Silly quirks that you can't ignore.

[psl]

I cant bear to part with our doggy wagon, a Citroen xsara Picasso. but who the hell designed the two position tailgate? Open it and it goes up to position one, you have to push it again to get it to go up further, its usually too late as ive caught my head on it before I remember

[KerPLoD]

Speaking of French cars that reminds me - Peugeot's stupid small steering wheel. Utterly pointless. It does not make the cars (I've driven a 208 and 308) more fun, more direct or in any way better. It just means the steering is ridiculously light to make using a small wheel viable, it's absurdly twitchy at anything more than 60mph so you're always correcting yourself on a straight piece of road and in the 208, it blocks the speedo and rev counter because it's mounted too low.

[christheancient]

Originally Posted by green van man

Auto transmition, spawn of the devil, if you cannot change gear don't drive in my view.

Paul

Paul, I can understand your reticence over automatic transmission. But there are very many cases where, for whatever reason, a person is unable to use a left leg or foot for some reason whilst being perfectly safe drivers.

I have slightly limiting problems with my left leg due having had multiple operations on that knee; and that knee now has problems thanks to arthritis setting in. I can/could drive a manual quite normally (and have done so for most of my driving career).

I did have 'slush box' (more than once) in the past when I was fitter and I just enjoyed the laziness of letting an auto box take the strain. But I don't feel that it made me a 'lazy driver'.

And, just to give my left knee/leg something to do and stop it being lazy, these days I sometimes use it in my current (automatic) car and do left-foot braking just to stop the leg/foot falling asleep or seizing up (and I never get what I'm doing with that foot mixed up!).

So I do find your post a tad on the less than endearing side.

[AndyJudge]

Stupid DRL lights on the Front of the car only.

Ooo & Stupid DRL's that illuminate the dash lights so people forget that when it's dark or low viz conditions they need to switch on lights.

[Whippy]

Originally Posted by KerPLoD

I'm a valeter, and I like to keep my cars as clean as possible. However, I've never cleaned a VW that had big enough gaps between the seat runners and the door sill plastic to fit a hoover nozzle. All that crap stuck down the sides drives me mental. Factor in the horrendous quality of carpets making the bits you can get to awkward already.

Other quirks I don't like are Merc's odd indicator stalk arrrangement, column mounted selector (or automatics in general really) and handbrake pedal.

Oh, electric handbrakes in general. I hate them. So damn much.

Tape a three foot length of garden hose onto the nozzle, slides in that gap a treat.

[green van man]

Originally Posted by christheancient

Paul, I can understand your reticence over automatic transmission. But there are very many cases where, for whatever reason, a person is unable to use a left leg or foot for some reason whilst being perfectly safe drivers.

I have slightly limiting problems with my left leg due having had multiple operations on that knee; and that knee now has problems thanks to arthritis setting in. I can/could drive a manual quite normally (and have done so for most of my driving career).

I did have 'slush box' (more than once) in the past when I was fitter and I just enjoyed the laziness of letting an auto box take the strain. But I don't feel that it made me a 'lazy driver'.

And, just to give my left knee/leg something to do and stop it being lazy, these days I sometimes use it in my current (automatic) car and do left-foot braking just to stop the leg/foot falling asleep or seizing up (and I never get what I'm doing with that foot mixed up!).

So I do find your post a tad on the less than endearing side.

I conceded the point Chris but still hold my view, for me auto means no sale.

Paul.

[christheancient]

Originally Posted by green van man

I conceded the point Chris but still hold my view, for me auto means no sale.

Paul.

Paul...

Each to his/her own!

Wouldn't life be boring if we all loved/hated the same thing - or had the same view on things?

[Dippydog]

I'm nearly the polar opposite of GVM in that I have no particular preference between auto or manual boxes[my V70 is manual and is the first manual I've had in 20yrs and my Omega is auto]whereas there's no way I'd buy a car if it didn't have leather-it's the only material fit to grace the inside of a motor car IMO.

[canis]

Originally Posted by christheancient

there are very many cases where, for whatever reason, a person is unable to use a left leg or foot for some reason whilst being perfectly safe drivers.

Does laziness count? I am so bored of changing gear. I've more than proved my gear-changing capability, I don't want to do it anymore. I've only ever had an automatic for a few months in my whole life, I wish I had an automatic now!

Plus, you get to keep both hands on the wheel. Or dangle one out of the window instead.

[phil1968]

Originally Posted by green van man

Auto transmition, spawn of the devil, if you cannot change gear don't drive in my view. Leather seats, burn your bum in summer and slip and slide all year.
2 reasons I will not buy a car. For the lack of manuals alone this is my last volvo and as no other manufactures offers equivalent with manual when this one dies it will be the 24 year old and ageing well landrover that still sits on the drive.

Paul

Leaves more automatics for the rest of us then
I can drive a manual very well thankyou but they're a pain in stop-start traffic, especially when you drive for a living. A good auto will let you select what gear you want when you want it (Tiptronic). In fact my next work van will be an auto