any - features you don't want on your car - barney100

lots of people saying they don't like electric handbrakes....I wouldn't want one either but what other features do you not want? Stop start for a start with me.

any - features you don't want on your car - skidpan

Personally I did not like the electric hand brake when I tried it on a car but people in the office who were sceptical at first love them now.

With regards to stop/start you can always switch it off or just keep your foot on the clutch. My car has stop/start as did my last one. It makes little if any difference to the real world mpg but it makes a huge difference to the RFL band. My car is 119 CO2's, the previous model with no stop/start was over 140 CO2's. So if it saves me money I am in favour.

any - features you don't want on your car - RT

Won't have :-

Electric parking brake

Stop/Start

Space-saver Spare -or- Gloop can

Keyless Entry

Satnav with expensive map updates

There's a whole stack of things I don't so may have to simply ignore.

Edited by RT on 10/10/2013 at 15:43

any - features you don't want on your car - daveyK_UK
Stop / start

A rubbish system that is sure to fail when the car is out of warranty, is draining the battery and cant be turned off for good - you must turn it off every time you start the car.
Stupid set up.

Air Con

I live in the UK, not the USA.
I dont need air con and every time the car is turned on the air con comes on automatically.
Again, this cant be turned off for good.
Plus it damages my MPG.

Annoying.

any - features you don't want on your car - Dabooka
Stop / start A rubbish system that is sure to fail when the car is out of warranty, is draining the battery and cant be turned off for good - you must turn it off every time you start the car. Stupid set up. Air Con I live in the UK, not the USA. I dont need air con and every time the car is turned on the air con comes on automatically. Again, this cant be turned off for good. Plus it damages my MPG. Annoying.

I know what you mena, if it's coming automatically, it might be because the blower is set to windscreen and they're often configure it do so. Annoys me too.

any - features you don't want on your car - brum

Climate Control - at least of the VAG variety. Have this on 2 or my cars and they have a mind of their own with regard to fan speeds - ignoring or overiding my requests - they're not particularly good at regulating real cabin temperature - the displays are just fantasy.

Manual knob control/aircon proves to be much more satisfactory and controllable as well as cheaper and quieter (I can actually achieve a medium low fan speed - a setting that climate control seems to despise)

Goes without saying that skinny spares or gloop should be thrown as far as possible....

any - features you don't want on your car - Bromptonaut

Skinny spares or gloop; electronic handbrake and so called hill start assist; auto lights or wipers. Neither would i want any form of auto transmission and were it forced on me by infirmity then not the electronic sort.

Aircon however is great. As well as cooling cabin in summer it's a great help with demist at this time of year.

any - features you don't want on your car - Andrew-T

Skinny spares or gloop; electronic handbrake and so called hill start assist; auto lights or wipers. Neither would i want any form of auto transmission and were it forced on me by infirmity then not the electronic sort.

Aircon however is great. As well as cooling cabin in summer it's a great help with demist at this time of year.

You've described my car exactly. Pug 207 SW 2008 model.

any - features you don't want on your car - artill

A car must have a spare tyre, a space saver will do at a push, but a real one is better.

I hate dark tinted rear glass, and woundn't buy a car with it.

I dont like the LEDs in DRLs but i wouldnt see them so it wouldnt stop me buying the car.

A real lever opperated hand brake is essential.

A petrol engine is also essential to me, as my mileage isnt high

It amazes me just how many cars that eliminates from the new car market, and i suspect will leave me with no choice in the end.

any - features you don't want on your car - skidpan

With regards to air con its a feature I would not want to be without now having had it on cars since the late 90's.

However, the wifes Kia Ceed has Automatic Climate control which unless operated differently to the manual instructions is an absolute menace.

Manual says set the temp as desired and simply switch to auto, this sounds really easy but the car then decides where to blow the air and what speed to set the fan. You end up getting fried as the car warms up and blasted with air once the temp settles. In winter with a misted screen it does not clear it.

