"Improvements" In Cars

[bednobs]

ok, so there are some i couldnt do well without -power steering and auto lights off are two i can immediately think of.

however, i'd stuggle to recommend the following:

tiptronic gearboxes (it NEVER changed gear when i wanted it to)

auto setting for high beams (they are rubbish at turning off if a car is a longish way away, or on windy roads, or when cars are joining from the left or right)

auto windscreen wipers -  ca n never get a happy medium

cruise control - whenever i put it on something happens with the world, and i usualy have to slow down over the next 1/2 mile or so!

what are ypur "improvements" you find useless?

[gingejbee]

The newest trend is to do away with buttons and switches and have many things (wipers, heating etc) controlled by a touchscreen. I've been a passenger in one such car and the owner hates the whole idea.

Must say that I love the adaptive cruise control, the sort that adjusts itself to varying speeds rather than a fixed speed.

[bhg481]

I have never driven a car with touchscreen controls but, it seems to me, that yuo have to take your eyes off the road to operate then so I feel they might be dangerous.

Like ginge, I wold not like to be without my adaptive cruise controlMy automatic wipers work perfectly for me; I very, very rarely do anything other than just turn them on.

I have no interest at all in automatic headlights - how do they know it's foggy?

[New Judge]

Indeed. The person who devised multi-menu touch screen controls for cars should be locked up. So should the people who granted type approval to cars with those facilities.

[Old_Geezer]

Useless ? The unnecessary & regular distracting alarms, the Noddy spare wheel, the irritating functions such as stop/start that insist on defaulting to 'on' every time the car starts. That'll do for starters.

[1581960]

Adaptive cruise control, lane following and auto keeping of distance to the vehicle in front are all fantastic on the motorway. Drove from Gloucestershire to Scotland and back in the summer and it was a doddle, hardly needed to do anything.

[1581960]

Don't like the touchscreen controls, very distracting trying to adjust things whilst driving.

[jourdain2]

I prefer to be in control of the car, not the other way around. My automatic is great for my dodgy knee.  Took me ages to become accustomed to the automatic brake and I am still v. suspicious of it and check it.  I like the automatic 'lights on/off - I do not like the automatic windscreen wipers and have turned them off.

There are lots of other buttons it would like me to press, but 'No'.

[Cloverjo]

I was a passenger in my son's new car recently. I was startled when the car suddenly stopped violently while he was backing out of his drive. I thought he must have hit a wall, but no. The sensors didn't like the width of the hedge at the side. Unnecessary!

[douglas9401]

Eco tyres, utterly useless in winter.