Hmm... I don't find crank windows "frustrating" at all. I do agree with the AM/FM radio though. I'm on the road a lot and primarily use my phone and the radio's "AUX" port to stream podcasts and radio stations from all over the world. I have 11 gig of data (got it cheap on a Koodo deal) and although I stream hours of audio I rarely use half of my data allotment.

There are a lot of great Podcasts out there on just about every topic imaginable. Lots of good car related ones.
Get the iHeart radio app and you're good to go. iHeart has lots of commercial free music channels as well as many regional radio stations and the above mentioned podcasts.

Written by a millennial 

I take exception at the headlight switch becoming redundant. Having DRLs standard since 1990 models had created a generation of drivers that doesn't know how to turn on their lights. I see it ALL THE TIME.  A switch. Gee, how difficult is that? You don't ALWAYS need lights on, say, when performing service on an engine. Why burn out those $200 bulbs & pay another $400 in labor to replace one when all you want to do is perform under-hood service? Big Brother (more like Big Bother). Still, people need to learn how to use their lights properly. Based on empirical evidence, most drivers are utterly clueless about them (and signal use!)

Pop-up headlights, yes they have vanished ever since the new lighting systems came into being. Nobody misses replacing one of those $300 motors either.

Parking brakes being redundant? People put way too much faith in a little parking pawl in a transmission. Also automatics are responsible for the North American phenomenon of "pogoing" in heavy traffic. Who knows, with all the driver assist stuff coming online now, perhaps pogoing will diminish.

Lighters & ashtrays were standard equipment in all but the most basic of vehicles. It is actually stunning how pervaisive they were. Even a bottom of the line Strato Chief came with a lighter & 3 ashtrays.

The 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham came with shot glasses & a decanter in the back seat. Try explaining that to a cop or judge today.

I rue the day analog gauges disappear. I think they are better at conveying certain types of information, digital better at others. A mature mix is ideal IMHO.

Automatic seat belts. A bad idea since day 1. Good riddance!

A feature that has sadly vanished from modern cars is the ability to perform your own maintenance. Granted, cars don't need much maintenance now as opposed to frequent 12,000 mile tune-ups & periodic tappet adjustments, but today stuff works until it doesn't, and then you are faced with replacing expensive assemblies (as long as they are available thanks to planned obsolescence.)

 

You know what else has really become "redundant" today? Sports Cars. I love them, but you don't need such an uncompromising car today just to get performance & handling. It is sad to think so many drivers are denied the experience of truly being in control of a vehicle and getting the full sensory feedback. It would make them better drivers. The attitude now seems to be going towards self-driving cars that are electric & silent, so much so that people are sleeping in them. Not hard to imagine since they are so damn boring.

cdnpont wrote:

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Did the girl in the first picture write this? 

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 Nope, look here:

https://www.thethings.com/author/m_glos/

LOL.... obviously written by somebody who was born in the '80s or '90s, and wasn't "there"... most likely they are a young journalist told to write a random article about cars, but are not really a 'car person'.  The title says it all: "20 Car Features That Used To Be ImportantBut Are Useless Today" - really?  Suddenly all these features are useless?  Like... that's sooo 6 months ago.... ;)

For fun, my comments below theirs...

20 AM/FM Radio

 Once upon a time, AM/FM radios were the only way to listen to music (or talk radio) in your car. However, you can now play anything at any time straight from your smartphone, which makes the good ole radio obsolete. Need a weather report or traffic update? Smartphones do that, too.

--> Typical viewpoint in today's world - "the smartphone can handle everything", yup - just design your whole freakin' life around your smartphone.  Just another addiction IMHO.  A classic case of overcomplication when it wasn't really needed (which will be a common theme here, I think).  Old days: turn on the radio, if you don't like what's playing push the button to another station.  No cost involved.  Today: Purchase smartphone and subscribe to data plan.  Upload music to your phone or program desired streaming station - if you don't like what's playing, frig with device or touch screens to change it, and try not to run into anything while you're attention is diverted from the road.  FWIW, AM stations have disappeared from my area, but I still listen to FM - never have a problem finding something I want to listen to, but I can always turn it off and just listen to the car and have my own thoughts (something that seems to be less common these days among smartphone addicts... lol).

19 Headlight Wipers

Headlight wipers were all the rage back in the '90s, but did we ever really need them? I think that most people thought they made your car look more expensive than it really was. But since headlights work just fine in wet weather, these really arent a needed feature today. One less thing to break, right?

--> LOL... (1) Very few cars had headlight wipers back then (maybe European brands mostly?).  (2) Headlights worked just fine in wet weather back then... are they thinking that somehow rain accumulated more on headlights then?  (3) The main reason for them was to wipe off winter road salt and/or mud (not common), but they were not really needed then either.  (4) Today, some vehicles have headlight washers, which essentially do the same thing without the wiper blades...

 

 

18 Cigarette Lighters

Although this feature originally existed to light cigarettes, the socket quickly emerged as a power socket for accessories, such as Walkman or phone chargers.

