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Do cars even come without 'smart' options nowadays? As in, is it possible to buy a new basic trim car with a traditional radio/without a screen? That can be rem

Do cars even come without 'smart' options nowadays? As in, is it possible to buy a new basic trim car with a traditional radio/without a screen? That can be removed or replaced? I just wonder if this 'smart tech' will become like when you find a CD changer in the trunk of a car. Except these smart dashes won't be easily removable/swappable like an old cassette deck.

gambiting 8y ago
Of course. A basic model of a Dacia Sandero or Duster comes with a basic FM radio and nothing else. In some markets the same can be said about more upmarket brands like VW - a new polo cannot be specced with a basic FM radio and no smart features in the UK for instance, but in Germany or Poland it can. And in a lot of modern cars the head unit is replaceable even if the manufacturer didn't envision it as such because of course the market has produced replacements anyway - like on Mercedes cars the entire head unit can be replaced by a custom one with a larger screen and running Android while not losing any of the factory functionality. On Nissan's you usually get a full dash replacement for custom radios. Quick search in AliExpress uncovers custom head units for nearly any car in existence.
- solarkraft 8y ago
  Oh, cool! I had not expected this. This suddenly makes a lot more cars viable for me (if I was in the market for a combustion car).
- SahAssar 8y ago
  Those cars still have a lot of computerized components though, right? It's just that the interface you see is mostly analog.
  - gambiting 8y ago
    I'm not sure what you mean though. Like.....the throttle control is almost guaranteed to be digital, the dials use digital information bus to update speed and rpm even if they use analog dials......you cannot buy a car with a complexity of a Fiat Cinquecento anymore, yes, but I'm not sure if that's a bad thing.
- Hamuko 8y ago
  >A basic model of a Dacia Sandero or Duster comes with a basic FM radio and nothing else. Wrong. The basic model of a Dacia Duster doesn't even come with a radio. You need to upgrade from the Access (base) trim level to the Essential trim level to get a headunit.
  - gambiting 8y ago
    Well I guess for the purposes of this discussion that's even better then.
Adamantcheese 8y ago
It doesn't look like it. The cheapest new car I just looked at was a Hyundai Accent for $14k and it came with a touch screen infotainment system. Even a manual 2019 Nissan Versa for $13.4k has one. Seems like it's the new norm, like how radio became the norm in cars after some time. I bet people were complaining about that in the same way you are now.
- code_duck 8y ago
  An AM/FM radio won’t become semi-obsolete and in need of a software update after 5 years.
  - charliesome 8y ago
    As digital radio takes over and analog broadcasting is switched off, that AM/FM radio will indeed become semi-obsolete.
    - code_duck 8y ago
      So will the car? I think i need to emphasize the context. I’m responding to “Seems like it's the new norm, like how radio became the norm in cars after some time. I bet people were complaining about that in the same way you are now.” In 1975, there was no danger your radio would become obsolete or outdated at anywhere near the speed that an awful touchscreen tablet built into your car in 2020 will. So, I’m not referring to buying a car now with an AM/FM radio. I’m not sure what one would use that for other than as an AUX input.
      - Reason077 8y ago
        What makes a touchscreen obsolete? Sure, the UI will look old-fashioned in a few years, but so will the rest of the car. In both cases, they will still perform the functions they were designed to do.
        code_duck 8y ago
froindt 8y ago
>Do cars even come without 'smart' options nowadays? This will be much harder to find on new cars in the US. As our May 2018, all new cars are required to have backup cameras (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_camera#Mandates https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_camera#Mandates). Now that a screen is required, it's harder to financially justify putting in a head unit that includes physical dials. Instead we're stuck with crap like "find the button for volume on the screen, then tap it 15 times to adequately adjust it". I'm hanging on to my 2011 Honda Civic for the foreseeable future, and pray the UI won't suck on newer vehicles or find a basic trim 2016-2018 that doesn't do everything on the screen. I appreciate the safety aspect, but hate the UI of every car I've interacted with. Any recommendations for cars whose UI doesn't suck?
- RandomBacon 8y ago
  My 2015 Toyota Corolla has a screen for the backup camera, but it also has physical buttons. The digital and physical interfaces are pretty good. Because it's a Toyota, it will probably be reliable for a very long time, and because it's a Corolla, there will probably always be parts available. If for some reason you get a trim level that does not have cruise control, it's easy to add: drill a hole in the steering console, mount the lever, and plug it in. The car is already programmed with the feature.
- sjwright 8y ago
  In the economy space, my vote is for the most recent stuff from Hyundai/Kia. Not the world's greatest system but the latest stuff is very responsive (i.e. no UI lag) and their implementation of CarPlay/Android Auto is fairly bulletproof. (Good quality touchscreen, well positioned for finger input, doesn't do anything too stupid to make CP/AA frustrating.) In the premium space, BMW has always maintained a medium-high bar with recent iterations of iDrive. (There have been many revisions and trim variations of their system, but approximate rule of thumb for acceptable tech is 8+ inch screen, 2013 onwards.) It's not going to wow a UI nerd, but if you plan to own the car for multiple years, it's slick and effortless once you're familiar with it—especially as almost any menu item anywhere in the system can be programmed to one of the 8 or so preset buttons on the dashboard. I therefore have dedicated buttons in my car for "Call my wife", "Trip computer details", "Open destination address book", "Spoken directions on/off", and "Begin navigating to home." And if you think that will get too complicated too quickly, BMW thought of that: each preset button has a capacitive sensor in them so if you place your finger on the button without pressing, the screen will remind you what that button is programmed to do. It's nice.
tinus_hn 8y ago
Depending on where you live new cars might well be required to have ‘safety’/tracking features so emergency services can be automatically reached if you are in an accident. Or if the police want to effortlessly and invisibly track you, of course.
- stallmanite 8y ago
  The safety is terrifying.
- iliketosleep 8y ago
  > Or if the police want to effortlessly and invisibly track you, of course. All we need now is integration of biometrics to start the vehicle, so they know exactly who the driver is. For our safety, of course.

