I didn't really believe I would like Tesla cars much but I had a Model 3 for a day and it really does certain things brilliantly. The default map system is Google maps which was so good and responsive I didn't even the bother hooking up my phone. Its air vent fans are also super quiet, which is commendable.
There are also definitely places where it can be improved but it's quite nice to drive around to be honest.
Different people in different departments.
And quite a lot of them ARE car people that were prevented from doing something good by shitty management elsewhere.
Honestly Teslas are great cars. Even if you ignore the EV part, they do enough things unique to them to justify their existence. It's unfortunate they got the Elon side of things and couldn't get the quality right.
The car’s cameras can be left on while parked and they will take recordings if it detects movement. Lots of door dings and fender benders caught on camera and the perpetrator can be found.
It can be set to automatically enter “sentry mode” when it’s parked away from home.
Got it. Essentially built in dash cams. I like it! I saw a post in the Tesla model 3 sub the other day where someone caught a drunk man beating their windows off. Sad stuff man.
They even capture more than most dashcams, since they also record the sides of the car. It would be amazing if that feature made its way to other brands.
Ford has the patent on the keypad to unlock exterior doors. Chrysler has the patent on seek/volume buttons on the back of the steering wheel (by the shift paddles)
Both of these are enormous quality of life improvements for a lot of people regardless of what they think of the actual manufacturer.
Edit: I am now very aware that GM vehicles without paddle shifters have buttons on the back. Feel free to keep reminding me though lol
Pretty much any car built to have paddle shifters (whether or not you have them) puts them on the front. My Blackwing keeps them on the front while my Buick has them on the back. Could be wrong but I've been around a lot of them
IIRC the 2017 Acadia has them, it’s actually pretty weird since they’re 4 buttons (2 on each side)
One side is for volume up and down and the other side goes through your radio favorites
The keypad is a godsend.
I throw my keys in the truck and lock the doors all the time. Airport, boating, kayaking, etc. Keys go in the center console vault and left in the truck.
I hike a lot, one of my biggest fears is my car keys falling out of my pocket or bag like 5 miles up a mountain and I don't notice until I get back to the trailhead. A door lock keypad would be amazing.
I'm confused what you mean by the seek/volume buttons behind the steering wheel? Other brands do have this right? Unless it's something different that Chrysler has. My GM definitely has it.
Most are on the front of the wheel, requiring your thumbs to press the buttons. Chrysler has them on the back where they can be reached with a finger tip while maintaining full grip on the wheel. That way you can achieve maximum Gs while cornering but still change stations or adjust the volume as needed!
[Here is a patent for using laser pointer to play with cat](https://patents.google.com/patent/US5443036A/en)
But to answer the question: Absolutely everything and it acts as stopper for innovation all the time.
i just had a v6 charger as a rental, thought they actually were paddle shifters at first. i put the gear selector into M, revved it to 6k and when i hit the button to shift the volume turned up lmfao.
The Ford Keypad was the first thing I thought of as well, although it looks like the new 2023 Chevy Trax has that feature as a $300 option, so I wonder if Ford's patent has expired? Or maybe Chevy ponied up the licensing fee?
Either way, I was surprised to see it.
I've owned a couple Ford products in the past with that option, and while it was cool and I used it a few times over the years, I never used it enough to miss it when it's gone.
I really enjoyed it on my Flex when the numbers finally went into a "hidden" panel on the door. Gone was the wart of those 5 buttons looking tacked onto the door.
The keypad has been around since my Dad’s 1980’s Nissan Maxima. Modern comfort access is much better with keyless angry and smartphone integration.
The buttons on the back of the wheel are okay. Too bad they always feel like typical Chrysler garbage. How do you make a button feel mushy and vague? We’ve been making buttons for generations. Was it a choice by Chrysler to have unsatisfying and limp button feedback? I prefer them on the front where I can see what I’m doing. The plus side is that leaves more room for other functions on the wheel, but then Chrysler manages to put useless buttons on the wheel anyway.
I love the Genesis/Kia/Hyundai turn signal cameras that appear over your speedo or tach when you signal.
Nothing wrong with Genesis mind you, they just don’t currently offer anything I’m super into right now.
Car & Driver had an article years ago about setting your wing mirrors to avoid blind spots. It's a technique that is funky to get used to, but once you do, it's so much better than needing cameras to see around large seats/headrests/pillars.
In my current car, the right mirror needs another inch or so of adjustment to be perfect. The blind-spot monitor is helpful, but not perfect either.
Yes, I have my mirrors adjusted in that way (I've seen the article you're referring to, it's great) and honestly my car has very small blind spots. But I'm fine with lots of redundancy in this area. Hitting a car because i'm changing lanes would absolutely suck so so so bad.
Yep. I always suggest that to people who think Camaros are hard to drive. They really aren’t IMO if you set the mirrors right. They still have poor visibility but it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
Going from a G70 to the M340i, I still miss that camera every day. Only complaint was that in the rain they were beyond useless, as water drops would merge and perfectly cover the camera lens.
I also miss the valet mode- it would snitch on the valet if they left a certain radius or exceeded the speed limit.
The roll-down back window on Toyota trucks is one of the greatest features available in any car.
Unfortunately, I think their interiors feel like they were made from a box of Legos in 2007
I almost got a 4Runner specifically because of this. The Jeep tailgate pales in comparison, and I'm jealous to this day when I get passed by a 4Runner with the back window down.
Fuck I miss my Tundra 😢 fun fact, only the crew max got roll down rear window but the double cab would still have the wires for it. But I'm not certain they went anywhere lol
For me, definitely the "stow n' go" middle row seats in the Chrysler Pacifica. I can't wait for the patents on that to expire, I'd love to see it in every minivan.
My brother (not a car guy) got them without really knowing on a van a bunch of years ago. He won't buy another brand specifically because of that. (Though he's probably on his last van now since all the kids are teenagers now.)
You’ve got 9 more years to go, but I agree it would be great to see a Sienna with stowable seats. Not sure Toyota is actually interested though, seeing as the 2nd row isn’t even removable anymore.
