These Are The Things Our Readers Hope A Redesign Fixes On Their Cars

No matter how perfect your car is for your lifestyle, no car can truly be perfect. There’s always going to be something that annoys you, and it doesn’t even have to mean you hate your car. You can absolutely adore it and still wish they’d done a few things differently. In fact, it’s completely normal, and I’d be more suspicious of someone who actually insists there isn’t a single thing they would change about their car if that was possible.

Thankfully, automakers do sometimes take owner feedback into account when making decisions about their next redesign. With that in mind, on Thursday, we asked you what you hope the next redesign fixes about your car. Some complaints were a bigger deal than my issue with the 500e’s sun visors, and some were about on par, but let’s take a look at some of your most popular responses.

VW GTI and R need to come back with manual transmissions and all the knobs and dials.

Suggested by: 17Seconds

I’ve mentioned many of these before on this site in different articles, and now that the Camry did get a refresh last year, I am not sure if any of them have been addressed, but here goes (again) related to my 2022 Camry:

-remote start stays on when you actually open your vehicle (it currently shuts off when you unlock and you have to restart the car);

-rear seat pass-through (instead of folding 1/3 – or 2/3 – of the seat down);

-radio/audio stays on until you open the car door (it currently shuts off when you turn the car off);

-wireless Android Auto/Car Play;

-AWD that does not automatically engage at or below 37 degrees F but rather engages when traction is an issue; and

-ventilated seats as an a la carte (or other pkg option) that does not require a $5000 package upgrade, primarily centered on a “navigation system”

Suggested by: 86eldorado

If the Chevrolet Volt was still in production, I would hope the next redesign fixes visibility. Just parking in a parking lot is a minor annoyance as the structure makes it hard to see the space. Sometimes, I have to open the door just to see if I’m between the lines. A bigger issue is the huge blind spots the vehicle’s shape creates. Every time I change lanes, I’m afraid I will hit something even with diligent mirror and shoulder checking.

Suggested by: Giantsgiants

The 2023 Mach E. On a redesign…

I love the design of it, for a 5-seat SUV it really looks pretty good on the road, not great, but like it could be so much worse or boring.

If anything, I want it 7/8s the size. I get the platform needed to be a certain size to get the 100kwh battery pack into the extended range (91kwh published+10% reserve cells=100kwh) but as solid-state batteries come to be, there is some size savings that could happen.

It’s too wide, it’s very long, and the rear-suspension is lacking thanks to the shape and location of the battery.

So these improvements all naturally get worked out with a smaller, denser battery.

Also, actual door handles.

Otherwise, this car is amazing value.

Suggested by: potbellyjoe

2022 Bronco, 2 door, V6, Badlands trim.

Things that could be better:

Gas tank capacity. 16 gallons sounds like enough, but pushing a heavy, tall, wide vehicle with the aerodynamics a barn door through the air at 80 mph drains it quickly.

Tailgate. It swings open like a door, I’d rather it opened like a regular tailgate.

Interior storage space. It’s a large, boxy shape, they could do better utilizing the available space, nooks, and crannies to provide storage. Yes, it has a large center console – with a tiny storage under the armrest. Yes, it has storage compartment under the floor by the tailgate – but it’s small and weirdly shaped.

Rear seat doesn’t fold flat. Yes, it folds, but the seat bottom isn’t flat with the floor. Hey, crossovers and minivans can do it, I’m sure Ford can reshape the floorpan a little to make it possible.

Oh, and V8/manual trans. The twin turbo V6 is ok, but a V8 will fit – drop one in.

Suggested by: ThatGuy

Mine wont get a redesign a Kia just killed the Soul and ended production of the turbo model that I drive back in 2022. There is a pretty significant reason the turbo didnt sell well. It has a terrible dual clutch gearbox that changes gears poorly at 10 mph, 20 mph and 30 mph. Either fix the ratio or get rid of the gearbox to make this thing actually fun and they could have sold a ton of these things

Suggested by: Gerrit DeBoer

There’s not much I could change on a Miata RF because I recognize the space or design limitations. I’d obviously like the bigger screen they’ve since installed, but things like a deeper center console, grown-up cup holders or a full-size glove box – it becomes “where could we put it without making the car bigger and, as a result, heavier?”

But it’d be helpful to have a sort of document shelf where one could put the registration and stuff – maybe where the glove box might be? The cube shaped storage cubby wastes a bunch of space unless one buys a little “locker shelf”.

Also I miss true variable speed wipers, and my secret to more cabin room is being able to get the front of the seat cushion to adjust higher.

Finally, if you insist on to oxymoronically putting a cabin air filter in an open-top car, maybe it needs to be accessible without completely disassembling the passenger-side interior (check YouTube)?

Suggested by: DungBeetle62

Crosstrek redesign.

One more inch of ground clearance. Yes. I can do a lift of up to 1.5 inches without messing up any driveline or suspension geometry. But if they could just do it from the factory, that would be great.

Turbo. Please just give us a turbo on the 2.5litre

Make the front camera standard on all trim lines. I have it on my ’22 Outdoor and it’s brilliant.

Suggested by: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy

I hope that Audi admits that Sonos audio system was a major mistake and puts a better stereo in the next A3/S3/RS3/Q3. For as much power as it has, plus number of speakers and speaker location, you’d think that it would fill the small car with concert quality sound. Instead, it sounds like the audio is coming from underwater or mud, and way too much audio comes from the front center which kills any chance of total immersion in sound. And in a car that starts above 50K (S3) and 70K (RS3), creature comforts like ventilated seats and heated steering wheel should be standard, like in the competition. Not necessary, but nice to have.

Suggested by: Xavier96

While I’m not going to replace my Giulia, I hope the next redesign makes the car slightly longer while still preserving the lightness compared to the competition. Hopefully they also preserve physical buttons and also have a mid-tier engine option that would be a competitor to the M340 and C43 while also not being a worry for the stereotypical Alfa reliability haters (e.g. a hurricane 6 underneath the QV’s Ferrari-derived V6).

Basically things that just make it competitive again to comparison shoppers so it’s not just people who specifically really want an Alfa that buy them.

And they better market the damn thing.

Suggested by: Wantsamanuelalpharomero