But if you leave the auto switch off and decide for yourself where to blow the air and at what speed its a fantastic system. On a steaming hot summers day simply set the temp to about 22 degrees adjust air direction and fan speed and its great, once set no need to adjust. Same in winter but no need to have the A/C part switched on.

Some owners on the Kia forum refuse to operate it without the auto button pressed since that is what they paid for, if they want to be uncomfortable let them.

Sometimes it pays to use a little brain rather than blindly following the manual.

any - features you don't want on your car - Bobbin Threadbare

Tinted windows - they're for seeing out of, not for hiding away behind.

Keyless entry - I just think that if this went wrong, you're stuffed. At least if your central locking goes or the key battery dies, you can usually still get into the car manually, with the key itself.

I actually have a can of goop. My car is too small even for a space-saver.

any - features you don't want on your car - Andrew-T

Keyless entry - I just think that if this went wrong, you're stuffed. At least if your central locking goes or the key battery dies, you can usually still get into the car manually, with the key itself.

You can easily be stuffed when it works. My daughter borrowed hubby's Jag recently and drove 20 miles, forgetting he had the 'key'. Luckily she realised that she dared not stop the engine before getting back to it.

any - features you don't want on your car - wrangler_rover

Alloy wheels and low profile tyres.

Electric parking brake, there is one on my company car (Avensis) but I wouldn't buy a car with one.

Stop / Start.

Can of goo instead of spare wheel, I can just about live with s spacesaver spare.

Heavily tinted rear glass (WAG glass)

Integral satnav.

Rear wheel drive.

any - features you don't want on your car - Sofa Spud

1 - automatic handbrake

2 - dual mass flywheel (the one on my present car has been OK but I'd rather play safe)

3 - stop / start - if I'm stopped in a queue for a while I can turn the engine off myself)

4 - retro styling

5 - Paddle shift semi-automatics - what's wrong with normal manual or full auto?

6 - noisy exhausts

7 - ultra low-profile tyres.

8 - any body parts that scrape the ground on speed bumps, even when going very slow.

9 - 'crossover' sports/off-road styling - it just doesn't work, visually.

10 - petrol engine - the future is diesel and electric, in various combinations.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 10/10/2013 at 19:46

any - features you don't want on your car - RichT54

1. Stop/Start you can't permanently disable.

2. Can of goop, or space saver, with no space for a full size spare.

3. Electric handbrake.

4. Low profile tyres, or "sports" suspension.

5. Hi-beam assist (I can dip my own headlights, thank you).

6. Start-up message you have to acknowledge otherwise the sat nav/audio display goes blank.

7. Bits of tat referred to as "garnish".

any - features you don't want on your car - coopshere

Top 10 in order of the unwanted:

1. A diesel engine - noisy, smelly, vibrator and low level polluter.
2. DSG style gearbox - overly complex expensive unnecessary gimmick.
3. Stop/Start - as 2
4. Electronic handbrake - annoying to operate and inconvenient.
5. Clear or lightly tinted rear windows - nice dark glass keeps it cool and safe inside.
6. Manual gearbox - whats the point when you can sit back and relax.
7. Automatic headlamps - dangerous and MFI.
8. Automatic wipers - I can see when its raining.
9. DRL’s - distracting to other drivers - if they cant see me they shouldn’t be driving.
10. Anything with less than a 5 year warranty - less shows lack of confidence by the manufacturer in its product.

any - features you don't want on your car - craig-pd130

After two years with a car that has stop/start, disabling it when starting the car (single button press) is an automatic action now.

The electric handbrake is fine ... so far. No problems with it as yet.

I haven't yet found an auto box that works the way I want, so that's my only real no-no

any - features you don't want on your car - daveyjp
I learnt within a day how to prevent stop start operating on my B class, even with the system activated. Despite that more often than not I use it.

Edited by daveyjp on 10/10/2013 at 21:46

any - features you don't want on your car - groaver

Next week from the Square Earth Society- why things aren't as good as they used to be and never will be again. ;)

I think most people's pet hate feature is indicators as they never use them!

any - features you don't want on your car - dan86

"I think most people's pet hate feature is indicators as they never use them!"