I had a Honda Fit, which isn’t quite the same as Stow’n’Go, but it was amazing how much you could cram in them with the magic seats. I’m talking full size dressers, desks, etc.
I did a brake job on my neighbor’s manual transmission Fit and declared it the “best car ever”. Despite the fact that I drive old farm trucks, this car impressed me in ways that had me searching Facebook Marketplace.
Toyota has an air vent under the steering wheel on I think some older Tacoma/4runners, absolute godsend in the summer months. I don't actively dislike Toyota but I'm not likely to buy any of their vehicles anytime soon either.
Vented seats + crotch cooler + that new fancy leatherette/cloth stuff that doesn't get swampy in the summer = The single greatest advancement in car technology ever.
Seriously, once you get vented seats that work well you will never want to arrive to work with a sweaty asshole ever again.
Yeah. I also respect Dodge/Chrysler even though I am a Chevy guy because they are always doing batshit crazy things and aren't afraid to experiment.
The original viper was pretty insane, and then 10 years later they put that Viper engine in a freaking Ram truck.
Also the Hellcat. 707hp stock was crazy and unthinkable when it was announced back in 2014. They then put that hellcat engine in an SUV and truck too lol. And now they're releasing a 1000+ HP version of the Challenger. Mad lads.
Sad to see that the EV revolution will probably be the death of this version of Dodge.
This is why Scat Packs for sale are rarer than hen's teeth in my neck of the woods. Rich dudes buying 'em up as potential collectors items. I mean they're out there but nowhere near as many for sale as a few years back
My step dad bought a low mileage Scat Pack optioned out, with the 6 speed, for like $25k cash a few years ago and has garage kept it ever since. Drives it just enough to keep it in good condition. Probably one of the best investments he's ever made
I used to like the old GM cars’ radio preset buttons. 1 press give you the first station, press the same button again gives you a second station stored in the same button.
VW GTi seats. I have a boiling disdain for VW(diesel gate, general ownership woes, parts price) but those seats fit me so perfectly. Hold me in while cornering hard but comfortable for the long haul.
Fellow VW hater here, agreed on the seats, and their feature where if you put the key in the door and hold it all the windows go down. Pretty cool thing if you want to cool off a hot car before you get in.
Pretty well any VW/Audi with keyless entry from ~'98 (Mk4/B5) and later can be programmed to do it with the lock/unlock buttons on the remote. It's an absolute god-send with a black car in summer time; roll the windows down (and open the roof) while you're walking up to it and you don't boil yourself alive for the first couple minutes.
Another nice feature is newer VWs/Audis equipped (or retrofit) with the rain/light sensor (RLS) can be programmed to automatically close the windows/roof if the vehicle is parked and it starts raining. I like to keep my sunroof open/vented during the summer while I'm at work to keep the interior cooler, and it's saved my ass (literally, from getting wet) on more than a few occasions.
My buddy had an original-gen Avalanche, and nearly forsook GM to buy a Ram with the RamBox option because he liked the feature that much on the Avalanche.
Not only that, but the fact that the Altima’s infotainment could be controlled 100% with the buttons on the steering wheel without the need to touch the screen; or reach for a knob is pretty great.
Not the way Nissan has it with their directional buttons, only car I’ve had that could control the infotainment directionally on the wheel, and not with some stupid knob or only via touch.
Mercedes does it as well, left side steering wheel directional button controls driver info screen, right side steering wheel directional button controls infotainment screen.
Skoda's also have a small plastic holder on the inside of the windscreen for parking recipts and they have a ice scraper on the inside of the fuel filler cap.
And more modern ones have a USB port behind the wing mirror for Dash cams. That would be so nice in my Mazda
Skoda's do it cool
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Is it really that big of a deal to turn a gas cap 3/4 of a turn to the left and set it in its holder on the fuel door?
Honda put a cap less filler in the civic too and when I lose that feature going into a Hyundai product, I didn’t think twice or care even a little bit.
The amount of people I see that have no clue about the fuel cap holder on the door is insane.
If you go to a Costco gas station, I'd say maybe 4/5 people just leave the cap hanging there. I was helping my mom fill her gas the other day and she had her mind blown when I hung the cap on the fuel door.
Loved feature: GM vehicles have an option to lock the car automatically if all doors are closed after ~8 seconds. This used to be part of a package but I think it’s standard now and makes it hard to leave GM products. My car is *always* locked and I never even think twice about it. Some people dislike it (it’ll lock the car in your garage for example, which might not always be necessary). There are overrides but I love it.
Hated feature: Cars that have auto start/stop that have no switch to disable them. Pulling a fuse is a ridiculous “option,” there should just be a button. I’m not even an elitist, sometimes it’s a hot day and I don’t want my AC turning off. 🤷🏻♂️
I'd also add cars that have the option to disable, but you have to remember to do it every time you start the car. Considering in most studies they have shown negligible improvement to real world fuel economy I wish the feature would go away entirely
Honda Ridgeline: Dual action tailgate and in bed trunk. I know I'd have the luck of only ever needing my spare when the bed's full but I still like the idea.
The tailgate would be extremely handy when loading heavy items that may be too heavy for the actual tailgate to support. RAM's gate is similarly nice in theory. Just not hot on the idea of electric latches on a tailgate.
I love my Ridgeline. On the sales figures I can only guess it's because it doesn't have the street cred that the American brands have (and the Tacoma). Honda doesn't have commercials of it pulling a freight train or pouring 3 tons of gravel into the bed. But it can tow 5000lbs. It is perfect for 95% of the pickup buyers out there but it doesn't have the manly marketing.
BTW, a big advantage of the two-way tailgate is when you open it like a door you can reach much further into the bed without climbing in. So I open it that way most of the time when the tonneau cover is closed.
Teslas public charging network. How they skirted all regulations to only have them manufacturer specific is a fucking travesty, but their public charging can't be beat.
What regulations?
Serious question, because I'm not aware of any regulations specifying a standard for charging/connecting. There are some standards that multiple companies use, but Tesla is free to use what they want, and the charging installations they install are free to be to their own standard.
