[Aditya]

This thread has been jointly compiled with GTO!

The only thing that's constant is "change" and it's true with cars as well. While our favourite models continuously evolve, they also have to drop some attributes & features. Listed below are some that we are happy with, and some we miss! @ BHPians: Please add to this list with features or qualities you think we have lost in the last decade, or are going to lose in the coming years.

Heavy build quality:

So many newer generation cars are lighter than the outgoing ones. Lesser weight makes them more efficient, faster and easier to handle + stop than their predecessors. They also pollute the air lesser. Take a look at the current-gen Swift for instance. It gets a lighter platform and weighs just 855 - 985 kg (depending upon the variant) against the older car’s kerb weight of 965 - 1,060 kg. Downside? It shows in the build & driving feel. A few critics actually refer to Maruti's new platform as heart-attack and not heartect!

Ashtrays & cigarette lighters:

Drivers in the 80s and 90s had a knack of smoking in cars. Manufacturers provided ashtrays not just at the front, but even at the rear and / or on the doors of those cars. A cigarette lighter was standard in some cheap hatchbacks too. This trend has died out as smoking has become a "bane", politically incorrect, uncool & just doesn't fit (pun intended) in today's health-obsessed world. In a few models however, you might get a removable ashtray that fits into a cupholder.

Hydraulic power steering:

We love hydraulic power steerings for their feel & feedback. They are unfortunately a dying breed due to packaging, cost & complexity reasons. But hey, we got to admit = some of the new EPS' are almost as good, leaving us with little cause for complaint. A few manufacturers though get it horribly wrong. Drive any new Maruti launch and you'll know what we are talking about (start with the S-Presso).

Full-size spare wheel:

Another one we're terribly sore about. Manufacturers love space saver spare tyres as they are lighter, release some boot space (being smaller) and cheaper. The problem for customers is you can't really drive a car the same way when it's wearing a space saver. The max speed has to be restricted & cornering ability...well, there is none! It also creates a problem for those car owners who practice 5-tyre rotation. Some new models don't have a space saver per se, but they simply provide the (thinner) tyre of the lower variant as a spare. Same problems. We hate it. The Hyundai Aura, Kia Seltos and Tata Altroz are among the latest ones we have tested with thinner spares. When costs can be cut without making it "too obvious" or visible to the customer, you can be sure that all other manufacturers will follow. The bean counters can fight with engineers over 100 bucks.

Manual window winders:

At present, these are available only on lower variants, but the primary reason isn't cost (power windows are dirt cheap today). It's to differentiate the trim levels & dissuade buyers from the base variants. Manual winders are a relic & we expect them to die out in due time.

Tailgate-mounted spare wheels for SUVs:

Admit it = you love SUVs with tail-gate mounted spare wheels. It looks cool & really butch. Downside = it takes more strength and effort to remove or put one back. The tailgate also needs to be more robust. This means thicker materials for construction with stronger hinges. Rattling too can create problems. As a result, with time, manufacturers have started housing the spare wheels of SUVs elsewhere (e.g. inside the boot or under the body). Some cars that earlier had it on the tailgate moved it elsewhere (e.g. Tata Safari).

Large fuel tanks:

The average fuel tank size is definitely getting smaller. Some recent launches that have gotten smaller fuel tanks than their predecessors are the Tata Altroz (37 liters vs Bolt's 44 liters), Hyundai Aura (37 liters vs Xcent's 43 liters), Maruti WagonR (32 liters vs 35 liters) and Swift / Dzire (37 liters vs 42 liters). Imagine the Kwid gets a 28L tank, in the same market that a Mahindra Mojo motorcycle offers a 21L tank!!

Traditional keys:

While we don't expect traditional keys to disappear altogether, they are definitely going to become less common due to the convenience of smartkeys & flippy keys. The cost of smartkeys & flippy keys is also dropping like crazy, hence we expect to see them get common even in mass market cars. On a related note, we further expect to see standalone keyholes disappear; more cars will have them integrated into the door handle nicely for aesthetic reasons.

Physical dials in instrument clusters:

We love it old school & aren't fans of digital instrument clusters at all. Sadly, it's a way for manufacturers to "differentiate" their product (e.g. Triber, Altroz) and they are keen on the same (especially since costs are falling). Even BMW is moving to digital clusters in a big way. Here's what we love = rev counter on the left, speedo on the right, both analogue!

Retractable antennas:

Retractable antennas are just yuck! With open arms, we welcome stubby antennas & sharkfin designs.

