3 ms·

The car I drive is 16 years old and right now I have no intention of buying new. Why, today's cars come with too much complexity, I do not want automatic anyth

by jmclnx 3y ago

The car I drive is 16 years old and right now I have no intention of buying new. Why, today's cars come with too much complexity, I do not want automatic anything plus the trend to internet connected cars annoys me to no end. Also new costs way too much, if my car fails beyond repair, if I cannot find a good alternative I may abandon driving all together and do uber and public transportation when available. Right now for short errands, in the summer, I either walk or bike.

zwieback 3y ago
I'm split on this - some of the new tech in cars is welcome other things are annoying. I do love my Ranger from 1997 - manual everything (I would like power steering from time to time) but that thing is indestructible.
- niij 3y ago
  I've also got a ranger from 1997. I love that little truck. No A/C (as in it came from the factory that way). I might add A/C as a summer project.
- hgsgm 3y ago
  Indestructible cars contain destructible people. I don't want to be my car's shock absorber.
  - MSFT_Edging 3y ago
    They don't mean its so structurally sound it bounces off things, but that mechanically that era of ford ranger is extremely simple and basic and very easy to keep going. If its the 2.3 motor, they're nearly unkillable short of oil starvation and are used in generators, tractors, the mustang, the ranger, etc.
  - zwieback 3y ago
    Yes, nice phrasing I'll remember that. Not having a passenger side air-bag is one of those things missing in my indestructible car.
thaumaturgy 3y ago
This is it for me. I could probably afford a modest new vehicle now, but instead I'm rebuilding the engine and transmission on my 20+ year-old. The money I'll spend would cover a good chunk of the sticker on a dealer vehicle, but everything built in the last 15 years is more electronic than I want it to be. I spend some time every year in a variety of "offroad" conditions (snow, sand, mud, usually) and it's entirely too common for newer vehicles to get stuck in those places because some of their electronics decided to disable the vehicle's transfer case once it lost traction on too many wheels. There are some pretty decent newer models that can be used as platforms and made to do those things well, but then you're spending a pile of money anyway. But I'm sure I'm in a tiny minority on this, and for most people, it's simply a matter of not being able to afford a car payment right now.
JoeAltmaier 3y ago
My Ford F150 from 2015 is going just fine. It'll go for a lot longer too - it's pretty much infinitely repairable. No touch-panels, no weird dash controls that do god knows what. Clock that shows the time; thermometer that shows the temp. Made for folks who want to get there, not figure out how to get there. It was in a fire, sort of. Next to a truck that burned. Left side of mine was melted - all the plastic parts dripping onto the pavement like some Dali painting. All repaired, all working fine again! Got 170000 miles on it; gonna go another.
tmpz22 3y ago
> I do not want automatic anything I respect the preference but need to voice just how much value I get from highway-assist tools like lane-assist and apple-carplay for navigation. It greatly lowers the cognitive load on long drives while balancing the need for driver-engagement and safety. I think some brands are able to strike the right balance, I have a Subaru with physical buttons providing a tactile mode of control while also getting the benefits of a touch screen (an adaptive UI that can be better for particular apps).
- danielrpa 3y ago
  That's also how I feel about my 2023 Mazda CX-5. Made commuting lot less of a chore. And no touch screen so I can keep my eyes on the road.
Aperocky 3y ago
micromobility is on the rise. Electric skateboard is the latest greatest thing ever if you are willing to invest in learning the skills to safely use it. It's got an even smaller form factor than the scooters and so far I've never found a place that would not allow me to tow it in behind me (did not try flying).

by jmclnx 3y ago

zwieback 3y ago

I'm split on this - some of the new tech in cars is welcome other things are annoying. I do love my Ranger from 1997 - manual everything (I would like power steering from time to time) but that thing is indestructible.

niij 3y ago
I've also got a ranger from 1997. I love that little truck. No A/C (as in it came from the factory that way). I might add A/C as a summer project.
hgsgm 3y ago
Indestructible cars contain destructible people. I don't want to be my car's shock absorber.
- MSFT_Edging 3y ago
  They don't mean its so structurally sound it bounces off things, but that mechanically that era of ford ranger is extremely simple and basic and very easy to keep going. If its the 2.3 motor, they're nearly unkillable short of oil starvation and are used in generators, tractors, the mustang, the ranger, etc.
- zwieback 3y ago
  Yes, nice phrasing I'll remember that. Not having a passenger side air-bag is one of those things missing in my indestructible car.

thaumaturgy 3y ago

This is it for me. I could probably afford a modest new vehicle now, but instead I'm rebuilding the engine and transmission on my 20+ year-old. The money I'll spend would cover a good chunk of the sticker on a dealer vehicle, but everything built in the last 15 years is more electronic than I want it to be. I spend some time every year in a variety of "offroad" conditions (snow, sand, mud, usually) and it's entirely too common for newer vehicles to get stuck in those places because some of their electronics decided to disable the vehicle's transfer case once it lost traction on too many wheels. There are some pretty decent newer models that can be used as platforms and made to do those things well, but then you're spending a pile of money anyway. But I'm sure I'm in a tiny minority on this, and for most people, it's simply a matter of not being able to afford a car payment right now.

JoeAltmaier 3y ago

My Ford F150 from 2015 is going just fine. It'll go for a lot longer too - it's pretty much infinitely repairable. No touch-panels, no weird dash controls that do god knows what. Clock that shows the time; thermometer that shows the temp. Made for folks who want to get there, not figure out how to get there. It was in a fire, sort of. Next to a truck that burned. Left side of mine was melted - all the plastic parts dripping onto the pavement like some Dali painting. All repaired, all working fine again! Got 170000 miles on it; gonna go another.

tmpz22 3y ago

> I do not want automatic anything I respect the preference but need to voice just how much value I get from highway-assist tools like lane-assist and apple-carplay for navigation. It greatly lowers the cognitive load on long drives while balancing the need for driver-engagement and safety. I think some brands are able to strike the right balance, I have a Subaru with physical buttons providing a tactile mode of control while also getting the benefits of a touch screen (an adaptive UI that can be better for particular apps).

danielrpa 3y ago
That's also how I feel about my 2023 Mazda CX-5. Made commuting lot less of a chore. And no touch screen so I can keep my eyes on the road.

Aperocky 3y ago

micromobility is on the rise. Electric skateboard is the latest greatest thing ever if you are willing to invest in learning the skills to safely use it. It's got an even smaller form factor than the scooters and so far I've never found a place that would not allow me to tow it in behind me (did not try flying).