What's a indicator? ;-)

any - features you don't want on your car - 72 dudes

For me, it's the front parking sensors the first owner of my S40 had factory fitted. Not necessary, and often start to beep if a car or motorbike is alongside me in traffic!

The dreaded DPF fitted to most new diesels. Mine doesn't have one and there's no smoke at all under load.

The Volvo Climate Control is brilliant though, set to Auto with aircon OFF for normal use and it decides on direction and fan speed, maintaining the set temperature very well.

Sorry Brum and others but I believe the majority of owners with climate control fail to use it properly. I've had it on previous cars including a Citroen, a Saab, an Audi and a VW Passat and never had a problem.

any - features you don't want on your car - RT

I believe the majority of owners with climate control fail to use it properly. .

How can you not use it "properly" ?

Switch it auto, set the temperature - and let climate control do the rest, except that it can't/won't.

If you have to intervene more than that, it's not climate control, it's manually-operated aircon !

any - features you don't want on your car - bathtub tom

My Nissan's got climate that works fine, except when one passenger gets in the car and insists on turning it to maximum low when it's too hot and maximum hot when it's too cold. Leave it alone and it does its job.

They do the same with the thermostatic radiator valves in their home!

any - features you don't want on your car - Wackyracer

My list is thus.

  1. Electronic handbrake
  2. Automatic lights / wipers
  3. Keyless entry and start
  4. Start/stop
  5. Any engine with less than 4 pots
  6. Trip computers
  7. built in sat nav
  8. Tyres with less than a 60 profile
  9. Any car with the ECU's located in a stupid location(like on the head of the engine)
  10. Hybrid Technology
  11. electric adjustable seats

any - features you don't want on your car - 72 dudes

I believe the majority of owners with climate control fail to use it properly. .

How can you not use it "properly" ?

Switch it auto, set the temperature - and let climate control do the rest, except that it can't/won't.

If you have to intervene more than that, it's not climate control, it's manually-operated aircon !

My point exactly RT.

I've known owners of cars with ECC (mostly women I'm afraid to say) who decide ooh I'm hot, and whack the temp down to 16C. Five minutes later they're too cold, and whack it up to 25C, etc etc.

Mrs 72 dudes is gulity of this as a passenger in the Volvo, but explaining it just causes arguments, so I just adjust the controls back when she's not looking!

any - features you don't want on your car - RT

I believe the majority of owners with climate control fail to use it properly. .

How can you not use it "properly" ?

Switch it auto, set the temperature - and let climate control do the rest, except that it can't/won't.

If you have to intervene more than that, it's not climate control, it's manually-operated aircon !

My point exactly RT.

I've known owners of cars with ECC (mostly women I'm afraid to say) who decide ooh I'm hot, and whack the temp down to 16C. Five minutes later they're too cold, and whack it up to 25C, etc etc.

Mrs 72 dudes is gulity of this as a passenger in the Volvo, but explaining it just causes arguments, so I just adjust the controls back when she's not looking!

But neither my Subaru nor Hyundai ECC work well enough to be left alone - by a man!

In fact my Santa Fe ECC is rubbish, at least it's inbuilt logic about where to direct the air is - in damp conditions the screen mists up because the ECC can't be a***d to direct air to the screen !

any - features you don't want on your car - Avant

There's a lot of common ground - and comon sense - above, most of which I completely agree with.

The objectionable thing about many of these is that manufacturers don't give you the choice: given the length of most options lists, this wouldn't be difficult to achieve. A no-charge delete option would be acceptable to most I think.

Skoda comes out of it quite well, which is a contributory factor in my having a third one on order. No EPBs, and you can choose whether to have keyless entry and a spare wheel. I can see the point about stop-start saving on emissions, but it should be possible to disable it permanently instead of having to do it for every journey.

any - features you don't want on your car - Ordovices

"The objectionable thing about many of these is that manufacturers don't give you the choice:"

That's like saying, "why can't I buy a snickers with no peanuts"

The manufacturer gives you every choice. You don't like peanuts, don't buy snickers.