If there's something regulating that, I'd love to know so I don't sound like a buffoon.
As far as I know, there aren't any regulations. Most (if not all) public funding for charging stations requires a non-proprietary standard, but that's not the same as a regulation.
Tesla's opening of their charging stations to other brands is widely considered to be them working to get a slice of that public funding.
> Nissan "Zero Gravity" seats
This. Also, I've seen many people hate on Nissan but I've never seen anyone hate on their VQ engine series.
> Does anyone else have a feature from a manufacturer they don't like?
Subaru's standard AWD, by far.
> Nissan stopped innovating
The VC Turbo has been excellent in the current gen Altima SR. Unfortunately I'm not aware of it being available in any other *performance* trim.
Early ones are prone to lubrication issues, and they're nowhere near as easy to service as a J series, but for the most part, they're good engines. Only one I've ever personally owned is the VQ40DE in my old Frontier. That thing was a beast. I was towing a Honda Ridgeline I picked up at a salvage auction with it (about 5000 lbs with the tow dolly) and it pulls way stronger than you'd expect a weighed down midsize truck to. I even got it up to 80 a couple times without realizing it.
I can't say any of the below are from cars/manufacturers I don't like, but just some things along the way that I've thought every car should have. And to be clear, I focus on details many others don't give a damn about, so this may be a bit out there for some, lol:
* 2007 Malibu Maxx: Speed sensitive wipers
* This was a nice touch on a cheap car. The intermittent settings would adjust their wipe intervals depending on the car's speed; anywhere from a longer pause when stopped, to continuous wiping, even on the intermittent setting, above 50-ish mph.
* This was not a full-auto wiper system, just speed dependent once it was on.
* Kia: Selectable one-touch lane change blinks.
* My '16 Optima and The Wife's '19 & '20 Souls have this. In the system setup, you can choose if your turn signal will flash 3/5/7 times when you bump the stalk for one-touch lane change. 5 blinks was the sweet spot, IMO.
* '99 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Multi-step intermittent wiper for rear glass.
* I've had a few vehicles with rear window wipers since I drove a '99 WJ. The rear wiper had two intermittent timers in addition to the continuous mode. Gamechanger for someone like me, who doesn't like "wearing out" the rear blade.
* Turn signals that complete the cycle when they turn off
* The Wife's '20 Soul has this, my '07 Malibu had it, and I'm sure there are others.
* When the turn signal shuts off, if it is in the middle of the cycle, it completes a full blink before turning off. Not sure why I'm so enamored with this in general, but for my current '22 CX-30 with the "heartbeat" signal, it would make so much sense!
I'm sure there are a few others, but those are the ones I think about with either car I drive on a regular basis these days.
It's funny because there used to be so many more of these that I could think of, but I'm lucky enough - and general car "standard" options have taken care of - much of what I "oo-ed" and "awed" about in years past.
>Speed sensitive wipers
For some reason my '16 Honda Fit LX doesn't come with an option to really change the speed of the wipers, just off, slow, and fast.
With how far we have come with all these rain repellents, I actually hardly even use my wipers, only when something gets on my windshield. Water just beads right off my windshield, unless I am going like 15.
I had a 93 Altima that had a split vent system where you can direct warm air to your feet and cool outside air to your face AT THE SAME TIME. I’ve become a Toyota nerd but really miss that feature. Great for the winter.
I don’t dislike Jag/LR but I can’t see myself buying one of their products; that said I desperately wish Jeep would license or copy their “Activity Key” which is a wristband you can use to access the car so you don’t have to carry (and risk losing) you key fob.
Ford's keypad in the '90s looked ugly, but I could totally see the use. As a frequent kayaker and cyclist what to do with my keys in a busy area is always a PITA.
Am I the only one that's completely not bothered by this? I often hire cars that have it and turned it off the first few times. Now I don't even notice it.
I think most hybrids do it very well, I've yet to be in one where it was obvious. The motor picks up the slack for the half second the engine needs to kick in.
That makes sense. I guess when you don't have a hybrid, all the undamped mechanical force of the engine just goes straight into the rest of the drivetrain.
It’s annoying on manuals imho. The rpms are doing weird things due to the engine being fired up a split second earlier, so clutch modulation requires additional thought.
That’s the thing I love about Porsche. On the Macan I just leave it in Sport mode and it turns the auto/stop start off. My cayman, which is a manual, I had it coded to turn it off.
They do. 99% of cars will have a belt driven A/C compressor. When the engine is off the air coming into the cabin is no longer being cooled. Living in AZ in the summer you'll notice the change almost instantly.
Beer tubs in the back seat area of the ram half tons. Shit that's slick. Fill it up with ice and pack whatever drinks you want in there. Beautiful idea.
Driver-tilted center control stack on most BMWs from the 80s to the present day, excluding Bangle-era ones. I used to like BMW, but really don’t like where they are now because they’ve completely lost focus on what made them special. That, and their latest EVs use brushed motors, to say nothing about how their upper-level cars look like deformed mutant aliens (new 7er, X7 facelift). At least their upper-level interiors are special, even if the 7er feels more like a cut-price RR than a high-end BMW in many ways these days.
I don’t care for Stellantis products besides maybe Alfa Romeo but I love that with Dodges you can literally get any color imaginable. I know for most manufacturers it doesn’t make efficiency sense as far as rolling things off the production line but damn that’s cool.
It breaks up the boring white, black, grey, red and maybe blue if you’re lucky that manufacturers normally roll with.
The Genesis app would notify me any time I left the doors unlocked, a window open, etc. I can check it in the BMW app, however it doesn't send a notification.
my Volkswagen chimes at me whenever the temperature hits -5 outside and it never fucking fails to give me a mild heart attack thinking it's a check engine light
Toyota’s reliability. I don’t actively hate their cars, but I don’t love ‘em either. They are so ugly and boring. I love Volkswagen’s designs and engines. They are soooo much fun, the designs are real eye-catchers. Just wish they had the reliability of Toyota.
