Simple car

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I'm an accessory guy, I can't do w/o the benefits of technology.

Power brakes with double circuits, (real) power steering with quick ratio. AC is welcome. Rear window defogger. Dome light. Day-Night mirror. Self cancelling turn signals with lane-change feature. I also have a whim for the hub caps -they look nice! On cities, an extra outside mirror on the right is also very useful -believe me!

Anything we left uncovered? I highly appreciate the AT, that's the option for me. 2-dr. is better than central-locks. I never had a radio, I like poeple nagging how come I don't have a radio but eventually get creative when singing... I also consider throwing away the TV at home.
 
Make a driver's car:

Manual steering, cruise control, AC, manual windows, locks, stick shift, 4 cylinder, 40 MPG, full gauge package (oil pressure, tach, etc).

Add decent adjustable seats (wow, lumbar support). They don't need to be power adjustable. Center console to rest one's elbow. Cupholders and bins for change.

Subtract stupid security stuff (theftlock radio that becomes disabled with battery removal, requiring a dealer trip, $60 transponder keys, onstar with the monthly fee)

4 cylinder transverse engines aren't that bad if properly designed. My hyundai has the oil filter on the front of the engine behind the bumper. My saturn stuck it behind, up, and in a spot where old oil dribbles everywhere. Major work (re-ring) on a transverse 4 saturn is possible with ordinary hand tools and the block still in the car.
 
I actually have on file a list of what I think are useless (or expensive to repair) gadgets that some cars have. Naturally some features - like heated seats - are debatable for some people.

- smart key, programmable keys
- keyless ignition (perimeter sensing)
- heated seats
- central locking system
- multifunction door lock, which includes window operation
- multifunction trunk lock, which includes window operation
- ABS (a nice feature until you have to pony up the money to repair it)
- automatic climate control
- air suspension ($10K repair on some luxury vehicles)
- 4-spd automatics w/lockup torque converter
- automatically reversing electric window motors
- throttle-by-wire (ANY by-wire technology)
- trunk and door “pull-in” feature
- seat belt presenters
- hydraulic motor mounts
- power antenna
- power seats, especially tilt and headrest
- headlight wipers
- convertible tops with electro-hydraulic machanisms, microswitches, and a computer
 
Yes. Except I would like these features:

A/C
Rear Window defrost (if a car)
Power Locks, Windows and Mirrors
Remote entry/trunk

Cloth seats

CUP HOLDERS PLEASE!!!


Mechanically. give me a car that:

Has a Honda Engine
Durable transmission
Thick, well-made rotors
Thick, long-lasting pads
Easy to change fuel, oil, and transmission filter
Easy to change transmission fluid (ala 7th gen Honda)

With a 4 year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and under $16,000.
 
Don't really miss them either as I don't tend to drink (or eat) while I drive. Too distracting.

auto tranny? never. I hate them.

power windows? I like them, but two of my cars have cranks, so I can live without them

power locks? Handy in the Prelude since the key doesn't like to work the lock cylinder; the two Saabs have manual locks.
I've broken into the Prelude more easily than I have the Saabs (locked keys inside) just because it DoES have poser locks.

A/C? only the Prelude has A/C, and as I get older I find that I really like having it. When I drove the Saabs (no A/C) in
the summer, my clothes would literally get soaked with sweat.

Sunroof? Have on on 2 cars, and it really helps cut down on the A/C use, but lack of sunvisors on both cars makes it
difficult to drive with them open - I don't care if I have one

power seats, keyless entry, dual zone climate control, leather, digital dash, navigation, voice controls: I've never had any
of these in any car I've owned and really don't give a shot if I ever have any of it. Too much crap to go wrong and leave
the car unusable if it fails. My parents had leather seats in 2 Saab 9000s and I was very unimpressed with how like vinyl it
is (hot in summer/cold in winter) and how easily it dries out and splits.

Definately, the simpler the better. I just wish car companies didn't strip the drivability out of their low-end models (like
Honda and the Civic/Accord: different engines/suspension/brakes in the DX vs LX vs EX) - how about actually make the same
car without the power crap?

[ January 26, 2006, 02:40 PM: Message edited by: wwillson ]
 
My Neon's pretty close to that, it does have power steering & carpet. But it has rubber mats on top of the carpet!
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i think about a 1966 ford fairlane my daddy bought new. 2 door sedan,3 speed on the column,no p.s,no p.b,no a.c .those days are gone.
 
i would like power windows and leather thats about it give me a manual without a doubt and a simple but good A/C system sounds great to me. I wouldnt mine the driver window being a crank i just like the other windows to be power.
 
Yes, I have a simple car and would buy another one. This car would have low profit. The manufacturer would make it unattractive so few would buy this loss leader-mobile.
 
Actually, some features are quite desirable to the many of us that have different tastes. What turns me off is how they are now shoving these features down our throats!
 