Tron (Member of the Geoid Society)

any - features you don't want on your car - dan86

They do give a option its calld a Mars bar ;-)

any - features you don't want on your car - Ordovices

They do give a option its calld a Mars bar ;-)

OK then clever clogs.....a topic without hazelnuts!

Doh! That's a mars bar as well :O

any - features you don't want on your car - Wackyracer

I can see the point about stop-start saving on emissions, but it should be possible to disable it permanently instead of having to do it for every journey.

I suppose if it could be switched off permanenly, Then in reality it would no longer be legally in the lower VED rate, Which brings me onto another gripe I have about them.

Emissions (for VED purposes) is rated in CO2 Grams/Km so how does a car that is not moving fit into the per Kilometer bit or is it assumed that a car will be stationary for defined amount of time in every kilometer driven?

any - features you don't want on your car - doctorchris

I found myself agreeing with so many of the "don't wants" in this post. I have felt this way for a long time which was a significant reason for choosing to buy a base model Dacia Duster earlier this year. I haven't regretted my choice and my girlfriend, sharing my philosophy, decided to buy a Dacia Sandero, again a choice not regretted.

A major "don't want" for both of us was that we don't want hugely expensive vehicles sitting in public waiting to be bumped into, stolen or vandalised.

any - features you don't want on your car - V4 Heaven

Automatic lights and wipers....no thanks. I'll turn them on when I need them.

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

Driver's side electric mirror.

any - features you don't want on your car - Happy Blue!

Cor blimey - you're a bunch of boring old f****ts!

EPB - excellent - works really well on my S-Max

Climate Control - as above. Cannot thnk of a time I need to touch the controls

Privacy glass - keeps my brief case safe when I am out on property inspections and I don't want to carry it.

Alloy wheels - neither here nor there

Autolights/wipers - There are good systems and bad systems. I seem to have good systems - not perfect but good enough

Audio volume control on steering wheels - excellent safety feature

Sat Nav. Cannot be stolen, large screen and combines other functions of the car. Wait till you have a 4G connected computer in your car. Fully updated SatNav using Waze will be free of charge.

Panoramic roof - waste of time, but as I did not specifically pay for it, who cares.

Best feature - heated front windscreen.

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

Privacy glass - keeps my brief case safe when I am out on property inspections and I don't want to carry it.



Privacy glass won't keep your brief case safe. Doesn't your car (full of gizmo) have a boot?

Agree with you on heated front screen. Every car should have one.

any - features you don't want on your car - brum

Agree with you on heated front screen. Every car should have one.

I've only used mine on less than a dozen occasions over 15 years - even in -21deg weather in eastern europe - it was more a bit of convenience than a lifesaver.

Depending on your insurer, you may find you dont like the heated windscreen option when it comes to having it changed. Many have twigged they cost a fortune to replace and adjusted their policies.

Panoramic roofs are usually excluded from glass cover too and are known to crack.

Edited by brum on 11/10/2013 at 16:46

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

Indeed brum, very convenient, especially if you like me, don't have a garage. I regularly have to go to work very early in the morning.

any - features you don't want on your car - Happy Blue!

Err no, no boot - its an MPV!

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

MPVs tend to have lots of lockers for hidiing such items. Perhaps they forgot to incorporate any in yours. ;)

any - features you don't want on your car - alastairq

power steering? [especially in small hatchbacks?}

Power windows, power seats, power brakes, ...in fact, anything that is designed to take away driver responsibilities?

