Car Tech Features You Could Live Without
In today’s automotive landscape, technological advancements are rapidly transforming the driving experience. However, not every innovation is equally embraced. A recent survey conducted by Which? members sheds light on which advanced car tech features drivers find more irksome than useful.
According to a June 2024 survey of 1,216 Which? members, several car technologies were deemed unnecessary. These included touchscreens (56%), zoned climate control (53%), lane sensors (53%), and automatic full beam lights (50%). Conversely, features like parking sensors and automatic windscreen wipers garnered more positive feedback.
Here’s a closer look at why some drivers are less than enthusiastic about certain car technologies.
‘Touchscreens mean drivers aren’t looking at the road’
John Jenkins, a 71-year-old retired IT professional from Oxfordshire, shared his frustrations with touchscreens:
“Touchscreens are distracting as you have to take your eyes off the road to use them. Even where some features are mirrored on a central dashboard screen – such as a mini screen of a satnav map or a playlist – the major selection and information still remains on the bigger screen. To switch options or views it’s necessary to use the screen and, unlike push-button radios, you don’t get feedback on what you’re doing by touch and you must look (and drivers do look). This means you’re not looking at the road.” Jenkins added, “They should either bring back buttons – which were simpler and a lot safer – or add a haptic coating to the touchscreen to make the various controls ripple or vibrate when the driver taps them.”
‘I just want to clear the windscreen’
Tim Skerry, a 67-year-old from Derbyshire, voiced his discontent with zoned climate control:
“My huge bugbear is so-called sophisticated zoned climate control, usually allowing front seat passengers and sometimes people in the back to have the temperature how they want. I find these systems over complicated and, to date, incapable of doing what I want – which is to clear the windscreen. When it’s cold or wet, I need the screen cleared and there’s a button for that. But within a short time the windscreen mists over again and I find I’m forever having to switch the heating on to demist it.”
Skerry reminisced about simpler times, stating, “In my old base-model VW Golf S, the heating was controlled by three knobs… You could adjust that to what was needed while driving and, crucially, without looking.”
‘Are automatic full beams really worth the hassle?’
Ian Pinion, a 53-year-old senior sales assistant from Lincolnshire, questioned the value of automatic full beam technology:
“I honestly don’t see the need for automatic full beam technology on cars… The manufacturers sometimes don’t make it that easy to disable these systems… I have to go into a touchscreen and select settings to disable mine, so it’s not something I could do while I’m driving… I’ve driven with it before on company vehicles and there are two systems I’m aware of. There’s one that detects vehicles in front and auto dips the beams, but it waits until cars are in the line of sight until it actually dips the lights. Also if you’re following a car over the brow of a hill or round a sharp bend, the lights go on to full beam as the car disappears around it, leaving you at risk of dazzling somebody coming the other way.” Pinion continued, “As human beings, we can anticipate when vehicles are coming towards us far quicker than the automatic system can and you think is it really worth the hassle?”
‘On narrow country lanes, the lane sensors beep non-stop’
Robin Dadson, an 81-year-old retired shipping company rep from Devon, discussed the issues he experiences with lane sensors:
“I live in south Devon and there are a lot of narrow country lanes here… My friend lives on a farm and when I drive out there, the lane sensors start beeping non-stop. It seems as if anything can activate them – even a blade of grass in the hedgerows! It can be extremely distracting. You should be keeping your eyes on the road ahead, not wondering why your car is beeping… It’s the same with parking sensors – they’re very overcautious and start beeping the second they sense an obstruction. When you get out of your car, you discover it’s about six feet behind you. It can prove very misleading when you have ample room to park.”
The Expert’s View
Which? cars expert, Dino Buratti, offers his perspective:
“The rise of car technology in the last 10 years has been incredible, and even models that were available new relatively recently have been completely eclipsed by newer models for in-car technology. If you’re not keen on having lots of tech in your car (and want to avoid outdated Don’t Buy cars), a new car may not be the best choice for you at all, as all new cars have to come with additional safety kit from 2024. But if you’re set on having a new car, it’s important to consider how easy it is to configure any safety settings to your own preferences, along with how easy it is for you to use and set the car’s central screen for your own uses.”