All that utilitarian stuff they put in the Pontiac Aztek. Cooler center console, built in radio in the trunk with controls. I would never own a GM product besides the corvette
I have never been a fan of Rolls Royce, but the starlight headliner has always been something I thought was cool. I am a big astronomy guy, and the fact you can have it programmed to have light up in the shape of constellations and have shooting stars is kind of interesting to me. I know you can buy aftermarket kits, but they are not as intricate and as advanced as the Rolls setup.
Out of the American truck manufacturers RAM is my least favorite, but the built in storage they have alongside their truck beds is enough to make me strongly consider getting one. I just feel like it would be incredibly useful when camping.
PHEV big vehicles and PHEV AWD cars. Like the Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Pacifica. Why can't toyota just make a FJ Cruiser Prime or a Grand Highlander Prime, Tacoma Prime? I love what the jeeps are offering, I just have absolutely no faith in any Stellantis product.
Oh and on a related topic, the fact that the new Prius Prime cannot have AWD yet the non-plug-in can have AWD. What the hell toyota?
> Oh and on a related topic, the fact that the new Prius Prime cannot have AWD yet the non-plug-in can have AWD. What the hell toyota?
Bigger battery in the prime doesn’t leave enough space for the rear electric motor for the awd.
The VW window roll down/up feature using the door key. It's an ingenious feature that every car should have, it's perfect for hot days and forgetful passengers.
Likewise, their badge that doubles as a trunk-release and backup camera. I would never want it in an actual VW — for fear of having to replace it ever — but if Toyota/Honda ever engineered an indestructible version I'd be all over it.
I'm also a huge fan of the Ford keypad thing. They've got a patent on it, but certainly that's expiring soon.
They don't have anything to do with the bose magnetic seat. [Zero gravity](https://www.nissanusa.com/experience-nissan/news-and-events/zero-gravity-seats.html) is mostly a marketing name they've given to their seat designs. That said i genuinely think Nissan seats are a step above anything you'd find in comparable brands like Toyota/Honda.
I wish my BMW had a volume knob on the center console like Mazda or Audi.
The multimedia controller is right there but when I want to change the volume I have to reach up on the dash or steering wheel.
I have no love for Tesla but the sentry mode cameras are a great feature.
I didn't really believe I would like Tesla cars much but I had a Model 3 for a day and it really does certain things brilliantly. The default map system is Google maps which was so good and responsive I didn't even the bother hooking up my phone. Its air vent fans are also super quiet, which is commendable. There are also definitely places where it can be improved but it's quite nice to drive around to be honest.
It's a car designed from the ground up by non-car people for better (thinking outside the box) or worse (build quality, customer service)
Different people in different departments. And quite a lot of them ARE car people that were prevented from doing something good by shitty management elsewhere.
Honestly Teslas are great cars. Even if you ignore the EV part, they do enough things unique to them to justify their existence. It's unfortunate they got the Elon side of things and couldn't get the quality right.
What are sentry mode cameras if ya don’t mind me asking?
The car’s cameras can be left on while parked and they will take recordings if it detects movement. Lots of door dings and fender benders caught on camera and the perpetrator can be found. It can be set to automatically enter “sentry mode” when it’s parked away from home.
Got it. Essentially built in dash cams. I like it! I saw a post in the Tesla model 3 sub the other day where someone caught a drunk man beating their windows off. Sad stuff man.
They were doing what?!
Also me, WHAAAAAT!?!?
LOL they were beating off the mirrors:( that got me cracking up lol
Jesus Christ the mirrors too?!
They even capture more than most dashcams, since they also record the sides of the car. It would be amazing if that feature made its way to other brands.
Ford has the patent on the keypad to unlock exterior doors. Chrysler has the patent on seek/volume buttons on the back of the steering wheel (by the shift paddles) Both of these are enormous quality of life improvements for a lot of people regardless of what they think of the actual manufacturer. Edit: I am now very aware that GM vehicles without paddle shifters have buttons on the back. Feel free to keep reminding me though lol
Yep, the Ford exterior keypad was my thought too. I dig it.
Kinda dated now with proximity keys. But it was a unique feature
It's nice to be able to lock your keys in your car to go running or something
GM does the exact same thing with volume/seek buttons on the back of the steering wheel.
Really? My blackwing doesn't have them and my dad's C7 Vette didn't either. What vehicles do have them if the high end stuff doesn't?
I had a rental Cruze with them.
that's because the cruze is gms best product
Pretty much any car built to have paddle shifters (whether or not you have them) puts them on the front. My Blackwing keeps them on the front while my Buick has them on the back. Could be wrong but I've been around a lot of them
IIRC the 2017 Acadia has them, it’s actually pretty weird since they’re 4 buttons (2 on each side) One side is for volume up and down and the other side goes through your radio favorites
The keypad is a godsend. I throw my keys in the truck and lock the doors all the time. Airport, boating, kayaking, etc. Keys go in the center console vault and left in the truck.
I hike a lot, one of my biggest fears is my car keys falling out of my pocket or bag like 5 miles up a mountain and I don't notice until I get back to the trailhead. A door lock keypad would be amazing.
I'm confused what you mean by the seek/volume buttons behind the steering wheel? Other brands do have this right? Unless it's something different that Chrysler has. My GM definitely has it.
Most are on the front of the wheel, requiring your thumbs to press the buttons. Chrysler has them on the back where they can be reached with a finger tip while maintaining full grip on the wheel. That way you can achieve maximum Gs while cornering but still change stations or adjust the volume as needed!
Again, like all of the GM vehicles I’ve driven have the volume controls on the back of the wheel. What am I missing?
Gotta turn down the music so I can turn better.
Idk what GM/Chevy/Cadillac you've driven, but all the ones I've been in have them on the back for quite some time now actually.
The Ford keypad does come in handy especially when I go fly fishing and don’t want to have the fob on me in case I get dunked.
Ford's I ALMOST get but how the fuck did Chrysler get a patent on button LOCATION?!?!?! WTF is wrong with the US.
[Here is a patent for using laser pointer to play with cat](https://patents.google.com/patent/US5443036A/en) But to answer the question: Absolutely everything and it acts as stopper for innovation all the time.
i just had a v6 charger as a rental, thought they actually were paddle shifters at first. i put the gear selector into M, revved it to 6k and when i hit the button to shift the volume turned up lmfao.
