New vehicles are boring

[OBS454]

Crossovers all look the same.... sedans all look the same... coupes all look the same... where are the designers of yesterday?! The vehicles of the past had character and design features that were unique. Now a Kia looks like a Porsche, looks like a BMW, looks like a VW,.... how ordinary and uniform. What next? All manufacturers agree to paint all vehicles gray?

[In The Ten Ring]

I agree with that.....they are all boring, have silly features (daytime running lights, do not have keys, bumpers that explode at the slightest bump)......and now they have $3K front and rear bumpers that stop the vehicle automatically.

There are times when you NEED to drive through things, including people. Here's a case in point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrPwU7Segz4

I honestly do not want anything newer than what I am driving now, and it's 16 years old.

*Oh, and good luck finding a manual shift.

[special-K]

I just saw a late model Chevy short bed regular cab the other day that really caught my eye. All these guys gutting older trucks to stuff modern technology in them and here is the truck that comes with it. The truck was red, lowered nicely, with very attractive alloys wheels on it. I watched him turn right then I turned left and followed him up the hill. It was a profilin' machine. I don't give a hoot about anything newer and that truck got my juices going.

You are talking about the main line of products which was actually boring in the '60s too. There are some really nice vehicles made today. Ones that make what we called hi-performance seem tame. It's not just give it a look and 50 extra HP, it's performance down to suspension, brakes, etc...full-performance. I wonder how long a list we could come up with for specialty vehicles available new instead of dwelling on the mainstream. Mainstream vehicle design is dictated by many factors that have changed since the '60s. Back then design was about style.Now it's about aerodynamics for better mpg, lower wind noise, less wind buffeting, safety, and things like that

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by special-K

I just saw a late model Chevy short bed regular cab the other day that really caught my eye. All these guys gutting older trucks to stuff modern technology in them and here is the truck that comes with it. The truck was red, lowered nicely, with very attractive alloys wheels on it. I watched him turn right then I turned left and followed him up the hill. It was a profilin' machine. I don't give a hoot about anything newer and that truck got my juices going.

You are talking about the main line of products which was actually boring in the '60s too. There are some really nice vehicles made today. Ones that make what we called hi-performance seem tame. It's not just give it a look and 50 extra HP, it's performance down to suspension, brakes, etc...full-performance. I wonder how long a list we could come up with for specialty vehicles available new instead of dwelling on the mainstream. Mainstream vehicle design is dictated by many factors that have changed since the '60s. Back then design was about style.Now it's about aerodynamics for better mpg, lower wind noise, less wind buffeting, safety, and things like that

I never thought I'd see it happen, but they've gotten to him.

This is worse than I thought......their influence is spreading faster than we prepared for....we'd better go to Plan B.

[special-K]

It's true. What they told me is a truck is a truck and nice styling is a nice plus. It's a frame, front clip, cab, and bed with drivetrain and the newer the more reliable and economical on gas. That would be why I'd buy one. It was the same thing when I ordered my '92. I was ordering a tool for my trade to use a long time. I ordered it the way I liked it and as I would have if it was '72. In time I grew to like it on it's own virtue as a good old GMC truck. I don't think new trucks look ugly, they just look like 2018, which is where we are.

This is a '16 but still same body:

[FleetsidePaul]

Most are. But there are a few I'd like to get my hands on





Even My wife's little Abarth is a fun car.



We do have a boring Crosstreck. She got the obnoxious Hyper Blue. She thought. "Well if you have to drive a boring car, at least paint it a bright color'. And she really needs it. She puts a ton of miles on it in all kind of weather. It's our second Subaru. They can take the punishment she dishes out. She beats them up.

[Grumpy old man]

The older I get the less I want to be monitored and tracked by My phone , my computer , google , every website out there , and now with everything computerized I don't need Chevrolet (onstar) listening in on my conversations and tracking my driving habits and if I have a tail light out . Not to mention having to pay crazy prices for the privilege , The thrill of that new truck will wear off long before the payments stop . I've seen some of the new trucks and they are cool looking but , My last truck is sitting in my garage and it's paid for .I'll stick with low tech trucks without metric bolts .

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by OBS454

Crossovers all look the same.... sedans all look the same... coupes all look the same... where are the designers of yesterday?! The vehicles of the past had character and design features that were unique. Now a Kia looks like a Porsche, looks like a BMW, looks like a VW,.... how ordinary and uniform. What next? All manufacturers agree to paint all vehicles gray?

