will they ever be a push back on car technology?

[ka9mnx]

I like low tech vehicles. Last summer my wife wanted to retire her "garden truck" (Ranger) and get a "people mover". She likes trucks so I looked at reliable old SUV's. I ended up with the 4Runner. She loves it. She likes tech but agrees with me on low-tech vehicles. Trouble I have is the conspiracy to get old vehicles off the road. Government and manufacturers are working on this with the new "standard" 95 octane gas. I'm not worried about replacement repair parts but I don't think I'll be able to get the proper oil for my vehicles in the future. Now I drive the Ranger and the F150 is a "dump truck".

 

[itguy08]

I must be doing something wrong. With coming up on 9 years and 126k all the gizmos still work perfectly in my vehicle. Nav screen still works, adaptive cruise works (even with a run in with a deer a year ago), auto climate still keeps temp, power doors/windows work, keyless fob works, etc.

 

[Ducked]

Wouldn't think so. The Renault Logan is often billed as such a "push-back", being cheap and allegedly relatively simple, but if that's true its a special case. Renault wern't keen on relasing it in the UK market, because UK buyers are used to paying high prices, and it would have undercut its pricier and allegedly more complex cousins.

In any case its doubtfull if low-tech is inherently much cheaper, since a lot of the tech is cheap electronic hardware and software.

It also tends to be unrepairable and proprietary. This has the effect of restoring the obsolescence formerly provided by corrosion, and inceasingly tying punters into the dealer servicing network.

These qualities are likely to remain irresistible to manufacturers.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
I must be doing something wrong. With coming up on 9 years and 126k all the gizmos still work perfectly in my vehicle. Nav screen still works, adaptive cruise works (even with a run in with a deer a year ago), auto climate still keeps temp, power doors/windows work, keyless fob works, etc.



That's been my experience as well with my son's E90 3er and my wife's R55 Clubman.

 

[zorobabel]

Originally Posted By: JeepWJ19

Electronic parking brakes:
1. More control over determining if the parking brake is actually set
2. Allows an independent braking system
3. Can help manual transmissions have smooth starts on hills

So the parking/emergency brake with a handle (handbrake) is not independent right? As opposed to a battery driven "independent" electronic brake...
Taking off on a hill from a stop was part of my first DL exam. Manual transmission car and handbrake equipped car. I was expected to know how to use both in conjunction to get a DL.

 

[grampi]

The problem with the car buying public is they have no foresight. They live in the now and don't care about tomorrow. A good example of that is how people go out and buy the biggest gas hogs they can afford when gas is cheap, and then they complain about how much gas is costing them when prices go up, then you see all of these gas hogs with for sale signs in them parked in people's front yards and they want to buy something more fuel efficient, and the cycle never ends. It's the same with these new vehicles that are loaded with electronic gizmos. These gizmos are nice when the vehicle is new, but when they break they are expensive to fix, and eventually, when the vehicle gets to a certain age, the manufacturers of these vehicles stop making these parts. These days, that can mean the vehicle is no longer driveable, as many, if not most of today's vehicles can't be driven if certain electronic components are no longer working. This is called built-in obsolescence...

 

[JeepWJ19]

Originally Posted By: zorobabel
Originally Posted By: JeepWJ19

Electronic parking brakes:
1. More control over determining if the parking brake is actually set
2. Allows an independent braking system
3. Can help manual transmissions have smooth starts on hills

So the parking/emergency brake with a handle (handbrake) is not independent right? As opposed to a battery driven "independent" electronic brake...
Taking off on a hill from a stop was part of my first DL exam. Manual transmission car and handbrake equipped car. I was expected to know how to use both in conjunction to get a DL.


Independent as far as smoother launching on hills. There shouldn't have been a 3rd bullet point. 3. Was the explanation. No longer needing the user to actually release it.

I'm glad that you know how, but that's not really relevant

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: UncleDave
I would say no. Ever increasing technology is the route the industry has been on and I see no possible deviation from it continuing.

I suspect you're right. In some ways, though, there is a "bit" of push back, but that depends what you call an advance or a retreat. Car audio systems are getting more advanced in some ways, and dumbed down in others.

Streaming low quality music media over Bluetooth is hardly what I'd consider an advance!

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: itguy08
I must be doing something wrong. With coming up on 9 years and 126k all the gizmos still work perfectly in my vehicle. Nav screen still works, adaptive cruise works (even with a run in with a deer a year ago), auto climate still keeps temp, power doors/windows work, keyless fob works, etc.


Mine is over 10 years old at this point. Yeah, keyless go still works, the passenger side keyless go unlock feature is starting to fade, doesn't always work. Around $200 for the door handle. Going to skip it for now. Parktronic front and rear sensors still work.

Originally Posted By: grampi
These gizmos are nice when the vehicle is new, but when they break they are expensive to fix, and eventually, when the vehicle gets to a certain age, the manufacturers of these vehicles stop making these parts.


Mercedes still makes parts for classic cars.