Bring back self-jacking chassis?

any - features you don't want on your car - alastairq

oooh..does that mean we're all voting to buy a Dacia Sandero??

any - features you don't want on your car - retgwte

i would rather have steel wheels than the alloys I was forced to take

any - features you don't want on your car - andy815

The above list proves the old saying one mans meat is anothers poison. The car retail side must have fun trying to pick tempters for sales. For me my last car with the basics plus an auto gear box was ideal but my motor at the moment is a manual, no problem. Its a case of what you can do without rather than dont want.

any - features you don't want on your car - gordonbennet

oooh..does that mean we're all voting to buy a Dacia Sandero??

Well i must admit the Duster did have me wondering, the only thing is i want a petrol engine but a larger one and preferably a real auto box.

This thread has been very interestibng, there seems to be an awful lot of people feel the same as us which is odd as the new cars going down the faff route are selling like hot cakes.

OK my list of unwanteds.

Latest Diesels.

Electric parking brake.

Steer by wire, apparently on its way (not to me/us) together with.. Brake by wire.

Automated manual or twin clutch or any other unreliable unpleasant going to be expensive gearbox.

Stop start, keyless entry/go, any delayed action controls due to toy car wiring.

Electronic hill hold...yes even lorries have this (time delay) and i turn it straight off.

Any system thats takes control of the car, except ABS.

DMF.

Goo instead of spare wheel, and i do not want or need tyre pressure monitoring...arrgh.

auto lights/wipers/climate control/digital display

Imitation interiors particulraly dashboards leather/aluminium/carbon fibre/wood.

Dash displays with no oil pressure or water temp gauge.

DRLs and most LED lights that are just a bit too camp.

A pillars far too thick and windscreens that slope too far exacerbating the blind spot issue.

Could go on for some time..;)

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

Saab twisted the A-pillars to reduce the visual impairment. The car was so strong it didn't need a roll cage for motor sport.

any - features you don't want on your car - gordonbennet

Saab twisted the A-pillars to reduce the visual impairment. The car was so strong it didn't need a roll cage for motor sport.

I've seen a pic of a Saab 99 that had been on top a car transporter when the steering wheel attendant went under a too low bridge, the lorry carried on but car stayed there, virtually undamaged, the bridge girders buried in the A pillars which hadn't shifted and supported the entire weight of the car.

Similarly i've seen the A pillars of a Volvo 240 cut cleanly through, so many folds of metal inside it might as well have been hewn from solid.

I detest the modern idea of all round visibility, the height of which for me was the displeasure of driving an Audi TT, peering through arrow slits, horrid little car.

Edited by gordonbennet on 13/10/2013 at 18:27

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

I detest the modern idea of all round visibility, the height of which for me was the displeasure of driving an Audi TT, peering through arrow slits, horrid little car.

All round visibility is now so bad cars need cameras, parking sensors and have the ability to park themselves. David Bache campaigned against thick pillars before he died.

any - features you don't want on your car - skidpan

"Saab twisted the A-pillars to reduce the visual impairment. The car was so strong it didn't need a roll cage for motor sport."

The SAAB 96 rallied in teh 60's and early 70's, the rules on safelty were very different back then. In truth the 96 did have a cage but it was only a 1/2 cage.

Regarding thick pillars I would rather have them and drive a safe car than drive some o the death traps manufacturers used to serve up. All you have to do is look whilst you are driving, even cars with thin pillars had blindspots.

Beggars belief how contributors thing the good old days were so good. Give me a modern car any day, and I have a classic in the garage.

any - features you don't want on your car - alastairq

All round visibility is now so bad cars need cameras, parking sensors and have the ability to park themselves.

has anybody on here actually lost their car once it's set off to park itself?

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

skidpan, I was referring to the Saab 9-3 hatch, still in the family. I believe this is still a very safe car to be in. It received 4 stars in NCAP tests.

any - features you don't want on your car - corax

skidpan, I was referring to the Saab 9-3 hatch, still in the family. I believe this is still a very safe car to be in. It received 4 stars in NCAP tests.

On motorway cops a few weeks ago a man was killed on the A58 near Halifax by hitting a horse. The car was a Saab 9-3 hatchback. I remember HJ mentioning that Saab started to make their windscreen pillars 'elk proof' as a result of accidents that were happening in Sweden. I presume though that this was for the later model. The roof and pillars on the Saab in the programme were crushed to bits.

