When Cars Lost Their Personality

A personal observation about how modern cars feel, rather than an expert assessment of automotive engineering.

I’ve been thinking about what makes a car feel like a particular car. Not just the badge on its steering wheel, but the ordinary things you touch and notice while driving.

I enjoy the feeling of a physical dial turning, the click of a button and the sense that someone designed the interior around the person sitting behind the wheel. Maybe that is nostalgia speaking. Maybe it is simply my preference.

Newer screens offer real conveniences, and I can see why people love them. But I still wonder whether adding more technology always makes the experience better. What do we gain, and what do we quietly lose?

I’m writing as a driver and an enthusiast, not as an automotive designer. This is a question I’m still exploring, and a car that proves me wrong would be an interesting discovery.