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Car Tech: What do you hate most about car technology?
- 7/11/07 4:24 PM
Car Technology
by tanioskahi - 7/16/07 4:47 AM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
Some car tech ma be nice, but in my opinion, since you can get top-notch audio hardware for half the price of built-in options, car makers should only include some basic hardware connectivity: Antennas, Cables, an LCD screen... and all these must be connected through standard ports like USB, audio jacks... and not proprietary weird connectors.
No wires, no tires
by Eduardo, Generare Ltd. - 7/16/07 5:41 AM In reply to: Car Technology by tanioskahiMy guess (if all will go as it should) is that something near to what we know today as wi-fi, bluetooth and even the web itself will take over USB and similar completely, then that will give chance for some on-road accessories which... will replace the wheel.
How about some hard drive space in the car radio???
by rwstephenson - 7/16/07 8:37 AM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
Why is this so hard???
With iPods and Creative Zen jukbokes out there, everybody wants to have USB connectivity with car radios, but what about just having about 20 gig of storage built into the AM/FM/XM/MP3 radio mounted in the dash of your fav ride. You would still need the USB port to download the music initially, but then you could store all the music you want, create playlists (using the radio buttons, you could have 6 playlists), and the MP3 info would show up on the radio's display.
dashtop mobile computing
by Quemannn - 8/2/07 7:43 PM In reply to: How about some hard drive space in the car radio??? by rwstephensonR&D efforts are on. Automakers and vehicle gadgetry makers are rushing in to build something like that. There is one website showing a Dashtop Mobile Payment platform.
the perfect car
by vladysolokha - 7/16/07 9:36 AM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
if carmakers made a perfect car there would be no competition, this sucks!
Enjoyed the article -- strongly agree with most of it
by chaibacca - 7/16/07 1:14 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
I have mixed feelings about LCD panels in dashboards... very mixed. The moment I find that I have to click "I agree" on a lawyer's statement before I can actually use it for anything I become highly skeptical about the purpose that it is supposed to serve. The screens also represent a giant leap backwards in ergonomics. A good instrument panel should be operable without taking your eyes off the road once you've had a chance to develop a cursory sense of the positions of the controls. You should also be able to detect the current settings by feeling the positions of the controls. The only way I've seen that using in-dash computers to replace the legacy controls that have done this for decades is by supporting voice commands. Unfortunately, every attempt a friend has made to show off such a system to me has only resulted in embarrassment for them. My favorite incident:
driver: "Play CD 2, track 4"
car computer: "AC, set, to, full" <WHOOOOSSSHHHHH!!!!!>
In most cars that offer them, the LCD screen replaces the traditional ergonomically-sensible controls and leaves no room to keep them in addition. Having too many controls and dials on a dashboard generally overwhelms most consumers anyway, so auto makers are reluctant to even try to find space for both traditional controls and the additional set of buttons that typically go with a screen. This alone will probably be enough to keep me buying older cars and replacing their standardized stereos with after-market in-dash computers, some of which are quite excellent and much cheaper than the optional factory navigation systems in new cars.
Blind Spot gadgets are a waste of time and money
by ack-thbbft - 7/16/07 3:32 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
Seriously, all it takes to eliminate blind spots on most cars is proper adjustment of your side-view mirrors. Probably 99.9% of the population have them aligned in such a way that they are nothing more than another rear-view mirror. Usually, people have their side-view mirrors adjusted in such a way that they can see their own rear fender. Granted, it provides a point of reference with other vehicles, but in the end it is a false sense of security, since you'll have to turn your head much further in order to check the resulting "blind spot", which is unsafe because it takes your vision too far away from what is ahead of you.
The trick (if you can call it one) is to adjust your side-view mirrors so that when a car in an adjacent lane leaves your rear-view mirror it is then entering your side-view mirror, and when it leaves your side-view mirror it is then in your peripheral vision.
One way to do this is to tilt your head to the side, basically resting the top of your head on your driver-side window. Then adjust the mirror to the point where you can just see your rear bumper. When you tilt your head back into driving position, the mirror will be reflecting from a wider angle, instead of just pointing straight back (which usually provides no better field of rear view than your existing center rear-view mirror). Do the same with the passenger-side mirror, tilting your head to the right to about the point where it is over the center console, and adjust the mirror as before.
With the mirrors correctly positioned, it won't take long to get used to not seeing your own car in the side-view mirrors, and your field of vision using all your mirrors will greatly improve.
I can't say whether this works as well with larger vehicles (minivans, SUVs, etc.), but for the average passenger car, it works fine. Of course, those larger vehicles should include larger mirrors to begin with, so all you can do is try, and adjust them as needed.