Anybody else notice how all the new cars look like the transformer toys from 30 years ago ? there are your new car designers , Soon the cars will stand up when parked to save space ...

[Palf70Step]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Anybody else notice how all the new cars look like the transformer toys from 30 years ago ? there are your new car designers , Soon the cars will stand up when parked to save space ...

Yes!

[Coley]

The term I like to use is 'silver potato' syndrome.
It seems every vehicle built within the last 10+ years tends to look like a potato...and most are painted 1 of 3 colours, silver, white or black....this is pretty much 80% of traffic these days.
Give this the 'traffic light test'.....the next time you are stopped at an intersection and look around the vehicles....they will probably fall immediately into this category of commonality.
As well, I think if you removed the badges from the vehicles and put them in a parking lot and asked people to go identify a ford or a honda or a mercedes or a kia or a toyota.....they literally couldn't.

That said, vehicles have never been safer, more reliable and more efficient than they are today.....so something's lost and somethings gained.

All good
Coley

[67ChevyRedneck]

Full size trucks and sports/pony cars are about all I can identify anymore at a quick glance. Everything else looks the same from a distance with a few random stand outs here and there.

The 2014/15 Silverados are the best looking GM trucks since the 99-02s, so I bought one. I didn't like the 16 nose refresh and not sure if I like the new 2019s yet, but when I saw my first 2014 I knew i had to have one so I bought one new in 2015.

[Coley]

I think the GM trucks kind of buck the potato trend....they are nice looking vehicles.....agreed.

Coley

[mrtoni]

I hate my Subaru Outback. It’s so “vanilla” and boring. I couldn’t even get a manual in 2015. Having young children means I need something dependable though. They hate it too and think I should get a new gmc.

[harpo231]

The engineers could spend a little time on the fender lines , they are shapeless

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Anybody else notice how all the new cars look like the transformer toys from 30 years ago ? there are your new car designers , Soon the cars will stand up when parked to save space ...

I was thinking just that the other day.....how funky all front ends have come to look.

[Nick_R_23]

Originally Posted by Coley

The term I like to use is 'silver potato' syndrome.
It seems every vehicle built within the last 10+ years tends to look like a potato...and most are painted 1 of 3 colours, silver, white or black....this is pretty much 80% of traffic these days.
Give this the 'traffic light test'.....the next time you are stopped at an intersection and look around the vehicles....they will probably fall immediately into this category of commonality.
As well, I think if you removed the badges from the vehicles and put them in a parking lot and asked people to go identify a ford or a honda or a mercedes or a kia or a toyota.....they literally couldn't.

That said, vehicles have never been safer, more reliable and more efficient than they are today.....so something's lost and somethings gained.

All good
Coley

That's funny, I always referred to it as the 'jellybean trend'.

The second half is also a great point, too. Back 50 years ago, safely and economy standards were a very, very far cry from what manufacturers are required to comply with today. Bumper regulations didn't matter so much, and who cared if it got 10 MPG, as long as it looked cool! Now everything produced has to meet a safety standard and get XX amount of miles per gallon. If you really think about it, when you're hit with these requirements, trying to produce an aerodynamic blob that is designed to minimize injuries upon impact and still have unique stylish looks, it's impressive that cars look as diverse as they do today.

[slomotion]

All of this "safety" they're building into these new vehicles are slowly weening us from actually driving our cars and trucks. Once we get so complacent that we allow the car or truck to "think" for us what are we going to do when it craps out? Oh, wait...that's where AAA comes in. Can't fix them on the road anymore.
What happens when a "safety" item you depended on doesn't work and you have to go to court because of an accident? The court will not fault the vehicle. It will find the driver at fault regardless of the alarms, bells, and whistles that didn't go off.
I know I'm in the minority, but my new vehicle days are over. I refuse to pay the outrages prices the manufacturers are charging for a new pickup. I would rather drop a few thousand on the average old AWD van for winter driving and a nice old pickup for the spring, summer, fall.

[Nick_R_23]

Seriously, you could fix up a hell of a lot of older pickups for 50 grand...

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Nick_R_23

That's funny, I always referred to it as the 'jellybean trend'.

The second half is also a great point, too. Back 50 years ago, safely and economy standards were a very, very far cry from what manufacturers are required to comply with today. Bumper regulations didn't matter so much, and who cared if it got 10 MPG, as long as it looked cool! Now everything produced has to meet a safety standard and get XX amount of miles per gallon. If you really think about it, when you're hit with these requirements, trying to produce an aerodynamic blob that is designed to minimize injuries upon impact and still have unique stylish looks, it's impressive that cars look as diverse as they do today.

