Worst car features of all time.

Don't list what you think is the worst car, list what you think are the worst features of any cars of any time...

Datsun 310: worst gearbox noise of any car
Old Morris & Renaults: you push the turn signal or high beam lever inwards to honk the horn, usually also activating the high beams or blinkers on accident.
Yugo GV: worst window winders ever, always broken.
VW Bus: most innefective heater ever.

73 Plymouth Duster: clutch pedal supported by floor sheetmetal. Guess what happens when it rusts and bends!

74 Mustang: Have to undo motormounts and raise engine to change spark plugs.

Mid-seventies domestic cars: ugly, box-shaped pieces of crap that rust like crazy.

pintos: engines that explode

Any car with a "Three-on-the-Tree" (Column-shifted 3 sp manual transmission)

Also similar, the GM "TorqueDrive" transmission of the mid-late sixties. Get this, a 2-speed transmission that was considered an automatic, but had to be manually shifted


VW Thing: Gasoline powered interior heating

Anything with Lucas electronics

Pontiac Fiero...engine would randomly catch fire on the highway.....its beautiful

New Mercedes E-class (W211) - Central Gateway

As far as I know it the Central Gateway was supposed to be the first step in having a vehicle diagnose itself. All control unit data is sent through the CGW and the CGW is supposed to take that data and put it to good use. Sounds good in theory but it's a complete disaster. When it goes bad you'll get random stuff going off; SRS light comes on, parasitic draw and the battery, wrong service intervals displayed on the instrument cluster, etc. It's tough to explain it over the net but trust me, it's a disaster.

the GM 350 diesel. During the gas craze, GM tried to turn its gas powered 350 V8 into a diesel.

Hyundai Accent's 3 cylinder 1.5 diesel.

WHY PUT THIS IN A CAR!?!

New Mercedes E-class (W211) - Central Gateway

As far as I know it the Central Gateway was supposed to be the first step in having a vehicle diagnose itself. All control unit data is sent through the CGW and the CGW is supposed to take that data and put it to good use. Sounds good in theory but it's a complete disaster. When it goes bad you'll get random stuff going off; SRS light comes on, parasitic draw and the battery, wrong service intervals displayed on the instrument cluster, etc. It's tough to explain it over the net but trust me, it's a disaster.

isnt that just like any computer that gives engine codes? what makes it more advanced? Why dont they just build a car that fixes itself? How bout that? I want my car to change its own oil, and re align itself. Wait.. thats too much, thats kinda like askin for a girl that doesnt lie lol.

BMW's IDrive. This alone killed BMW's reliability ranking. Chris Bangle styling I can handle, but I hope to god I'll never get stuck with an IDrive car.

BMW's IDrive. This alone killed BMW's reliability ranking. Chris Bangle styling I can handle, but I hope to god I'll never get stuck with an IDrive car.


Blech as a computer geek i could live with the idrive and if its too buggy I'll replace it with my own embedded system or something.

What its starting to bug me about bmw is that instead of being "The Ultimate Driving Machine" they are becoming "The Ultimate Self-Driving Machine" with all the driving aids crap especially the auto steering or whatever they call it. Thankfully they left that out of the M series for now at least. But ofcouse it would've killed them to offer a proper manual option on the new M5.

variable venturi carbarators - on toyotas i think. as i'm told they had to be pushed off the delivery trunk from the factory.

Not sure what the name is, but you had to get out of the car to change from 2wd to 4wd. A friend of mine has an early 90s f150, and he has to do that. I think it might be called manually locking hubs??

Yugo - most anemic engine of all time :tongue:













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old-style vaccum windscreen wipers (driven by engine vaccum)
just when you need them most - eg when accelerating - they stop working!

early VW Beetles (like my 1955) had the fusebox thoughtfully positioned directly above the fuel tank, so when the swing axles finally caught you out and you rolled it, the thing would usually catch fire on you as well

any vehicle that doesn't come equipped as standard with a proper spare tyre, but instead has those unsafe & impractical el-cheapo spacesavers - or worse still, a can of inflato-goo .. prayer book optional.
hard to believe, but even some supposed 'go anywhere' 4WDs (VW & Porsche eg) don't include a spare tyre these days

Btw, I rather like three-on-the-tree shifters - simple, ergonomic, effortless. Conversely it's those awful 6-speed gearboxes like Tremec T56 which are often vague to use, have a poorly defined gate, a lousy shift action, and over-supply of ratios

What its starting to bug me about bmw is that instead of being "The Ultimate Driving Machine" they are becoming "The Ultimate Self-Driving Machine" with all the driving aids crap especially the auto steering or whatever they call it. Thankfully they left that out of the M series for now at least. But ofcouse it would've killed them to offer a proper manual option on the new M5.

