I would say that plastic shattering loses force compared to a solid piece of metal hitting an occupant during an crash. I am willing to bet that plastic shattering is weighted into crash scores.

 

Exactly.....

 

Well, there are many things. Some may bother me; others not.

Door locks--with the proliferation of key fobs, many (most?) vehicles no longer have a physical key lock on the passenger side door, since most people will use the key fob, or now the proximity key. I have no problem with this.

In that vein, my '07 IS had a little plastic cover over the physical lock on the driver door since most people aren't using the physical lock with the Smart Key. It looks to me from internet pix like the current generation IS has an exposed lock (as does my BMW and my wife's Mazda). This is clear cost cutting--again, doesn't bother me.

I had a 2000 Acura TL. There was no physical lock on the trunk. You had to open the trunk lid with either the inside trunk release, or with the fob. This seems like cost cutting to me, and was slightly annoying, but not a major problem.

The new Toyota RAV4 does not offer leather interior--only fake stuff. Cost cutting or social consciousness? Most likely cost-cutting. Bothersome? Not sure--I'll let you know if I end up getting one.

I saw the new Mazda 6 at the auto show--no fog lights. Cost cutting.

And how could I forget--eliminating the spare tire. I find it shocking that even Buick does this. How many of the prototypical Buick Regal buyer knows that the car has no spare?

Here's one @mmarshall will relate to--cars nowadays have fewer dials--no oil pressure or volts like my '78 Mailbu had. Instead, they have warning lights for those functions. Cost cutting. Again--bothersome? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Here's probably the most egregious cost cutting: option/option package combos/prerequisites. You can look at a list of all available options, but you can't get, say, the panoramic sunroof unless you get the "Premier" option group. So, in the name of reducing overall production costs, manufacturers may make an individual purchase more expensive, because that person may be forced to pay for options he/she doesn't want, in order to get those that are truly desired.

 

Well, my Lacrosse actually has MORE gauges and dials than many of my previous vehicles did. It has an analog gauge for engine temperature, and analog-style electronic gages for oil temperature and voltage. It's unusual, BTW, to find oil-temp and voltmeters in non-sporting sedans.

 

I don't think you can include digital instruments as evidence against that cost-cutting example. Not only does it not cost Buick anything more to include those "dials", digital screens replacing dials and buttons is, in itself, a cost-cutting measure.

 

I did my response to you in bold. I think forum rules allow it.

 

You asked for examples. This was the tech in 2000. The point is, there will always be examples--current and past--of ways that car companies cut costs. Again, some more significant than others. And none of which will be viewed the same way by all buyers.

 

 

I just don't see how removing them reduces cost since its just molded plastic, and as I said before what you fail to realize is the same designers no longer design the switchgear for both Toyota and Lexus.

 

 

There are tons of things I don't like. I hate the use of hard touch plastic in luxury cars, I hate to see companies go from double stitching for leather to single stitching, I hate to see grainy bare plastic trim on cars instead of nice painted trim, I don't like the shift towards the use of 4cyl engines over V6 and V8 engines. I hate CVT transmissions. I hate prop-rods for hoods. I don't like to see any model reduce the quality of its build generation to generation.

Like I said though, I feel like cost cutting is on a decline, not an increase. I think cars made today have some of the best quality materials and build as of any time in my life, with even economy cars dramatically improving in that area,

 

One thing I would like that will never happen, is to put true dual exhausts on the cars, and then with the increased exahaust flow, let off the aggressive mapping of the ECU or DME. Make the power and torque by the hardware, not the software. Since most car are turbo'd nowadays be it 4, 6, or 8 cyl, make sure they are twin, have two manifolds, and smaller turbochargers, with engineering looking to lower the boost and still achieve the HP/TQ numbers.

 

BINGO! My dad always felt gas struts to support the hood was a sign of being quality. I've never owned a vehicle with a power pull down trunk, and actually, don't need that. So I want gas struts for the trunk lid as well. Not those big arms that eat up the trunk space. My 335i and LS430 both use struts at the trunk. That 2020 Subaru looks like my 1998 Maxima, with crudely shaped trunk lid arms, and a cheap wire with zip ties running up one--bizarre for 2020.