You'll find most the design decisions car manufacturers make are due to regulations. The other unpopular choices for the computer controlled everything is due to them making money post-sale on tracking you. I'd bet less than 5% is based on satisfying customers.
I might be too hard on them. Engineering is all about compromises. Everyone would love a 500hp, AWD Beast, with spacious cargo room, excellent handling, gets 120mpg, and minimal maintenance for the first 300K miles. I'd like all that for under $20K, under $10K even better. It'd be great if I wasn't insta-killed in a wreck too.
The regulations thing stick. Newer car longevity issues are directly linked to the constant push for fuel efficiency. We're way past the point of diminishing returns. They keep tightening tolerances and thinning the oil, so even Toyotas will grenade themselves at the first hint of a problem; all for an extra 1 mpg (under simulated driving conditions).
At what speed is that an issue in your car? I know one of my cars when I was young and dumb would do that if I was going 90+mph on the highway, but just cracking a rear window while my drivers window was open fixed that. That really seems to be an issue with the car’s aerodynamics and speed, that doesn’t ever seem to happen unless a car is driving too fast or is boxy and poorly shaped.
It’s going to happen with anything when you have the window cracked just the right amount.
It’s called Hemholtz Resonance. A small amount of air shears off and pumps into the car, which increases cabin pressure and then gets pushed back out the same window by the pressure change. This happens over and over and over until you do something to equalize pressure - like open another window.
Blow across the top of an open bottle and the same effect happens.
I drive rentals for a living. It depends on the vehicle. Mazda Speed 3 is SO bad with this, but a Civic will be fine. You can tell how bad your ears will pop by how warbly the air is when only one is cracked. I find the best mitigation is to have it barely cracked, or as you said, crack another window just a bit
I don’t think there’s been a new vehicle for sale in the past 20 years that doesn’t have electronic locks and windows. I can’t think of one at least; maybe a totally stripped down, basic model Nissan Versa m.
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u/LIONLDN 10d ago
I didn't think of that, brilliant point, makes sense! 💯
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