Badging:

Earlier, almost every car had an overdose of badges denoting the name of the manufacturer, model, variant, engine, technology (sometimes, like the Vtec) and the AT transmission. We further used to be punished with stickers revealing the emission-norm compliance of the car!!! Lately, we have observed some manufacturers cutting down on the number of badges. As an example, the current-gen Maruti Swift. We don't like clutter & love this clean look. Guess the OEMs read our debadging thread.

Temperature gauge:

Click here to join the dedicated discussion on the rapid deletion of temp gauges. We love them as it tells us when the engine has warmed up (and we can redline), gives us ample warning of overheating problems etc. etc. That's why we don't appreciate how cars like the Dzire and Aura have dumped the all-important temperature needle.

AUX port:

The AUX port is going the way of the CD player! With USB & Apple CarPlay / Android Auto going mainstream, this is a feature only a handful will miss. Many manufacturers have replaced AUX ports with an extra USB port - all the better for our smartphones that need to be charged ever so often!

Proper rear bumpers:

Because of India's unique rule where sub-4 meter cars enjoy significantly lower taxes, and the ever-increasing customer expectations of cabin + boot space, many compact cars have rear bumpers that are frankly useless! Honda is famous for its "man maximum, machine minimum" philosophy. India's jugaad philosophy appears to be "man maximum, bumper minimum" . If someone rear-ends your car, the hit is likely to be taken by the body of the car, thus requiring costly denting and painting work on the metal.

Tube-type tyres:

We're pleased to see tube-type tyres being almost extinct among cars today, and hope that tubeless becomes the norm among two-wheelers too .

Reach-Adjustable steering:

This feature helps immensely in getting that "perfect driving position". We are rather dismayed that manufacturers are dropping it to cut costs. Cars like the Ford EcoSport and Hyundai i20, which were launched in the 2010 – 2014 period, were equipped with reach-adjustable steerings. However, their more expensive, recent launches don't get it. The Creta, Venue and Verna all cost more than the i20, but offer merely tilt-adjustable steerings. Ford doesn't offer it on the Endeavour which costs 3X more than the EcoSport!

Folding rear seats in sedans:

A few sedans like the Corolla had rear seats which could be folded forward to enhance luggage space & practicality. Modern sedans have annihilated the idea = the new Elantra and Civic get fixed rear seats. This reduces the practicality of sedans versus hatchbacks, crossovers & SUVS, all of which get foldable rear seats.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[Eddy]

The things that I miss the most:

Build quality for obvious reasons.

Badging - it was cool to easily identify a particular variant of a new car on the road. Now it is a lot more tougher, and IMO debadging does not significantly improve the aesthetics either.

Full Size Spare & Alloy - This is something I miss. 5 tyre rotation meant that I could use my set for at least 20% longer time. And in my S-Cross, I would have had to change the tyres only twice instead of the 3 times that I would do now. (Unless the Covid restrictions get the running down very significantly).

Temperature Gauge - Sheer stupidity to remove that. My swift leaked coolant and I was alerted in time (it was winters, so AC was not on) because of the gauge. Not sure how the new warning system works.

Also, things that are good riddance:
- Cigarette Lighters & Ashtrays
- Tube type tres

[ABHI_1512]

I miss the Hydraulic steering the most and the last one I got my hands on was the previous generation Figo which was a hoot to drive. I had to let go of the Figo for some pressing issues but since then I miss the steering feel the most.

Build quality is not the issue with Ecosport that I own for now and many such options in the poll. However, I fail to understand why the manufacturers shy away from providing a full sized spare when that hardly matters in terms of money saved in the larger scenario !!

[armaan_singh]

I'd have to say ashtrays and cigarette lighters are rarities now, but i just found them so convinient, rather than always carry a lighter on the move and roll down the windows to throw ash which almost always just ends up in the cabin.

The next one is something which I've noticed in the last few years of purchases in the family, now a days cars don't have that typical "New Car Smell", i don't know if this is a deliberate move but if you look at earlier examples of cars like the city, civic and Accord or even older cars like the Baleno and Esteem, they all had a distinct smell that either came from the leather or else where but it lasted for a good couple of months, and anyone who sat in the car would notice it, and it really helped add to the overall plush experience, now days I just smell plastics everywhere.

[Hemantteen]

One thing I also miss are proper headrests for rear seats which were a norm in even cheap cars like WagonR.

[artemis_fowl]

Here are a few:

• Height adjustable seatbelts: Previously, this feature was common even in the hatchback segment. Nowadays, very few cars have this feature.

• Rear fog lamp: Seeing this feature also rapidly vanish. Apart from the Volkswagen Group cars, this feature is missing in almost all cars this side of 10 lakhs.
  

