Upon which automotive hill will you die?

[blupupher]

I want a vehicle that has actual knobs and buttons for things like radio (no volume knob is a big no-no), A/C controls and such.
Touch screens are OK for navigation, but having to dig through and switch menus on a touch screen to get to basic functions above is just plain unsafe.

I like my '18 Santa Fe, I can navigate the A/C, radio, navigation and such on the touch screen if I want, but I also have a physical knob to push and turn for the volume, buttons to adjust A/C temp and fan speed that can be done without looking at a screen.
Having the steering wheel control is nice, but I still want my volume knob.

So basically, my hill is a completely digital dash.

 

[VolkswagenFox21]

I don’t know…. You couldn’t pay me to take a boring appliance on wheels with a manual over something fun with an automatic.

This post brought to you by the ZF8 automatic gang.

Yeah, I doubt many people share my point of view, which is fine. I didn’t like the ZF8 in the Supra at all, but I get why many love it.

 

[k1xv]

I brought my mother's cremains to the cemetery on the passenger seat of a Corvette convertible, and I hope someone does the same for me.

 

[JavierH19]

Push button start sucks and is unreliable.

It really is. I'll press the brake and click it and nothing, have to press again. Same with the garbage electronic door buttons in the outside door handle which I'll quickly press and yank but it doesn't fully release so i have to press the button again. Apparently you gotta hold it down a little before pulling. Utter nonsense solutions in search of a problem. Never once had an ignition cylinder or mechanical door handle problem ever in my 05 and 03 gmc's.

 

[IndyIan]

Yeah, I doubt many people share my point of view, which is fine. I didn’t like the ZF8 in the Supra at all, but I get why many love it.

I do, especially an older simple appliance car with a manual trans can keep you entertained just trundling around town, working on your heel and toe, and its kind of fun to have full control of the drivetrain. You can pick any rpm, at any throttle opening, at any time, without any weird lurching shifts.

I think for the next 10-12 years I'll stick with a lightweight, mtx wagon. After that, hopefully a model 3 or another fun to drive EV car is pretty cheap. To get performance similar to a dual motor model 3, a gas powered car is too expensive and complicated for me to own and maintain long term... If I'm going automatic, I figure I might as well just get rid all the complication and maintenance of complicated engines and transmissions and throttle lag of a gas powered car, and just go electric.

 

[justalubetech]

Push button start sucks and is unreliable.

I gotta say.... I've replaced a whole lotta mechanical ignitions and only a few push-button start components in my 8 years of professional wrenching.

That said I'd still rather have a basic key ign that I can get copies for a few bucks.

 

[nwjones18]

There is no such thing as top tier gas…

 

[FishFry]

If I'm lucky, I got maybe 20-25 years left.

I never bought a new car in my life, and never will. Total waste of money IMHO.

For a daily driver, I probably never get a car newer than 2005ish - actually I lean more towards the 80s lately, cause than I can fix pretty much everything myself - maybe a Blazer. The less electronics the better.
For my "just for fun" cars, never anything newer than early 60s and never anything without a carb.

And of course no EV ever - goes without saying.

 

[Bailes1992]

SUV's are rubbish and most people have no reason to own one. You compromise on handling, comfort, fuel economy and performance for no gain other than being a bit higher.

Due to the popularity of SUV's and subsequent killing off of cars as a result, when I needed a new vehicle last year the only vehicle within my budget that had a small diesel engine and four wheel drive ended up being an SUV. Give me a car any day!

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

You guys are a knowledgeable, yet "old ways" bunch. I think that's a good thing. So... which hill? Could be brand related, engine related, fluid related... whatcha got?

EVs will largely go away, new cars aren't as good as many think they are, American muscle will continue to humiliate European machines at the dragstrip for the foreseeable future, Maserati and Dodge have the same parent ownership, Dodges are probably faster anyways, nothing in wrong in paying for a name if you like it.

Subaru engines may in fact be made of paper mache, rebadges work,

You can sell the American populace anything.

Again, EVs will market correct back to the 5-10% they should be and ICEs aren't going anywhere. "Get off my lawn..."

 

[tbm5690]

I don’t know…. You couldn’t pay me to take a boring appliance on wheels with a manual over something fun with an automatic.

This post brought to you by the ZF8 automatic gang.

But most manuals now are only available in vehicles that have a little punch, by in large.

 

[tbm5690]

One of my hills: why buy a brand new strippie with zero features when the same money gets you a lightly used fully loaded model?

 

[D60]

I was thinking there was nothing but @FishFry above got me thinking: I personally will likely never own a carbureted vehicle. There are simply too many advantages to EFI and it runs like a clock.

My other one which isn't actually automotive specific but more finances: never had a car payment and never want one. Mortgages are different but cars depreciate -- and rapidly. I never saw the need for the latest F150 with features I never even knew I needed when I could just pay cash for one ~8 years old in good condition (shrug)

 

[tessaseveride]

Doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, shift feel in manual transmissions with shifter cables suck.

 

[PF52]

I don’t know…. You couldn’t pay me to take a boring appliance on wheels with a manual over something fun with an automatic.

+2

I had an S-10 pickup 5-speed which nearly drove me to road rage any time I had to drive it more than about fifteen minutes. I don't know what it was - wear and tear on the clutch, poor choice on the gear ratios, underpowered engine, or whatever, but it drove me mad.

Some manuals are a delight. But not all of them.

 

[SaberOne]

I’ll be 70 this year so I would prefer to stick with a 6.2 or 7.0. I have to stick with an auto transmission because of my neuropathy. I pretty much hunt n’ peck on the petals.

 

[Skippy722]

But most manuals now are only available in vehicles that have a little punch, by and large.

Yes. But I’ve driven a manual equipped Dodge D100 and a…. Some year Honda Civic I can’t remember. The Dodge was the most vague, “sure, you’re probably in gear” transmission I’ve ever felt, the Honda was the loudest and slowest thing I’ve ever driven. The Honda was a $800 special a friend found online and didn’t know how to drive so he asked me to test drive it. The previous owner sawzalled off a plugged cat at the header and didn’t reconnect the exhaust with anything.

Apparently if you disconnect the IAC valve, because of course that was bad as well, on whatever year Honda that was they’ll “lope” at idle…. And with an open header it just sat there going “BRRRAAAPPP BRRRAAAPPP BRRRAAAPPP”

 

[jeepman3071]

I brought my mother's cremains to the cemetery on the passenger seat of a Corvette convertible, and I hope someone does the same for me.

Life is too short to drive boring cars.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Hands glued to the latest ICE vehicle I can still drive down the road at the time

 

[IndyIan]

Doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, shift feel in manual transmissions with shifter cables suck.

Eh, I dunno, have you driven all of them? there's lots of rwd manual gear boxes with the stick right on top that aren't great either. But yes, there are lots of cable shifters that aren't great, any GM fwd I've ever driven had almost no feel, but honda's(older ones are linkages) and mazda's are always good, VW's just seem to work and I don't recall anything bad or good about them? I find I can easily feel the syncro's do their thing in my Focus, gates are well defined, I find its a pleasure to row through it anyways.
The mtx Echo I drove recently was pretty light and vague but it was probably pretty worn.
My 2003 Tracker was not a great feeling manual trans, a low first, and a tallish second gear with a balky 2nd syncro when cold, made it a bit annoying in the mornings...