Yeah the sonic screwdriver got used less at one point in the classic who for exactly that reason, same happened with k9. The screwdriver's been given too many extra features now.
I'd love the tardis to get damaged at some point and like in classic who the doctor not knowing where he was going or often where he was. There was a lot more mystery back then - arriving in lots of unknown alien locations. There's been a lack of alien worlds really in new who as a whole.