Exactly. Regulations killed style for the most part.
Case in point. The Lamborghini Miura.

No bumpers
12 cylinders (right behind your head) And they would catch on fire.
A pillars are barely there.

You couldn't make that today. It would never pass.
But it did look cool. Just don't get hit in one.



That's why my wife drives an ugly car. It has all wheel drive and a high safety rating. And when you put your loved ones in a car that's really the top priority. I don't care what it looks like as long as she makes it home.

[65truckowner]

I am 42 years old and have never had a daily driver newer than a 1979. I drive a 79 bronco everyday. Yes it may not be as safe as some of the new ones but it has style and lots of chrome and sounds great with a big block 390 under the hood. I put a brand new vintage air system in it to keep me cool in the summer and put sound dampering material under the floor mat. Anything it needs to make it better it gets and I still dont have a payment and never had on a truck or car I have owned. Old iron rules. I own a 74 ford one ton and have owned it over 20 years, a 67 impala ss, a 65 chevy c10 and my 79 bronco.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

The thrill of that new truck will wear off long before the payments stop . I've seen some of the new trucks and they are cool looking but , My last truck is sitting in my garage and it's paid for .I'll stick with low tech trucks without metric bolts .

Being an old truck guy all my life, I would not be buying a new truck for the thrill. It would be to have a truck I can jump in on day 1 and go where ever I need to go, under warranty, for a long time, efficiently, without having to care for it as a 50 year old precious gem. That is why I bought the one new truck I did back in '92. It was something to drive in winter salt and haul full time to relieve myself of all the upkeep on my early '70s trucks to have them as nice as they should be kept. There was no love, just a tool for my trade that I ordered the way I liked. I drove that thing through two complete body style changes until it was considered a nice old truck... 22 year and 335k on original engine. I just hopped in and went and that allowed me to focus my energy where my heart is, on my old trucks. I don't think there are many members here who own their old truck to run the wheels off of it running up and down the road everyday all year round, then grab another.

Originally Posted by Nick_R_23

Seriously, you could fix up a hell of a lot of older pickups for 50 grand...

True, or you could buy a boat. But the point is you would have two completely different things.

[Grumpy old man]

"Being an old truck guy all my life, I would not be buying a new truck for the thrill. It would be to have a truck I can jump in on day 1 and go where ever I need to go, under warranty, for a long time, efficiently, without having to care for it as a 50 year old precious gem."

I understand that , Ms Grumpy and I are going to be snowbirds in a few short years so the most I'll be driving a '67 will be towing a flats boat to the ramp or hitting my buddies local beach bar to check out the bikinis on a Sat . I'll leave 1 here in Tn for the summer cruise to the lake . Ms Grumpy will will have a late model crossover and that's all "we" need . I used to drive 12 hours to get down to Fl but now it's a 1 1/2 hr flight a rental and and I'm drinking a Margarita on the beach by noon . It's cheaper to keep her ( the trucks and Ms Grumpy )

My days of multi state trips to rescue a short bed or hit a show/swap meet are pretty much done . Been there done that .

[Tom]

Originally Posted by OBS454

Crossovers all look the same.... sedans all look the same... coupes all look the same... where are the designers of yesterday?! The vehicles of the past had character and design features that were unique. Now a Kia looks like a Porsche, looks like a BMW, looks like a VW,.... how ordinary and uniform. What next? All manufacturers agree to paint all vehicles gray?

The GTM is not boring. Or even close to boring. Or even on the same planet as boring. The brand spanking new 488GTB...... yeah its actually super boring. So I feel your pain. And flat gray is the new "IN" color fyi hahahahah

[harpo231]

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

My mother bought a new 2012ish Cadillac CTS. Lots and lots of gadgets - tells you how & what to think. Only 20K miles and always garaged, but she just had lot of tech. repairs done. Good thing she had an extended warranty.

Anyway, my step-dad and I pointed toward my 72 Chevy.

Back to that Cadillac. It has some emergency brake system. I backed her car up in the dark. I knew what I was doing, but the car "saw" an embankment well beyond it's brain and locked up. The next day it got excited over repairs needed. What a piece of &*(%.


Oh yeah, and the new Camaros and other hot rods - They can keep those too. They're not that nice, and for the price you're near something spectacular, a classic. Honestly, I wouldn't buy a new car outside Toyota.