6 ms·

Is the _market_ begging, or a few folks on the internet? The only folks I know that complain about technology in cars are a couple posters on internet forums.

blfr 5y ago
Yeah, I don't like how overcomplicated many products are becoming but even then wouldn't buy a car without at least AC and Bluetooth.
- tristan957 5y ago
  You could easily pick up an after market bluetooth-enabled product. A/C is definitely important however.
  - tim333 5y ago
    Though A/C doesn't really need much in the way of electronics.
- foobarian 5y ago
  My must-have now is the backup camera with steering integration. I can hook up a trailer like a god now.
  - moffkalast 5y ago
    "Where is your god now?" "Right behind you."
  - SamuelAdams 5y ago
    Actually new vehicles are legally required to have backup cameras. At least if they are sold in the US [1]. I would love to see a simple, back to the basics vehicle but there is so much regulation and safety requirements that it is unlikely for any basic vehicle to be sold in the US. [1]: https://abcnews.go.com/US/cars-us-now-required-backup-cameras/story?id=54854404 https://abcnews.go.com/US/cars-us-now-required-backup-camera...
    - SilverRed 5y ago
      It's absolutely a good thing that these cameras are required with how many children are run over frequently as drivers reverse their cars.
- panax 5y ago
  I won't buy a car if it has bluetooth or cellular connectivity, but that is getting harder to find. I want that shit air-gapped. Someday I might have to just rip out the media head and telematics unit after buying it if I can't find one anymore.
  - _moof 5y ago
    I'd describe myself as having above-average privacy anxiety but I have to ask, what's the threat model here? I'm way more concerned about ALPRs than I am about Bluetooth or a data connection.
- wiz21c 5y ago
  interestingly, I go the opposite direction. I try to buy cars without AC (environmental reasons), without electronics (expensive to fix when they fail 'cos the constructor takes a huge premium on these), with the least possible automation ('cos I think these are overpriced)... Basically, the more sophisticated a car is, the higher the risk of failure and thus price to fix the failures. Now, I buy inexpensive cars. Maybe if I go for expensive brands, the risk is less.
caeril 5y ago
Sure, lots of internet people who don't want to be tracked (license plate readers notwithstanding). But also plenty of IRL people complaining about how, for example, they miss their $10k pickup with no power anything that worked great for anytime they needed to haul material X from location M to N, but now you need to drop a minimum of $50k for a vehicle you might use once per weekend to haul gravel, insulation, cement, lumber, furniture, etc. Trucks are a particularly big market for this idea. It's a vehicle you use when you're already dirty and sweaty from work/projects and don't care about comfort, and serves a primary purpose: moving heavy and/or large items. But the big carmakers have opted to cater to the market that doesn't actually use trucks for their actual purpose, but rather the market that buys trucks as commuter vehicles.
- clintonb 5y ago
  That statement makes no sense. The folks complaining can still buy those old pickups if they want. All that has happened is they are now older. No one is forcing them to buy a new truck that they use sporadically.
  - quacked 5y ago
    I've investigated about 20 of those old pickups; they're crap, because they've been run into the ground. I want a new old pickup.
    - lotsofpulp 5y ago
      That will not happen unless new legislation is passed: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-19/bigger-pickups-are-result-of-change-in-fuel-standards https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-19/bigger-pi...
- ricardobeat 5y ago
  Assuming those memories are from the 70s, $10k then are worth about $50k today. Never mind the fact you’re also buying a much, much better vehicle in most aspects.
- 5y ago

blfr 5y ago

Yeah, I don't like how overcomplicated many products are becoming but even then wouldn't buy a car without at least AC and Bluetooth.

tristan957 5y ago
You could easily pick up an after market bluetooth-enabled product. A/C is definitely important however.
- tim333 5y ago
  Though A/C doesn't really need much in the way of electronics.
foobarian 5y ago
My must-have now is the backup camera with steering integration. I can hook up a trailer like a god now.
- moffkalast 5y ago
  "Where is your god now?" "Right behind you."
- SamuelAdams 5y ago
  Actually new vehicles are legally required to have backup cameras. At least if they are sold in the US [1]. I would love to see a simple, back to the basics vehicle but there is so much regulation and safety requirements that it is unlikely for any basic vehicle to be sold in the US. [1]: https://abcnews.go.com/US/cars-us-now-required-backup-cameras/story?id=54854404 https://abcnews.go.com/US/cars-us-now-required-backup-camera...
  - SilverRed 5y ago
    It's absolutely a good thing that these cameras are required with how many children are run over frequently as drivers reverse their cars.
panax 5y ago
I won't buy a car if it has bluetooth or cellular connectivity, but that is getting harder to find. I want that shit air-gapped. Someday I might have to just rip out the media head and telematics unit after buying it if I can't find one anymore.
- _moof 5y ago
  I'd describe myself as having above-average privacy anxiety but I have to ask, what's the threat model here? I'm way more concerned about ALPRs than I am about Bluetooth or a data connection.
wiz21c 5y ago
interestingly, I go the opposite direction. I try to buy cars without AC (environmental reasons), without electronics (expensive to fix when they fail 'cos the constructor takes a huge premium on these), with the least possible automation ('cos I think these are overpriced)... Basically, the more sophisticated a car is, the higher the risk of failure and thus price to fix the failures. Now, I buy inexpensive cars. Maybe if I go for expensive brands, the risk is less.

caeril 5y ago

Sure, lots of internet people who don't want to be tracked (license plate readers notwithstanding). But also plenty of IRL people complaining about how, for example, they miss their $10k pickup with no power anything that worked great for anytime they needed to haul material X from location M to N, but now you need to drop a minimum of $50k for a vehicle you might use once per weekend to haul gravel, insulation, cement, lumber, furniture, etc. Trucks are a particularly big market for this idea. It's a vehicle you use when you're already dirty and sweaty from work/projects and don't care about comfort, and serves a primary purpose: moving heavy and/or large items. But the big carmakers have opted to cater to the market that doesn't actually use trucks for their actual purpose, but rather the market that buys trucks as commuter vehicles.

clintonb 5y ago
That statement makes no sense. The folks complaining can still buy those old pickups if they want. All that has happened is they are now older. No one is forcing them to buy a new truck that they use sporadically.
- quacked 5y ago
  I've investigated about 20 of those old pickups; they're crap, because they've been run into the ground. I want a new old pickup.
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    That will not happen unless new legislation is passed: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-19/bigger-pickups-are-result-of-change-in-fuel-standards https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-19/bigger-pi...
ricardobeat 5y ago
Assuming those memories are from the 70s, $10k then are worth about $50k today. Never mind the fact you’re also buying a much, much better vehicle in most aspects.
5y ago