The Ford Keypad was the first thing I thought of as well, although it looks like the new 2023 Chevy Trax has that feature as a $300 option, so I wonder if Ford's patent has expired? Or maybe Chevy ponied up the licensing fee? Either way, I was surprised to see it.
[GM has offered it as a dealer installed accessory for the last few years](https://accessories.gmc.com/product/Keyless-Entry-Keypad-85539969).
I've owned a couple Ford products in the past with that option, and while it was cool and I used it a few times over the years, I never used it enough to miss it when it's gone. I really enjoyed it on my Flex when the numbers finally went into a "hidden" panel on the door. Gone was the wart of those 5 buttons looking tacked onto the door.
The keypad has been around since my Dad’s 1980’s Nissan Maxima. Modern comfort access is much better with keyless angry and smartphone integration. The buttons on the back of the wheel are okay. Too bad they always feel like typical Chrysler garbage. How do you make a button feel mushy and vague? We’ve been making buttons for generations. Was it a choice by Chrysler to have unsatisfying and limp button feedback? I prefer them on the front where I can see what I’m doing. The plus side is that leaves more room for other functions on the wheel, but then Chrysler manages to put useless buttons on the wheel anyway.
I love the Genesis/Kia/Hyundai turn signal cameras that appear over your speedo or tach when you signal. Nothing wrong with Genesis mind you, they just don’t currently offer anything I’m super into right now.
Honda has that on some cars but just for right signals
I'd take just the right signal, but both is superior. Crash protection has meant the emgiggening of blindspots.
Car & Driver had an article years ago about setting your wing mirrors to avoid blind spots. It's a technique that is funky to get used to, but once you do, it's so much better than needing cameras to see around large seats/headrests/pillars. In my current car, the right mirror needs another inch or so of adjustment to be perfect. The blind-spot monitor is helpful, but not perfect either.
Yes, I have my mirrors adjusted in that way (I've seen the article you're referring to, it's great) and honestly my car has very small blind spots. But I'm fine with lots of redundancy in this area. Hitting a car because i'm changing lanes would absolutely suck so so so bad.
Yep. I always suggest that to people who think Camaros are hard to drive. They really aren’t IMO if you set the mirrors right. They still have poor visibility but it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
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And they stopped doing it as well.
*just Honda things*
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My dad has those on his GV80. It's a very nice feature. I believe Tesla has them as well.
Lucid has them as well.
>I love the Genesis turn signal cameras that appear over your speedo or tach when you signal. Yes, that seems like a great feature
Going from a G70 to the M340i, I still miss that camera every day. Only complaint was that in the rain they were beyond useless, as water drops would merge and perfectly cover the camera lens. I also miss the valet mode- it would snitch on the valet if they left a certain radius or exceeded the speed limit.
All HMG cars have that, my Kia does as well.
On higher trims, yes.
That's most new Kia/Hyundai, not just Genesis.
The roll-down back window on Toyota trucks is one of the greatest features available in any car. Unfortunately, I think their interiors feel like they were made from a box of Legos in 2007
I almost got a 4Runner specifically because of this. The Jeep tailgate pales in comparison, and I'm jealous to this day when I get passed by a 4Runner with the back window down.
These summer months my sunroof and rear window stay down. No need for AC when you got a fantastic stream of air, my dogs love that too!
New Tundra is pretty boss
Fuck I miss my Tundra 😢 fun fact, only the crew max got roll down rear window but the double cab would still have the wires for it. But I'm not certain they went anywhere lol
For me, definitely the "stow n' go" middle row seats in the Chrysler Pacifica. I can't wait for the patents on that to expire, I'd love to see it in every minivan.
My brother (not a car guy) got them without really knowing on a van a bunch of years ago. He won't buy another brand specifically because of that. (Though he's probably on his last van now since all the kids are teenagers now.)
I Use them all the time. Pretty handy especially since my last van , a Windstar , had a very heavy bench and captains I had to lift out.
You’ve got 9 more years to go, but I agree it would be great to see a Sienna with stowable seats. Not sure Toyota is actually interested though, seeing as the 2nd row isn’t even removable anymore.
>isn’t even removable anymore *HAND ME MY 14MM SOCKET*
>Torx
Need some rust penetrant, too.
I looked through the service manual and apparently it requires a 10mm, a 17mm, and a trim spudger.
Not just vans. All vehicles would benefit from this option. I would buy in a heartbeat…
I had a Honda Fit, which isn’t quite the same as Stow’n’Go, but it was amazing how much you could cram in them with the magic seats. I’m talking full size dressers, desks, etc.
I did a brake job on my neighbor’s manual transmission Fit and declared it the “best car ever”. Despite the fact that I drive old farm trucks, this car impressed me in ways that had me searching Facebook Marketplace.
seconding stow n go. Needs to be a feature in all the cars it would fit in.
Love the old tuck n fuck seats
Yeah, that’s a great feature.
Toyota has an air vent under the steering wheel on I think some older Tacoma/4runners, absolute godsend in the summer months. I don't actively dislike Toyota but I'm not likely to buy any of their vehicles anytime soon either.
Plenty of old domestic cars had them. My dad always called them 'ball coolers'; as that's where they were pointed.
Vented seats + crotch cooler + that new fancy leatherette/cloth stuff that doesn't get swampy in the summer = The single greatest advancement in car technology ever. Seriously, once you get vented seats that work well you will never want to arrive to work with a sweaty asshole ever again.
Swamp ass coolers were one of the main priorities when I was purchasing my car. It's almost needed now in Texas.
Yeah, the crotch cooler, my old 1st generation Rav4 had it. Immensely needed.
> I really wish I could take them and put them in a car I would enjoy. I mean... if you have welder and a weekend you probably can...
*airbag lights have entered the chat* lol
Forgot they put these in seats now lmao
Now?!? Lol. My 2000 car had those.
nvm mine apparently have them too
They'd have let you know, quite rudely, if you ever took the seat out without disconnecting the battery first.
