Which new automotive trend needs to die?

[l88m22vette]

So I think I'm about officially tired of several pretty recent automotive trends, be they styling, gimmicks, etc. The ones I can think of off the top of my head are:

- "fluid" styling (Hyundai and Mercedes comes to mind, and I can't believe those two share ANYTHING except 4 wheels)

- LEDs, halos, any kind of lights which are one step above a PepBoys special

- gaping maw frontends

- 19"+ wheels on anything other than trucks

- overstyling, mainly slats, vents, and intakes, 98% of which don't do anything

I'd vote for the catfish frontends and oversize wheels, I'm sick of every company thinking they need to have a massive grill opening or two. Its especially crappy when you can see the blacked-out section for the crash bar, or flat plastic where there isn't an actual opening. This is chasing a trend, not doing something original or attractive. I've also gotten sick of heavy-ass oversize wheels with rubberbands for tires, they hurt ride quality and make cars look cartoony or like a caricature. The new Boxster S comes standard with 19s, and to me that's ridiculous given that its supposed to be a car that is a basic, fun roadster. I have 18s on my TT and I'm ditching them ASAFP for 17s and more tire, enough of this ****

Also, I tried to add a poll, but vBulletin faked me out with a 5min requirement

[Woodski]

led DRL's.

[Sir UNBANNED_GERBIL M.B.]

Not new but, stretch and poke. "Stanced" so low retarded low you make everyone wait behind you while you drive over a pebble at a snails pace

[BRealistic]

I don't even think trucks need 19" wheels.
Trucks need meaty tires to deal with truck use activity, not low pro sticky rubber that would lose all grip on level wet grass.
It is kind of ironic that big trucks became popular because of their husky commercial image, yet if you look at real commercial use trucks they have tall sidewalls.

AFTERMARKET HID DROP IN KITS.
Or better yet- some type of headlight inspection standard for all states to allow such kits if they are installed and aimed properly.

Only making designed efficiency a priority with hybrid models.
A super aerodynamic hatchback with low rolling resistant tires and an efficient properly geared gas engine could come damn close to matching hybrid mpg in normal use for 2/3rds the price.

[das internet]

High beltlines. Visibility is horrible in new sedans.

Intrusive center consoles.

Any auto shift gate that isn't perfectly linear.

Steelies on 25k cars

[hinshu]

-unpainted bland black/gray textured front/rear valences and side skirts.

-and everything already mentioned

[oh noes! cars!]

grumpy old men thread is grumpy

[das internet]

grumpy old men thread is grumpy

Your 5000 posts have enriched our lives.

[Señor Peligro]

Corporate xerox machine styling across an entire product line.

Spaceship cockpit wannabe interiors. Toyota and Honda, I'm looking directly at you. They're just plain silly, and a total mess. Sure, the ergos might be alright, but when the interior design makes you wonder where the button for retracting landing gear or turning on the thrusters is, something is very wrong.

[l88m22vette]

grumpy old men thread is grumpy

I'm 29, I'm not a grumpy old man, I'm a car enthusiast with taste. A few of the trends I mentioned CAN look ok (swoopy styling, vents), but in most cases they don't, and the others essentially always suck

[oh noes! cars!]

Your 5000 posts have enriched our lives.

[hrama803]

Donks

[clutchrider]

-Brodozers
-Stancing (I refuse to use stance as a verb), and I can't stand waiting for them to pull into a lot.
-Towing Eyes.


-People who generally don't take care of their cars. Guy down my street has a 944 that is beat to **** and annoyingly loud because it needs so much work, yet he must think for some reason it sounds good.

[Lwize]

Your 5000 posts have enriched our lives.

As have your 43.

[Grey Mouser]

-unpainted bland black/gray textured front/rear valences and side skirts

That isn't new. See: 1980s.

[hinshu]

That isn't new. See: 1980s.

touche...

well it still needs to end

[Grey Mouser]

Any auto shift gate that isn't perfectly linear.

Steelies on 25k cars

YES! Why is it no auto shift gates are just straight (ala DSG). All the others are like putting the leer through a labyrinth.

