Worst design trend of the last 25 years

93EXCivic said:

I swear the most blinding lights on any vehicles are always GMs.

Sorry, I have to disagree.  These damn 2018-ish Ford trucks do not even HAVE low beams as far as I am aware.

In reply to Duke :

True, but the newer GMCs are worse.   Doesn't help that everyone around here seems to want their trucks nose high, but refuse to adjust the headlights.

In reply to Duke :

I mean all modern trucks and truck based SUVs are pretty terrible for it but I maintain the newest GMs are the worst.

I'm curious if the current "<insert headlight technology> is too bright!" argument has been around since the first headlights switched from kerosene to acetalyne gas, and every technology change since then.

Duke said:

...is the elimination of the single hard jack point under the center front of the car.

CHANGE MY MIND

 

Touchscreen controls are worse.  You may not have to use the center front hard jack point.  Touchscreen controls are unavoidable.

In reply to Duke :

Evidently, you can buy a Dodge vehicle in Europe and it sounds like they convert them to European lighting standards which should include E-code headlamps. I wonder if they make lights for the other pickup brands. I had a set of Cibie E-code halogen headlights back in the early seventies on my Volvo 1800E that where wonderful until someone at the Minneapolis Borton Volvo dealership stole them and replaced them with some crumby sealed beam while I was having work done and which I didn't realize until I needed to turn them on in North Dakota. The low beam has a horizontal line that tappers up towards the right ditch and anything below that line is super bright while anything above is completely blocked off.

Toebra said:

Duke said:

...is the elimination of the single hard jack point under the center front of the car.

CHANGE MY MIND

 

Touchscreen controls are worse.  You may not have to use the center front hard jack point.  Touchscreen controls are unavoidable.

Remember when Microsoft came out with Windows 8 assuming that everybody was just going to use a tablet or touch screen laptop and how awful it was? Like anybody wanted to reach up and touch the screen to do something that a mouse or keypad could do easier and faster?

VolvoHeretic said:

In reply to Duke :

Evidently, you can buy a Dodge vehicle in Europe and it sounds like they convert them to European lighting standards which should include E-code headlamps. I wonder if they make lights for the other pickup brands. I had a set of Cibie E-code halogen headlights back in the early seventies on my Volvo 1800E that where wonderful until someone at the Minneapolis Borton Volvo dealership stole them and replaced them with some crumby sealed beam while I was having work done and which I didn't realize until I needed to turn them on in North Dakota. The low beam has a horizontal line that tappers up towards the right ditch and anything below that line is super bright while anything above is completely blocked off.

I put a set of the factory ECE spec housing in the Jeep years ago.  Glass lenses instead of plastic and a much better beam pattern. 

Newer DOT spec projectors are closer to the ECE spec pattern than the old DOT patterns though.  ECE has the kick up to the passenger side, the newer DOT stuff typically steps up at about the same point, but it's just a step (usually angled) and doesn't kick up as high.  That's probably better on highways for not blinding the guy you're passing via his side mirror. 

codrus (Forum Supporter) said:

Tony Sestito said:

This was the "bustleback" of the 90's, and for some strange reason, it's starting to come back.

You can blame physics and the wind tunnel again.

 

I kind of blame it on Tesla.  While the S is not bad looking, the other cars in their lineup all have weird looking and droopy rears.

VolvoHeretic said:

Toebra said:

Duke said:

...is the elimination of the single hard jack point under the center front of the car.

CHANGE MY MIND

 

Touchscreen controls are worse.  You may not have to use the center front hard jack point.  Touchscreen controls are unavoidable.

Remember when Microsoft came out with Windows 8 assuming that everybody was just going to use a tablet or touch screen laptop and how awful it was? Like anybody wanted to reach up and touch the screen to do something that a mouse or keypad could do easier and faster?

It's hard to say when making changes to the status quo what will stick and what wont. When I bought my 95 Riviera I thought the heads up display was cheesy and how lazy do you have to be to want radio controls on the steering wheel. After a few weeks I really liked them. But I do hate the touch screens. 

Being in and out of various rental cars when i travelled for work, i learned to really dislike any larger chrome or shiny trim around the console, shifter, dash, etc.  Inevitably it would be in the sun and reflect directly into your eyes.  I think i may have put some electric tape over it at some point while driving.