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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?

#51

Post by ntoeunteohu »

What you want is a "driver's car". They typically have fewer bells and whistles and provide a more connected driving experience. You're expected to expend effort to pilot the car.

There are actually quite a few these days, but I'm partial to Japanese cars, myself.

1) Mazda MX-5 Miata I own one. It's awesome to drive. Has few features and a simple dash. It's quite economical to operate (inexpensive to insure, gets over 35 mpg, very popular so lots of parts availability and lots of aftermarket parts, Mazda reliability and maintenance costs).

2) Subaru BRZ / Toyota 86 Also awesome to drive. This car is a bit more practical than the Miata because of its roof and trunk space. Less economical to operate: it's less fuel efficient and people speed in them so insurance is more expensive. The boxer engine gives it inherently better handling than most vehicles.

3) Honda Civic Type R This is my dream car.

4) Subaru WRX If you need all-wheel drive, this is pretty much it.

5) Nissan 370Z Nissans aren't my cup of tea but they go fast.

As for trucks, the only truck that interests me is the Toyota Tacoma, since it still comes with a manual transmission. I wish I could purchase a Toyota Hilux in the US. I also wish I could purchase a Suzuki Jimny here, alas. I'm not at all interested in SUVs, so I can't help you there.

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

#52

Post by thrower123 »

germinalphrase wrote: post #41
bluedino wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Problem is, up here in the north, cars start rusting away before they are otherwise unusable.

I would honestly pay 5k for a one-time rust prevention fix if it were a long term solution. I have a wonderful Toyota 4Runner in great condition - except for the terrible rust. It will definitely die a rusty death.

Getting the undercarriage sprayed with a lanolin-based spray before winter can do wonders for cutting back the damage from road salt.

Otherwise the rocker panels just rot out so quickly, and they are wicked expensive to get replaced. I was quoted almost $4000 to fix mine on my last vehicle (only 100k miles, otherwise near perfect condition), so I could get an inspection sticker. So I traded it and put that money down on a new one instead...

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

#53

Post by kgermino »

runjake wrote: post #50

They don't make them for the US anymore. The best you can do is buy a "fleet model" truck or something, but its still going to have a host of electronics and probably a GPS and cellular radio inside. Fleet models are designed to last, as not to anger large-scale fleet customers. Yeah, you can find cars with more knobs and less touch screens, but in most cases, those analog-appearing knobs are just digital input devic…

I'm pretty sure my 2019 Honda's HVAC knobs are physically connected to the flaps they control. You can feel/hear the dampers moving with the knobs.

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

#54

Post by rootsudo »

germinalphrase wrote: post #36
rsoto wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honda Fit owner here as well, the car is great, but unfortunately it's being discontinued in a lot of places. I think only Japan will still have them, and they even have an EV option.

My Fit has been absolutely great. I’ve learned a lot by working on it, but I do have the say that the plastic engine protector is a travesty. Clips were originally broken during a commercial oil change. Ever since, I’ve just been using self tapping screws to reattach it.

Wow, you shouldn't have self tapping screws anywhere near an engine bay. But since you know what they are, I guess their danger is minimized.

It is quite OK to run w/o an engine cover, it is a worthless piece of plastic.

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

#56

Post by fletchowns »

kgermino wrote: post #15

They don't sell them in the US anymore, but I drive a 2019 Honda Fit and it's great. Very versatile (holds four adults, 8ft lumber, 36" doors, etc). The base trim is very tech-lite: bluetooth radio but nothing fancier than that, physically controlled hvac and chair controls, traditional key, basic LTMS (no dedicated chips in the tires, just a calculation based on different angular velocity across the wheels), etc. It…

> It's a dying breed though, complicated "driver assist" systems are becoming standard or even mandated :(.

I'm on the opposite side of this. All the new safety & driver assist features are the best part about getting a new car. 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.

I drive a 2019 XC40 and these safety features are my favorite part about it. Being able to turn on Pilot Assist on the highway makes driving so much more comfortable, it's like having two people driving at the same time! I don't let my guard down completely of course, but it definitely takes the edge off. I don't find these features getting in my way.

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

#58

Post by tern »

noduerme wrote: post #23
porkloin wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's certainly true, but I do feel like there's a sweet spot in the 2005-2010 area where most "critical" safety features (improved airbags, traction control, ABS brakes) are almost certainly present, but none of the modern safety features that fall more into the "augmented sensory" category (merge/blindspot detection, early braking), which I'm happy to compromise on. I drive a 2007 SUV which does everything I need…

Right on. My gf is on her second 2008 Lexus and feels exactly the same way. It's a luxury ride but it doesn't try to take over for you.

Love my 2005 IS300

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

#59

Post by olyjohn »

mindcrime wrote: post #32
postalrat wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whats the newest car you can buy with a carburator?

Probably something built in the 1980's, if not the 1970's. Fuel-injection was pretty near ubiquitous by around the mid 80's as best as I can remember. I doubt very many, if any, cars were built new with carburetors anytime from 1990 on... Edit: the above refers to the US specifically. As other commentators have pointed out, the situation is different in other regions.

Depends on where you live. In the US, there are definitely no more carbureted cars. But overseas is a whole different story. I wanna say like 2017 there was Proton or something like that with a carb on it.

From some quick Googling... The Ford Ka in Europe was carbureted (and pushrod!) up until 2000.

I believe the VW CitiGolf was carb'd until 2008.

Lada's maybe had carbs up until 2014.

I think Proton even had one until the mid 2010's also.

Interestingly. I thought that here in the US, we got rid of all carb'd motorcycles as well. But Honda is releasing the 2022 Navi, and it's carbureted! Especially weird since they have other 110cc engines that have fuel injection.

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

#60

Post by karaterobot »

desktopninja wrote: post #4

Mazda seems to be heading the right direction: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20200335

The right direction, true. Touch screens are cheaper to design and build for, compared to physical controls, but do they benefit the safety or convenience of the driver? I don't think so.

However, apart from the touch screen being optional, I think Mazda has a fairly driver-hostile user experience with their controls.

I have a 2020 CX-5, and it's still very opinionated about how I should be driving. For example, it will grumble at you if you touch a white or yellow line, or if it thinks you're too close to the car in front of you and not braking hard enough. I'm generally a fairly safe driver: close to thirty years with a license, all but two years of that being city driving, and never had an accident. You wouldn't know it from the way my car yells at me every time I drive it though.

Oh, and it asks me to agree to a legal disclaimer every time I start it up! Love being treated like that.

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