[50fridge]

Putting a torsion beam rear suspension on a compact car. Not offering a hatch or wagon option in the US. Using CVT transmissions to save money.

[sticky euro]

stance
/thread. Nothing annoys me more than nutswingers who attempt to justify form over function. imad.

[Waarp]

putting half the taillight in the trunk lid/hatch
The 4 ft. horizontal silver toothpicks spanning the rear of almost every luxury sedan
daytime running lights
reflectors in the rear bumper
silver colored dash plastic
auto locking doors
A/C on with defrost/ no recirc mode with A/C on


The Kia Optima taillight makes me laugh. With it also wrapping around into the quarter panel.

[landstuhltaylor]

Definitely the huge gaping grills for me. I liked them when they were a new trend but now that every car is doing it I can't stand it.

[Burnin8r]

- "fluid" styling (Hyundai and Mercedes comes to mind, and I can't believe those two share ANYTHING except 4 wheels)

guess you missed the 4 year Daimler Hyundai partnership where Mercedes shared engineering tech in exchange for Korean mass production know how.

[big_dane]

The only things that NEED to be stopped are downsizing and hybrids. And for all the haters my car scrapes almost everywhere

[flat6guy]

Massive grills(audi)
Massive cars
SUVs(lets call it a 20 year trend)
Bags

Nothing annoys me more than nutswingers who attempt to justify form over function. imad.

Why? Looks are more important to them than performance. I have a cousin who is like this. He never drives his car hard and only has done tasteful aesthetic mods. Nothing wrong with that.

[DUTCHMANia]

foglights/drivinglights that come on when turning... has NO USE whatsoever other then people thinking your brand new car already has a light out.

[Fritz27]

Corporate xerox machine styling across an entire product line.

This.

I will grant an exception for Aston Martin though.

[bustedbucket]

Hatchbacks that look like 7/8 scale minivans!

[Jrrrrrrr]

Headlights/taillights that jaunt into all sorts of strange angles, like a perimeter outline drawn by a Parkinson's patient.

Is it too much to ask for round or square headlights and rectangular or square taillights to make a come back?

[Chileno]

This.

I will grant an exception for Aston Martin though.

Does that mean you also grant one to Ford?

And I actually agree with the 19'+ wheels on everything trend being obnoxious. I also don't like the new style of wheels that are two toned. First example that comes to mind is the new GLI with the silver wheels with gloss black trim. I guess it started on the Hufeisen wheels though now that I think about it, but hufs I just didn't like the shape of in the first place.

[sticky euro]

Why? Looks are more important to them than performance. I have a cousin who is like this. He never drives his car hard and only has done tasteful aesthetic mods. Nothing wrong with that.

Fair enough, and obviously to each his own. But if you were to bag even a GTI, a "hot-hatch" which is meant to be sporty and fun to drive, why would you ruin it by running bags, and stretched tires? Not to mention show rats who run big turbo...and bags. It just doesn't make sense, why not just buy a golf?

[AIRider]

Park assist

[Grey Mouser]

The 4 ft. horizontal silver toothpicks spanning the rear of almost every luxury sedan
daytime running lights
reflectors in the rear bumper

Horizontal toothpicks? What?

The next 2 are DOT required.

[Ionz13]

foglights/drivinglights that come on when turning... has NO USE whatsoever other then people thinking your brand new car already has a light out.

I'm curious what car does this today? I haven't seen this yet.

I think the LED lights thing should die. Just a phase like Altezzas I hope.

[l88m22vette]

guess you missed the 4 year Daimler Hyundai partnership where Mercedes shared engineering tech in exchange for Korean mass production know how.

I highlighted the important word in your statement. I said styling. Styling has very little to do with engineering, aside from making them work once both are decided upon. Mercedes in general has gone off the deep end as of the last 5 years - random badges, gaudy accenting, take-and-paste aesthetic. Apparently trend has replaced class

[burtonxbordr94]

I'm curious what car does this today? I haven't seen this yet.

I think the LED lights thing should die. Just a phase like Altezzas I hope.

I think he meant turn off, like the Audis do with the blinker, which also drives me crazy. I also LOVE the led running lights on the Audis, don't know where all the hate is coming from for those but to each his own