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Things Cars Need to Ditch in 2025: An American Gearhead’s Take

(www.drive.com.au)

There was a time when cars were simple. There was an engine, pedals, a steering wheel and maybe a radio. You get in, turn the engine on, crank up the radio and drive.  But today’s cars are packed with technology, features, and so-called “advancements” that are supposed to make driving better. But here’s the rub: many of these gizmos don’t make the driving experience more enjoyable or safer. They make it maddening. So, in the spirit of driving purists everywhere, here’s my list of automotive nuisances that need to hit the scrap heap in 2025.

Auto-Off Engine Function

This feature is the automotive equivalent of someone repeatedly flicking a light switch on and off. It’s the start-stop system that kills your engine every time you pause at a red light. Then, just as you’re ready to move, it groans back to life like a grumpy teenager. Sure, it’s designed to save fuel, but the annoyance outweighs the pennies you save. Let’s leave this feature in the junkyard of good intentions.

Touchscreens Galore

Touchscreens in cars are like trying to type a novel on a toaster. Here’s why they’ve got to go:

Over-reliance: Physical buttons are disappearing faster than donuts at a police precinct. Adjusting the climate, changing the radio station, or even turning on hazard lights requires navigating a digital labyrinth. Not ideal when you’re barreling down the highway.

Slow Response: Ever tried to turn up the volume on a laggy touchscreen? It’s like playing whack-a-mole, only more infuriating.

Glare and Smudges: Sunlight renders these screens invisible, while fingerprints turn them into smudged crime scenes.

Overly Complex Infotainment Systems

Infotainment is supposed to entertain and inform, not test your patience. Yet here we are:

Too Many Menus: Simple tasks are buried under layers of menus. Want to adjust the bass on your favorite song? Prepare for a journey akin to solving a Rubik’s Cube.

Voice Recognition That Doesn’t Recognize: Saying “Call Mom” shouldn’t result in “Calling Bob” from accounting. If the tech isn’t there yet, don’t pretend it is.

Aggressive Lane Departure Warnings

Cars today love to remind you when you’ve wandered over the line, but they’re not exactly subtle about it:

Constant Intervention: Whether it’s a vibrating seat, jerking steering wheel, or alarming beep, these systems make you feel like the car is your overbearing driving instructor.

Unpredictable Behavior: One moment it’s nudging you back on track; the next, it’s throwing a hissy fit because you’re hugging the line. Who’s driving here?

Tiny Windows

Designers seem to think we all want to feel like we’re driving in a tank. The result?

Compromised Visibility: Slimmer pillars and giant touchscreens mean smaller windows and bigger blind spots. Spotting pedestrians or oncoming traffic shouldn’t feel like playing peekaboo.

Uncomfortable Seats

Car designers seem to believe that “sporty” means cramming you into a seat made of plywood and steel:

Too Firm, Too Aggressive: Bolsters that squeeze you like a corset and padding as forgiving as a brick. Unless you’re on a racetrack, give us some comfort, please.

Artificial Engine Sounds

Few things scream “fake” louder than synthetic engine noises piped through the speakers:

Fake Excitement: Why do electric cars need to pretend they’re something they’re not? Let the silence speak for itself. And as for gasoline cars doing this? Stop it. We know the difference.

Too Many “Nanny” Features

Modern cars have gone overboard with safety interventions, to the point where they can feel patronizing:

Overzealous Alerts: Backup cameras are lifesavers helping us to avoid running over children, but do we really need deafening alarms for every errant shopping cart or leaf blowing across the driveway?

Automatic Emergency Braking Overreach: A system slamming the brakes because it misjudges a shadow, or a harmless obstacle is not just annoying—it can be dangerous.

Driver Monitoring Systems: Cameras watching your eyes to ensure you’re paying attention might sound like a good idea, but constant warnings for glancing at your side mirror can feel invasive and infantilizing. And good luck trying to find the settings to turn off that annoying little coffee cup symbol that pops up seemingly every 10 minutes.

“Honorable” mention here is the “self-driving” trend. I’m not comfortable enough at this point to trust a car to drive all by itself. Right now to me it’s nothing more than a cute sort of thing that looks cool for a couple of hundred feet. Sorry, but George Jetson still drove, or er flew, so I don’t see a (safe) future that is self-driven. I’ll steer my own way to my grave thank you very much.

Driving used to be about the thrill of the road, the connection between car and driver. Today, it’s a tech arms race to see who can shove the most features into the cockpit, whether they’re useful or not. It’s time we drew the line and demanded cars that focus on enhancing the joy of driving rather than complicating it. Because at the end of the day, it’s the open road and the feeling behind the wheel that truly matter.

 

Greg Engle
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