Do you agree with this guy?

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

TurboFiat124

Joined
Apr 29, 2012
Messages
205
Location
East Tennessee
I hate to say it but I have to agree with this guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3FDu8KvXOg

My parent's have a 2014 (or something) Toyota Camry with a touch screen display and I thought to myself, this has to be the worst distraction ever installed on a vehicle.

I used to have a 2006 Ford Explorer. I did not have a touch screen on it but did have this ridiculous dual climate control system. It had about 6 buttons on it just to operate the vents. It told what temperature the air was set to. I didn't need to know all this stuff. I found it very distracting trying to adjust the temperature while driving. What was wrong with three knobs (vent controller, fan speed and temperature) and an A/C button like on my 2003 Subaru?

Even vacuum operated climate controls for that matter. All it takes is a pinhole leak in the system to cause issues. Or a busted diaphragm on one of the flapper doors requiring dash removal to fix it.

What was wrong with cable operated climate control systems? Sure the cables sometimes got a bit dirty after 30 years and became hard to move. All it took was disconnecting the cable from the knob and building a small funnel around the end of the cable with modeling clay and shooting some PB blaster or WD-40 into the sleeve and moving the cable a few times to free it up, reconnect it and it's good as new.

Don't get me started on heated seats. This seems like a good gimmick or novelty but I've bought two used cars with heated seats (one being the Explorer) and the driver's side in the Buick didn't work and the passenger seat in the Explorer didn't work.
 
He's right.

That's why I'm an avid defender of young people who want nothing to do with a car. It's a huge liability in a game that you are not designed to win.
 
I'll never have another car without heated seats. Heated steering wheels are also lovely.

I'll never have another car without ventilated seats. (my wife doesn't mind not having them)

I like my automatic 4-zone climate control. I can have cool air, (which I like year round) my wife can have no air, (her preference) and my kid can have warm air.

I like my air suspension.

I like my automatic door locks and windows.

I like my power trunk.

I like my cruise control and 6 speed automatic transmission.

If YOU don't like progress, it is not up to the rest of the world to carry your burden. Buy an old car or a base-model Mitsubishi.

Modern controls are only distracting if you allow yourself to be distracted by them.
 
I'm not feeling his angst.

If all the 'Tech' didn't sell, the manufacturers wouldn't make it. Cars have always been expensive to buy, own, and repair.

To me it's really very simple: If you don't want (or can't afford) a new tech laden car, don't buy one.
 
I agree with his dislike for distractions - apart from lighting, wipers and fan controls I like to keep my attention on the road at all times. Using a touchscreen whilst driving is asking for a collision.
 
One point the video made which might expose a problem is what do you do with touch screen technology that's 5 to 10 years old and something goes wrong. There will be no updates or bug fixes. What are you going to do. Get parts replaced at some reasonable cost? Not likely. Go without heating and a/c or other functions?

A couple of months ago a BMW stopped on the freeway in LA with smoke coming out from under the hood. The driver could not open the doors or roll down the windows. Another motorist broke the side window and helped the driver get out and the car was consumed in flames. It's a fair guess that the BMW driver had one scary experience and it might just have been exacerbated by technology gone wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
One point the video made which might expose a problem is what do you do with touch screen technology that's 5 to 10 years old and something goes wrong. There will be no updates or bug fixes. What are you going to do. Get parts replaced at some reasonable cost? Not likely. Go without heating and a/c or other functions?

This largely happens with all items we purchase. Impossible due to cost and space to make the components life-long durable AND have them perform the functions people want, all while being as compact as we want. Look at the cost difference of military hardware vs standard. Big difference in size and cost. The old stuff "lasted" (in some cases it didn't) because it was very simple AND very big. Hard to have that today; it's not what people want. It's certainly not what I want.

Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
A couple of months ago a BMW stopped on the freeway in LA with smoke coming out from under the hood. The driver could not open the doors or roll down the windows. Another motorist broke the side window and helped the driver get out and the car was consumed in flames. It's a fair guess that the BMW driver had one scary experience and it might just have been exacerbated by technology gone wrong.

Absolutely false. If he could not open the doors, it was due to panic.

Pulling the inside handle unlocks the door. The second pull will open it. Unless his door was on fire, him not being able to open the door from the inside was his own fault. It is a mechanical connection. If he could open the door to get into the car, he could open it to get out.

If the BMW was on fire, it was likely due to neglected maintenance - oil dripping onto the exhaust manifold.

The fact that the car and driver were in LA only reinforce both my points.
 
If you don't cover tbe seats with material that is freezing in the winter and broiling in summer...you do not need to heat and cool them.
 
