New cars...yuck.

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Tacitus

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Rented a Chevy Tahoe on vacation. We used to drive a Suburban years ago, so we figured it would be comparable.

Things have changed.

First: It was a giant vehicle. Really high off the ground. You really do need the running boards to climb up into it. Crazy. I would fall out of it every time, thinking I could just put my foot down on the ground, but I usually had another 6 inches to go every time, and I would slide out of the driver's seat. I'm not huge, but I'm definitely not a small man. It was really weird.

Second: Buttons, buttons, buttons. You push a button on the right to start it. You push a different button on the left to release the parking break. You pull a button on the right to put it in reverse. You then push a different button to put it in drive. Just terrible.

Third: Giant touchscreen constantly lit up. I finally figured out how to turn it off...but it kept turning itself back on, asking me if I wanted it on. I figured after I turned it off 3 times in a row, it might stay off. Nope. Constantly turned back on. Does Chevy want me to hate my driving experience??? Are they trying to distract and annoy me while I'm driving?

I have a suspicion other new cars are this way. At this rate, I will never buy a new car again. What the...is going???? Who wants the buttons and touchscreens. Just awful.
 
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Honestly I have literal nightmares about new cars.

All my cars are 20 years old. But I acknowledge that at some point I won't be able to keep them running, perhaps when they are 30 years old, I will have to buy new ten year old cars....which means current cars....which look like some kind of dystopian nightmare and very likely won't be fixable when ten or twenty years old.

I am really worried about this. Having a cheap, reliable, easy to fix 4WD is the absolute foundation of my lifestyle. If that goes away so does my way of life.

My only hope is there will be some kind of tech revolution in this country that moves things back to basics. Hard to imagine that happening.
 
Honestly I have literal nightmares about new cars.

All my cars are 20 years old. But I acknowledge that at some point I won't be able to keep them running, perhaps when they are 30 years old, I will have to buy new ten year old cars....which means current cars....which look like some kind of dystopian nightmare and very likely won't be fixable when ten or twenty years old.

I am really worried about this. Having a cheap, reliable, easy to fix 4WD is the absolute foundation of my lifestyle. If that goes away so does my way of life.

My only hope is there will be some kind of tech revolution in this country that moves things back to basics. Hard to imagine that happening.
There are still trucks from the '80s in my area that come up for sale occasionally. Strangely the ones from the '90s don't seem to hold up as well as the older ones - they rust out worse and the frames fail more often.

I suppose I'm less afraid of the tech than some here are. My brand new Toyota 4x4 has some stuff I can do without - the adaptive cruise control was driving me nuts until I figured out how to disable it, and I can't put a brush guard on it without screwing up all the forward facing crash avoidance sensors - but I like the big touch screen, I like having Bluetooth, stuff like that. Toyota accessories seem to last better than GM or Ram too...just a thought for when you do have to get a more modern 4x4...
 
I bought my wife a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platnum edition and it has a lot of bells and whistles.
I pushed a button on the navigation and some guy said "welcome to Toyota cares." Freaked me out. I told him I had not meant to call anyone and he said the service is included for 1 year. He then asked what I wanted and I told him I was trying to input an address into the GPS. He asked for the address and suddenly the GPS was programmed. It comes in handy for my wife but that car knows way too much about me.
I agree with you spikedriver. Adaptive cruise is a pain in the neck. It will actually move you back into your lane if you drift over the lines. It will keep you centered in the lane on curves. The worst part is it beeps constantly on back roads. I turned all that off but I do like the feature that slows you down when you get too close to a slower vehicle.
 
I bought my wife a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platnum edition and it has a lot of bells and whistles.
I pushed a button on the navigation and some guy said "welcome to Toyota cares." Freaked me out. I told him I had not meant to call anyone and he said the service is included for 1 year. He then asked what I wanted and I told him I was trying to input an address into the GPS. He asked for the address and suddenly the GPS was programmed. It comes in handy for my wife but that car knows way too much about me.
I agree with you spikedriver. Adaptive cruise is a pain in the neck. It will actually move you back into your lane if you drift over the lines. It will keep you centered in the lane on curves. The worst part is it beeps constantly on back roads. I turned all that off but I do like the feature that slows you down when you get too close to a slower vehicle.
I was at the dealer today getting steps put on my truck and the Sales lady that sold it to me said, "Hey, did you ever install the Toyota App on your phone?" I said no. I wasn't that interested in it. She told me to get registered for it. 10 minutes later, my phone knew how many miles were on the truck, it will give me alerts for when I need to change the oil or rotate the tires, and it will run the nav system. But I'm guessing it will also track my location - if it knows how many miles are on the truck without being connected to the truck, it probably knows where I've been...
 