gambiting 8y ago

Of course. A basic model of a Dacia Sandero or Duster comes with a basic FM radio and nothing else. In some markets the same can be said about more upmarket brands like VW - a new polo cannot be specced with a basic FM radio and no smart features in the UK for instance, but in Germany or Poland it can. And in a lot of modern cars the head unit is replaceable even if the manufacturer didn't envision it as such because of course the market has produced replacements anyway - like on Mercedes cars the entire head unit can be replaced by a custom one with a larger screen and running Android while not losing any of the factory functionality. On Nissan's you usually get a full dash replacement for custom radios. Quick search in AliExpress uncovers custom head units for nearly any car in existence.

solarkraft 8y ago
Oh, cool! I had not expected this. This suddenly makes a lot more cars viable for me (if I was in the market for a combustion car).
SahAssar 8y ago
Those cars still have a lot of computerized components though, right? It's just that the interface you see is mostly analog.
- gambiting 8y ago
  I'm not sure what you mean though. Like.....the throttle control is almost guaranteed to be digital, the dials use digital information bus to update speed and rpm even if they use analog dials......you cannot buy a car with a complexity of a Fiat Cinquecento anymore, yes, but I'm not sure if that's a bad thing.
Hamuko 8y ago
>A basic model of a Dacia Sandero or Duster comes with a basic FM radio and nothing else. Wrong. The basic model of a Dacia Duster doesn't even come with a radio. You need to upgrade from the Access (base) trim level to the Essential trim level to get a headunit.
- gambiting 8y ago
  Well I guess for the purposes of this discussion that's even better then.

