The 10 Best And 10 Worst Automotive Technologies

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g-unit1111

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How could Land Rover's 19 speaker sound system not get a mention? I test drove one while looking for a new car for my dad and the sound system completely blew me away. I just wanted to sit in the car and listen to music on my phone all day. :lol:
 

tuanies

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The Jag / Land Rover Meridian system is actually quite good. Very balanced and neutral, but every time I had a Land Rover or Jaguar, there was a rattle in the passenger door panel. Which annoyed me to hell. The Krell is just better than it by a little bit.
 

Mike Honcho

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I would like to add the BMW auto stop/start feature to the worst list. Not only does this feature do the exact opposite of what is intended (it actually uses more gas than saves), it adds extra wear and tear on the engine. The biggest annoyance is I have to turn it off every time I start my car.
 

tuanies

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At least BMW disables it automatically when the car is in Sport mode. The Jaguar you have to disable every time. But yes I agree its obnoxious unless its completely transparent, which most of the time it isn't. Seems harsh most of the time which is not something I'd tolerate in a luxury vehicle.



We've yet to spend seat time in a Tesla. The times I've seen them, I wouldn't say its the best. The interior just overwhelms you with touch screen LCDs, and overwhelming you doesn't make it the best. The drivetrain is impressive though.
 

danwat1234

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@Mike Honcho, how does BMW's auto start/stop use more gas than when it is disabled?? With fuel injection if the engine is off for more than 10 seconds you are saving gas. Too bad it isn't smooth operation in the BMW (from what you said). Auto start/stop should be standard in all new cars in a few years once the EPA puts it on their tests.
 

tuanies

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The big problem is the smoothness. Even when they try to mask it, you can still feel a shudder. The level of refinement on start/stop isn't good enough for a luxury vehicle. For a Ford Fiesta? Sure, but a $40k+ luxury / sports sedan? Not so much.

 

falchard

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Does MyLink work with Windows Phone?
I know Toyota and Ford use a Microsoft based solution so those probably would, but I don't think it matters too much because if you are buying a Chevy Sonic, you probably don't have the cash to buy their half assed nav system.
 

JoBoSo

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I agree with the BMW start / stop as worst. I drove my 5 Series away in the morning without the key (after running back into the house left the key there .. busy getting the kids ready into the car for school ... you know..). Arrived at the school ... shut engine off ... and ... could not lock or drive my car.
 

JoBoSo

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I agree with the BMW start / stop as worst. I drove my 5 Series away in the morning without the key (after running back into the house left the key there .. busy getting the kids ready into the car for school ... you know..). Arrived at the school ... shut engine off ... and ... could not lock or drive my car.
 

Hello man

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The biggest issue with car audio systems that use SD cards is that they accept NO LOSSLESS AUDIO FORMATS! So you end up stuck using the worst possible sounding file on earth, the MP3. Even at 320, they sound horrible. Better off using your phone with lossless formats and a digital input... but of course, not all cars have that. Bluetooth sounds even worse. It cannot be that hard to get this figured out.
 

Agente Silva

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Start/Stop feature as a "fuel saver" is very arguable. It could be a carbon dioxide saver at the best. Anyway, have you seen the size and price of the battery?! Ridiculous... Now for REAL car technology (not bluetooth or useless gadgets) I would sugget Honda´s VTEC and it´s role on engine reliablity and performance.
 

tuanies

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I keep a folder of FLAC music on my flash drive for car testing hoping that one day a car will work with FLAC. So far it has not happened yet :(.
 

Hello man

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Yep. FLACK support.... for the low price of $89,000!
 

tuanies

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Don't forget you have to sign your life over and let them monitor your usage too.
 

Hello man

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Plus, since no CDs and downloads come in FLACK or WAV, they need a converter.
 

Aoyagi

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So majority of the "best automotive technologies" are what people nowadays call "apps". If that's not a proof of how technology is stagnating or going downhill, I don't know what is.
 

Agente Silva

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Exactly... and at the same time, not quite :) Maybe it just reflects people´s lack of attention to what is being developed right now. In this transition period from carbon to electric I´m sure lots and lots of new techonology are being developed, it´s just something out of our ordinary domestic dome :p And at the same time, not quite :) Looking at F1 nowadays is a good under peak...

 

sieggs1

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How about GM daytime running lights as a worst idea? I get that they're supposed to improve safety, but how many more GMC/Chevy trucks with one burned-out running light must I see before GM figures out how to make them reliable?
 
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