Any new but low tech cars?

It's like the brown station wagon with a stickshift, everyone says they'll buy one... but no one ever did. At least not new. Everyone wants someone else to buy them new, and then to buy them well depreciated.

Yup and here is a meme to better illustrate the mindset of people that claim they want simple and cheap cars.

They always claim the want one, but in their signatures they would hardly have anything simple or cheap.

IMG_5266.webp
 
True.

False.

Bit over the top, no? One extreme to the other. OBDI systems might have been insufficient but you have to admit, trouble shooting with a paperclip had some appeal. I have no love for the oddball connector but I guess ODBII does prevent people having no clue from trying to connect to their car. But while I kinda understand why diag tools are expensive... it doesn't mean I have to be happy about buying them. I try my best to understand that every electronic gizmo I buy has an expire date on them; after a few years, it's out of date or plain broken and not worth fixing. After a couple of decades I've lost any love for buying stuff only to watch it expire.
Not really over the top. The issue is not the computer, the issue is the OEM trying to lock you out of the computer you purchased.

I had an old Jeep that would read out trouble codes in the dash. 2002. There is no reason they can't do it in their fancy touch screens today. They simply choose not to. So its neither a computer nor a tool issue - its an OEM issue.

OBD1 wasn't really a thing. There was no standard, everyone did whatever they wanted. Hence OBD2.

I agree, I really don't need a CAN controller in the tail light, or my radio on CAN to talk to my ECU. Again, thats an OEM implementation issue - not a computer issue. They could make a networked system that was easy for DIY people to use and troubleshoot - they choose not to. Some OEM's are better than others. For example Toyota gives you an algorithm to see the proper transmission temperature for refill with no tools. Nissan still does "Active Auto" test which basically cylces through everything electrical so you can see if its working - lights, wipers, horn, electric fan, etc.

Ford and GM lock you out of everything is my understanding.
 
Yup and here is a meme to better illustrate the mindset of people that claim they want simple and cheap cars.

They always claim the want one, but in their signatures they would hardly have anything simple or cheap.

View attachment 299800
Cheap and simple, is also only a small car in N.A. The ROW can get a medium or large box on wheels with a 4 banger and manual transmission. The german luxury brands all sell simpler cars in the ROW, but the N.A. market doesn't demand them.

I need a mtx Focus wagon replacement(small car with a useful trunk!), and of course there's nothing new that is similar with anywhere near even 30 cuft of cargo space. Jacked up fwd hatchbacks called SUV's for $30k+ that get worse mileage, aren't appealing to me personally, but it seems lots of people like them...
So for a used wagon with a mtx, it gets down to 15-18 CX-5 fwd, 18-19 Sportswagen, Or 16-17 Outback for good model years. In Canada, we had the Orlando, and KIA Rondo too, but they have some engine problems all the way through.
We bought the simplest '18 Outback available at the time(I kind of regret not getting a mtx 2017), and same for the '03 Tracker. We really didn't even mind having no AC in the Tracker until we had kids, but we were younger and a bit thinner then!
 
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2025 Toyota Tacoma has a 4 cylinder and is available with a manual transmission. So your prayers have been answered. 🥳

Of course no one buys them so you better get one quick - they will be gone soon I am sure. Nissan Frontier dumped their manual transmission option - no one bought it.
lol, 2025’s are considered a POS, they are much larger than old tacos , unreliable and these $20,000 trucks are priced $31,000.+ if I had one I would want 2wd, different gearing and 15” or 16” rims

Add a manual transmission and that jumps to $37,000+

Can’t find a 2025 manual Taco that isn’t way overpriced compared to the base automatic (search nationwide for new tacos you will see what I mean)

Then you have the real world reports of 15mpg when the old ones did at least a little better.
 
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Not really over the top. The issue is not the computer, the issue is the OEM trying to lock you out of the computer you purchased.

I had an old Jeep that would read out trouble codes in the dash. 2002. There is no reason they can't do it in their fancy touch screens today. They simply choose not to. So its neither a computer nor a tool issue - its an OEM issue.

OBD1 wasn't really a thing. There was no standard, everyone did whatever they wanted. Hence OBD2.

I agree, I really don't need a CAN controller in the tail light, or my radio on CAN to talk to my ECU. Again, thats an OEM implementation issue - not a computer issue. They could make a networked system that was easy for DIY people to use and troubleshoot - they choose not to. Some OEM's are better than others. For example Toyota gives you an algorithm to see the proper transmission temperature for refill with no tools. Nissan still does "Active Auto" test which basically cylces through everything electrical so you can see if its working - lights, wipers, horn, electric fan, etc.

Ford and GM lock you out of everything is my understanding.
FCA/Stellantis has JScan and AflaOBD. The Tazer device is also available… But 2016+ models require a security gateway bypass for it to work. And if you want to tune it for more power? You’ll need an unlocked PCM AND security bypass which turns your tune from a $300-$500 project into $800+.
 
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I would be interested in a 70 series Land Cruiser myself for low tech.

https://www.corgrit.com/comprehensi...y-coming-to-the-u-s----dot-and-nhtsa-sign-off
This will be interesting to see how many people want a forever commercial grade pickup? and I guess how these do in the rust belt?
I can't think of any place where these are sold that see lots of road salt? I guess Japan? Russia?

I did see a few people in rural Australia driving these with noise reduction ear buds, but that was on rough surface chip and tar roads, so maybe on smooth pavement with hwy tires and under 65mph they shouldn't be too noisy.
 
Today, we turned off the lane keeping feature of our new 2025 Escape.
On my old Maverick it has a defeat/engage button on the end of the turn signal (left) stalk. The newer Escape would be the same as ford has been using the same parts bin for many of it's cars for quite a while. And the Mav, Escape, Bronco Sport, Lincoln Corsair are similar/same platform.
 
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