by Every year, carmakers try to make car models more adaptable to society’s changing preferences. Whether it be making a car touch sensitive, so you can open the car door without a key, or making it park itself, because you couldn’t be bothered, there is no denying automobile technology is pretty exciting.
But, what about when the novelty of all these ‘zooty’ new car features wears off, and all you’re left with are features that are actually quite annoying?
Five New Car Features That Are Just Annoying
1. Touch Sensitive Controls
Carmakers went futuristic when they eliminated conventional knobs for “touch points” that were incorporated into the dashboard, or as part of the display screen.
The invention was a way of doing away with menu-driven commands that would require many buttons. In reality, they tend to be either complex or slow to respond.
The worst new car audio features are audio system volume controls that are operated not by a dial, but by a swipe on the dashboard that’s hit or miss at best.
2. Auto Stop-Start
This feature was invented as a way of saving fuel. The car’s engine switches off and starts up again instantly when the driver takes his foot off the brake pedal.
The auto stop-start function makes perfect sense as a fuel-saver, since idling is not only bad for the environment, it guzzles fuel unnecessarily. In terms of functionality, however, this feature can be quite frustrating. Especially when in traffic.
3. Square Cupholders
This is a by-product of car makers’ attempts to include families in their design. Square cupholders are actually designed to fit children’s juice boxes. But, in reality, most of our drink containers are round and much larger, which means we have countless water bottles rolling around our foot wells and floor space.
4. Navigation Systems
GPS systems in a dashboard environment can be difficult to use. But, many cars disable the navigation system when the car is in motion to keep the driver’s attention focused on the road. While this motion-lock safety feature is conscientious and applicable to a driver driving alone, there are times when you may want your passenger to have the ability to enter addresses and get directions, while in motion.
While it is not suggested for a driver to operate navigation systems while driving, there is nothing illegal about having access to the navigation functions so that a passenger can use them.
Suffice it to say, using a smartphone for GPS navigation is generally simpler to program, costs far less, and is easier to update, than original equipment manufacturer systems.
5. Auto-Tuning Buttons Instead Of A Knob
It seems very few cars have the old-fashioned knobs, which help you find your favourite radio station. Tuning the radio with the up or down button one station or frequency tick at a time can make slow and unnecessary work of what should be a quick and simple task.
What new car features do you find annoying? Comment in the comment box below.