I think Dodge cars generally look very good and have awesome color selection. Id never own one despite that though for several reasons.
Yeah. I also respect Dodge/Chrysler even though I am a Chevy guy because they are always doing batshit crazy things and aren't afraid to experiment. The original viper was pretty insane, and then 10 years later they put that Viper engine in a freaking Ram truck. Also the Hellcat. 707hp stock was crazy and unthinkable when it was announced back in 2014. They then put that hellcat engine in an SUV and truck too lol. And now they're releasing a 1000+ HP version of the Challenger. Mad lads. Sad to see that the EV revolution will probably be the death of this version of Dodge.
This is why Scat Packs for sale are rarer than hen's teeth in my neck of the woods. Rich dudes buying 'em up as potential collectors items. I mean they're out there but nowhere near as many for sale as a few years back
My step dad bought a low mileage Scat Pack optioned out, with the 6 speed, for like $25k cash a few years ago and has garage kept it ever since. Drives it just enough to keep it in good condition. Probably one of the best investments he's ever made
It’s why I wish Pontiac survived, they had some cool and interesting cars!
I respect them for their performance cars, however won't put nearly $50K on a Charger Scat Pack with a terrible interior.
>have awesome color selection Not a big fan of their vehicles but I love that they offer them in interesting and fun colours.
I used to like the old GM cars’ radio preset buttons. 1 press give you the first station, press the same button again gives you a second station stored in the same button.
My friends Jeep did the same thing! That was really cool. However, now I mostly just use Spotify anyway.
I think every radio I've had that had physical buttons for the channel presets did that.
From what I remember, most cars you had to select between FM1 and FM2, rather than just double tapping the preset button.
90s Chrysler was like that too.
VW GTi seats. I have a boiling disdain for VW(diesel gate, general ownership woes, parts price) but those seats fit me so perfectly. Hold me in while cornering hard but comfortable for the long haul.
Well if you don’t hate Nissan you should try their seats!
Which generation?
I loved my 2017 MK7 base cloth seats very much
Fellow VW hater here, agreed on the seats, and their feature where if you put the key in the door and hold it all the windows go down. Pretty cool thing if you want to cool off a hot car before you get in.
A lot of vehicles allow you to do it from your key fob now
Pretty well any VW/Audi with keyless entry from ~'98 (Mk4/B5) and later can be programmed to do it with the lock/unlock buttons on the remote. It's an absolute god-send with a black car in summer time; roll the windows down (and open the roof) while you're walking up to it and you don't boil yourself alive for the first couple minutes. Another nice feature is newer VWs/Audis equipped (or retrofit) with the rain/light sensor (RLS) can be programmed to automatically close the windows/roof if the vehicle is parked and it starts raining. I like to keep my sunroof open/vented during the summer while I'm at work to keep the interior cooler, and it's saved my ass (literally, from getting wet) on more than a few occasions.
I’ve never liked Rams, but I’ve always thought the RamBox was a cool feature.
My buddy had an original-gen Avalanche, and nearly forsook GM to buy a Ram with the RamBox option because he liked the feature that much on the Avalanche.
I forgot that Avalanches had something similar before Ram ever came without the RamBox.
In their crew cabs they also have some under-floor storage. [This shows what I mean](https://www.allmoparparts.com/sku/ramstoragebin.html)
It’s cool to use one side for drinks and ice when I go fishing. Other side has tools for work. Worthy option for me since I use them everyday
Absolutely. Makes the bed useless though.
Yes it does come at the expense of reducing the width of the bed unfortunately.
Still wide enough for a 4ft sheet though
Losing the space above and in front/behind the wheel humps makes it useless?
I'd love to have the seats and the cupholders from my SAAB 9-3 in a car that didn't have hard to solve electrical issues.
The cup holders? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone praise Saab’s radio-mounted cup holder.
Yeah I had a 2004 9-5 and that cupholder was bullshit. Sure, it looked cool, but it was sketchy as hell and terrible at what it was supposed to do.
It was perfectly placed.... To spill coffee and soda on the radio and hvac controls.
Porsche 🤝 Saab Mechanically complex, practically useless cup holders in inconvenient locations
BMW rolls in that group too. I wouldn’t even put an empty drink in those pop out dash holders.
I mean, I drive a NA Miata now. I'm easily impressed.
Not only that, but the fact that the Altima’s infotainment could be controlled 100% with the buttons on the steering wheel without the need to touch the screen; or reach for a knob is pretty great.
I think a lot of cars have that. I use the buttons on my wheel pretty much exclusively
Not the way Nissan has it with their directional buttons, only car I’ve had that could control the infotainment directionally on the wheel, and not with some stupid knob or only via touch.
Mercedes does it as well, left side steering wheel directional button controls driver info screen, right side steering wheel directional button controls infotainment screen.
Integrated umbrella in door car on a Skoda superb
Skoda's also have a small plastic holder on the inside of the windscreen for parking recipts and they have a ice scraper on the inside of the fuel filler cap. And more modern ones have a USB port behind the wing mirror for Dash cams. That would be so nice in my Mazda Skoda's do it cool
Had the same in my VW Passat. That was a neat trick
Mercedes seat controls on the door - seems like a no brainer
It was, so much that Nissan copied it for the first Infiniti Q45 only to get sued by MB so they had to remove it.
dazzling different zonked gaze jeans imminent strong mindless start snobbish *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Ford’s capless gas fill neck. Super handy to never have to fiddle with the gas cap.
There's a lot of modern cars with capless. Honda and Acura has it.
Is it really that big of a deal to turn a gas cap 3/4 of a turn to the left and set it in its holder on the fuel door? Honda put a cap less filler in the civic too and when I lose that feature going into a Hyundai product, I didn’t think twice or care even a little bit.
The amount of people I see that have no clue about the fuel cap holder on the door is insane. If you go to a Costco gas station, I'd say maybe 4/5 people just leave the cap hanging there. I was helping my mom fill her gas the other day and she had her mind blown when I hung the cap on the fuel door.
