Drivers Demand a U-Turn: Top 5 Missed Car Features

by AutoExpert   |  22 February, 2024

Share :

Okay, car companies, this "Progress" thing is seriously backfiring. We've been ear-scooping to what drivers are saying about all these new amazing features and old forgoteen ones. 

The results are in: turns out all these self-driving, talking-computer cars haven't killed our love for the good ol' days when things made SENSE. Here's the top 5 features that need to come back ASAP before we all lose our minds:

Car Features

5. Little Windows That Actually Open

What's the deal with cars feeling like airtight plastic bubbles these days? Remember when you could crack those little vent windows for a breeze without blasting everyone with AC? Now it's either all or nothing. Talk about overkill. And don't even get us started on the disappearance of windshields that flipped up... what, too much fun for us now?

Car Features

4. Wagons: Because Not Everyone Wants a Spaceship

Seriously, can someone explain the SUV craze? Wagons are where it's at! They haul all your junk, they don't make you feel like you're driving a tank, AND they won't bankrupt you at the gas pump. Regular people with regular needs don't want to take out a loan for a car that looks like it should be landing on Mars.

Car Features

3. The Almighty Handbrake

What is this obsession with replacing simple things with tiny buttons?! Handbrakes are meant to be pulled, not delicately pressed. There's a reason they're in all the action movies, and it's not because tiny buttons are thrilling. Come on, admit it, we all wanna channel our inner Vin Diesel sometimes...

Car Features

2. Prices That Don't Require Selling a Kidney

Is it just us, or did a new car used to be something you could actually save up for? Now it feels like you gotta win the lottery just to afford a basic ride. Car companies, a little reality check please: most of us have bills to pay and mouths to feed. We need cars that won't leave us eating ramen for a year.

Car Features

1. Spare Tires - The Road Trip Savior

This one takes the cake for the most infuriating change. Who thought getting rid of spare tires was a good idea? Run-flats are a joke, and roadside assistance takes forever. There's a special kind of confidence that comes with knowing you've got a real backup plan in the trunk. Isn't that what cars are for – getting out there and exploring?

Car Features

Alright, car companies, the ball's in your court. Less fancy screens, more old-school awesome. Got it? Let us know what you think in the comments – the louder we are, the better chance we have of getting some sanity back on the roads!

Recomended:

Everyone Says Pop-Up Headlights Were Banned, but That Is Not What Actually Happened - Photo
Others
Everyone Says Pop-Up Headlights Were Banned, but That Is Not What Actually Happened

Few automotive features can make a parked car look as alive as pop-up headlights. Turn the switch and two neat sections of bodywork rise from the hood, pause with theatrical precision and reveal the l

AutoExpert
This Talking Datsun Hid a Tiny Six-Track Record Player Beneath the Dashboard - Photo
Others
This Talking Datsun Hid a Tiny Six-Track Record Player Beneath the Dashboard

A new car speaking to its driver no longer feels remarkable. Navigation systems issue directions, safety assistants complain about lane markings and voice controls wait patiently for somebody to remem

AutoExpert
Honda Built Navigation Before GPS Using Helium, Transparent Maps and a Glowing Green Dot - Photo
Others
Honda Built Navigation Before GPS Using Helium, Transparent Maps and a Glowing Green Dot

There was a time when getting lost required some commitment. A driver would unfold a road map across the steering wheel, locate two towns that appeared to be printed directly on top of one another, th

AutoExpert
Your Front Brakes Do Most of the Work, So Why Did the Rear Pads Wear Out First? - Photo
Others
Your Front Brakes Do Most of the Work, So Why Did the Rear Pads Wear Out First?

The usual explanation sounds perfectly logical. When a car slows down, its weight moves toward the front. The front tires carry more load, so the front brakes provide more of the stopping force. That

AutoExpert
Rubber Is Naturally Pale, So Why Did the Automotive World Make Every Tire Black? - Photo
Others
Rubber Is Naturally Pale, So Why Did the Automotive World Make Every Tire Black?

A bright red car, a metallic blue car and a taxi painted the color of a highlighter will normally leave the factory with exactly the same footwear. Black tires. The color seems so inevitable

AutoExpert
A Fatal Hand-Crank Accident Helped Change the Way Every Car Starts - Photo
Others
A Fatal Hand-Crank Accident Helped Change the Way Every Car Starts

Starting a modern car requires so little effort that the action barely registers. Turn a key, press a button or let the vehicle recognize that its driver has climbed aboard. A second later, the engine

AutoExpert
You Installed the Correct Battery, but Your Car May Still Think the Old One Is There - Photo
Others
You Installed the Correct Battery, but Your Car May Still Think the Old One Is There

Changing a car battery used to be one of the cleaner bargains in home mechanics.Remove two terminals, undo the clamp, lift out the old battery and fit the new one. The clock might need resetting a

AutoExpert
Highway Rumble Strips Are Designed to Sound Awful, but Making Them Quieter Could Save Lives Too - Photo
Others
Highway Rumble Strips Are Designed to Sound Awful, but Making Them Quieter Could Save Lives Too

One tire wanders across the painted line and the previously quiet cabin erupts with a harsh mechanical growl. The steering wheel trembles, the seat vibrates and, for half a second, it feels as if some

AutoExpert
People Once Wanted Car Radios Banned Because Listening While Driving Seemed Far Too Dangerous - Photo
Others
People Once Wanted Car Radios Banned Because Listening While Driving Seemed Far Too Dangerous

A dashboard without a radio now looks unfinished. Even the most basic car is expected to provide music, news and something to fill the silence when traffic has stopped moving but the clock has not.

AutoExpert
The Seatbelt That Chased You Across the Door Was America’s Cheaper Alternative to an Airbag - Photo
Others
The Seatbelt That Chased You Across the Door Was America’s Cheaper Alternative to an Airbag

Open the door of certain 1980s or early 1990s cars and a small buckle begins travelling along the roofline. Sit down, close the door and the shoulder belt glides toward the B-pillar, hopefully passi

AutoExpert