Be Excellent To Each Other

The Merc doesn't have a driver's side cup holder!

Fuck, get rid. Crime against humanity, that - same reason I got rid of the 6 Series I had

It's funny though how the little things annoy you. In the 6 it was no cup holder, in the Leaf it's the way I have to tap OK on the head unit to use it every time o start the car (stupid telematics privacy disclaimer thing) and even the Celica isn't immune - I'm just the right height to have the same problem as Findus Fop, and the seats aren't height adjustable.

Does it have a central one?

That does sound really shit, no cup holders, where does the drink go when you need to take a bite from the burger, or grab a handful of chips? Held between the legs? I weep for society

Beer helmet!

But then it might spill as you dip your head to see past the wheel to the speedo

Point

Not really. There's one on the passenger side (although within reach) and fold out ones for the rear passengers in the central bit where the armrest comes down.

Ze Deutsche auto ist bilt vor driving. Kein distraction! Only drive!

That's bobbins. Even the fucking Tomcat had cupholders.

The Cube has 6... all within easy reach. One of them is the small variety too which is ideal for those small cans of energy drink or Gin and Tonic in a tin, if you will.

Actualky, lady T's dad has a Merc of similar age and model. It doesn't have proper cupholders either but the cubby under the centre armrest has a felt-like lining so the coins inside don't slide around as noisily. That's something, right?

You'll have plenty of coins because you won't be using them to buy drinks so yeah, I guess that works?

Heh.
Modern car niggles.... electronic handbrakes. Need I say more?

The Amarok manages to have two big ol' cup holders in the centre console AND a proper old school handbrake. I lurrrve that truck.

Yeah mine has that too. It also has seatbelt extenders that bring the seatbelt to you when the ignition is started. No reaching around for it like some kind of chump!

Huh, the Touareg has a pedal handbrake.

I've never really minded electronic handbrakes, to be honest. I ignore them, and they ignore me.

I think it's because VW assume (quite rightly ) that Amarok drivers are far too hairy-arsed Builder types for electric handbrakes, who might, in fact, rip a girly electronic handbrake switch from the dashboard in frustration at being "bonged" at ceaselessly when attempting start-stop driving around a building site.

But seriously, ignoring 'em ain't an option, is it? True, there's variation between marques; the Range Rover is relatively politely persistent; she'll whine and moan a bit but will at least allow you to pull away [Title btw ], but Porsches are full-on German Dominatrix whereby you can't even do anything without either buckling up or applying the footbrake *and* pushing/pulling (I can never remember) the fucking handbrake button a certain way. I mean, can anything be more annoying than the tell-tale judder and alarm; the car stopping you from driving off and actually you're in a flippin' hurry...? Shit, I hate being told what to do at the best of times, let alone by a bloody *car* that I bastard well paid for to boot. Perhaps it's just me though.

The Ford C-Max I had a turn in that had one basically just turned it off when you started driving and turned it on when you stopped. I don't even know if it had a switch.

I'm sure the Range Rover I tried with one whined at you a bit but then turned it off once you got over 5mph, or something.

I can imagine getting annoyed at it not letting me drive the car until I'd pressed a button, however.

I think, like most things, the safety nags become more onerous and invasive over time.

In 20 years we won't even be able to pull away without entering a destination for the self-drive to lock on to, so I suppose I should just enjoy this stuff whilst I still can.

Not at all tall, 5.10. just precisely the wrong height for the car. May see if I can adjust the seat height.

Change your wheel.

What's the range on those keyless entry devices? I can remember trying a friends car and he got a 100 foot away from the car and it was still unlocked. Do they have timers and motion sensors, so if your keys are in your house, but are only about 12-15 foot away the car will lock itself anyway?

I'm not a particular fan of those brake assist systems that stop cars rolling back if you're on a hill. I recall being in a rental golf a couple of years ago and it wouldn't disengage immediately even if I put the car in reverse.

As a child I recall petitioning Big Poppa Fop to saw the tops and bottoms off his Austin Montego's steering wheel in order to make it more like a racing car.

*My* car has a normal handbrake *and* a (rubbish) driver's side cup holder.