Adamantcheese 8y ago

It doesn't look like it. The cheapest new car I just looked at was a Hyundai Accent for $14k and it came with a touch screen infotainment system. Even a manual 2019 Nissan Versa for $13.4k has one. Seems like it's the new norm, like how radio became the norm in cars after some time. I bet people were complaining about that in the same way you are now.

code_duck 8y ago
An AM/FM radio won’t become semi-obsolete and in need of a software update after 5 years.
- charliesome 8y ago
  As digital radio takes over and analog broadcasting is switched off, that AM/FM radio will indeed become semi-obsolete.
  - code_duck 8y ago
    So will the car? I think i need to emphasize the context. I’m responding to “Seems like it's the new norm, like how radio became the norm in cars after some time. I bet people were complaining about that in the same way you are now.” In 1975, there was no danger your radio would become obsolete or outdated at anywhere near the speed that an awful touchscreen tablet built into your car in 2020 will. So, I’m not referring to buying a car now with an AM/FM radio. I’m not sure what one would use that for other than as an AUX input.
    - Reason077 8y ago
      What makes a touchscreen obsolete? Sure, the UI will look old-fashioned in a few years, but so will the rest of the car. In both cases, they will still perform the functions they were designed to do.
      - code_duck 8y ago

froindt 8y ago

>Do cars even come without 'smart' options nowadays? This will be much harder to find on new cars in the US. As our May 2018, all new cars are required to have backup cameras (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_camera#Mandates https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup_camera#Mandates). Now that a screen is required, it's harder to financially justify putting in a head unit that includes physical dials. Instead we're stuck with crap like "find the button for volume on the screen, then tap it 15 times to adequately adjust it". I'm hanging on to my 2011 Honda Civic for the foreseeable future, and pray the UI won't suck on newer vehicles or find a basic trim 2016-2018 that doesn't do everything on the screen. I appreciate the safety aspect, but hate the UI of every car I've interacted with. Any recommendations for cars whose UI doesn't suck?

RandomBacon 8y ago
My 2015 Toyota Corolla has a screen for the backup camera, but it also has physical buttons. The digital and physical interfaces are pretty good. Because it's a Toyota, it will probably be reliable for a very long time, and because it's a Corolla, there will probably always be parts available. If for some reason you get a trim level that does not have cruise control, it's easy to add: drill a hole in the steering console, mount the lever, and plug it in. The car is already programmed with the feature.
sjwright 8y ago
In the economy space, my vote is for the most recent stuff from Hyundai/Kia. Not the world's greatest system but the latest stuff is very responsive (i.e. no UI lag) and their implementation of CarPlay/Android Auto is fairly bulletproof. (Good quality touchscreen, well positioned for finger input, doesn't do anything too stupid to make CP/AA frustrating.) In the premium space, BMW has always maintained a medium-high bar with recent iterations of iDrive. (There have been many revisions and trim variations of their system, but approximate rule of thumb for acceptable tech is 8+ inch screen, 2013 onwards.) It's not going to wow a UI nerd, but if you plan to own the car for multiple years, it's slick and effortless once you're familiar with it—especially as almost any menu item anywhere in the system can be programmed to one of the 8 or so preset buttons on the dashboard. I therefore have dedicated buttons in my car for "Call my wife", "Trip computer details", "Open destination address book", "Spoken directions on/off", and "Begin navigating to home." And if you think that will get too complicated too quickly, BMW thought of that: each preset button has a capacitive sensor in them so if you place your finger on the button without pressing, the screen will remind you what that button is programmed to do. It's nice.

tinus_hn 8y ago

Depending on where you live new cars might well be required to have ‘safety’/tracking features so emergency services can be automatically reached if you are in an accident. Or if the police want to effortlessly and invisibly track you, of course.

stallmanite 8y ago
The safety is terrifying.
iliketosleep 8y ago
> Or if the police want to effortlessly and invisibly track you, of course. All we need now is integration of biometrics to start the vehicle, so they know exactly who the driver is. For our safety, of course.