Which new automotive trend needs to die?

[Waarp]

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...s/viewall.html

Notice the dashboards on these cars? They are all the same!

[pknopp]

Car Colors. Most cars have an exciting color selection of

White, Silver, Grey, Dark Grey, Dark Blue, Black

I was out having breakfast with the wife the other day and I noted this to her. That was pretty much the line-up of colors and then it would repeat itself.

Surely a company could come up with some good looking two tone designs. Even many of the colors are bland and subdued. One break from this has been the Copper that has been somewhat popular lately. I haven't figured out whether I like the color or not yet or if I just like seeing a different color now and then.

[zaYG]

Yes, a 215 is generally no worse than a 225 when put on the same stock wheel. But, when you put a 215 on say a 10" wide wheel, thats some pretty serious stretch, not to mention incredibly unsafe. Sure, performance mods will work fine on stretched tires, staggered wheels on FWD cars, and bags, but enjoy that understeer bro.

If you want to wrap your BBS with rubber bands be my guest, but there is no way you can make a valid argument that idiotic stretched tires work just as well.

Because a 215 on a 10 is the norm with stretched tires?

Besides, 90% of performance cars, no matter how they are modded, will never be driven hard enough to see the difference between a stretched or unstretched tire.

[REDGLI2012]

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.

altezzas are in a league of there own. you get those you got automatic rice status to me, ughhh

[Maggiolone]

Big wheels
Tiny tires
No "price leader" models without options
No options in general
Connectivity systems. Stop typing, tapping, talking, texting and drive.
Low front bumpers that can't deal with speed bumps

[01tj]

Big wheels
Tiny tires
No "price leader" models without options
No options in general
Connectivity systems. Stop typing, tapping, talking, texting and drive.
Low front bumpers that can't deal with speed bumps

No MANual option
No MANual option on all but the bare-bones base model

[wat]

Un-natural, try-hard headlight/grille contact

[kingrukus]

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

do you mean lights that turn off on the side where the signal is flashing? I find this feature useful during the day where you can easily see the signal rather than it blending in with the day-time running lamp.

[kingrukus]

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.

Completely agree. I hate to see a car design ruined because they had to graft on a corporate front end to it (Genesis Coupe, Lexus GS just to name a few).

I also hate the rising belt lines making visibility border-line unsafe (Camaro, etc).

Huge wheel arches with 24" wheels and tires which cost 600 per wheel is also ridiculous.

Unfortunately people will not be motivated to buy new models unless they look significantly different than their current car (making the current one seem "old"), therefore these new polarizing styling trends continue... its all marketing.

[kingrukus]

Good for the idiot that owns this Z. I hate stretched/poked/stance garbage.

[Ben.Reilly]

Crap like this:





Granted, they aren't that new anymore.

[Shomegrown]

do you mean lights that turn off on the side where the signal is flashing? I find this feature useful during the day where you can easily see the signal rather than it blending in with the day-time running lamp.

No, he's talking about cornering lights. I've seen this mainly on late model Mercedes vehicles where a single foglight will illuminate when turning - then turn back off. It helps put light in the direction you're cornering in.

[BRealistic]

hit a curb drifting

Drifting in a residential neighborhood crash or not = DIW.. No, doing it like a douche-bag.
If it was in a competition on a closed track- **** happens when pushing a car on a track. So it is would Doing It Right.

[Grey Mouser]

Granted, they aren't that new anymore.

But they didn't come that way. "New automotive trends that need to die" to me means new cars that come from the factory with annoying shiz.

[vdubdave]

The pinched front grilles coming from the Asian manufacturers. Needs to stop. Now.

[bringtheshred]

Truck nuts and exhaust stacks on every diesel pickup.

Manufacturers still using and bringing back the use of DRUM brakes.

Also not a fan of push-button start.

[kingrukus]

No, he's talking about cornering lights. I've seen this mainly on late model Mercedes vehicles where a single foglight will illuminate when turning - then turn back off. It helps put light in the direction you're cornering in.

Ah, I had no idea about those.

[BRealistic]

The pinched front grilles coming from the Asian manufacturers. Needs to stop. Now.

Right, because Audi OWNS the ugly huge front grill design.

[pknopp]

Also not a fan of push-button start.

My wife loves hers. She tells me that she can stick her key in the bottom of her purse and never have to dig it out.

I imagine you'll grow to love them also when man purses become more common.

[DasBaldGuy]

Didn't read whole thread but I hate:

1) Angry Front ends
2) Angry Rear ends


...it was bad enough when cars slowly started looking angry (agressive?) from the front but then the asses started being pissed off too....that is when you know you've taken it too far.

