The Real Reason Why Modern Cars Feel So Smooth

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Table of Contents

• The Real Reason Why New Cars Feel So Smooth and Wh …

• Squeezed in Every Market, Tesla Plays its Last Car …

• Hate Modern EVs All You Want, but CARB-Era Electri …

• Why Ford Mustang GTD Owners Can't Drive Their Cars …

• Spy Photos and Renderings of the Week

• Android Auto Glitches; Cops Hate Waze; What Else i …

• The finish line 🏁

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The Real Reason Why New Cars Feel So Smooth and Why MY2017+ Is the Turning Point

By: Sergiu Tudose

Somewhere around the mid-to-late 2010s, a wide range of passenger cars stopped feeling like clunky mechanical objects and started feeling more effortless to drive. People don’t really talk about it because it’s gone mostly unnoticed on an industry-wide scale.

As Jerry Seinfeld would put it, what’s the deal with cars feeling smoother and more effortless to drive? And what happened in the late 2010s that resulted in this being the case? Well, I’ll tell you – but first, let me come clean about the fact that I still find older cars extremely charming.

I love me some good nostalgia, and it’s not because older cars make us work a little harder (I actually don’t enjoy that). It’s because they tug at our heartstrings in various other ways, be it how they look or the memories they bring back.

The thing is, no matter how much we romanticize the past, modern cars are objectively and consistently easier to live with. Not just because of new tech features like driver aids and fancy large screens, but because something fundamental has happened in the way new cars behave. You don’t even have to go that far back to get it. Try stepping out of a 2012 model and into a 2022 equivalent.

“Why does this feel so much smoother and easier to maneuver? Did power steering suddenly get better?”

The answer is yes. It has. Along with a number of other things – like gearboxes, throttle mapping, vibration countermeasures, plus one huge reason I’ll get to in a second.

Back in 2015, some carmakers were still busy trying to figure out how to replace hydraulic steering systems with electronics. Early electric power steering systems, like those from the late 2000s, were somewhat flawed. They felt either rubbery or numb, especially at speed. Meanwhile, today’s systems are a lot more advanced, which is why modern cars require less effort to turn the wheel at parking speeds, while still maintaining stability at highway speeds.

As for gearboxes, I’m sure you’re all aware of the progress we’ve made. Overall shift logic is better, throttle mapping is more intuitive, I mean, it’s no wonder that modern cars feel as though they’re not here to resist your inputs, but to help you channel them as best you can.

Note: please continue reading the full article on our site.

Squeezed in Every Market, Tesla Plays its Last Card: Autonomous Driving

By: Cristian Agatie

Elon Musk insists that Tesla should not be judged as a carmaker anymore, even though the company brags about still having a lead in EV sales with the Model Y. However, even the Model Y went from being the best-selling car to the best-selling EV, leapfrogged in many markets by more agile competitors. That's why Musk wants to change the narrative and insists on Tesla being an AI company. 

However, this sounds more like giving up when the going gets tough than a strategic repositioning. Tesla has been the undisputed king of EV manufacturing, with plans to produce 20 million cars per year in every segment and every market. Those plans have been scrapped as competition increased, while Musk is looking at other things where Tesla can be a leader. 

These other things now include robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous driving. These are likely new sectors that Tesla will vacate next, as the competition increases. It's already pretty visible with robots (on feet, not on wheels, as Musk loves calling Tesla EVs). The Optimus robot is not making much progress despite Tesla's efforts to constantly add new degrees of freedom to the robot's hands. 

It could be a similar trend with autonomous vehicles and robotaxis. Tesla is in a hurry to get its Full Self-Driving software approved by regulators around the world. This explains the massive push in Europe, where the company started offering demo rides to the public using a localized version of FSD V14. While the tests are going smoothly and the Europeans are in awe, they are far from perfect, as some testers noticed. In several cases, the supervisor had to intervene to correct what could've been costly mistakes. 

This proves that, even though Tesla FSD has improved tremendously in a relatively short time frame, it's still not ready to be unleashed without supervision. Meanwhile, almost every car manufacturer is working on their own self-driving solutions. They might be years from catching Tesla FSD in smoothness and capabilities, but they are relentless, something that cannot be said about Musk. 