I really dislike all the buttons, switches, and computers on new cars for my taste. It seems that the electronics are what fail first and drive the owners back to a dealership for a new one. 18 years ago, when I bought my old truck (used), I actually wanted manual window regulators and I got them along with the AM-FM Cassette deck. 2 years ago I decided to bite the bullet and redo the engine, suspension, brake lines, vacuum lines, and every hose I could reach (Did the work myself in car tent the driveway). FYI - the AC still works. ;)

I figure if I can get 10 more years out of her I will be way ahead of the game. Yep, I just look at what a new car payment would be and I'm happy with old.....
 
My wife has the Toyota app on her phone. It's been telling her she needs to take it in for the 5000-mile service. You can start the car from anywhere. We were in Missouri and I started her car in Seattle. We watched it on my son's security cameras. Then I had to figure out how to turn it off. Her key fob doesn't have an autostart button she has to use the app.
Toyota can access the videos from all the cameras but we can't. The videos are saved somewhere in the car. If you're in a crash Toyota can get every bit of information from the car and know exactly what was happening at the time. Just like an airplane BlackBox.
If the car is stolen they know where it is in real-time.
All new vehicles will be fully connected to the manufacturer and there isn't a way to disable it. Right now we can drive older cars but eventually, the old cars will be gone and the new cars will be all that's left. Then even the old clunkers will track you.
 
I like having Bluetooth, stuff like that. Toyota accessories seem to last better than GM or Ram too...just a thought for when you do have to get a more modern 4x4...

All my vehicles are Toyota trucks or subarus. My Tundra has 320K on it. I hope it lasts forever. Still has the AM/FM casset deck it came with.
 
Rented a Chevy Tahoe on vacation. We used to drive a Suburban years ago, so we figured it would be comparable.

Things have changed.

First: It was a giant vehicle. Really high off the ground. You really do need the running boards to climb up into it. Crazy. I would fall out of it every time, thinking I could just put my foot down on the ground, but I usually had another 6 inches to go every time, and I would slide out of the driver's seat. I'm not huge, but I'm definitely not a small man. It was really weird.

Second: Buttons, buttons, buttons. You push a button on the right to start it. You push a different button on the left to release the parking break. You pull a button on the right to put it in reverse. You then push a different button to put it in drive. Just terrible.

Third: Giant touchscreen constantly lit up. I finally figured out how to turn it off...but it kept turning itself back on, asking me if I wanted it on. I figured after I turned it off 3 times in a row, it might stay off. Nope. Constantly turned back on. Does Chevy want me to hate my driving experience??? Are they trying to distract and annoy me while I'm driving?

I have a suspicion other new cars are this way. At this rate, I will never buy a new car again. What the...is going???? Who wants the buttons and touchscreens. Just awful.
Yuck, just a good ol' dinosaur!
 
I'm going to refurbish my 1990 Ford Bronco instead of buying new. We have a 2016 Ram and the computer part drives us crazy. The only problems we've had have been with the computers. I don't like how it beeps, dings, chimes. Even in my car there is a light that lights up if I'm driving economically. Duh! I know if I romp on it, it's not economical. There doesn't need to be a flashing light. I think it's things like this that contribute to road rage. New appliances are right up there (they beep and buzz and you can't turn a dial, you have to press a button 18 times, etc.)
Edited to add - and key fobs! They are awful. Why can't we just stick with a good ol flat key that fits in my pocket?
 
Ok, everybody stop!!!! '99 z71 has 426,000 miles, hope everyday it makes it😳😊 would not want a new one!! It's my Baby!!!!
You must be somewhere that they don't salt the roads in the winter. Around here a 99 Chevy would have disintegrated by now, unless it's a garage queen. And with 426k on it, yours definitely isn't a garage queen...
 
