Brit drivers hate ‘confusing’ modern tech in new cars and miss ‘old fashioned’ knobs and buttons, study shows

SIX in 10 motorists think modern tech is taking the fun out of driving – and will miss spare wheels, handbrakes, and manual gears when they become obsolete.

A poll of 2,000 drivers aged 18 plus found 33 per cent will be sad when spare wheels are completely phased out.

Handbrake levers (31 per cent), manual gears (28 per cent), clutch pedals (28 per cent), engine noise (26 per cent), and key ignition (24 per cent) will be missed too.

With 59 per cent admitting they struggle to get their head around all the features on modern cars.

The research was commissioned by car shopping site CarGurus, which has created a guide on popular retro car features and which models still feature them.

This comes after the study revealed the features drivers are most nostalgic about – including tape decks (19 per cent), door mirrors as oppose to cameras (17 per cent), and dashboard buttons (14 per cent).

Chris Knapman, CarGurus UK editorial director, said: “As new models continue to be released with the latest technology, there is clearly plenty of appetite from consumers to hold onto some traditional features.

“A mixture of nostalgia and user-friendliness has drivers wishing to have more analogue elements to their cars, while, at the same time, appreciating the added safety and convenience offered by today’s modern features.”         

It also emerged 44 per cent don’t tend to use new tech-driven features such as lane assist because they find them distracting or don’t trust them.    

And with touchscreens increasingly becoming the norm in modern cars, 49 per cent yearn for ‘old fashioned’ knobs and buttons.

But perhaps surprisingly, more than any other age group, its 18 to 24 year olds who would feel the loss of such controls the most (56 per cent).

Those aged 65 and over are most likely to miss the spare wheel (49 per cent) and manual gearboxes (35 per cent).

But drivers aged 18 to 24 will long for pop up headlights (21 per cent) and manual sunroofs (20 per cent).

More than half (55 per cent) of everyone polled think new drivers will miss out on the joys of driving due to the phasing out of traditional features.

And 52 per cent agree the end of manual controls like handbrake levers and clutch pedals will make hitting the road less enjoyable.

Interestingly, again more than any other age group, it’s 18 to 24-year-olds which think modern technology is taking the fun out of driving (82 per cent).

In comparison, 50 per cent of those aged 65 and over feel the same way.

The study also found 45 per cent believe roads are becoming safer due to increased technology in cars.   

Similarly, 53 per cent reckon technology advancements are making vehicles easier to drive.

Although 55 per cent think driving skills are on the decline due to modern features.    

Among the modern features people appreciate the most are parking sensors (50 per cent), reverse cameras (44 per cent), and heated seats (36 per cent).

And the most used tech features during a typical drive are rain-sensing windscreen wipers (63 per cent) and reverse cameras (59 per cent).

When buying their most recent vehicle, 57 per cent of drivers said tech is a moderate or high priority.

But 49 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds have purchased a car specifically because it had more traditional features, compared to eight per cent of those aged 65 and over.

Features motorists want to see in cars of the future include wireless charging for EVs (33 per cent), external airbags (25 per cent), and digital windscreens (24 per cent).

In terms of self-driving cars, 29 per cent are ‘cautious’ about them, while 24 per cent are ‘worried.’

With 49 per cent of those polled via OnePoll ‘unlikely’ to consider purchasing one – although 33 per cent would.

Chris Knapman added: “Some of the modern technology within new cars is desirable and valued, but there are various elements that drivers would prefer to avoid – and this balance is unique to each person.

“The good news for drivers looking to hold onto their favourite aspects of analogue driving is that the used-car market offers a selection of models with a great mix of both new and older features.”