This is true for almost every facet of Tesla's complex business, which indicates that happy days might be over for Elon Musk's company. It no longer has a product that provides a significant technological lead over the competition. Autonomous driving might be Musk's last big bet before throwing in the towel.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

Hate Modern EVs All You Want, but CARB-Era Electric Cars Are Timeless Cool

By: Benny Kirk

I want you to take a second and think about all the things you dislike about modern EVs. They're overly tech-heavy and impersonal as a result. Additionally, they were imposed upon us for so long that people grew tired of being told what to do. However, you can't say that about the early days, when EVs were genuine rebels.

Thanks to a group of YouTubers who preserve CARB-era EVs, we can be reminded of a time when electric cars were the punk rock kids of the US automotive scene. A time in the mid-to-late 1990s when even the idea of an electric vehicle sharing the roads with F-150s and Corollas of all sorts was legitimately laughable. Back then, it only made sense that the ancestral home of punk rock and the hippie movement birthed the first true challenge to internal combustion since World War I was just the World War.

There was simply no need to invest in finding minerals to mine and turn into batteries for personal transportation after World War II, especially when vast pools of oil were being discovered worldwide on a routine basis. It didn't help that engineers figured out how to mitigate most of the aspects of owning a combustion-powered passenger car around the end of the war.

No longer was it an affair that left owners consistently covered in a thick film of grit and oil. At least, it wasn't daily anymore. This, coupled with the absurdly low cost of petroleum products at the time, effectively render

ed the need for electric vehicles null and void. Knowing this, it stands to reason why there was no significant venture conceptualizing the idea of an EV for much of the latter 20th century.

Well, there was the Renault-based Henney Kilowatt, as well as a couple of concept cars from Chevrolet over the years. But less than 50 Kilowatts were ever sold, and the Chevy Electrovair and Electrovette were never put into production. For all intents and purposes, the most significant electric vehicle of the 20th century was NASA's Lunar Roving Vehicle, used on the Moon during the Apollo program.

Without demand, EV batteries and charging hardware seldom made meaningful breakthroughs around this time. Even the catastrophic 1973 oil crisis that sent Americans waiting at the gas pump for weeks failed to do much but force American cars into smaller proportions. Still, their ICE hearts remained, choked to the gills with emissions restrictions. And yet, the idea of a motor vehicle being powered by the same tech as a golf cart or a food blender still seemed comical to most.

That was, until a group you've probably heard of before issued a ground-breaking declaration in the 1990s. Of course, that'd be the California Air Resources Board (CARB). It is worth mentioning that CARB today is a very different organization from the one it was 35 years ago. Today, CARB is a legal leviathan, influencing green automotive policy in states across the United States, much to every gearhead's chagrin.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

Why Ford Mustang GTD Owners Can't Drive Their Cars During the First 30 Days of Ownership

By: Elena Luchian

You have a brand-new car delivered, go through all the trouble of having it insured and registered, then drive it until its wheels fall off. Isn't that the usual scenario when you buy a vehicle? However, Ford recommends owners not to drive their Mustang GTDs during the first 30 days of ownership for one simple reason. There is something they need to do before the GTD's maiden voyage.

The 30-day countdown must be terrible. Waiting for a car for months, only to be unable to drive it because the manufacturer recommends you wait, must be nerve-racking. Of course, you can throw caution to the wind and drive the hell out of your track-ready, street-legal Mustang GTD. But after paying at least $325,000 to see the car in your driveway, do you really want to take any chances?

The manufacturer advises customers that a 30-day wait is necessary for the paint to cure, or "gas out," before applying a paint protection film (PPF) to prevent any damage to the paint underneath. A PPF is highly recommended, considering that it is a car that most owners will drive like they stole it.

Driving during the 30-day period would risk damaging the carbon fiber body of the Ford Mustang GTD, for instance, with rocks kicked up by the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 ultra-wide tires. That is exactly why the fenders, rocker panels, rear quarter, and rear diffuser need extra attention. Some owners choose to double up those areas to make sure they have the necessary protection.

However, many of the owners ignore the recommendations. It can't be easy to wait for months to have your car delivered, then just look at it and get into the driver's seat as in a race simulator, unable to move an inch, especially when Ford does the in-your-face sort of advertising, promising "monstrous potency on pavement."

For the full article, please continue reading on our site. 

