What feature do you hate about your truck/suv?

[3930dave]

They just keep making the noses on pickups bigger and bigger. Interesting, semi truck noses are becoming more sloped and pickup trucks are getting bigger. Not a terrible thing going down the road, but a PITA if working in tight areas, construction sites, farm and ranch, etc. My 1998 Chevy 2500 was more pleasurable in this regard than my current 2015 2500. And the former had a 454 big block whereas this one has a little 6.0L gasser.

On that subject (might have been said already)...... with all this big-hoodness going on, how about the whole hood and both quarters being hinged at the front, highway tractor/school bus style ? If I was shopping for a light truck, that feature would definitely move a truck to the top of my Must Test Drive list, just for the serviceability.

Been said, but one of my favourites..... front vent 1/4 butterfly windows. Insurance companies killed them off, and no auto company today is likely to pay those production costs.

On the last topic.... some modern window (mechanical) regulators are often really badly designed - some trucks go thru them like kleenex, at least up here in the frozen north.

Combine those topics..... if I had the time/shop/$ to play with - redesigned front window regulators/glass with front 1/4 windows might be a seller in the custom aftermarket....

Rgds, D.

 

[JJZ 109]

Most hated feature: The payment!

 

[Bird]

On that subject (might have been said already)...... with all this big-hoodness going on, how about the whole hood and both quarters being hinged at the front, highway tractor/school bus style ? If I was shopping for a light truck, that feature would definitely move a truck to the top of my Must Test Drive list, just for the serviceability.

Big hood? Big whole front end. With the hood open, I can barely reach the oil dipstick in an F150. I also find that I'm not as close as I first think to posts, curbs, etc. in packing spaces. I don't know whether to blame old age, declining vision (depth perception), or the big hood.

I can remember when Ford (mid-50s) decided against the front hinged hood because in a head on collision the hood could pop up, go through the windshield, and decapitate the driver. Of course it was only the hood, not the fenders, that were hinged in the front. Some of the small, foreign cars, such as the Austin Healey Sprite (prior to 1962), had the hood and fenders hinged in front, the way many big trucks do now, and I always thought that was the best way.

 

[3930dave]

Big hood? Big whole front end. With the hood open, I can barely reach the oil dipstick in an F150. I also find that I'm not as close as I first think to posts, curbs, etc. in packing spaces. I don't know whether to blame old age, declining vision (depth perception), or the big hood.

I can remember when Ford (mid-50s) decided against the front hinged hood because in a head on collision the hood could pop up, go through the windshield, and decapitate the driver. Of course it was only the hood, not the fenders, that were hinged in the front. Some of the small, foreign cars, such as the Austin Healey Sprite (prior to 1962), had the hood and fenders hinged in front, the way many big trucks do now, and I always thought that was the best way.

To CuHead's point - if a big-block fit before, a lot of pu hood design today is driven by styling.

I find visibility in general (cars too) is not the design priority it used to be. Some CUVs and cars have terrible rear-ward visibility (fatal for one family the next town north of me), and many A pillars create ridiculous forward blind-spots.

Yeah, I know, we'll add more cameras/computers to vehicles to compensate.....

Rgds, D.

 

[lilranch2001]

Mine is a missing feature......
I wish my 2014 F-150 had a compass like all my GM's did

 

[tcartwri]

To CuHead's point - if a big-block fit before, a lot of pu hood design today is driven by styling.

I find visibility in general (cars too) is not the design priority it used to be. Some CUVs and cars have terrible rear-ward visibility (fatal for one family the next town north of me), and many A pillars create ridiculous forward blind-spots.

Yeah, I know, we'll add more cameras/computers to vehicles to compensate.....

Rgds, D.

It has to also fit the SD mechanics, as they are sharing sheetmetal from 17 on.

 

[Retiredguy2]

3930dave: I cannot recall the last time I rode in a vehicle that had mechanical window regulators unless you count my 1990 Ford F-150. And regarding the tilt front ends: That would be a nightmare to engineer on light trucks, although the concept might be practical on medium duty trucks I query about that feature for crash worthiness on a light truck. Just my opinion.

 

[Retiredguy2]

Mine is a missing feature......
I wish my 2014 F-150 had a compass like all my GM's did

Maybe GPS has become so commonplace they feel a compass is not really a feature today? BTW my '04 Saturn lacks a factory compass and I really miss it.

 

[3930dave]

3930dave: I cannot recall the last time I rode in a vehicle that had mechanical window regulators unless you count my 1990 Ford F-150. And regarding the tilt front ends: That would be a nightmare to engineer on light trucks, although the concept might be practical on medium duty trucks I query about that feature for crash worthiness on a light truck. Just my opinion.

Being in Michigan, you'll understand - the issue with electrically driven regulators is that there is no "feel". With a hand-crank, you get immediate direct feedback when a window is frozen in Winter. My 2000 Civic has hand-crank windows - I'll miss it when its gone.

Yes, power windows can be designed to withstand just about anything; but everything is built to a price, and many today have a target just outside of warranty.

Agreed, that hood design would be non-trivial on light-trucks. But, if we can put minivans on the road w/o B pillars, I believe it to be doable - might make for a good ME thesis using Finite Element Analysis.

In terms of risk on the road, I could argue that there is more of a risk with some modern designs. The driving danger today comes from lack of sleep due to having to get a second job to pay to get the entire cab lifted off the frame to service the engine.

, but only partly joking.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

It has to also fit the SD mechanics, as they are sharing sheetmetal from 17 on.

Good pt. There are many factors at play.

Rgds, D.