Annoying automotive trends

[AceS550]

What current automotive trends annoy you?

For me:
-The return of underbody lighting
-Excessive camber
-Widebody kits (especially “flare” type kits that look like they belong on a Jeep Wrangler)
-Almost the entire front of vehicles becoming the grille area
-The overuse of splitter support rods
-Anything “shooting brake”
-Primer colored paint
-2 step abusers
-“pops and bangs” tunes
-Splitters attached to existing splitters (they become layered)
-NVH reduced to the point that most vehicles now feel numb
-Vehicle sizes and weights becoming larger than ever
-The slow extinction of performance vehicles

*This is not meant to offend anyone. People can do what they like and whatever makes them happy. These are just things I dislike. Let’s see how many we all have in common.

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[RPDBlueMoon]

All valid points but the biggest one for me is the removal of physical buttons and shitty integration of electronics.

I remember driving one day with Android Auto on and I wanted to adjust the output of the heat (you have to use the infomtainment in order to do this). I couldn't do this without unplugging my phone canceling my music and everything. Just a pain in the ass

 

[Interceptor]

Changing the term brakes to breaks

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

You can back out of AI to use the Ford menu without unplugging. You're right though, total pain in the ass. My Charger actually has a portion of the screen on the bottom that is dedicated to car functions and is customizable.

What do you mean back out of AI? Back out of the Android Auto screen? I don't know how to revert back out unless I unplug my phone.
I still don't really understand how Android Auto works and I only use it when I am using my GPS. Normally I would just unplug it, but I didn't want to stop and re-plug everything back in to just deal with it.

That's good at least some manufactures are addressing it, I will definitely make sure the next car I get doesn't do that.

 

[WD Pro]

Electric cars ...

WD

 

[pyrophilus]

All valid points but the biggest one is the removal of physical buttons and shitty integration of electronics.

I remember driving one day with Android Auto on and I wanted to adjust the output of the heat (you have to use the infomtainment in order to do this). I couldn't do this without unplugging my phone canceling my music and everything. Just a pain in the ass

THIS!!! At least mustang still gives you physical fan speed buttons. As much as I liked the 2020 escape platinum loaner car I had, the climate control was almost entirely buried in software.

And then there is my wife's MDX. Her 2016 had everything being controlled by the crappy two screens, and then for recirculation, you have to hit the software recirc button on screen, wait the 1 sec delay, to get a new screen with TWO buttons, one with recirc and one with fresh air. You hit the mode you want, then either hit the teeny small X on the top right to exit, or wait 5 sec doing nothing for it to time out...

I screamed, "why would you create a whole new screen with two buttons when you can just let the original software button toggle the two modes?!?!?" And then her 2020 seems to actually have turned the recirc into a toggle button, then to put android auto in the top screen, which isn't touchscreen, so you have to use the stupid dial to control android auto, which was designed with touch UI... all the time there is an identically sized, touch-enabled screen just below it that just displays music info...

In the end, I guess the buttenless system is cheaper for the company, as you dont have to make physical buttons, but I hate how companies gry to spin it and sell to the public saying how a high-mounted touch screen is so much safer than physical buttons. To use screen buttons you can't feel for them!!! You have to take your eyes off the road.

As for your original complaint, I couldn't agree with you any more. While there IS an "exit" android auto button while in android auto, to make changes to satellite radio, or climate control (esp heated steering), it makes you either unplug or hit menu and then exit (ford logo), then make changes, then tap on android logo again.

Would it kill someone at ford (or any other manufacturers) to put a band of software climate softbuttons along the bottom of the screen and put android auto/CarPlay on the rest??? Or in the least, place a single software (or physical) button on top of android auto that toggles from system UI vs android/carplay Ui?

 

[ice445]

All valid points but the biggest one is the removal of physical buttons and shitty integration of electronics.

I remember driving one day with Android Auto on and I wanted to adjust the output of the heat (you have to use the infomtainment in order to do this). I couldn't do this without unplugging my phone canceling my music and everything. Just a pain in the ass

Calculator screen holds its own for me specifically for this reason, lol.

Instead of using android auto I just have my phone mounted to the right of the steering wheel for navigation so I never have to look off the road.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

1. The overuse of black wheels from all manufacturers, not just ford.
2. The touchscreen to control everything B.S. needs to stop. My wife loves it, uses the voice commands to do everything. I actually watched her once use voice control to change the temp on the A/C, it took about 20 seconds to complete the process. You have to press the button on the steering wheel, wait for sync to respond, tell it what you want, then sync repeats back what you said, then you have to confirm, then it finally does what you asked. And if sync doesn't understand you on the first try, then you have to do it all over again. After she did that I looked at her and asked are you that F'n lazy, that you can't just reach down and press a button to change temp? It takes a 1/2 of a second to do it manually vs. about 20 seconds thru sync, and that's 20 seconds that you're distracted and not watching the road.