I read an interveiw with a BMW NA executive that said that they are considering a US only 6-speed manual for the E60 M5. Im not so concerned with the SMG only M5, but what really has me anxious is the E90 M3. The way I see it, the E30, E36, and E46 M3s all personify BMWs idea of making the "ultimate driving machine," the perfect combination of power, handling, fun, and luxury all for a decent cost. I hope to god that they continue this tradition with the E90 M3.
I like my SMG, but I don't want it forced on me. I know alot of people who wouldn't buy a M3 if it were only in SMG.

TV/DVD players. Now you never have to talk to your kids.

There is a new "cruise control" setting on high-end cars, that automatically shifts your speed depending on the distance from your car to the car ahead of you. This can be a good thing, but ive heard that it gets kindove annoying when a car 70 feet ahead pulls into your lane, and the system over-reacts, by braking with an enormous amount of pressure. Im sure this can be a good thing, (the fact that it supposetly will "react faster then a human can, while preforming an emergency meneuver"...), but i still think it can be a little too much for some.

BMW's Idrive system is one of the worst and Mercedes-Benz's with its emergency SOS switch .I was drivn my daddos CLK55 AMG to get some grub at my local corner store and i had to adjust the mirror and my fingers accidently flicked the switch cover open and before i knew it a loud and irritating beeping noise went off and i had to drive back home and have a service rep come turn the system off.....

Currently working on a 63 Willys Wagon. They decided it would be a good idea to put the master cylinder on the frame rail directly under the steering gear. This makes bleeding the brakes interesting. The 1st time I rigged up a funnel and some hose to snake down from the engine compartment to get to the master cylinder. Worked Ok but we spilled a lot of it. Then I got to thinking about the floor pans of the truck. I thought surely there must be an access through the floor and sure enough right near the brake and clutch there is enough room to reach your hand through and get to the master cylinder.

Why they put it there is beyond me. The engine compartment is quite roomy and they only put 4cyls or 6cyls in the those trucks from the factory. Finally the master cylinder is tiny, there would be plenty of room anywhere in the engine bay.

The ventilation system on the Alfa Romeo 156. It's by FAR the worst system in any new car today - can't even maintain a temerature 2 degrees lower than outside!

Pontiac Fiero...engine would randomly catch fire on the highway.....its beautiful

actually that was the 84 something to do with the rods on the 2.5 iron duke motor.

I've owned 2 my friend 4-5 never had that fire problem. Did you hear about the other rumor you go 80 and they flip :lol2: oh and they weren't safe. That 5 star crash rating wasn't good enough.

ANYTHING ford ever made!

Look up a car called the Lightburn Zeta, any unique feature was unique to the Zeta for a damn good reason.

Look up a car called the Lightburn Zeta, any unique feature was unique to the Zeta for a damn good reason.

Hey! a poor copy of a Suzulight made from washingmachine parts, and powered by a british motorcycle engine - that sounds reliable. Of course you'd have have been exceptionally unlucky to encounter one, considering that less than 500 were made (and for seemingly good reason).

the GM 350 diesel. During the gas craze, GM tried to turn its gas powered 350 V8 into a diesel.


I would agree. The newer 6.5 turbos suck too. Lots of power when unloaded but not very durable.

I would have to say that automatic seatbelts were really stupid.

pintos: engines that explode

I think what you wanted to say is "gas tanks that explode" as Pintos used the 2.0L "Pinto" and 2.3L Lima 4cyl motors. Both of these were easily among the best 4cyls Ford ever built, and among the best anybody ever built from a reliability standpoint.

The gas tank thing was blown way, way out of proportion as well btw.

BMW's I-Drive definately gets a vote from me. (Although Ford's total inability to capitalizeon this with Jaguar is even more pathetic)

GM's original 4-6-8 Cadillac V-8 is right up there too. Displacement on demand about 30 years too early for it's own good.

Navigation systems in general. I have had a lot of experience with a lot of different nav systems and virtually all of them are just a very overpriced way to get mediocre directions. Give me a map and a cell phone any time.

I think what you wanted to say is "gas tanks that explode" as Pintos used the 2.0L "Pinto" and 2.3L Lima 4cyl motors. Both of these were easily among the best 4cyls Ford ever built, and among the best anybody ever built from a reliability standpoint.

The gas tank thing was blown way, way out of proportion as well btw.

Hmmm, gas tank mounted in a vulnerable position, not properly secured to the vehicle, and having no proper firewall between the trunk and the passenger compartment allowing flaming gasoline to spray onto passenger in the event of a rear end collision... not blown out of proportion? Aside from the safety problem, the quality was control seemed to be intermittent, rust was a real issue, and the thing was ugly as hell. Of course by the time production ended, they almost had a nice car in their hands, but by then the damage to the Pinto name had already been done.