DescentBB

This is such a complicated subject because new cars are cool. They make you happy. Car shopping is fun. So I'm not going to berate you for not wanting to buy a shitbox. But there's something wrong with these new cars. They found a new way to cut corner, by making the car's computer replace the need for more cables and relays, and yet this cost savings is not passed down to the consumers. It's cheaper to remove these dials, knobs, and leavers and just put in a touchscreen or a digital dial for the transmission.

rant:
My Honda has tons of relays for every little switch an knob in the car. I like that. With a cheap multi-meter, you can pinpoint most electrical issues. My co-worker has a new car and she has exactly 4 relays... we were still able to figure out the problem with her car using a multi-meter, but I didn't like the fact that the newer car didn't need as many relays to do what my older car does. I assume this means, the fewer the relays, the more work the car's computer does...Talk about a ticking time bomb...

Do they really not make "dumb" cars anymore in the typical consumer price range? I remember struggling to find a 4K dumb TV a few years ago. I eventually found something, but I had to settle for mediocre picture quality. But, it turns on instantly, and it will never nag me or phone home.

Jeff250 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 8:23 am Do they really not make "dumb" cars anymore in the typical consumer price range? I remember struggling to find a 4K dumb TV a few years ago. I eventually found something, but I had to settle for mediocre picture quality. But, it turns on instantly, and it will never nag me or phone home.

I believe Volvo is proud of avoiding this trend. Jeep is also good at avoiding this, but unfortunately it's still a Jeep.

I don't necessarily disagree that touch screens are overrated and physical controls are underrated, but I do drive a 2020 Tesla Model 3 despite that. The most important thing is to actually learn to use and trust the automatic climate controls, I'm almost never uncomfortable in it despite only manually adjusting the climate controls roughly twice a year at most.

Things like working the radio are certainly not as easy as they could be, especially since the teams in charge of UI/UX at Tesla seem to have relatively high turnover so the new people have to change how the whole interface works to prove they are doing something, thus invalidating all your memory of how it worked before. I'd say the progression is usually two steps forward, one step back.

On the other hand, my aunt and uncle have a land rover that has so many dials and buttons I had to look up its manual online to figure out half of them do, because all they have is cryptic symbols. At least in my Tesla, through all the software versions, all the options are clearly labeled and tell you what they do in plain English, so setting up the Model 3 is super easy without having to consult a 300 page manual (and even if you do, the manual is built into the huge touch screen, plus is searchable with cross referencing links!).

I have 2 vehicles, a 2011 and a 2020. The 2011 is mostly old school with all manual accessory controls and a regular radio, with a CD player of all things, and I like it that way. No navigation screen at all. The only computers are for engine, transmission and differential operation. The 2020 also has mostly manual controls as well, but the infotainment screen has all sorts of vehicle access options for your phone, navigation (main screen) and vehicle settings for the one LCD gauge sitting in the gauge cluster. You can change what it displays for gas mileage, trip mileage etc. You can also enable or disable certain functions with the car, for example the lane change warning system, which seems to always get falsely set off by the black tar lines in the road because the windshield camera mistakes them painted lines. Service reminder mileage settings are another option. I mean, all the selections buried in just the Settings section alone are mind boggling. If a person wasn't used to using a computer or phone, they'd be lost.

But the biggest gripe is that windshield camera. Crack or break a windshield and that has to be re-calibrated by the glass installer, IF they know what they're doing that is. Plus, it's an EXPENSIVE repair. I do like the rear camera however. Both vehicles have one and I love that particular tech since both cars have horrendous blind spots. I'd love one in the front for parking too. Tesla has done much better with their all around cameras. The idea of replacing the side view mirrors with all around cameras and displays would work a lot better. The backup obstacle detention is nice if some jerk tries to sneak by you in a parking lot while you're backing up. On a Toyota RAV4 I drove, it would actually apply the brakes if that happened. Now, new cars will be mandated to have forward radar to actually stop the car if it detects an object or person in front of the car. The new detection requirement will be for speeds up to 70mph. That'll be interesting to see if they can get that to work, nor would I want to rely on it.

However, most new cars have abysmal quality control. The systems are buggy (both parts and software), complicated and tend to fail or give false warnings. The recalls mount up for most new cars just to fix this stuff. The computers throw codes that require a giant tech manual to decipher. You definitely have to RTFM to even drive a new car nowadays. I also don't like some of the nanny driver "assistance" features. I drove a rental car with a particularly obnoxious nag. It would go off after so many hours/miles of driving. Worse, you couldn't turn it off in Settings. It was blanked out. So after so many miles, that damn thing would chime and display an image to take a break. Ugh! No, I'm keeping my current cars until they're wrecked or I die.

While touchscreens are here to stay, I do believe basic functions should be left out. Today's modern vehicles have too many features to use buttons. On top of that, it's cheaper for car manufacturers to use a touchscreen as physical controls add more electrical connections...which means more wires.

Now there is an option C: Ineos Grenadier. Inspired by the classic Land Rover Defender. The Ineos is a throwback to the old days with modern tech. The only other vehicle that still clings to the old days is the 5th gen 4Runner. I call that SUV a caveman in a tuxedo. But alas, this is the 5th gen final year, as the 6th gen was made public not too long ago along with the new Land Crusier (which is a fat 4Runner). Personally I would go for the new Lexus GX550 over those two.

What's sad is the 5th Gen 4Runner was just named the most reliable vehicle currently being sold. The new version coming out will certainly have bugs, defects and build quality issues like the newer Tundras and Tacomas have right now.

I recently read that the Tacoma has a problem with the axle snapping due to a software issue in the multi-terrain select. Just like what happened here at TFL.

Those two old guys act like they're inconvenienced, but you can tell the live for this.

Jeff250 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 8:23 am Do they really not make "dumb" cars anymore in the typical consumer price range?

You know what's kind of funny is when I hear, "this is why we can't have nice things." Forget about nice things; we can't even get the boring stuff anymore.

Y'all need Louis Rossmann.

How about riding in a self-driving car? If it can figure out how to get out of the parking lot when a plane lands at SFO.

The comment section.

Let's get a self-driving car, they said.

It'll be fun, they said.

Even bad drivers can clear that lot in a fraction of the time it took the futuristic cars took to do it.