Keep the coolness of the concept car
by Scott Gardener - 7/16/07 4:56 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
Why is it when we go to auto shows, we see these great-looking concept cars with futuristic headlights, glass or clear plastic doors and windows, and sleek, organic lines, but the production models all look bland and boring? If I go to a car manufacturer's web site and look at their concept and future car models, I can tell right away which ones are about to see production, too--the dull-looking SUV that looks like ones already on the road--that puppy will be out next year. The hawk-like organic sports car with eight headlamps, a hybrid electric / fuel cell power plant, and an all glass roof will never see the light of day.
Why can't they actually put into production the cars that look cool?
Most poorly implemented
by AXG - 7/16/07 7:21 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
In Feb 2007, I purchased Honda Odyssey minivan, Touring edition. This is the most expensive trim available with in-dash GPS, satellite radio, rear entertainment system etc. The GPS doesn't even have text to speech, the directions are untimely and the maps are outdated, there is no update to firmware, even for DST changes. The GPS screen is impossible to see in daylight because of glare. The LCD screen resolution is poor. The XM radio cuts off the songs name if they are long. There is no input for mp3 player, no bluetooth.
This clearly shows how far behind the auto industry is. I guess it might be that auto manufacturers procure materials in bulk to keep the costs low. They cannot change the design overnight because they have to worry about providing support, extended warranty repairs. They also have to evaluate safety and reliability of anything that goes into the car. The power supply to any electronic system in car is not very clean and can easily damage sensitive systems. If failure in GPS system affects ABS functioning, that would be very bad.
It looks like car tech is something the auto manufacturers have been forced into adapting because of market demand. They are not doing a very good job of it.
In-dash GPS
by Quemannn - 8/2/07 8:28 PM In reply to: Most poorly implemented by AXGI've seen the same in-dash GPS problem with 2007 Lexus SUV. Stupid drop-down menus on the navigator screen. Drop-down menus are not ergonomic for motorists.Maps are outdated as well.
Even iPhone type of tiled array of icons are not recommendable for motorists at the steering wheel. In the years to come, automakers are to face a tumultuous shakedown for new technologies, particularly mobile technology.
There will be a dashtop sprawl of vehicle gadgets, gimmicks and gizmos. This dashtop sprawl should eventually converge into all-in-one devices.
Those sneaky devices...
by mxsumich - 7/17/07 2:28 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
that will rat you out to your insurance company and the police by recording the driving data.
What I Hate Most
by bevillan - 7/25/07 10:58 AM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
I think I hate how LCD screens and Nav systems are consolidating most interior and sometimes exterior functions of cars these days. I do not like the non-tactile response that LCD screens give you if say you want to change the radio station or the fan speed in a car that has all those controls on the touchscreen. I want buttons and knobs!
Also, LCD screens are fragile. It doesn't take much for a thrown object to hit the screen and damage it.
I hate electronic throttle control
by nippywiffle - 8/2/07 8:47 AM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
Most people here seem to be focusing on electic cars, or interior features like audio/video.
The thing I hate most about new car technology is something that affects my driving satisfaction.
I hate the electronic throttle control (also known as 'drive by wire') in my (piece of crap) Scion tC. It's horribly delayed, and seems to be tuned entirely to save fuel, and completely remove any kind of fun from the driving experience.
I could understand this being used in an automatic, tuned for a specific mpg rating.. but my car has a manual transmission.. I want to choose when I want sudden bursts of gas entering the cylinders... I don't want some stupid electronic brain deciding what's best for a "smooth ride" and "efficiency"... they should go back to the old 'dumb' mechanical way of doing things, every older car I've driven beats this car in every way, despite their 'old technology'. Either go back, or give us some options with the throttle control, (like a sport mode - or even better "off" mode) so it gives a better response.
Welcome to modern America
by Andy77e - 8/2/07 4:28 PM In reply to: I hate electronic throttle control by nippywiffleSorry to break it to you, but this is where autotech is going. More and more control by the car computer to make sure you drive the car they way they want you too.
Because of cafe standards, they lose money if cars get worse MPG. So it's more in their favor to make you take 10 minutes to get to 60, and get better gas mileage.
Soon the government will be able to read the computer data to know exactly how you drive and penalize (read 'fine') you accordingly. There are people even on this very forum that support this. Drive by wire isn't going away, with new higher CAFE standards, all car will become more and more boring.
Older cars
by nippywiffle - 8/3/07 6:07 AM In reply to: Welcome to modern America by Andy77eI guess I'll be buying older and older cars then :-D
Maybe a motor mechanics course might help too 
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