The current Finder has both a spacial mode and a browser mode. Unfortunately, the two modes step on each other's toes, making both modes worse. It's been a problem since OS X 10.0, and it persists today.
E.g.:
Navigating around in browser mode clobbers the existing folder view state (window size and position, view mode, etc.). So your folders always seem to lose their view state.
And there's no way to set a preferred browser window size. Instead, it always uses the spacial mode window size and if there is none it uses the hard coded default window size, which is way too small. And, again, as you browse around it clobbers the existing window sizes of other folders.
Create a new folder on the desktop, then double click. You'll get that tiny default browser window. Now navigate up to your home folder. You just clobbered your preferred home folder window size.
The end result is that when you open a Finder window, you never know what you're going to get.