Suck it, posh car owners.

Now I'm regretting not checking the cup holder arrangement on the new car I've ordered.

Aha! What new car you gone for then?
/score cards at the ready

Merc GLC sport. I exciting I know.

Pretty decent wheels to be fair!

Two in the driver's door, two under that little door in front of the the gearstick (which I thought was just a phone laying there to start with). It passes!

I have absolutely never, ever sussed out Mercedes' driver interface stuff when I've hired a C-Class or E-Class (both great, comfy barges for soaking up endless motorway miles in complete, cossetted comfort and surprising turn of speed/good economy too, especially the E-Class which is a great place to sit). What is it with that thing that sort of looks like an old Motorrola flip-phone from the late 90s ("Hello Moto" ), but doesn't appear to do fuck all?

As for the lack of touchscreen... gnnngh...GNNNGH....PLEEEASE_MAKE_IT_STOP I just want directions to the shops you bastard.... I mean, it was all so easy and simple on a £99 TomTom with touchscreen c.2003, why can't we have one now? I seriously, seriously could not buy any car, no matter how good, which did not have a touchscreen - the Amarok, RR and GT4 all have them.

The Merc might have a touchscreen?

None of the ones I've driven have. You can probably pay extra for one......

Someone's ranting about this very thing here (Google is a wonderful thing ) and they even manage to reference the old Williams coin-op classic Tempest... so frankly I think I'll leave it to them, no sense reinventing the wheel eh?



http://jalopnik.com/any-carmaker-still- ... 1788825213

Oh yes I totally agree with the sentiment, having very quickly got used to the touchscreen in the Type-R - (along with pinch/swipe/drag/etc as EVERYONE including my 81 year old mother-in-law is entirely familiar with thanks to her iPad) - it's fair to say I'm not missing the MMI system in the S4 one little bit, with its 475 buttons, little joystick and twirly wheel thing.

It's not even like touchscreens will cost much more to implement, but I suppose they may take some programming work on the part of the manufacturers.

But yeah, if I were buying a new car, especially a pricey one, and it didn't have a touchscreen - I'd be narked. (I mean, Vauxhall are putting them in Corsas....)

One thing I will say though is you can't replace everything with a touchscreen, some controls still need to have physical buttons I think.

Obvious really simple examples are volume controls, next/previous track, the telephone controls, cruise controls etc - all those are on the steering wheel in the Type-R as physical buttons as well as on the touchscreen.

Similarly all the climate control/windscreen clear/heated rear window etc are still physical buttons, lights and fog lights etc - anything that you would legitimately want to be changing whilst on the move needs to be available on physical buttons you can feel your way to without having to take your eyes off the road.

No one would use an iPad whilst they were driving, after all.

Oh, I've got no problem with buttons (within reason).
Its stupid menus, sub-menus and sub-sub-sub menus for fairly mainstream functions, as accessible only via some stupid twirly knob/"enter" and "back" keys whilst distractedly trying to bloody drive, with no ability just to touch the screen choices that I have a problem with. No-one invents a phone or tablet with a wheel to enter one digit at a time, so I really don't see why a car UI is fundamentally any different.

So the S4 spent just about one day on sale before being punted on......

I thought it'd go pretty quickly TBH, it's very a nice car.

It's only because I've wanted an FK2 Type-R so much since I first clamped eyes on one that I've made the change.

The commute was a joy today with my newly fixed rear wash wiper water jet.

The thingy is the touchpad for the non touchscreen. Ive no idea why either. Maybe after 34 months on the lease I'll have worked it out.

A very fine, even spray that covers the whole rear.

And then, the wipe

I've sure I've seen a film about that at some point.

But at least you won't find yurself dangling upside down in you car that has mysteriously put itself on its head.

Problem solved. Sinister facebook must know our troubles and is kindly offering suggestions. This was on one of those 'listicles' that FB loves to promote:

Mother of Christ look at how fit the new NSX GT3 is:

EASILY DEFEATED BY..... Speed bumps.

Much nicer than the vanilla NSX, which isn't a patch on the old one imo.

How many cup holders though?

Malicool

Welp, you ruined it