Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins introduced one of the most famous designs for the Batmobile, the Tumbler - but there's a reason the Dark Knight doesn't use this in the comics. Bruce Wayne has always used his fortune to finance his escapades as a vigilante, and director Christopher Nolan chose to show just how he built up his impressive arsenal. In Nolan's fir Batman movie, Wayne was noticeably impressed by a prototype armored tank called the Tumbler, and simply asked Lucius Fox, "Does it come in black?"
The Tumbler was certainly an impressive Batmobile, showing just what it was made of in a stunning chase scene where Batman actually took his tank to the rooftops. The whole scene is as impressive as it is hilarious, with the bewildered members of the GCPD struggling to figure out what to make of the black tank suddenly roaring through their city. But it does raise one curious question; why doesn't Batman traditionally use a similar type of tank in the comics?
Batman Confidential #7, by Michael Green and Denys Cowan, answers this question in a story set early in Batman's career as a crime fighter. The Dark Knight reflects on the steep learning curve he's gone through during his first few months patrolling Gotham, learning how to inspire fear in his enemies with just his presence, and figuring out which tools are useful and which just slow him down. According to Batman's reflections, early versions of the Batmobile were indeed tanks that plowed through Gotham's traffic, but he replaced them with sleek, nimble vehicles that allowed him to evade it instead.
Batman does nothing without good reason, and this explanation makes perfect sense. As seen in Batman Begins, the Tumbler tank was swift and speedy, but it did an awful lot of damage while being driven through Gotham's streets at speed. Rather than evade things that were in his way, Batman simply plowed straight through them, causing an enormous amount of property damage (including, of course, on Gotham's rooftops when he decided to skip the roads for a while). In reality, Batman wouldn't exactly win the hearts and minds of Gothamites if he trashed the city every time he went for a drive - even if Gotham would eventually turn against Batman anyway.
It's likely all versions of the Batmobile have one trick in common; a stealth mode, something a tank probably wouldn't excel with. That technology is ideal for evading pursuit and allowing Batman to slip away with ease, and it would also be pretty spooky for any criminals who thought they'd got away to suddenly realize the Batmobile was right behind them. That's just the kind of psychological trick Batman excels at, terrifying and intimidating his enemies.