Originally Posted By: TurboFiat124
Don't get me started on heated seats. This seems like a good gimmick or novelty but I've bought two used cars with heated seats (one being the Explorer) and the driver's side in the Buick didn't work and the passenger seat in the Explorer didn't work.


Heated seats are wonderful -- just get some that are reliable. Both of our vehicles have heated seats, and both work like a charm. I wouldn't call them a necessity, but most things we enjoy in life aren't necessities (you know...like indoor plumbing).
 
I'm surprised he didn't go into how he is PO'd about how he has to actually pay his student loans more. 15K in 1989 is equal to 30K today and for 30K you get a lot more car than a Chevy Celebrity or Corsica.

He should just get this and be satisfied.

 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I like my automatic 4-zone climate control. I can have cool air, (which I like year round) my wife can have no air, (her preference) and my kid can have warm air.


Same here. Before the 4 zone climate control everyone complained that it was either too hot or too cold. I like it at 70 degrees but most people do not. Opening windows is not a option ever.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: TurboFiat124
Don't get me started on heated seats. This seems like a good gimmick or novelty but I've bought two used cars with heated seats (one being the Explorer) and the driver's side in the Buick didn't work and the passenger seat in the Explorer didn't work.


Heated seats are wonderful -- just get some that are reliable. Both of our vehicles have heated seats, and both work like a charm. I wouldn't call them a necessity, but most things we enjoy in life aren't necessities (you know...like indoor plumbing).


Loved my heated seats in my Jetta. Start car and go, even in cold weather.

Took a couple of long-ish hikes in winter, and other times of the year; and the seat heater was always nice to feel on my tired back afterwards.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Pulling the inside handle unlocks the door. The second pull will open it. Unless his door was on fire, him not being able to open the door from the inside was his own fault. It is a mechanical connection. If he could open the door to get into the car, he could open it to get out.



My VW did that, front doors was single pull though, rears were two pull. Never understood that. Forget how my late model Toyota's are, but I think single pull will open the door. But I'm 99% certain that on my '99 Camry that, if locked, the doors aren't opening. It was a bit disturbing when I noticed.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I'll never have another car without heated seats. Heated steering wheels are also lovely.

I'll never have another car without ventilated seats. (my wife doesn't mind not having them)

I like my automatic 4-zone climate control. I can have cool air, (which I like year round) my wife can have no air, (her preference) and my kid can have warm air.

I like my air suspension.

I like my automatic door locks and windows.

I like my power trunk.

I like my cruise control and 6 speed automatic transmission.

If YOU don't like progress, it is not up to the rest of the world to carry your burden. Buy an old car or a base-model Mitsubishi.

Modern controls are only distracting if you allow yourself to be distracted by them.


AMEN!
 
38.gif

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4275616/1/Problems_with_modern_cars
 
Try owning a hybrid.
Nice but I blank out all of the info on the displays.
I can imagine watching all of that slop and driving right off a cliff. Too much information.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Pulling the inside handle unlocks the door. The second pull will open it. Unless his door was on fire, him not being able to open the door from the inside was his own fault. It is a mechanical connection. If he could open the door to get into the car, he could open it to get out.



My VW did that, front doors was single pull though, rears were two pull. Never understood that. Forget how my late model Toyota's are, but I think single pull will open the door. But I'm 99% certain that on my '99 Camry that, if locked, the doors aren't opening. It was a bit disturbing when I noticed.


That is a common thing?

There's nothing on the back doors of my parents' 2013 Focuscape to unlock it should the battery die and you can't unlock with the button. We didn't know about this until I happened to stumble across it on Focusfanatics. There's nothing in the owners manual about it either, IIRC.

I'm guessing it just works in a panic situation because you're going to be frantically pulling at the handle and it opens the door.

Pretty cool. My 76 year old father loves doing that to open the door.
 
My 92 Accord will not let you open the door from the inside unless it's unlocked. Doesn't matter how many times you pull on the handle, it won't open unless you lift the little lock knob up on the windowsill to unlock it (or use the power lock button).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

MCompact
2021 Sahara 4xe- One Month Review
Replies
14
Views
868
MCompact
OVERKILL
2023 Grand Cherokee 4xe Summit
Replies
15
Views
1K
GMBoy
dishdude
Rental review: 2023 CR-V
Replies
14
Views
2K
goingplacesanddoingstuff
dishdude
2023 Buick Envision rental review
Replies
15
Views
5K
JGmazda
Vil_Riker
Interesting observation of BMW X5 hybrid
Replies
17
Views
1K
Ws6
Back
Top