A few minor and not very important ones:

• Sunroof (in hatchbacks): Not a huge miss (considering the price-sensitive nature of this segment). There was a time when even the humble i10 had one! So did the Fabia, Polo and i20.

• Heated ORVMs: A useful feature, but its absence isn't a major problem. The i20, i10 and Fabia had it.

[kamilharis]

The small size spare Tyre - Its fine if they dont supply the 5th alloy wheel with it. But at least if the tires are of stock size the driveability wont be effected.

Tailgate-mounted spare wheels for SUVs - I really miss this thing on modern day SUVs. Its simply the identity factor for a butch SUV.

Temperature gauge,Reach-Adjustable steering,Folding rear seats in sedans - I dont really understand why manufacturers skip on temperature gauge and steering adjustments. I agree that folding seats can be termed as a comfort feature,but the first two isn't.

[07CR]

One thing that isn't mentioned is the placement of a light in the engine bay! Our good old Maruti 800 had one, and was extremely useful in pre mobile phone era. I don't know why this simple yet very practical feature is nowadays not added in the cars.

[evil_grin]

I hate that every manufacturer wants to chop off a cylinder from their engines. Adding the Turbo is fine. I also hate the downsizing of the engine size.

Yes. I do consider number of cylinders as a feature. One of the most important ones.

I also prefer Manual A/C controls to auto.

[CEF_Beasts]

A very interesting thread sir!

(Mentioning some features and amenities based current cars owned)

Build Quality is something that is degrading in the current crop of mass market cars. Wanted to sell our 6 year old EcoSport but holding on it because there is nothing like it in the market in terms of that solid ‘thud’ on closing the doors (build quality) at the price point at which we wish to sell it. Neither our Creta nor Fortuner can match the EcoSport’s build quality!

Lack of alloy spare tyre
This is one trend that is increasing alarmingly in cars these days, our Creta even after paying a huge sum doesn’t get one. I don’t know what’s with Hyundai these days, this is the same manufacturer who gave us the i20 with 6 airbags and a sunroof in 2009! Cost-cutting has reached new heights, the Ecosport has it, but I think that’s more to do with the boot mounted spare since it would look awkward to have 4 alloys and a steel spare, but atleast it gets it. Even the German trio don’t offer alloy spare wheels.

Hydraulic Steering
This is another disappearing feature!
The EPS simply don’t give that connection with the road. The Creta’s steering is like a joystick offering no connection (typical Hyundai), EcoSport’s steering is much better calibrated in comparison. Ladder on frame cars continue to use hydraulic steerings (eg. Innova, Fortuner, Scorpio).The 8th gen Civic’s hydraulic unit was an absolute delight!

Certainly going to miss these features more and more in the coming times.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Ohh... A lovely thread...

Some of the trends that are emerging/missed

1. Rear Fog Lamps disappear
2. Sensible horns
3. Button type radios giving way to touch infotainment systems
4. Cubby holes/shelf above the glove box

[akash_v12]

In total, I miss 3 things in cars of these generations.

Solid Quality

Yes, some manufacturers like VW & Skoda have great build quality till date. I’m very satisfied with our Vento’s build quality which I didn’t see in any sedan except the VAG cars. But what about the others? Maruti has stopped sending cars for testing. I’ve not seen a Hyundai in a crash test for the last year. Even the European and American brands like Renault and Ford respectively have not had a good run. Recently, it’s only been Mahindra & Tata which have been able to accomplish themselves.

No Full-Size Alloy with spares? Why?!

Mass market models are missing out on the greatest feature of the car - A full size spare. Leave that, even cars with ₹30L price tags are not offering an alloy. ₹50 Lakh BMWs are also doing the same.

Lockable Gloveboxes
Even though this is not there in the list, I sorely miss this feature present in my grandfather’s ‘07 Santro. Who wouldn’t want extra security and safety when keeping important documents in your glovebox?

[BZ25]

Illuminated Window Switches: I wonder why manufacturers (even internationally) are getting rid of this feature, especially in their cheaper offerings.

[TaurusSHO]

Hydraulic Power Steering - Fortunately, our current car is equipped with one! I just don't like the super light and disconnected feel of EPAS equipped cars, especially Maruti and Hyundai units.

Physical Dials - I'm not against all digital LCD TFT displays with loads of information that are actually very helpful, I'm against automakers that ditch the already good looking analog instrument cluster for calculator font display screens! The Tiago facelift is a perfect example IMO.

Temperature Gauge - This is something that I sorely miss in my car and don't understand the reason for it's omission.