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Quick poll: who here doesn't want infotainment software in their car? How about keeping cars limited to 1990s level logic: basic ICs, fuel / emissions / safety
by tonymet 4y ago
Quick poll: who here doesn't want infotainment software in their car? How about keeping cars limited to 1990s level logic: basic ICs, fuel / emissions / safety control (abs, airbags).
Something like 1990s Mazda with a japanese-size pickup, miata & basic sedan / hatchback.
- freedomben 4y agoCan't, at least in the US. Regulations won't permit making dumb cars like that anymore.
- tonymet 4y agoThis is a big problem, and a major reason why average car cost is ~ $40k now
- danans 4y agoThe cost of a cars has risen lower than the rate of inflation for nearly the past 90 years, and for much of the time period when cars were getting computerized (since the late 90s) average new car prices dropped rather than went up. All the while cars were getting safer (seat belts, airbags, crumple zones) and far more reliable. https://www.in2013dollars.com/New-cars/price-inflation https://www.in2013dollars.com/New-cars/price-inflation The most recent price spike is a direct result of the pandemic supply chain issues and car makers shutting down manufacturing capacity in anticipation of a consumer collapse that didn't happen (instead the opposite happened). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-used-car-price-kelley-blue-book/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-used-car-price-kelley-blue-...
- linksnapzz 4y agoThe cost of a basic economy car, from the start of the emissions & safety era to today, is about double in constant dollars.
- danans 4y agoWhat date are you using as the start of the emissions safety era? A base price 1995 Ford Contour was $13805–$16190 [1]. ABS was an upgrade option on that car. A 2023 Nissan Versa is $15730 [2] Even the cheapest cars from 1975 cost the equivalent of $17000 in today's dollars [3] 1. https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15143064/1995-10best-cars/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15143064/1995-10best-... 2. https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/life/cars-trucks/cheapest-new-cars/#:~:text=With%20a%20starting%20price%20below,creating%20a%20much%2Dimproved%20vehicle https://magazine.northeast.aaa.com/daily/life/cars-trucks/ch.... 3. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/vintage-reviews/vintage-rt-comparison-the-nine-smallest-1975-economy-cars/ https://www.curbsideclassic.com/vintage-reviews/vintage-rt-c...
- linksnapzz 4y agoI was thinking of a 1970 Dodge Dart, which last I checked was $21,000 in 2021 dollars; compared to the price of an average new car today ~42K. That today's average car might have more features is true; but for many of these features, you're not allowed to forego them in favor of a new, decontented, cheaper car.
- dragonwriter 4y ago> I was thinking of a 1970 Dodge Dart, which last I checked was $21,000 in 2021 dollars; compared to the price of an average new car today ~42K. A more relevant comparison would be the $3452 average new car price in 1970 against today, which is $27,704 in today's dollars. > That today's average car might have more features is true; but for many of these features, you're not allowed to forego them in favor of a new, decontented, cheaper car. But you can get a car cheaper than the average new cars. In fact, “cars” proper are often less than the inflation adjusted amount from 1970; much of the reason the average new “car” price is higher is because it is more likely now to be an medium to large SUV than a car (sedan/coupe). Plenty of gas-powered sedans/coupes and small SUVs are less than $27.7K.
- linksnapzz 4y ago
- MrVitaliy 4y agoI don't want to go back to pre-Tesla cruise control. Not the FSD but the basic cruise control they offer that can stop in traffic, keep in the lane and automatically start moving once the car ahead moves.
- bdcravens 4y agoThose features predate Tesla. https://www.automoblog.net/brief-history-high-tech-safety-features/ https://www.automoblog.net/brief-history-high-tech-safety-fe...
- tester756 4y agoWhy get rid of 3 decades of security improvements?
- tonymet 4y agosome are good e.g. ABS, ESP, airbags. Some are mixed like backup cameras (low res, poor field of view). Some are distractions like all the climate stuff, gps, complex radio, apps. You could save all the great stuff and still operate the car with no software, simple firmware, and 2002-era ICs
- progbits 4y agoNo infotainment doesn't mean no safety. Keep the fancy airbags and traction control, adaptive cruise control etc. Just throw out the garbage custom navigation and radio. It never works well. The display should be simply used for carplay/android auto, and be a black rectangle otherwise. Maybe sell an addon package to just shove a preconfigured phone into the glove box for people who don't want to tether their device.
- neogodless 4y agoI don't care about "infotainment" per se. But there is information I want, and there is entertainment I want. I want my readily replaceable phone to be able to connect to a screen that's safe for a driver to view, to display GPS information. I want my readily replaceable phone to be able to play music through the car's speakers, and allow me access to basic sound playback controls. Beyond that, I don't care. So do I want no infotainment? No, I can't say that. But this was a solved problem, that is now going to go backwards or get worse depending on the people making decisions for these corporations.
- tonymet 4y agohow about an iPAD mount and a midi interface into the physical keys.
- jjav 4y ago> who here doesn't want infotainment software in their car? I definitely do not want the car to embed any infotainment. It's the wrong place for it. Any infotainment built into the car is going to be obsolete before you drive out the dealer lot, and laughably so ten years later. But the lifetime of the car itself is many decades. It makes zero sense to join the two. The car should excel and being a car and I will use a phone or tablet for the infotainment part (which I do anyway, even if the car has some).