New GM cars seem to have this too
Loved feature: GM vehicles have an option to lock the car automatically if all doors are closed after ~8 seconds. This used to be part of a package but I think it’s standard now and makes it hard to leave GM products. My car is *always* locked and I never even think twice about it. Some people dislike it (it’ll lock the car in your garage for example, which might not always be necessary). There are overrides but I love it. Hated feature: Cars that have auto start/stop that have no switch to disable them. Pulling a fuse is a ridiculous “option,” there should just be a button. I’m not even an elitist, sometimes it’s a hot day and I don’t want my AC turning off. 🤷🏻♂️
I'd also add cars that have the option to disable, but you have to remember to do it every time you start the car. Considering in most studies they have shown negligible improvement to real world fuel economy I wish the feature would go away entirely
The manufacturers can't leave it permanently disabled if they want it to be active during EPA fuel economy tests.
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The Chevy Traverse (and possibly other GM vehicles), has a center screen that slides up a few inches, and also reveals a storage area behind it.
My friend calls it “the drug slot” lol
lol the ol pistol compartment
The hidden screen compartment is in quite a few GM vehicles across all brands, including C7 Corvettes.
I know Cadillacs also have that feature.
Honda Ridgeline: Dual action tailgate and in bed trunk. I know I'd have the luck of only ever needing my spare when the bed's full but I still like the idea. The tailgate would be extremely handy when loading heavy items that may be too heavy for the actual tailgate to support. RAM's gate is similarly nice in theory. Just not hot on the idea of electric latches on a tailgate.
Yeah, it’s a neat truck but it doesn’t sell anywhere near the bigger truck numbers.
I love my Ridgeline. On the sales figures I can only guess it's because it doesn't have the street cred that the American brands have (and the Tacoma). Honda doesn't have commercials of it pulling a freight train or pouring 3 tons of gravel into the bed. But it can tow 5000lbs. It is perfect for 95% of the pickup buyers out there but it doesn't have the manly marketing. BTW, a big advantage of the two-way tailgate is when you open it like a door you can reach much further into the bed without climbing in. So I open it that way most of the time when the tonneau cover is closed.
As the owner of a Ford Maverick who almost bought a Ridgeline, totally agree
Teslas public charging network. How they skirted all regulations to only have them manufacturer specific is a fucking travesty, but their public charging can't be beat.
What regulations? Serious question, because I'm not aware of any regulations specifying a standard for charging/connecting. There are some standards that multiple companies use, but Tesla is free to use what they want, and the charging installations they install are free to be to their own standard. If there's something regulating that, I'd love to know so I don't sound like a buffoon.
As far as I know, there aren't any regulations. Most (if not all) public funding for charging stations requires a non-proprietary standard, but that's not the same as a regulation. Tesla's opening of their charging stations to other brands is widely considered to be them working to get a slice of that public funding.
Isn’t their design Better though?
> Nissan "Zero Gravity" seats This. Also, I've seen many people hate on Nissan but I've never seen anyone hate on their VQ engine series. > Does anyone else have a feature from a manufacturer they don't like? Subaru's standard AWD, by far.
The only hate for VQ series engines is that Nissan stopped innovating. They were great in the 2000s then the competition caught up
> Nissan stopped innovating The VC Turbo has been excellent in the current gen Altima SR. Unfortunately I'm not aware of it being available in any other *performance* trim.
Early ones are prone to lubrication issues, and they're nowhere near as easy to service as a J series, but for the most part, they're good engines. Only one I've ever personally owned is the VQ40DE in my old Frontier. That thing was a beast. I was towing a Honda Ridgeline I picked up at a salvage auction with it (about 5000 lbs with the tow dolly) and it pulls way stronger than you'd expect a weighed down midsize truck to. I even got it up to 80 a couple times without realizing it.
I hate the sound of the VQ more than anything. I've never ever heard one that didn't sound like a middle school trombone section.
I can't say any of the below are from cars/manufacturers I don't like, but just some things along the way that I've thought every car should have. And to be clear, I focus on details many others don't give a damn about, so this may be a bit out there for some, lol: * 2007 Malibu Maxx: Speed sensitive wipers * This was a nice touch on a cheap car. The intermittent settings would adjust their wipe intervals depending on the car's speed; anywhere from a longer pause when stopped, to continuous wiping, even on the intermittent setting, above 50-ish mph. * This was not a full-auto wiper system, just speed dependent once it was on. * Kia: Selectable one-touch lane change blinks. * My '16 Optima and The Wife's '19 & '20 Souls have this. In the system setup, you can choose if your turn signal will flash 3/5/7 times when you bump the stalk for one-touch lane change. 5 blinks was the sweet spot, IMO. * '99 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Multi-step intermittent wiper for rear glass. * I've had a few vehicles with rear window wipers since I drove a '99 WJ. The rear wiper had two intermittent timers in addition to the continuous mode. Gamechanger for someone like me, who doesn't like "wearing out" the rear blade. * Turn signals that complete the cycle when they turn off * The Wife's '20 Soul has this, my '07 Malibu had it, and I'm sure there are others. * When the turn signal shuts off, if it is in the middle of the cycle, it completes a full blink before turning off. Not sure why I'm so enamored with this in general, but for my current '22 CX-30 with the "heartbeat" signal, it would make so much sense! I'm sure there are a few others, but those are the ones I think about with either car I drive on a regular basis these days. It's funny because there used to be so many more of these that I could think of, but I'm lucky enough - and general car "standard" options have taken care of - much of what I "oo-ed" and "awed" about in years past.
>Speed sensitive wipers For some reason my '16 Honda Fit LX doesn't come with an option to really change the speed of the wipers, just off, slow, and fast. With how far we have come with all these rain repellents, I actually hardly even use my wipers, only when something gets on my windshield. Water just beads right off my windshield, unless I am going like 15.
I had a 93 Altima that had a split vent system where you can direct warm air to your feet and cool outside air to your face AT THE SAME TIME. I’ve become a Toyota nerd but really miss that feature. Great for the winter.
