. It is instantly addictive!

I HATE all the BS lawyer warning signs. My 2017 Yukon XL has a warning that comes up every once in a while on the infotainment system and won't shut off until you acknowledge it. REALLY????
 
Kern Dog said:
My 2007 Ram 1500 has been a great truck but with the miles now over 323,000, I am thinking that something is due to break sometime soon. Because of that, I may be looking to replace it. I have considered just swapping in another 5.7 Hemi and keeping it but I'm not sure.
In 2015, The Wife and I ordered a Challenger R/T. Unlike the 60s and 70s, you can't just pick and choose as freely as you want. There are "Option Groups" with selected features bundled together. We didn't want a sunroof, didn't need the big NAV screen or the super duper stereo. Luckily, the other things we wanted were not grouped in with them.
I may look at a "gently used" truck. I've seen some 2014-2016 trucks with under 50,000 miles for under $20,000. Not bad.
I miss CD players! The Challenger did not come with one...None of them do now!
This brings me to the topic in question....
What new car features are you happy with and which ones would you rather not have?
I'm happy with the safety features...Air bags and crumple zones.
The 8 speed automatic trans is a great unit. The car never feels as if it is in the wrong gear.
The multiple pockets and stow areas are nice. Cupholders too.
USB ports, Power ports, Dash gauges with multiple specs on tap.
Great power balanced with decent fuel economy.
Now...Some things on newer cars that I'm NOT happy about:
Vans & SUVs with automatic closing doors. If I want to close a door, I don't need your help.
Lack of CD players.
Lack of auto trans dipsticks!
Lack of choices for interior color.
I'm sure there are a few more....What is your list?
Click to expand...
I like the Bluetooth for my smartphone (hands-free calls and listening to talk radio or a Rush Limbaugh or Mark Levin rewind anytime I want), the backup camera, and the dual climate controls (my wife always wants it warmer than I do). I don't need any of the rest of the automation.
 
On a recent road trip I drove my brothers Durango with adaptive cruise control. That thing kicks ***!
 
Richard Cranium said:
I don't like how heat & a/c along with other features I never use, goes through the touch screens on the radio. Add to that, all the buttons on the steering wheel that change all sorts of dashboard set-ups. I understand why they are giving you all this crap.....because of youngsters who love computer screens and all of the functions they have, but for me, I'm more old school.....as I suspect many others here are.

Lastly, why do all cars have two trip meters; Trip A & Trip B? One is enough.
Click to expand...

Funny you say that. I used to say the same thing WTF am I going to need two trip meters for. Well I find myself setting one for the whole trip on vacation and then I use the other for fill ups to check my mileage once in awhile. I never used to use it but said hey lets try this and have done it for awhile now. I am kinda a youngster at 32 but I guess not much anymore as I am getting older. I hate the new fangled **** as well with the touch screens for heat and that. Give me the knobs so I can adjust the damn temp without f'ing with a screen. I want the basics without all the frills as it's just more **** to break.
 
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