 

Most car companies started removing these as smoking lost favor and more and more drivers carried smartphones and other devices into their cars. Now, most cars include 12VDC power outlets or even USB adapters built in.

--> Cigarette lighters are only useless when you don't smoke (which I don't).  I guarantee, though (contrary to the title of this article), that if somebody wants to light a cigarette in their car, those 'useless' lighters are much less hazardous than using a flame lighter...

 

17 Hubcaps

Hubcaps used to be a standard feature on nearly every vehicle on the road. As of earlier this decade though, less than 20 percent of vehicles came with hubcaps as a standard feature. We now have a lot less hubcaps littering the sides of busy roads.

--> Duh... Useless?  Hubcaps are still installed on cars with steel wheels, and are no less useful now than they were back then.  Are steel wheels useless?  Uh... no...

 

 

16 Car Phones

Starting in the 1980s, car phones became a must-have item for anyone who spent a fair amount of time in their car. However, as technology improved and mobile phones became pocket-sized, car phones became a distant memory. Plus, thanks to bluetooth connectivity, you can now call your mom while driving without even having to push a single button.

--> Uh... every car has a car phone today - it's called a cell phone.  FWIW, car phones were very rare in the '80s as they were quite expensive.  Does anybody remember those fake plastic antennas that people used to stick on their back windshield to make them look like they had a car phone? 

 

15 Automatic Seat Belts

Back in the day, many cars included seat belt tracks with automatic belts that wrapped around you as you started the engine. In theory, these belts made cars safer for drivers. However, driver side airbags became a mandatory feature around 1995. Once this happened, most manufacturers stopped equipping cars with automatic seat belts.

--> Hmmm... those automatic seat belts were used in conjunction with air bags (seat belts still required today).  The 'auto' feature was only to force lazy people to wear their belts, but were useless because you could simply unbuckle the belt from the little motor in the door frame.  Of course then you would have a little steel piece zipping around the door frame every time you opened or closed the door.  Nah... these were useless from day one.

 

 

14 Manual Windows

Like many items on this list, most people under the age of 30 never dealt with the frustration of manual, or "crank," windows. However, these windows were standard issue for the longest time  even after electric windows entered the world of cars. However, very few companies even offer these as an option anymore, and almost nobody asks for them.

-->  Really?  I bet the writer has never used crank windows before.  They worked just fine, thank you very much.  While power windows are convenient, they add cost and weight to every vehicle, not to mention more complex mechanisms that will fail more frequently.  Unfortunately, the days of the basic, stripped down car that is cheap to buy, are pretty much gone.

 

13 Built-In GPS

 

During the technology boom of the early 2000s, navigation systems such as TomTom and Garmin became must-have gadgets for many tech-savvy men. Car companies quickly jumped onboard by offering built in navigation features. Unfortunately, the maps quickly became outdated and proved ineffective once smartphones became standard fare with Google Maps' real-time navigation info.

-->  Uh... the devices were available concurrently and today's navi systems can be updated via the internet.  An unnecessary expense, for sure, but not useless...

 

 

12 CD Player

 

 

Starting in the 1990s, compact disks were a popular way for people to access their favorite music. Eventually, CD players became a standard feature in most new cars. Today, though, most drivers opt for in-car infotainment systems, which can connect to smartphones and play customized playlists from iTunes or Spotify.

--> Back to the old smart phone thing again... CD players are only "useless" if you don't have CDs to play in them.  While I do often load a bunch of song files on a memory stick for use in a car, I think that today's youth are missing something where streaming is replacing music that you could buy, take home and have a physical copy that you could play on any device as many times as you want to.  Streaming is only as good as the music that is available on it, and your favourite songs can disappear at any time.  Purchased music files can have limitations on how many devices you can use them on.  You are still paying for the music, but are now limited in how you can use it... hey, maybe that's the idea??  lol

 

11 Wing Windows

 

 

Long ago, these tiny windows helped circulate air in cars and keep drivers cool since air conditioning wasnt a standard feature in most cars. However, since 99 percent of all new vehicles now include air conditioning, these tiny windows are no longer needed. Its actually a good thing too, because those windows made it easy to break into cars.

--> Vent windows actually pull air into a car better than today's HVAC systems, and were a nice alternative to rolling down a window.  Just like those good old floor vents would pull lots of air into the car, and worked great on those warm days.  Simple, cheap, less weight... now almost every car has to have air conditioning - expensive, complex, added weight, etc.  And duh... people still break into cars, vent windows or not...

 

 

10 Power Antennas

 

The power antenna was a pretty standard feature from the 1950s until the 1990s. These antennas were fun to watch and they avoided lots of accidents compared to the long antennas that simply stuck out constantly. However, most antennas are barely visible or non-existent thanks to advances in technology and the emergence of digital radio.

--> Not a standard feature, but more a gizmo that looked cool.  Antennae in the glass was done 40 - 50 years ago, so nothing new.  Many cars today have that ugly 'shark fin' stuck to the roof, which is not really an improvement, IMHO.