Spy Photos and Renderings of the Week

By: Mircea Panait

After delving into plug-in hybrids of the six- and eight-cylinder variety, British automaker Bentley is currently preparing to make a giant leap with its first battery-electric vehicle. Based on trademark filings, the newcomer may be named Mayon or Barnato.

Confirmed to debut in 2026 for the 2027 model year, "the world's first luxury urban SUV" is a tad smaller than its nearest full-electric sibling within the Volkswagen Group. Spied with tons of camouflage on the Nurburgring, the mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle is certain to be closer to the Cayenne Turbo Electric instead of the lesser Cayenne Electric.

Priced at $163,000 in the United States, the most powerful road-going Porsche yet packs 1,139 horsepower with overboost and needs 2.4 seconds to hit 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour). In a similar fashion to the Cayenne Turbo Electric, we look forward to a dual-motor setup and 113 kilowatt-hours for the lithium-ion battery's gross capacity.

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The Volkswagen Group's Audi brand has been spotted testing the much-anticipated facelift of the Q4 e-tron, and there is bad news. Just like any other MEB electric vehicle in production today, the refreshed Q4 e-tron continues to rely on rear drum brakes instead of lighter and more performant steel discs.

Compared to the Q6 e-tron, the Q4 e-tron is certain to soldier on with the 400-volt architecture of the pre-facelift model. If the folks at Hyundai could make a case for 800-volt goodies in the Ioniq 5, it's high time for Audi to step up its game for model year 2027.

Beyond these disappointments, there is good news as well. From the new lighting units to the revised front bumper vents, new DRL graphics, and sharper front grille, plenty of changes are on the menu. Inside, the single biggest update is the curved-glass widescreen setup for the instrument cluster and touchscreen.

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Over at Mercedes, the aging S-Class will receive star-motif front and rear lights for the 2027 model year. A “look-at-me” radiator grille with an illuminated outline for a more commanding road presence is all but confirmed. Allegedly scheduled to debut in February 2026, the facelift will further reinforce the Sonderklasse's position as a technological leader.

The most obvious area where Mercedes will improve its flagship sedan is MB.OS integration, which translates to a techier dashboard layout with an optional passenger-side touchscreen. High-performance chips from NVIDIA are likely as well, especially if Mercedes wants to step up its advanced driver assistance systems.

Mercedes and BMW are the only automakers that offer Level 3 autonomy in their production vehicles, with Mercedes referring to its Level 3 system as DRIVE PILOT. The last update rolled out in late 2024, meaning that it's high time for a Level 3+ suite in the 2027 Mercedes S-Class.

Tastefully rendered by pixel artist Sugar Chow, the next iteration of the S-Class will switch to Euro 7-compliant powertrain options. Don't expect any big changes from the outgoing six- and eight-cylinder options, though. And from what we know, the V12 of the Maybach isn't going away either.

More elegant and sporty at the same time, the facelift is likely to drop the AMG version's M177 cross-plane V8 in favor of a completely new unit with a flat-plane crankshaft. Although this engine would have been sublime in the refreshed C 63, an AMG-tuned I6 will have to make do in the lesser sedan.

Believed to be called M179, which is only natural because the M178 LS2 is a flat-plane affair, the mysterious engine was developed from the ground up to be electrified and compliant with Euro 7 regulations. To offset the typical loss of low-end torque associated with FPCs, electric exhaust gas turbochargers may be in the offing.

Android Auto Glitches; Cops Hate Waze; What Else is New?

By: Bogdan Popa

Being a committed Android Auto user is getting harder, and people who spent high dollars on the OnePlus 15 have figured this out the hard way. A widespread glitch is causing random disconnects for Android Auto, making it impossible for OnePlus 15 users to run the app even on short journeys. OnePlus has already promised a fix, and it should be here next week. 

Meanwhile, the biggest names in the navigation software space have been quite busy coming up with new ideas and fresh approaches.

Magic Earth switched to a freemium business model and increased prices. Users can continue to run the app without paying if they're only interested in basic functionality, but anything else, like Android Auto and CarPlay support and offline maps, will require paying.

If you're not interested in Magic Earth and would rather stick with Waze, you'd better use it properly. Police say that many people who use Waze still end up receiving a speed ticket, despite the app displaying a radar notification on their screens.

And yes, the Kia Boys are still around, so you'd better park your Kia or Hyundai in your garage overnight.

Congratulations for reaching the finish line!

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