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

I don't know if sync will control secondary functions in the HVAC. It will do basic primary stuff like adjust temp, make phone calls and set destinations thru nav

 

[CJJon]

Roll racing.

 

[CurtisH]

All valid points but the biggest one is the removal of physical buttons and shitty integration of electronics.

I remember driving one day with Android Auto on and I wanted to adjust the output of the heat (you have to use the infomtainment in order to do this). I couldn't do this without unplugging my phone canceling my music and everything. Just a pain in the ass

Does Android Auto disable the physical controls for the temperature adjustment? My Mustang (Ecoboost Premium) has automatic climate control and includes physical controls for temperature adjustment.

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

Does Android Auto disable the physical controls for the temperature adjustment? My Mustang (Ecoboost Premium) has automatic climate control and includes physical controls for temperature adjustment.

Cant say for sure, because I haven't been able to drive for awhile because of the weather. I thought about that as I was writing my post. I know for sure that to adjust where the air blows, like feet, or feet and face you have to use the infotainment. I know there is some AC/Heating control that isn't accessible by buttons and you have to use the infotainment to adjust it which isn't a big deal unless you want to change it while in the android auto mode.

I believe you can still adjust the temp, but you can't just where it comes out, like if you want it to blow on your feet or face. Its very frustrating for someone like me because I have poor blood circulation in my limbs so I always am adjusting the heat. I always get too hot or too cold it kinda sucks.

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

I don't know if sync will control secondary functions in the HVAC. It will do basic primary stuff like adjust temp, make phone calls and set destinations thru nav

Yeah Im not sure, about the previous syncs, I have a 2020 GT350 and there is only 1 HVAC control that is locked to the infotainment/synch and that is do adjust where the stuff blows. You can adjust temp without it but not where it comes out (don't know the name for that)

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

Calculator screen holds its own for me specifically for this reason, lol.

Instead of using android auto I just have my phone mounted to the right of the steering wheel for navigation so I never have to look off the road.

Yeah I need to get one of those. It is such a pain having to finger fuck the infotainment or phone while driving.

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

THIS!!! At least mustang still gives you physical fan speed buttons. As much as I liked the 2020 escape platinum loaner car I had, the climate control was almost entirely buried in software.

And then there is my wife's MDX. Her 2016 had everything being controlled by the crappy two screens, and then for recirculation, you have to hit the software recirc button on screen, wait the 1 sec delay, to get a new screen with TWO buttons, one with recirc and one with fresh air. You hit the mode you want, then either hit the teeny small X on the top right to exit, or wait 5 sec doing nothing for it to time out...

I screamed, "why would you create a whole new screen with two buttons when you can just let the original software button toggle the two modes?!?!?" And then her 2020 seems to actually have turned the recirc into a toggle button, then to put android auto in the top screen, which isn't touchscreen, so you have to use the stupid dial to control android auto, which was designed with touch UI... all the time there is an identically sized, touch-enabled screen just below it that just displays music info...

In the end, I guess the buttenless system is cheaper for the company, as you dont have to make physical buttons, but I hate how companies gry to spin it and sell to the public saying how a high-mounted touch screen is so much safer than physical buttons. To use screen buttons you can't feel for them!!! You have to take your eyes off the road.

As for your original complaint, I couldn't agree with you any more. While there IS an "exit" android auto button while in android auto, to make changes to satellite radio, or climate control (esp heated steering), it makes you either unplug or hit menu and then exit (ford logo), then make changes, then tap on android logo again.

Would it kill someone at ford (or any other manufacturers) to put a band of software climate softbuttons along the bottom of the screen and put android auto/CarPlay on the rest??? Or in the least, place a single software (or physical) button on top of android auto that toggles from system UI vs android/carplay Ui?

Yeah I completely agree. Technology is supposed to make things easier. When it works its fine, but there is a point to where if not implemented correctly it just causes more frustration than the 'problem' it was designed to solve.

It's really bad because the salesmen always refer to it and use buzzwords to entice you. I guess it works on some people, but it just makes me roll my eyes lol. Have you seen the new Fords? They just slapped a massive ipad as screen lol. Its so lazily done but people love it.

I know what you are talking I've been considering getting an RDX which has that infotainment of the new MDX. I might get a Toyota because their infotainment is super basic and they still have buttons. Dodge has good infotainment, I don't know about the newer models but I know on some cars the heated seats are stuck in the infotainment, not sure if it locks you out like what Mustangs do.

It's funny because with some of the new tech they don't think of every situations and there is a significant learning gap now and some people just gloss over it or have work arounds. Sadly you can't fight it besides.

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