I'm going to refurbish my 1990 Ford Bronco instead of buying new. We have a 2016 Ram and the computer part drives us crazy. The only problems we've had have been with the computers. I don't like how it beeps, dings, chimes. Even in my car there is a light that lights up if I'm driving economically. Duh! I know if I romp on it, it's not economical. There doesn't need to be a flashing light. I think it's things like this that contribute to road rage. New appliances are right up there (they beep and buzz and you can't turn a dial, you have to press a button 18 times, etc.)
Edited to add - and key fobs! They are awful. Why can't we just stick with a good ol flat key that fits in my pocket?
Key fob batteries don't last forever, either. My Mazda had the battery die all of a sudden. Luckily, it had a little key thingy inside of it you could take out to unlock it, and you could touch it to a certain spot on the dash and it would still start with the push button even with a dead battery.

Sometimes, all this "convenient" stuff is more inconvenience than it's worth...
 
our 2007 Tundra came with 244,000 miles on it, no screen, don't like the idea of driving a computer around. I read about two other Tundra's that got a million miles on them so I figured the 244,000 miles were just the break in miles.
 
You must be somewhere that they don't salt the roads in the winter. Around here a 99 Chevy would have disintegrated by now, unless it's a garage queen. And with 426k on it, yours definitely isn't a garage queen...
N Tx, it's my work truck. Hubby is not far behind with 330,000 on his '96 Chevy. Have a friend with a '90 Dodge with just shy of 900,000, you read it right😃
 
our 2007 Tundra came with 244,000 miles on it, no screen, don't like the idea of driving a computer around. I read about two other Tundra's that got a million miles on them so I figured the 244,000 miles were just the break in miles.
I am on my 2nd 2008 Tundra (1st one was totaled when I got rear-end by some chick in a jeep on her cell phone while stopped at a red light). This one only had 57000 when I got it. Around 120000 now. I plan to keep it till ot don't go any more.
I've also got a 2005 Camry i drive to work everyday. Its only got 131000 on it.
 
I am on my 2nd 2008 Tundra (1st one was totaled when I got rear-end by some chick in a jeep on her cell phone while stopped at a red light). This one only had 57000 when I got it. Around 120000 now. I plan to keep it till ot don't go any more.
I've also got a 2005 Camry i drive to work everyday. Its only got 131000 on it.
Lol that's low miles. I've had mine for 13 days and have just under 1000 miles already.

Of course when I drive it's almost always a 50 mile round trip...
 
All my vehicles are Toyota trucks or subarus. My Tundra has 320K on it. I hope it lasts forever. Still has the AM/FM casset deck it came with.
I have a 1998 Toyota Camry and hope the same thing. 303K on it and it is a luxury edition. When one of my clients heard how many miles were on it, he said his next vehicle had to be a Toyota. The challenge for him is that where he lives is on a busy street and his vehicle gets hit a couple times a year.
 
I went looking for a new Chevy truck in 2016 to replace my 2005 GMC. First one I got in was one of the fancier ones. Looked around the cabin and like many of you, there were too many gadgets for my wants/needs. Kept going down models then settled on the LT version. Cloth seats, power windows/locks and the touch screen but that's about all I wanted.

Also like many here, our daily drivers are older Toyota's and a Honda.
 
I went looking for a new Chevy truck in 2016 to replace my 2005 GMC. First one I got in was one of the fancier ones. Looked around the cabin and like many of you, there were too many gadgets for my wants/needs. Kept going down models then settled on the LT version. Cloth seats, power windows/locks and the touch screen but that's about all I wanted.

Also like many here, our daily drivers are older Toyota's and a Honda.
I am a fan of the lower trim levels too. My new truck is an SR5, not the high end level. My Equinox is an LT. I think the high end models are nice, but not necessary, and all the extras can be a pain for repairs. The one high end car I had was a 2005 Buick. I loved that car. It had all the bells and whistles. But it had an air suspension system that went bad and it was $3k to fix it. The whole car was worth less than that with 185k miles. Even though the motor was still good, I decided it was time to trade. I miss that car, there was nothing better for the long highway drives I make on a regular basis. It just didn't hold up...
 
Lol that's low miles. I've had mine for 13 days and have just under 1000 miles already.

