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Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

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Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#301

Post by ThunderSizzle »

chrisseaton wrote: post #263
jjav wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is nothing automatic braking will do to help you from getting T-boned. In fact only an attentive driver can prevent that one. Automatic braking will prevent you from rear-ending the car in front, yes. Although an attentive driver should also be doing that.

> Although an attentive driver should also be doing that. Society doesn't allow people to say that they're good enough to opt out of safety mechanisms designed to protect us all. This is why 'I don't wear a seat-belt I can brace myself' also doesn't cut it.

"safety mechanism"

A seatbelt is a safety mechanism.

Driving assist functionalities encourage unsafe behaviors of drivers more than safety. Why should I pay attention to the road if my car will automatically brake for me? Well, until the one time it doesn't and someone dies.

Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#302

Post by ThunderSizzle »

thorin1 wrote: post #295
necovek wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I drive a 2019 Volvo as well (bought in 2020), and the "safety" features have activated for me maybe a hundred times! Out of those, safety system was helpful once (arguably) in that it reacted and activated the brakes the same time I pressed them (so it still wasn't really needed, but I can see how it would have helped when I was less attentive due to eg planning to switch lanes and looking at side mirrors). All the…

> yet side mirrors are large enough and concave (like on all modern cars) that if you set them up properly, there's really no blind spot a car or bike can fit in. Not in the US unfortunately. All my European cars had almost no blind spot. Then I moved to the US and was really surprised.

My vehicles have minimal blind spots, if any, but I always have had larger vehicles.

Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#304

Post by cmrdporcupine »

KennyBlanken wrote: post #293
_ea1k wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't the Tesla drive unit also mounted transverse? Or do you mean that there are more aftermarket solutions to resolve this for Tesla drive units?

The Tesla unit is offset transverse whereas the Eluminator is coaxial. Both are integrated drive units - electric motor and gearbox. Telsa includes the inverter in the drive module; the Eluminator requires an external inverter, unfortunately. Quite the missed opportunity, because it would be nearly drop-in if it included an inverter. That's what is so great about the Tesla module. You feed it power and CAN bus comman…

Yep, and the Tesla units are also more compact and from looking at the Eluminator it doesn't attach directly to the short axles, would require some other gearbox attached, no?

I suspect the inverter was not released with it because there is IP there that they cannot give away / sell. Tesla wouldn't either, you can only get that drive unit by salvage.

Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#305

Post by maxerickson »

officeplant wrote: post #97

I currently drive a 2021 Nissan NV200 Compact Cargovan. It's about as basic of a vehicle you can get. I'm slowly turning it into a miniRV because I like to go camping at times. Works great as a place to sleep when I visit friends and when conventions get back into full swing and I don't want to spend $300+ on a weekend hotel room. Bonus points for the van being actually smaller than my previous 2015 VW Passat when it…

Which entity is setting that interest rate?

I would expect it to work to go to a credit union and have them write a consumer loan you could use to purchase the van. But they may refuse to do that if the typical loan an the type of vehicle is more expensive than the consumer rate.

Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#306

Post by Shatnerz »

willis936 wrote: post #291
jjav wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is nothing automatic braking will do to help you from getting T-boned. In fact only an attentive driver can prevent that one. Automatic braking will prevent you from rear-ending the car in front, yes. Although an attentive driver should also be doing that.

Yes, it will. If someone isn't paying attention then they will T-bone you when they drive a car without automatic braking and will not when they drive a car with automatic braking.

Autobreaking typically only cares about what is in front of the car correct? There are possible scenarios where an attentive driver may opt for a frontal collision to avoid a T-bone that could kill them.

There are arguments to be made both ways, but there definitely isn't a clear solution.

Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#307

Post by chrisseaton »

ThunderSizzle wrote: post #301
chrisseaton wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Although an attentive driver should also be doing that. Society doesn't allow people to say that they're good enough to opt out of safety mechanisms designed to protect us all. This is why 'I don't wear a seat-belt I can brace myself' also doesn't cut it.

"safety mechanism" A seatbelt is a safety mechanism. Driving assist functionalities encourage unsafe behaviors of drivers more than safety. Why should I pay attention to the road if my car will automatically brake for me? Well, until the one time it doesn't and someone dies.

> Why should I pay attention to the road if my car will automatically brake for me?

Was literally an argument people made against seat belts.

Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#308

Post by richajak »

haunter wrote: post #81
throw8932894 wrote: post #35

Lada Niva 4x4. Old school soviet, but modernized car. With airconditioning and some modern gimmicks. Very easy to fix and maintain. Good fuel economy, some versions even pass Euro 5 emission limits. I liked WW2 jeeps and their simplicity, this seems like modern equivalent.

+1 for Lada Niva but not sure where OP is. Hard to get one outside Russia and Europe. Dashboard is still the same analog as in the 80s https://static.lada.ru/images/press-releases/vaz_catalogue_n... https://www.lada.ru/en/cars/niva-legend There seems to be a UK dealer https://lada4x4.co.uk/

Suzuki Jimny is in similar 4x4 category, it can be an alternative for the rest of the world.

Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#309

Post by patrick451 »

e-clinton wrote: post #269
HWR_14 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wouldn't buy a new daily driver that doesn't have blind spot monitoring, collision avoidance, lane keep assist, etc. Once you have these features and you are accustomed to how they work, you can't go back. And I don't like them. But only one of us has the government taking away our choice by making them mandatory. I wouldn't mind them if it wasn't for the fact that they universally seem to be points of failure th…

They made seatbelts mandatory too. Yuck! JK! These system do save lives though. Driving is a privilege, not a right. So I’m fine with these mandates as they don’t really get in my way.

The only person at risk when I decided to not wear a seatbelt is me. Laws compelling me to wear one are the epitome of government overreach.

Re: Ask HN: Best cars without too much digitalization?

#310

Post by rpmisms »

kelnos wrote: post #237
rpmisms wrote: post #135

Probably the best option is any car with a manual transmission. These generally don't have any cruise control beyond the basic speed-keeping, no lane-keep assist, and generally are base models with less infotainment tech. The fun factor should not be discounted, either.

As someone who's driven a manual for the last 15 years (agree they are super fun), there are definitely cons to it: * If you live in a place with hills, it will be annoying to drive. (Initially it might feel like it'd be a fun challenge to deal with the hills, but it gets old pretty quickly.) * If you live in a place where you have to deal with frequent stops due to heavy traffic or multiple nearby stop signs, it wil…

> If you live in a place with hills, it will be annoying to drive.

Hill-climb control, which leaves the brake applied until the clutch is engaged, is a common and wonderful feature now. Saved my butt before.

> If you live in a place where you have to deal with frequent stops due to heavy traffic or multiple nearby stop signs, it will be annoying to drive.

The Bay Area is obviously not a great place to drive stick.

> Related, but your significant other, if you have one, might not know how to drive it

I take offense that you'd impune my good taste in such a way. Jokes aside, this is very valid.

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