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/enthusiast/classic_center

 

[Ducked]

Irritants like TPMS, dynamic stability control, ABS, and exhaust catalysts are legally mandatory in most markets anyway, so an old car will probably always out-minimalist a new simplicate-and-add-lightness version, if there were any.

Saw a Caterham 7 in an Edinburgh car park last week that looked about as close as you'd be able to get.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359
Originally Posted By: itguy08
I must be doing something wrong. With coming up on 9 years and 126k all the gizmos still work perfectly in my vehicle. Nav screen still works, adaptive cruise works (even with a run in with a deer a year ago), auto climate still keeps temp, power doors/windows work, keyless fob works, etc.


Mine is over 10 years old at this point. Yeah, keyless go still works, the passenger side keyless go unlock feature is starting to fade, doesn't always work. Around $200 for the door handle. Going to skip it for now. Parktronic front and rear sensors still work.

Originally Posted By: grampi
These gizmos are nice when the vehicle is new, but when they break they are expensive to fix, and eventually, when the vehicle gets to a certain age, the manufacturers of these vehicles stop making these parts.


Mercedes still makes parts for classic cars.

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/enthusiast/classic_center


That's great for those who own classic cars, but what about those of us who would just like to keep our normal every day vehicles forever? I'm not one who likes having to buy a new vehicle every 5 or so years. I'd rather maintain them properly and keep them for many years. Part of the reason we had to get rid of my wife's last minivan, a Mazda MPV, is because it was getting tough to find parts for it. If parts were still available, I could've kept it going for another 10 years at least...

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: Wolf359


Mercedes still makes parts for classic cars.

https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/enthusiast/classic_center


So does BMW: BMW Group Classic

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: MCompact
So does BMW: BMW Group Classic

Yeah, some parts but it isn't all of them of course. Sometimes a key part for something is NLA which is annoying.

BMW appears to have parts made in China now, an oil pipe I got from a dealer for my old E34 was made there.

 

[Vikas]

Well, it is MB; those type of things are expected to break in that 10 year time period

Not completely serious; but surely there are some brands where you do NOT expect *anything* like that to break in the 1st 10 year of service. I won't name them but I can say that MB or BMW will NOT be on that list.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
Well, it is MB; those type of things are expected to break in that 10 year time period

Not completely serious; but surely there are some brands where you do NOT expect *anything* like that to break in the 1st 10 year of service. I won't name them but I can say that MB or BMW will NOT be on that list.


MB claims that they always make parts for whatever car you have. But I've heard of stories where some part is in short supply and you have to wait weeks or months for them to be made and shipped from Germany.

 

[SteveSRT8]

My August 05 purchased sig car still has all original parts except wear items like tires and brakes at well beyond 100k miles.

I was worried buying a vehicle with computers and tech like nothing I had owned before it.

Obviously not a problem...

 

[andyd]

There's a guy organizing a group buy of 24 BMW E 28 windshields from a French outfit, IIRC. Old BMWs required more service but were much more robust in other areas. Now you get a rocket ship whose plastic is decomposing as you drive it.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: andyd
There's a guy organizing a group buy of 24 BMW E 28 windshields from a French outfit, IIRC. Old BMWs required more service but were much more robust in other areas. Now you get a rocket ship whose plastic is decomposing as you drive it.

Man if plastic parts are worse today than they were in 1994 everyone is in trouble. It's a tough call but I'd say the plastics used in my old BMW are the #1 worst thing about it, everything fractures when you try and remove it. On some jobs I spend nearly as much on plastic clips and clamps as I do on the part I'm replacing.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
How many people buy base model Versas with crank windows and basic head unit ?

Not that many. Most people love the technology

We have twice now.
In 2003 the base Tracker had no radio at all and crank windows. Both my wife and I could reach all 4 window cranks, and we installed a half decent head unit for $150 with a USB port and even a sub line out so I'd actually prefer if all base model cars came without a headunit. It didn't have AC which wasn't really a problem until kids came along 7 years later.
Our Outback is the base model as well, but in 15 years things have changed. The base head unit doesn't have a NAV system but does have apple car play so now it does have NAV. It does have 3 level heated front seats, a 12 way power drivers seat, a rear view camera, power heated mirrors. It does have steel wheels though but as long as we don't crunch the wheel covers and they stay on I don't mind.
I guess in reality most of the trinkets like heated seats and mirrors, don't really cost the manufacturer much anyways to add to a base model once they've been developed for the upper trims and most manufacturers don't make much money on providing the basic functional parts of the car, so they need to add some bling and make their money there.

 

[Wolf359]

Most tech stuff is pretty fun, but I did drive a car once that had the blind spot assist. I didn't think it was that useful as it didn't help at all the way I drive. You can usually tell with a glance if there's someone in your blind spot so whether the light is on or not, you know if someone is in your blind spot.

Maybe it's good for totally clueless drivers. I see them all the time, they try to signal a lane change when they're right next to a car. So of course the next 3 cars won't let him in and of course he's clueless why people won't let him in. No one lets anyone cut in during rush hour. You just have to find/wait for the gap, signal and merge into it.