In Oct 2001, after my beloved 90 Legend Coupe (cloth, 5spd) was totalled from somebody hitting it while parked, I ordered a new 2002 Altima with the 3.5 V6, 5spd, cloth, HID, and sunroof. That's exactly what I wanted. No Bose, no auto climate control, just a performance sleeper. (Of course, it had ABS, cruise, PW, PL, CD player, and AC standard.) Four long months later (another story), the car arrived with a rear spoiler and Bose. Then the dealer, acknowledging that Nissan had messed up the order and presumably trying to sweeten my deal, decided to install color keyed splash guards all around and a sunroof wind deflector. Ugh. Even though they weren't going to charge me for any of the items I didn't order, I walked away (with my deposit). After scrambling for another car on ebay, I found a 2001 Acura CL-S with 29k for $20k ($5500 less than the Altima). The irony is that it had an automatic tranny, leather, auto climate control, AND BOSE! (yuck!)
I really love it, though: the AT is alright in traffic and has a manual mode. The well-bolstered leather seats are perforated, so they don't get sticky. The auto climate control is easily defeated. And the Bose speakers were easily replaced. Funny how life turns out. (My next car will definitely be a stick shift!)
 
The Neon we bought also exactly fits the description apart from having a carpeted floor (with rubber mats on top of it). To compound that, we bought it used! With under 36,000 miles it was super-inexpensive, is super-reliable and super-durable. I couldn't care less about most of the optional equipment, though I did put the factory cruise control in it myself. It was our family car for nearly 2 years (we have 2 small kids) and is now our "second" car. If/when it ever gets replaced I expect to be looking for the same (non-)equipment level again.
 
YES!....But not an "econobox". I'd like to see the return of simplicity to a mid-sized vehicle. A reliable car with no nonsense features crafted from high quality materials for about $20-30k.
 
I'd certainly be willing to trade luxury features like heated seats or an on-board computer for items that improve my safety and comfort. Give me all the safety goodies ya got - ABS, a zillion air bags, traction control, all that. Anything to swing the odds of survivability in my favor. The softest leather seat with 8-way power isn't going to save my keister in an accident. I'd rather have a cloth seat that was ergonomically designed and made to support me in a rear-end collision.

Beyond that, the basics are fine - AC is a must have, most power goodies are unnecessary, a manual tranny works for me, I'll pass on the power moonroof and power rear sunshade.
 
My very first car was a 78 Ford Fairmont with the 2.3l 4 cylinder engine, 3 speed auto trans, AM radio, crank windows, no A/C, no rear defrost. Come to think about it, I never had any problems with that "basic" car.
However my 2002 Envoy SLT has every option including headlamp washers and AutoRide (automatic suspension). I dont know how i ever lived without?? I use my heat on my heated leather seats literally "every day" in the winter months here in Michigan. My dual climate control HVAC is priceless. OnStar has proved to be lifesaving once or twice while reporting serious accidents in unknown areas. And my rain-sensing wipers are just another that make driving the Envoy a pleasure.
And at 82,000 miles I have had no problems with the "extra accessories" on my truck!! (knocking on wood)...lol
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Nothing here beats my '59 Willys CJ5.

It has no power brakes (manual 4 wheel drum).
It has no power steering.
It has no radio.
It didn't even come with a roof or doors, right from the factory.

It is simplicity at it's finest.
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Jeep
 
thrace has the right idea. Car manufacturers [obviously] aren't going to rake in the dough when you finance a simple, reliable car that costs $15,000 like they would when they put you in one that costs $25,000 unless they can sell a lot of them (Civic, Corolla?).

I would gladly pay a little more upfront for safety and reliability vs. a "Rube Goldberg" machine chocked full of features I've convinced myself I can't live without.

Well, I'm off to polish my "one-trick-pony" kitchen gadget collection and sharpen my ceramic toothpick sharpener.(And before you say anything, my $85.00 ceramic toothpick sharpener is made from recycled luxury liner debris and organic tree sap, 30% of the proceeds go to feed spotted owls in third world countries, and I have this condition where I absolutely need ultra-sharp toothpicks, so it's not an extravagancy, even though people say I'm spoiled). I sometimes wonder how "the other half" makes it...
 
Yes, and my 2005 Toyota Tundra pretty much fits that description. Unfortunately, the "convenience package" was on every one of them in stock. That meant cruise, power windows, locks and mirrors, none of which I wanted were on it. I did get the "hose it out" non-carpeted floors, which are great for snow and off road. It also has five matching plain steel rims with full-size spare, a regular metal ignition key, an old-style radio antenna and real bench seat that can actually hold three adults. Pickup trucks simply equipped are plentiful because business fleets buy them.

The only passenger cars you can find anymore that are simple are the basic Korean models, and they are still FWD. There may be a basic Civic or Corolla listed in the brocures, just try to find one in stock.
 
My 78 Toyota SR-5 long bed pickup has nothing but a radio. P/B's no A/C, no P/S, 5-speed, no power locks or windows or seats, nothing. And it's reliable, has never let me down. It's old, has rust, cracked paint and that 20R engine passes Calif smog every time and it runs like new. I think modern pickups are not like this truck at all. They are really luxo cars with a bed in the back. Every time I service the truck, I'm glad it's a simple vehicle. You can point to any hose or wire under the hood and I can tell you exactly what it is and what it does. I can reach the oil filter from either above or below, it's right out in the open. I can take off the valve cover in two minutes and do any service under the hood with just the tools at hand, and very quickly. Simple is good.
 
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