[johnny_p]

Manufacturers still using and bringing back the use of DRUM brakes.

Oh yeah. That seriously bugs me. Drum brakes have NO PLACE on any car in 2012. Unfortunately it does seem to be a trend.

Maybe one day we'll see front drums come back too. Oh wait. We already have.



http://tatanano.inservices.tatamotor...ifications.htm

Brake Type Dual Circuit, Vertical Split operated by tandem master cylinder with vacuum booster
Front 180 mm diameter Drum Brake
Rear 180 mm diameter Drum Brake

[bringtheshred]

My wife loves hers. She tells me that she can stick her key in the bottom of her purse and never have to dig it out.
I imagine you'll grow to love them also when man purses become more common.

Better break out the fanny pack!

Oh yeah. That seriously bugs me. Drum brakes have NO PLACE on any car in 2012. Unfortunately it does seem to be a trend.

Maybe one day we'll see front drums come back too. Oh wait. We already have.

[IMG] Stupid ta-ta thing [IMG]

http://tatanano.inservices.tatamotor...ifications.htm

Yeah that's ridiculous, but it'll never come to the US like that. Front drum brakes were banned here.

[creanium]

No, he's talking about cornering lights. I've seen this mainly on late model Mercedes vehicles where a single foglight will illuminate when turning - then turn back off. It helps put light in the direction you're cornering in.

Yep, our new Tiguan does the same thing.

When a turn signal is on and the car is going less than 20MPH, the foglight on the side of the car with the turn signal on will illuminate (if the fogs aren't already on).

Also, even without the turn signal on, when turning the steering wheel at low speed — enough to actually be turning — the fog light turns on in the direction of the turn.

It actually works very well as a cornering light, and was a pleasant surprise when driving the car in a parking lot the first night at we had the car.

[J-Tim]

High belt lines.

[VW2SRT2VT]

Painting your car with this crap:

[DUBSfightinRUST]

So it is would Doing It Right.

What?

[Woodski]

Painting your car with this crap:

works great for older vehicles with faded unpainted plastic bumper covers.

[bringtheshred]

works great for older vehicles with faded unpainted plastic bumper covers.

+1

[vwb5t]

Also not a fan of push-button start.

i loved it on the new dodge durango i rented in FL, never had to take the keys out of my pocket used a button on the door handle to lock and unlock it and just hit the push button start and go never had to even mess with the key the entire time i had it, and was also really impressed with it as well

[VW2SRT2VT]

works great for older vehicles with faded unpainted plastic bumper covers.

Too bad the only thing around here I see it used on is body panels and rims.

[L33t A2]

hood and fenders that blend into the windshield and a-pillar



wheel arches that have a 2-3" flat border around the opening

[l88m22vette]

I wasn't interested in the stance debate, I was talking OEM, we all know that's a can of worms, a trend, and nothing that can be controlled. Anyone can modify any car however, its just part of the hobby.

I don't like most LEDs, but the b8 A4 looks good with them, but every time you signal they go off and you get one dinky blinker; it looks stupid with one strip on and the other headlight with one yellow flicker. They are LEDs, how about make one half flash amber and act as a turn signal along with being DRLs? Seems like common sense...

Car Colors. Most cars have an exciting color selection of

White, Silver, Grey, Dark Grey, Dark Blue, Black

Blue may not even be included. Why cant we have brighter colors, design cars to look good with pastels and such. This is probably why I loved cars from the 50s,60s and 70s. There was so many vibrant colors.

I actually read an article about this within the last few years, the gist is that cars were more colorful "back in the day" because things, in general, were better. Our country was in better shape, people were more prosperous, many people had seen the ****storm of war and wanted better, all of which were expressed through brighter, vibrant colors. Today's palette reflects the mood of the country in general, and all those mentioned are pretty bland and/or depressing. No one is overtly happy, the general attitude is of getting by, and no one wants to stand out.

[Bias_Ply]

wheel arches that have a 2-3" flat border around the opening

Seriously, I think a shorter list would be cars that DON'T have this styling feature currently.

[DTMTrini]

IMO, the "hating on autotrends that you feel needs to die and if anyone does it to their car you would want it to be burnt" trend needs to die. Honestly, if you just realize that everyone doesn't have the same taste as you and it's their decision with their car as long as it's not hurting anyone, then the world would be a better place...just turn the other cheek, maybe when you look across the street you'll see something you'll consider eye-candy next time.

[bryanboley]

lower it.

-your friendly, neighborhood em-kay four kid