Reader Question: Worst New Car Feature?

Here’s the latest reader question, along with my reply!

Tamara asks: In your opinion, what is the single worst new car feature?

My reply: Have I got space for this?

If I had to name just one, it’d be the “feature” common to almost every new car – horrendous visibility to the rear and sides. I’ve ranted about this before, at length, so I’ll keep it brief here. The government – that is to say, the busybodies and control freaks who constitute it – hurls fatwas that all new cars must be “safe” as defined by, among other things, their being able to absorb a side-impact hit of such-and-such force and support the weight of the vehicle if turned upside down, without the roof crushing the occupants. To comply with these fatwas, cars are built with A, B and C pillars that are at least twice and often three or four times as thick as was once typical – and very high door sills.

These combine to create enormous blind spots, making it much more likely you will have an accident. Good thing they are more survivable now, eh?

I think it’d be sounder policy to design cars with better visibility, which would make an accident less likely. A car that isn’t crashed being the safest car of all.

But that’s just me!

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