Folks, it’s once again time to gather ’round the QOTD tree and exchange gripes and grumbles. Earlier this week, I asked you all for your least favorite current automotive trends, and you turned in a wealth of answers. Today, we’re looking through your responses to see what the absolute worst parts of the new car landscape in 2026 really are.
One notable omission, something that didn’t really come up within the most-liked answers, was the size of modern pickups. I’ve been behind the wheel of one for the past few days — keep an eye out for a review — and it’s staggering how much bigger it is than the model’s prior generations. The bed’s the same size, the usable space seems no different, so why is the exterior of the truck so much bigger? That’s my latest gripe, anyway, but without any further ado let’s get on to all your lovely answers.
Electric door handles
Electric exterior door handles. They’re heavier and more failure prone than mechanical ones. They’re the ideal solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
Submitted by: Joe Stricker
Thin tires
Low profile wheels with minimal sidewall – on everything – from SUVs to performance sedans. I will gladly sacrifice marginal gains in handling for a more comfortable ride and not having to hold my breath over potholes.
Submitted by: Sector7GWagen
Touchscreens and capacitive buttons
The removal of real buttons in the cabin. Touch screens & capacitive buttons in cars need to banned.
And the trend towards electronic door handles that don’t work when the car loses power. Those also need to be banned.
Submitted by: Blessings
Fancy interiors
luxe interiors.
We have come to expect so much from cars and then we wonder why there aren’t any cheap options. “Ugh, the dash feels like fisher price plastic!” “The steering wheel isn’t even heated!” “sure it’s a manual but it’s only a basic 5-speed.” We are spoiled but we want it cheap.
I was at a car show this weekend. One of the cars I saw was a Ferrari California and the interior was honestly pretty simple and pedestrian compared to what we expect from even the most basic cars today. The 911 targa was positively spartan to the point that you could easily see where the carpet stopped and the metal beneath was showing. Cars we think of as enormous iron giants- Montereys, continentals- the interiors were tiny compared even with something as basic as my Outback- I would much rather sit in the back seat of my outback than the back seat of a 41 continental. The triumph tr3 was essentially a go cart by modern standards.
We want simple, basic and cheap but the second we see it on the sales floor, we turn away. We need a return to functional basic interior design for cars but for that to happen we need to be OK with basic. Yes, the dash is hard plastic. The carpet is thin, it’s really only just under your feet and that’s fine. It’s just as safe as a more expensive car but the sound deadening and electronics are pretty basic. And that’s fine.
We need to learn to be ok with basic.
Submitted by: Buckfiddious
Subscriptions
The industry is trending towards a subscription service for features already installed in the car you bought. Monthly bills to use the hardware on the car you purchased needs to be stopped now and never allowed to happen.
Submitted by: Old_SLAAB_Guy
Low visibility
High belt lines with tiny glass area resulting in horrible sightlines for drivers.
We shouldn’t need cameras to maneuver in close quarters. This whole trend is highly unsafe for everyone, especially pedestrians.
Some manufacturers still make cars with proper sightlines (Tesla, Subaru, some Hondas), but most just go with the trend and use the excuse they need massive doors to pass crash testing when in fact they’ve just made their vehicles less safe.
Submitted by: Factoryhack
Always-on gauge clusters
Always lit dashboards. Used to be that was your first reminder that your headlights weren’t on because you couldn’t see your guages. Now I constantly see people driving at night with just their DRL’s and no taillights. If the dashboard is going to be constantly lit, then the headlights need to be auto on/off only.
Submitted by: Michael Tonelli
Lots of lights
LED lights everywhere as a styling element. It started out tasteful – Audi started with the R8 and the A8 having LED light strips in the headlights as their DRLs. And then they crept to the taillights, which makes sense since these can last the life of the car. Plus they can be twisted and bent into unique shapes. But like all trends, once everyone gets involved with it, it goes WAY over the top (cough…Genesis…cough) Now we have tacky LED light bars spanning the front grill. LED-lit badging. LED streaks up hoods and on front fenders. LEDs covering dashboards and interior door panels. And LED “headlights” being tossed all over the front of an obnoxious grille. It’s a styling crutch. And I’ve already seen H/K/G almost new vehicles with some LEDs already dead. They cost a fortune to replace, so they’ll likely stay dead and look really tacky.
You know, I read Car and Driver online, and reading their comparison tests from the 1990s and early 2000s makes me miss that era of cars. Like a sports sedan comparison from 2004. Every single one of those cars, ranging from Saab to Jaguar to Acura (that stellar TL) to BMW had elegant, clean designs that didn’t rely on obnoxious, overdone lighting and tacky design addons like the honeycomb trim everywhere, slashes in doors and fenders, and oversized wheels. They all still look good to this day.
Submitted by: Xavier96
Vertical infotainment
Center infotainment screens that look like propped up i pads, some manufacturers do a great job integrating them and most don’t bother at all.
Submitted by: analog able digital do
Gratuitous sport badging
Putting a “Sport” badge on things that arent remotely close to being sporty/putting the badge on and changing nothing with the engine tuning or suspension set up.
I chuckle every time I see a Crosstrek “Sport” on the road. If youve never driven one I can assure you my buddies Ebike is faster.
Submitted by: Nick B