It may be that it would be hard to survive an impact like that in any car because horses are much heavier than elks.

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

Seems Saabs survive impact with solid items like bridges better than horses. Still it got 4 NCAP stars for real life, rather than freak horse impacts.

any - features you don't want on your car - RT

The "new" 900 and first generation Saab 9-3 shared most of their "hard points" with the Vectra-B that they were evolved from - so it's quite likely the roof structure owed more to Opel/Vauxhall than Saab.

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

The "new" 900 and first generation Saab 9-3 shared most of their "hard points" with the Vectra-B that they were evolved from - so it's quite likely the roof structure owed more to Opel/Vauxhall than Saab.

Saab did change alot much to GM's chagrin. Saab claimed that 1,100 changes were made, including a revised suspension in an attempt to tighten up the handling characteristics of its predecessor, the Saab 900 (1994–1998 model). Notable improvements over the Saab 900 were improved ride and handling and substantially improved crash-worthiness with standard side impact airbags with head protection and active headrests. The Saab 9-3 along with the Saab 9-5 and the Volvo S70 were the first cars in the world to earn the maximum score in a side impact augmented by a pole test [citation needed] based on Euro NCAP testing. The 9-3 continued the Saab safety tradition of performing a Moose Test.

any - features you don't want on your car - Trilogy

BTW, 2001 Vectra only gained 3 stars in NCAP testing, yet 1998 Saab 9-3 gained 4 stars. GM didn't learn much from Saab about safety.

any - features you don't want on your car - Smileyman

auto aircon when selecting windscreen demist / heater - why do they do this? I know how to select if desired

auto lights - just keep them on

auto windscreen wipers - I am able to operate the controls so leave the lever at the off positon unless using the wipers

auto dip rear view mirror - invariably the dipping action is too slow, unresponsive and fails when required

lack of sunroof - open the roof and let the sunshine in

lack of rear window wiper - a dry window is easier to see through in wet weather and reduces the misting when wet

unheated door mirrors - heating is an excellent safety aid on the cold mornings

single rear fog lamp (if on side) - like being a one eyed bandit (no offence to those who have lost an eye), but a central lamp is an acceptable option

single reversing lamp - easy to miss and only does half a job

leather upholstery - too temperature sensitive, both summer and winter

manual rear windows - I can't open them from the driver's seat

cvt gearbox - having driven one I hated it, normal auto or manual gearbox

dayglo LED strip DLR - yet to see a set up on a car that actually looks good, and I think will be expensive to replace if fails

lack of proper spare - no gloop or skiiny space savers please!

foot operated hand brake - had one of these in a car hired in California, it was an interesting experience trying to pull away from traffic lights at the top of hill, I have only 2 feet and needed 3 (the creep was not powerful enough to stop the car from rolling backwards, I needed one foot for footbrake, one for the gas pedal and one to release the hand brake at the right moment)

large size wheels and/or low profile tyres - pushes up the price when buying new tyres

difficult to get to lights - if a bulb fails, I want to change it, quickly and easily

Edited by Smileyman on 14/10/2013 at 00:41

any - features you don't want on your car - alastairq

BTW, 2001 Vectra only gained 3 stars in NCAP testing, yet 1998 Saab 9-3 gained 4 stars. GM didn't learn much from Saab about safety.

Is it a case of 'cost' versus 'probability?'

I was often amazed how makers would not equip their base models with the same 'so-called' saftey features of the more expensive models.

Did they consider those 'safety features' to be, in essence, non-essential?

Another aspect concerning older cars [SAAB?]....must be, how much all this extra protection degrades over the years?

I have a car with an air bag fitted [!]..it is T-reg....how do I 'know' if it will go off in an impact? [personally I don't care whether it does or not.......in other words, I don't buy a cr purely on the fact t does, or does not, contain air bags.....

any - features you don't want on your car - gordonbennet

I have a car with an air bag fitted [!]..it is T-reg....how do I 'know' if it will go off in an impact? [personally I don't care whether it does or not.......in other words, I don't buy a cr purely on the fact t does, or does not, contain air bags.....