Of course when I drive it's almost always a 50 mile round trip...
I was lucky to find both with so few miles. I've had a bunch of toyotas over the years, only 2 with less than 200k on them and they both got wrecked. Some were in excess of 300k.. I'd like to find a late 80s early 90s toyota 4x4 to go thru and get in good shape. It'd last me rest of my life for most everything except heavy towing/hauling
 
I was lucky to find both with so few miles. I've had a bunch of toyotas over the years, only 2 with less than 200k on them and they both got wrecked. Some were in excess of 300k.. I'd like to find a late 80s early 90s toyota 4x4 to go thru and get in good shape. It'd last me rest of my life for most everything except heavy towing/hauling
That's big money for the old Toyota 4x4s. I was just looking at those a few weeks ago, and anything in good shape is going for $20,000 to 40,000 for ones in pristine condition.
 
M F150 has a hidden compartment under the rubber pad in the cupholder to put your key fob in and it will let you start the truck even when the fob battery is dead.
I was looking at used pickups for my Grandson. Everything was way overpriced.
The chip shortage has all the auto manufacturers with vehicles that they can't sell so used prices have skyrocketed.
Around here the new car dealers have very few cars on their lot. The local Toyota dealer had about 20 new cars total the last time I went by.
Ford has thousands of F150 sitting, waiting for China to send them the computer chips they need.
 
I try to find something good in everything.
I for one, am happy to no longer have to bang on the side of a carburetor to get it to stop flooding.:rolleyes:
EFI was a big upgrade in my book :thumbs:.
But as far as the new ones, controlled by robots in the clouds, that turn people into dependents, I am not handing over control.:mad:
I spent decades teaching 'intelligent machine controllers' who the boss was.
...Don't make me break out my laptop and cable!:waiting:
Back on topic: As evidenced above, the evolution of vehicles has produced ones that are far more reliable and durable than the ones of the past.
Today, nobody even knows what the "dwell angle" of points means. And that's a good thing.:thumbs:
Gone, is getting the valves adjusted, getting a 'tuneup', replacing leaking gaskets, etc.
If you drove one 30,000 miles and didn't have to 'work' on it, you did great!
I've even gotten to like that 'new-fangled' air conditioning and even power windows!😆

New vehicles aren't all bad, you just have to not get your head stuck in them.
 
I don't miss the problems the old cars had.
My Mom had a car that constantly vapor locked. She would pour cold water on the gas lines to get the gas flowing again. Someone told her to put wooden clothespins on the lines to prevent that so she did. It worked but I have no idea why. She figured if 4 or 5 were good then 30 or 40 was better.
She got some very odd looks from gas station attendants when they checked under the hood. Remember gas station attendants?
Back in the 50s and 60s if you got 100,000 miles on a car it was about to cost you a lot for repairs so people would just trade them off unless they were capable of fixing them themselves.
 
Cars are so much safer today as well. The engineering is so much better now. There's still people who say, "Old cars were made of solid steel! They were safer!"...Uhh, no. Modern cars absorb and disperse energy so much better than the old ones. People died at a much higher rate per accident 50 years ago...
 
I don't miss the problems the old cars had.
My Mom had a car that constantly vapor locked. She would pour cold water on the gas lines to get the gas flowing again. Someone told her to put wooden clothespins on the lines to prevent that so she did. It worked but I have no idea why. She figured if 4 or 5 were good then 30 or 40 was better.
She got some very odd looks from gas station attendants when they checked under the hood. Remember gas station attendants?
Back in the 50s and 60s if you got 100,000 miles on a car it was about to cost you a lot for repairs so people would just trade them off unless they were capable of fixing them themselves.
If she used that many, they likely acted as insulation to prevent the under-hood high temps from soaking into the metal tubes.
Imagine in the last 2 decades how few people have heard their mechanic say:
"I'm sorry, but your engine is going to need a new crankshaft", or "it needs a valve job", or "your driveshaft universal joints are worn out and must be replaced"
Today the main customer panics are:
"OMG! The Bluetooth stopped working!":cry:
"I forgot my mobile WiFi password!"gaah
Oh, the poor little things.:rolleyes:
Walk back up the highway and pick up a twisted piece of metal that used to be your driveshaft and email me about that.:LOL:
 
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I read that people are suffering more leg trama because the cars are designed to crumble when hit in the front. As a result, their legs get crushed. They see more leg trama is because in old cars the driver would have been killed so no one worried about their legs.
My F150 and my wife's Toyota both have airbags everywhere. It's almost like the Stallone movie Demolition Man where he crashes a police car and it is instantly filled with foam to protect him.
 
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