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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?

#81

Post by haunter »

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/

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

#82

Post by semi-extrinsic »

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.

Or the base model Dacia Duster.

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

#83

Post by selykg »

kevindeasis wrote: post #67

What would you use them for, and how much are you willing to spend? Classic cars and italian sport cars don't have digital gimmicks, as well as american muscle. If you really want something without digital gimmicks get a motorcycle. People who really don't want to be tracked have a motorcycle. To answer your question, it depends on what you plan to do with the car and how much you want to spend. Toyota, Honda, Jeep,…

Good luck getting a C8. The wait list is long.

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

#85

Post by pc86 »

awwstn wrote: post #74

Buy a Toyota from 2000-2010. They run practically forever, they're low maintenance, and they achieve everything you're asking for here regarding modern electronics. My daily driver is a 2000 4Runner, and I love everything about it.

But don't buy one right now, because the market is nuts.

1-2 year old cars with 5-8k miles are selling for the same price or even more than brand new models because of a confluence of the chip shortage and CPO warranties extending the total warranty length.

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

#86

Post by dharmab »

I bought a car from the early to mid 2000s and retrofit the the head unit and speakers. You can find everything from simple bluetooth/aux cable units with segmented lcd displays to full modern android auto/apple carplay touchscreens.

I would recommend a Toyota, Honda or Lincoln Town Car from that era. They're reliable, cheap to maintain/repair/modify, lots of parts availability. Crutchfield.com has excellent guides on retrofitting modern audio systems into these vehicles.

The major caveat is safety. While you do get ABS brakes, airbags and seatbelts in this era the crash protection is dismal compared to a modern SUV. You must always drive attentively and defensively- I _never_ text or call using my car audio while driving for this reason.

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

#87

Post by a-dub »

i think they'll come. flew on a brand new airliner recently, all electronics were removed from the seatback. now it's just a tray and clip for your own phone or tablet, a usb charging port and a 110v ac plug at each seat (along with a media server accessible by wifi)

a nice future for all heavy equipment (cars included) would be an open standard for interfacing the heavy equipment with your own control technology, so you can replace and choose the tech yourself, and if the manufacturer stops supporting the software, the hardware remains usable for the remainder of its usually much longer life. i suspect though that this would have to be done via legislation, both to make the carmakers do it and to absolve them of liability in the event that a connected device causes an accident. (the future of machines will involve blameless teams and blameful software with trusted attribution of blame, methinks)

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

#88

Post by brickmort »

For a reliable pickup truck in the US, Nissan Frontiers have been very trustworthy. Up until this past year, they were known for having a very "old" looking dashboard because the interior had not been updated since the early 2010s. Despite that, it continues to be one of Nissan's most popular vehicles and some would consider it to be the best in their lineup.

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

#89

Post by johnea »

judge2020 wrote: post #38
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 :(. It saves lives, even if the systems are not 100% effective.

You know, actually paying attention to driving saves lives too. But apparently that is not an option.

Driving is just too big of a distraction from playing with instagram...

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

#90

Post by zhdc1 »

It depends on what you want. Cars in a lot of countries are required to have some digital features, such as a backup camera.

Since you're in the states, you could consider something basic, like a Mazda 2 series or an MX-5. I also imagine that some lower trim Ford, Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, or Chevy models (Chevy Spark?) could be a good option.

It get's easier outside of the US. The VW Up is about as analog as you can get - the digital infotainment system is a smart phone app.

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