I once witnessed an accident in Stoke involving an MB, similar to Trilogy and myselfs W124's, driver only in the car, passenger airbag was the only one to go off, fortunately no one hurt.

Now does that mean the drivers airbag sensor didn't reach its trigger point or was the drivers airbag faulty, i have no idea, no two accidents are the same, except the artificial one in the test facility.

Whilst i wouldn't particularly like to travel huge distances in a bean tin like original Mini, can't say as i'm worrying that much about things, a reasonably solid car is fine.

My old Landcruiser had no crumple zone, and would fail a modern crash test miserably no doubt, but in the circumstances of my wifes accident where she took a set of railings concrete basis et al out at about 50mph, the battering ram solidity of the design saved here from getting hurt at all, basically apart from the outsides of the steel front bumper bending round and the wheel arch extensions getting ripped nothing moved an inch, the vehicle restarted instantly and she simply reversed out through the debris.

any - features you don't want on your car - dan86

As much as we believe that a solid car will protect us it's been proven by extensive research in the motor industry that crumble zones save lives. In any collision something has to give and I'd rather the bonnet and front wings crumpeled than the cabin of the car.

Having to solid a front end can cause the passenger compartment to crumple up witch what you don't want in a accident.

Edited by dan86 on 14/10/2013 at 10:41

any - features you don't want on your car - idle_chatterer

Couldn't resist commenting, having had most modern features in my recent cars there are none that I truly dislike, none (that I can recall) have given me any trouble whatsoever.

For example, back in 1999 my first A4 came with an auto-dimming mirror, I scoffed yet within days was a convert and would actively seek this feature in any car. Same goes for auto headlights. Auto wipers I've had mixed experience with - great on my 330D but frustrating on an A4 B7, OK on our Golfs too. Hill hold (on the 330D and current Golf) is excellent in my experience although I haven't had a full-on electric handbrake. I would never have any car without aircon and I prefer climate control although it has worked better in some cars than others (our current Golf is often uncomfortably cold in sunny conditions). Similarly I wouldn't have any car without 6 or 7 airbags, ABS and Stability Control. RWD or AWD is a preference of mine too but uncommon so I live without it but hate the torque steer/scrabbling of a reasonably powerful FWD car.

Now, to be contentious.. I find the VAG DSG to be generally excellent, much like a TC auto but with snappy gear changes and fuel efficiency. ours has the latest internals and ECU code though.

I once decided NOT to order a Honda Accord though, because in order to get the spec I wanted (with auto lights and wipers and xenon headlamps) you HAD to have leather seats and a sunroof which I didn't want. I must be a contrarian....

Edited by idle_chatterer on 14/10/2013 at 11:28

any - features you don't want on your car - corax

I was often amazed how makers would not equip their base models with the same 'so-called' saftey features of the more expensive models.

It's the same with seats. Why the hell should you have to pay extra for a seat that supports you properly? I found that standard seats in BMW's and Audi's were pretty bad, and the addition of one of their sports seats transformed the enjoyment of the car. But they should be standard. Get rid of useless bumph like auto coffee making machines and shoulder massaging claws and spend the money on a multi adjustable properly supporting seat.

Amazes me how cars have got bigger, yet the seats in many models still have squab lengths to sort a 2 foot dwarf. Or the lumbar support is too far down, pushing your bottom and legs even further forward, so you have to drive like a bow legged ape with no support under the back of the knees.

any - features you don't want on your car - Pebble

There are any number of things I don't necessarily need on my car:

5mph bumpers

Seat belts

Catalytic converter

Stupid donut spare--replace with a real one

Headrests are what come to mind first. Remove all the unnecessary nanny state safety equipment and your MPG will improve.

Edited by Pebble on 18/10/2013 at 00:09