 

9 Pop-Up Headlights

 

 

Many vehicles once touted pop-up headlights, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. Although not really a needed feature, many people once thought these headlights looked cool and demonstrated expensive engineering. However, we havent seen pop-up headlights on a new car since the Lotus Esprit left production in 2004.

--> Pop-up headlights were a styling fad.  They could just as easily return at any time.  Today's LED headlights allow for lower profiles but are also expensive.  Pop-up headlights were never a requirement, so no more useless today than they were then.

 

 

8 Ashtrays

 

Along with those fancy cigarette lighters, built-in ashtrays are now mostly a thing of the past in automobiles. Smoking has lost a lot of favor over the past 20 years, and many people are cutting back on cigarettes given the massive amount of health problems associated with smoking. Besides, removing these ashtrays makes room for more important things such as USB ports.

--> Again, just related to smoking.  And, we must have those 'important' USB ports for our smartphones... (do I detect a common theme?).

 

7 Hand Brakes

 

 

Hand brakes used to be a standard feature inside most manual transmission vehicles. However, now that automatic transmissions make up 95 percent of new vehicle sales and most cars include features that prevent rolling, these emergency hand brakes no longer serve a logical purpose. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

--> OMG... has this person ever driven a car before?  All vehicles have had "park brakes" (also known as "emergency brakes" or "hand brakes") since, like, forever.  They are meant to keep a car from rolling when it is parked, no matter the transmission (never a good idea to rely on the park pin to hold your car anyhow).  Most cars today have transitioned to the electric park brake, but are still operated by hand... so maybe they should be considered 'hand brakes'?  lol

 

 

6 Front Row Bench Seats

 

Front bench seats used to be an in thing in every vehicle from pickup trucks to sedans. However, several factors made them utterly useless.

 

For starters, these bench seats were popular because people would frequently go to drive in theaters, but now most people prefer fancy cinematic experiences. Secondly, center consoles now take up much of that middle space in the front. And finally, people just prefer bucket seats.

-->  Where do I start here? lol  Car makers put bench seats in cars so people could make out in a drive-in?  lol  That's what back seats were for...  Nah, I'm not going to say any more on this subject...

 

5 Sealed-Beam Headlights

 

 

Although sealed-beam headlights were better than no headlights at the time, they really werent the best at lighting the roads. Today, halogen lamps are far brighter, not to mention that even better options such as projector-beam, LED, xenon, and even laser headlights are now becoming available on more and more models.

-->  Umm... sealed beams were available in halogens, just saying.  See my above comment about unnecessary expense and complication.  Old days:  Headlight is out - go to any automotive store and buy a new one for $10.  Spend 5 - 15 minutes replacing the sealed beam unit.  Today:  If your vehicle still has headlight bulbs, it can take 5 minutes to replace one, if it is conveniently located... or... take apart half of the front end of your car to get at it.  Projector beams, Xenons, LEDs?  Look to spend several hundred dollars to replace one.  Maybe they don't burn out as often, but you are still on the hook of they do, or if they become broken.

 

 

4 Analog Gauges

 

 

These gauges used to be what we needed to read our speed and other aspects of our cars performance. However, just like anything else these days, even car gauges are going all digital. The nice thing about this? We can get readouts instantly that are accurate and store averages over time.

-->  Digital gauges were available back to the 1980s.  Additionally, analog gauges are still very common in today's cars.  A non-item.

 

3 Manual Transmission

 

 

While using three pedals on a clutch-controlled manual transmission vehicle used to be standard to most drivers, automatic transmissions are now everyones preferred method. This is probably because theyre less expensive and more fuel efficient. In fact, manual transmissions are a dying breed; they only make up close to 3 percent of todays car sales.

-->  Written by somebody who doesn't enjoy driving.

 

 

2 Headlight Switches

 

 

Back in the day, we all had to turn on our headlights on our own, hence headlight switches. Now? Most cars include sensing technology that can tell when you enter low-lit areas or require headlights due to weather conditions. The best part? There are less and less people driving around without headlights on because they forgot to flip them on or turn the switch when they started driving.

-->  Auto-headlights are not standard across the board.  Now, this great 'sensing technology' will also allow auto high beams that come on just as another vehicle approaches from around a turn.  People only started forgetting to turn on their headlights when dashboards were lit all the time.  Again, overcomplication to solve a problem that was not really a problem...

 

1 Carburetors

 

 

Carburetors went through many overhauls and came in many forms. However, no matter which carburetor came in your car, they all sucked and required adjustments over time. Honestly, nobody misses these archaic fuel-delivery setups that have since gone by the wayside thanks to more advanced technology and less temperamental fuel systems.

-->  Today's requirements for emissions and fuel economy necessitate fuel injection.  Carburetors were great for their simplicity and tunability.  Not really useless, but not applicable to today's vehicles.  Ha ha, at least you can tune today's cars with your smartphone, so they must be better, right?