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Can't stand the drive by wire throttle, and the new style transmissions. Everything seems to lag and hesitate.
Other than that, love the new modern vehicles and all they offer.
This is my biggest concern with newer vehicles as well. Every new car/truck I own either has a tuned ECM or a throttle enhancement device to address these issues. Throttle enhancement devices in particular make a remarkable difference in drivability. Pedal position is an integral part of automatic transmission shift programming, so a throttle enhancer makes a big difference in laggy/slow shifting. The difference is truly remarkable.
This items are available for more than just performance cars. I have a 2019 Ford Transit 15 passenger van with both a throttle enhancer and a piggy-back tune, both of which make it almost enjoyable to drive.
Apparently the youngsters DO prefer all of this. The youngsters today don't want the soft sofa like comfortable seats of years past.
Firm small hard seats with jet fighter cockpit seating with huge consoles to hook up their gadgets and plenty of cup holders for their lattes.
Sorry, you are from a generation past.
I'm almost 60 years and don't want soft suspension, slow steering, or couch-like seats. While I don't typically consume beverages while driving, I do appreciate large consoles.
In January I bought a new Honda Accord Hybrid. Most delightful car I've ever driven. Smooth ride, quiet as a ghost, comfortable seats, very precise steering, maybe 3 turns lock-to-lock, smooth powerful acceleration, wonderfully controllable. Also gets a real MPG of 42 to 46 the way I drive it.
The 15-year-old Sienna it replaced was a very nice car when new, especially for a van. Now the Sienna has 212K miles. Still starts and runs like new, though just recently one of the doors has started to rattle a little. Never ANY transmission work, and engine tune-ups every 80,000 miles whether it needed it or not.
But this Accord feels like you don't drive it, you wear it.
Is that what some people are calling "twitchy"? Maybe they're used to old clunkers not designed to last more than 100K miles?
In January I bought a new Honda Accord Hybrid. Most delightful car I've ever driven. Smooth ride, quiet as a ghost, comfortable seats, very precise steering, maybe 3 turns lock-to-lock, smooth powerful acceleration, wonderfully controllable. Also gets a real MPG of 42 to 46 the way I drive it.
The 15-year-old Sienna it replaced was a very nice car when new, especially for a van. Now the Sienna has 212K miles. Still starts and runs like new, though just recently one of the doors has started to rattle a little. Never ANY transmission work, and engine tune-ups every 80,000 miles whether it needed it or not.
But this Accord feels like you don't drive it, you wear it.
Is that what some people are calling "twitchy"? Maybe they're used to old clunkers not designed to last more than 100K miles?
Not sure about "old clunkers," but my '66 Dart GT V-8 lasted well over 100,000 miles with the original engine and transmission. Engine was rebuilt at 170,000 miles only because it was burning oil. And I did not pamper it... numerous burnouts, winding out 1st gear to 40 mph and 2nd gear to 70 mph. Never a complaint from the engine or drivetrain.
Same thing with my brother's '66 Plymouth Fury III (318). Lasted easily over 100,000 miles and I never saw that car being towed home.
The throttle and gearbox programming is setup for fuel economy now not drive-ability, makes for a poor driving experience.
I had a Kia Sedona once where you could jamb the throttle pedal to the floor and back without the engine coming off idle and the gearbox would literally let the engine stall before it panicked and shifted down several gears and give you whiplash. Brakes were touchy, you could stand the thing on it's nose by accident lol.
I have a Sienna now and it is a tad slow to respond but OK. Worst thing is the throttle tip in is very sharp...I am not trying to win the stop light race but it looks like it.
Yeah, give me back my Mk2 Ford Escort, Opel Manta or Audi coupe quattro any day.
it's interesting that people are getting triggered by this term or that it is catching on. I know there is a negative connotation implied in it but I perceive none of it.
I drive 2005, 2014 & 2019 cars and the 2005 feels the most relaxed and comfortable to drive.
New cars feels twitchy. Steering too twitchy , handling too firm, ride too hard. They feel too sharp and the engije/tranny combo feels too busy.
In fact the only aspect they've dumbed down is the accelerator pedal which has become very vague and insensitive requiring lots of pressure for little forward momentum.
Steering has become a major nightmare - either it's super light with no feel and razer sharp response or worse when they aim for the "sports feel" with ridiculous amounts of weight which just gives a vague and heavy feel.
Where as the 2005 car feels very well balanced, softer handling and can be driven with just one finger on the wheel. Perfectly fluid weighted steering with perfect feedback.
Anyone else have similar experiences ?
I noticed that on my wife's 2013 Civic. I really think its a tuning decision made for more MPG's. The car begged for a stick shift. Want to pass...Smash accelerator...Car asks "Are you sure?"...then you get your downshift and acceleration.
It was also "twitchy" off the line...so people didn't think they were driving an underpowered 4 banger; you'd leap off the line from stopsigns.
I have a Prius V and I like the EPS. It's consistent and responsive and not too heavy or too light.
I know some vehicles have really twitchy trannys at lower speeds especially the DCT vehicles. Also with hydraulic power steering it had a more smooth and natural feel where now electronic power steering can provider a bigger difference in adjustable damping. Yet in some modes the on center steering is terrible and turning to the sides can feel overboosted and twitchy.
I'm almost 60 years and don't want soft suspension, slow steering, or couch-like seats. While I don't typically consume beverages while driving, I do appreciate large consoles.
Thank you for mentioning this! I'm awfully tired of the trope that when somebody reaches the age of gray-hair and reading-glasses, suddenly they're only suited for jacked-up SUVs with Barca-lounger seats with integrated hot-water bottle. By one reckoning, middle-age (or older) is the ideal time to enjoy a fine machine optimized for acceleration and handling, rather than efficiency, comfort or "safety".
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