From wiki:
Beltline
The line going from the hood which usually follows the bottom edge of the windows and continues to the trunk.
Basically, the separation of the upper part of the car from the lower part, stylistically. It is more apparent on some designs than others.
On my Camry the trunk release and gas tank cover release are next to each other on the base of the driver’s seat (left side). You can’t actually see them when you reach down to release one or the other, and there is no intuitive way to remember which lever is which. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve popped the trunk when I’ve meant to pop the gas tank before a fill-up. Odd spot to have both and certainly not unique to the Camry.
another one…on some older Saabs the auto window switch is in the center console instead of along the door.
My damn Saturn (which in all other respects I love) always automatically sets the alarm after an undetermined amount of time has passed since you turn off the car. Even if you don’t lock it. Even if you haven’t gotten out of the car. And to turn the alarm off, you have to “beep-beep” the car with the keyfob. Again, even if it’s not locked, you have to press “unlock” or the alarm will go off! It has cylinder locks on the front doors, but you have to “beep-beep” the car before using them, or the alarm sounds and the ignition locks!
Sit in the car to make a phone call before exiting? Better remember to “beep-beep” myself out, or the alarm will go off.
Turn the car off to put gas in it? Better take the keys with me, and “beep-beep” before I try to open the door again, or the alarm will go off.
A person wants to sit in the car in the parking lot while I run into the store? I’ve got to remember to leave the keys, or when/if they decide to open the door for a breath of air, the alarm will go off. Of course, when I come back to the (unlocked) car, Ihave to tap on the window, scaring them to death, so they can “beep-beep” me in.
Car in the shop? No matter how often I remind them, they always forget. I hear my car alarm at least twice in the time it takes to change the oil.
Camping? Gods, I feel like such an asshole.
And nobody knows how to change the setting. The manual says to take the car back to the dealership to change the (default) setting. There are no Saturn dealerships anymore. I haven’t found a mechanic who can do it. I’ve tried some convoluted reprogramming directions I’ve found online. Didn’t work.
THAT’S a design flaw.
The worst design flaw I ever saw was on a friend’s '77 Camaro, with a 6 cylinder engine and a 3 speed manual transmission. The only way the car would start was if the clutch was disengaged (not so bad) AND the trans was in reverse gear (really bad). If that car was mine, I would have disabled that interlock the day I bought the car.
My Chevy Cavalier had that. People that it was sooo funny to play with it. So, one day, I’m playing designated driver and picking some friends up from the bar. One of the friends asks if this is a new car and I said “Yeah, I hate the way the window buttons are in the middle since everyone likes to play with them…like that, knock it off…” then she puked all over my car. At that point I had a new rule. I was still absolutely more then happy to pick up my drunk friends from the bar. Hell, they were welcome to call me at 2 in the morning to scoop them up off the the floor from where ever they were, and I did it, many times. But the rule was that I no longer did it in my car since I was sick of cleaning up puke. When you go out leave someone’s keys out for me if you’re going to need a ride. I’ll happily walk over to your dorm and wake up your roommate to get them as long as you get to clean the puke out of your own car in the morning.
Why don’t we have little lights behind the inside door opener latch handles so that we can find them when groping about in an unfamiliar car in the dark?
Ford does that.
I bought a Dodge truck (new) last year. First time I’ve tried a Dodge. In general, I like it and it’s doing everything I need, but there are some odd design quirks in the interior.
The fan knob, heat knob, vent knob, and switch-to-4-wheel-drive knob are exactly the same shape. To make it worse, they’re all in a neat line at the same level in the dash. If I reach for the fan knob to turn it to “hi”, and mistakenly grab the 4wd knob (and spin it all the way to the right) it will throw the truck into 4wd low. If this happens while in motion, the transmission will be heavily damaged* (according to the manual). Having controls with disparate functions and similar tactile feel is a no-no in any PVI design. I’m stumped at what sort of idiot thought this would be a good idea.
The switch that turns on the interior (overhead) lights is small and unlighted. If you enter the truck at night and close the door, nothing you need to find is illuminated (not the ignition keyhole, nor any light controls). I think this is pretty poor PVI as well.
*there may in fact be some feature that inhibits this at speed, but the manual doesn’t mention it.
A few things that annoy the heck out of me and are found on almost any car designed in a country that never experiences real winter (ie any brand but the Japanese ones):
[ul]
[li]Defrosting vents that direct the air above the parking zone for the windshield wipers, ensuring that the wipers freeze to the windshield when driving in cold temperatures.[/li][li]Deep troughs between the hood and the windshield, with the ventilator air intake on the bottom, making damn sure that the air intakes will be blocked by 5cm of solid ice after a week of alternating snow at above-freezing and clear weather below freezing[/li][li]Car roofs and doors designed so that with even 1cm on snow on the top of the car, you’ll have to literally shovel snow out of the car after opening the door to get the snow brush[/li][li]Lack of headlamp washers[/li][/ul]
And don’t even get me started on the complete disappearance of roof rain gutters and headlight wipers on every car manufactured after 1990… :mad:
Are people more inclined to play with the electric windows because of where the switches are? When I was a kid, my grandfather’s car had switches for each window on each door, and switches on the driver’s door that controlled all four. I still played with mine. Putting the switches on the center console means you don’t need the redundant switches; each person can control their own window and the driver can control them all.
I’m still not quite following what the problem is…
I have a 2009 Jetta, and the one thing that I hate hate hate hate is that the AC/heater control has three settings: 64, 72, and 80. One would think that if you put the dial between, say, 72 and 80 on a fall day, you’d get a stream of air that would be just the right temperature. Nope. I swear, there is no moderating the temperature between those settings. It’s awful.
Because then the passenger could play with my window (it was a two door car).
Why would you want such a thing? My headlights have never gotten dirty enough that I could tell any difference.
I never really felt the need for them either, but headlights that are covered in snow really don’t work very well (I always have to remember to clean the snow off of them when I brush if off the rest of the car). In winter when I gas up I do try to remember to clean the salt off of them…makes a huge difference, but it’s easy enough to do that I probably wouldn’t pay extra for it.
Not seeing the problem here either.
If you live in a state that uses lots of salt and mag chloride in winter it makes a huge difference. I don’t but should clean my lights everytime I drive. Though where I drive there are no other light sources like street lights or anything.
I’m slightly confused as well. I understand the A Pillar being in the way, but the mirror has to be mounted somewhere and where ever it is, it’s going to block whatever is in front of it. Having said that, here’s the door of a Honda Insight. My 2008 Civic may have been like that as well, but I don’t remember. Either way, it seems like all you’re doing is moving the blind spot…sort of a necessary evil.
Pavement covered with salty slush from October to May.
ETA: My wife, who commutes some 50km to work every day, goes through a gallon of windshield washer fluid every 1-2 weeks when the conditions are at their worst. Without headlight washers, her headlights would give about as much light as the parking lights when she parks in the driveway
Have you done something to “fix” it? Remove the knob, or put electrical tape on it so it feels different, or something?
I hate that in most cars, there’s no way to turn on the defrost vents without also turning on the AC. It’s spring, fall, or winter, I don’t need AC to defog my windows. The heat is enough.
My wife’s Dodge minivan takes this another step. Turn on recirculate, and the AC also turns on. In this case, at least, the AC can then be turned off, but damn that makes me stabby.