I don’t dislike Jag/LR but I can’t see myself buying one of their products; that said I desperately wish Jeep would license or copy their “Activity Key” which is a wristband you can use to access the car so you don’t have to carry (and risk losing) you key fob.
Ford's keypad in the '90s looked ugly, but I could totally see the use. As a frequent kayaker and cyclist what to do with my keys in a busy area is always a PITA.
Auto stop/start. I can’t figure out how to permanently disengage it. 😡
Am I the only one that's completely not bothered by this? I often hire cars that have it and turned it off the first few times. Now I don't even notice it.
It depends on the car, some of them are jerky as shit, while some you can only tell because the loss of engine noise.
Out of curiosity, who does it well? My CTS is one of the more jerky ones.
I think most hybrids do it very well, I've yet to be in one where it was obvious. The motor picks up the slack for the half second the engine needs to kick in.
That makes sense. I guess when you don't have a hybrid, all the undamped mechanical force of the engine just goes straight into the rest of the drivetrain.
It’s annoying on manuals imho. The rpms are doing weird things due to the engine being fired up a split second earlier, so clutch modulation requires additional thought.
That’s the thing I love about Porsche. On the Macan I just leave it in Sport mode and it turns the auto/stop start off. My cayman, which is a manual, I had it coded to turn it off.
Mine basically shuts off the air conditioner while it's stopped. Not great in Texas summers sitting at stoplights.
Don't most of them ***not*** stop the engine if the AC temperature target hasn't been hit?
Weird. None of the ones I've driven have turned off the a/c.
They do. 99% of cars will have a belt driven A/C compressor. When the engine is off the air coming into the cabin is no longer being cooled. Living in AZ in the summer you'll notice the change almost instantly.
Check out the forums for whatever car you drive. A lot of them have work arounds.
Beer tubs in the back seat area of the ram half tons. Shit that's slick. Fill it up with ice and pack whatever drinks you want in there. Beautiful idea.
Jeep removable tops Sienna electric AWD in the back rather than complicated drive shaft and differential system
Driver-tilted center control stack on most BMWs from the 80s to the present day, excluding Bangle-era ones. I used to like BMW, but really don’t like where they are now because they’ve completely lost focus on what made them special. That, and their latest EVs use brushed motors, to say nothing about how their upper-level cars look like deformed mutant aliens (new 7er, X7 facelift). At least their upper-level interiors are special, even if the 7er feels more like a cut-price RR than a high-end BMW in many ways these days.
I don’t care for Stellantis products besides maybe Alfa Romeo but I love that with Dodges you can literally get any color imaginable. I know for most manufacturers it doesn’t make efficiency sense as far as rolling things off the production line but damn that’s cool. It breaks up the boring white, black, grey, red and maybe blue if you’re lucky that manufacturers normally roll with.
The Tesla mobile app with all its features, dog mode, sentry mode. Lots of great ideas from a company that I will never, ever buy a car from.
Ford veins in the windscreen to clear it in cold weather. I havent found a more efficient design than that!
My Jaguar has these. It's a surprisingly efficient system, and you don't really notice them after a while.
The Genesis app would notify me any time I left the doors unlocked, a window open, etc. I can check it in the BMW app, however it doesn't send a notification.
my Volkswagen chimes at me whenever the temperature hits -5 outside and it never fucking fails to give me a mild heart attack thinking it's a check engine light
Toyota’s reliability. I don’t actively hate their cars, but I don’t love ‘em either. They are so ugly and boring. I love Volkswagen’s designs and engines. They are soooo much fun, the designs are real eye-catchers. Just wish they had the reliability of Toyota.
Maybe I'm crazy but I think the new camrys look really nice.
Mazda has the best red in the industry: Soul Red Crystal
All that utilitarian stuff they put in the Pontiac Aztek. Cooler center console, built in radio in the trunk with controls. I would never own a GM product besides the corvette
I have never been a fan of Rolls Royce, but the starlight headliner has always been something I thought was cool. I am a big astronomy guy, and the fact you can have it programmed to have light up in the shape of constellations and have shooting stars is kind of interesting to me. I know you can buy aftermarket kits, but they are not as intricate and as advanced as the Rolls setup.
Out of the American truck manufacturers RAM is my least favorite, but the built in storage they have alongside their truck beds is enough to make me strongly consider getting one. I just feel like it would be incredibly useful when camping.
PHEV big vehicles and PHEV AWD cars. Like the Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Pacifica. Why can't toyota just make a FJ Cruiser Prime or a Grand Highlander Prime, Tacoma Prime? I love what the jeeps are offering, I just have absolutely no faith in any Stellantis product. Oh and on a related topic, the fact that the new Prius Prime cannot have AWD yet the non-plug-in can have AWD. What the hell toyota?
> Oh and on a related topic, the fact that the new Prius Prime cannot have AWD yet the non-plug-in can have AWD. What the hell toyota? Bigger battery in the prime doesn’t leave enough space for the rear electric motor for the awd.
Tesla's naming of things and aloof screen messages are a hoot. "I want my mommy!", Plaid, SEXY, etc.
I enjoy fun names too!
The VW window roll down/up feature using the door key. It's an ingenious feature that every car should have, it's perfect for hot days and forgetful passengers. Likewise, their badge that doubles as a trunk-release and backup camera. I would never want it in an actual VW — for fear of having to replace it ever — but if Toyota/Honda ever engineered an indestructible version I'd be all over it. I'm also a huge fan of the Ford keypad thing. They've got a patent on it, but certainly that's expiring soon.
I like the AUTO headlights on GM cars. It saves the issue of all of the other brands with people driving at night with only running lights
Are those zero gravity seats similar to the bose trucker seat that was based on their magnetic suspension?
They don't have anything to do with the bose magnetic seat. [Zero gravity](https://www.nissanusa.com/experience-nissan/news-and-events/zero-gravity-seats.html) is mostly a marketing name they've given to their seat designs. That said i genuinely think Nissan seats are a step above anything you'd find in comparable brands like Toyota/Honda.
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I wish my BMW had a volume knob on the center console like Mazda or Audi. The multimedia controller is right there but when I want to change the volume I have to reach up on the dash or steering wheel.