Please make a dumb car • Hacker News Board

Re: Please make a dumb car

#261

Post by kube-system » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:54 PM UTC

saiya-jin wrote: post #114

porknubbins wrote: post #23

Power seats are not a pointless luxury. I’m pretty sure they are continuously adjustable which is much better than trying to pull on some lever and get the seat to pop into approximately the right place. To say nothing of mulitple drivers with memorized positions etc.

Exactly, plus movement in more directions (up & down, didn't see a single car with manual adjustment that allowed this), very useful for us blessed with non-standard body dimensions (ie I am quite tall). It changes default-settings car where I touch roof with my head into one where there is more than 5cm/2" clearance. Adjustable tightness of part of the seat above your hips which keeps you better in tight/fast curves…

Try your favorite image search engine and query "manual seat height adjustment" and you'll find dozens of brands that have this. Most use a lever that you pump up or down to adjust the height. Some use a dial.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#262

Post by darkstar999 » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:54 PM UTC

throwaway946513 wrote: post #233

darkstar999 wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand why this is an argument against Tesla - how is it different than any other large truck?

Front bumpers of most cars/truck are generally plastic and can at least absorb energy of an impact with a pedestrian (albeit the hood is often near neck high and can snap their neck) Tesla paraded their new truck with 'stainless steel body panels all around'. I don't know about you, but I've banged my shin into a steel tow hitch. I don't want anything remotely close to that on the road.

That doesn't make sense to me. I watched some pedestrian crash test videos, there is no energy absorption by the bumper. It's bad news to be hit by any car. (I'm no Tesla fanboy)

Re: Please make a dumb car

#263

Post by giantg2 » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:55 PM UTC

stillsut wrote: post #179

I went car shopping this year in the new market and found that that if you want more a "dumb" car (UX occurs primarily outside of a touchscreen, no internet, no geolocation) you lose all potential for any nice non-smart features. So no heated/powered seats, no power windows, the material of the interior is refurbished from a spirit airlines airplane, etc. I think manufacturers are hoping that certain aspects of the m…

I did sort of miss losing blue tooth when switching to a newer work truck from a muscle car that had it. But it hasn't been an issue. I don't miss any of the other feature enough to pay for them (no key fob, no power seats, etc; but it has power windows and locks, so that's nice).

The quality of tactile representation and response on the knobs/buttons are not as good as my old 89 caprice was. But that's true of all cars today.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#264

Post by ArtemZ » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:55 PM UTC

stillsut wrote: post #179

I went car shopping this year in the new market and found that that if you want more a "dumb" car (UX occurs primarily outside of a touchscreen, no internet, no geolocation) you lose all potential for any nice non-smart features. So no heated/powered seats, no power windows, the material of the interior is refurbished from a spirit airlines airplane, etc. I think manufacturers are hoping that certain aspects of the m…

No post body was provided.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#265

Post by symlinkk » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:55 PM UTC

roland35 wrote: post #243

If you want a dumb car, you should really consider the Nissan Frontier. The truck hasn't changed very much since the mid 2000s. I drove one as a rental for a while and it feels like a blast from the past.

The 370Z was like that too and it was universally shit on for having a “dated interior”. People just love being contrarians

Re: Please make a dumb car

#266

Post by harlanlewis » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:56 PM UTC

geenew wrote: post #212

jdhn wrote: post #200

One of the reasons that there's not really a "dumb" car anymore is that backup cameras are federally mandated. So you have a camera for backing up, and you need a way to display that. So auto manufacturers say "Hey, we have this screen, people are used to touchscreens due to their phone, and it makes manufacturing easier if we put everything on a screen as it means we can just put a flat piece of plastic where all th…

Some of the original backup camera models (in ford cars at least) were integrated into the rear view mirror. Worked fine for its purpose and didn’t involve a central dash monitor.

More than works fine - I prefer this spot so that I always look in the same place to see what's behind me whether I'm going forward or backward. Taking your eyes far away from any windows to focus on a tiny rearview camera view while reversing makes it hard to see other motion with peripheral vision.

Lots of after market mirrors support this, but admittedly I've only put them in cars that didn't have a camera to begin with.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#267

Post by galdosdi » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:56 PM UTC

incomplete wrote: post #197

the answer is always miata.

How are the latest new ND miatas with regards to this sort of thing, anyway, if you know? The old NB and NA generation miatas (no idea on NC) were just wonderful perfect "dumb cars." Is it still good in the 2022 model year or has it been slightly ruined yet to any degree?

Re: Please make a dumb car

#268

Post by Johnny555 » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:56 PM UTC

breakpointalpha wrote: post #193

Bought a Mazda CX5 a few months ago. Thank god Mazda currently has the "driver first" mentality. NO Touchscreen! Main input is through a comfortable knob in front of the arm rest, where your hand naturally lands when resting. Gauge cluster is digital, but analog type dials for spedo, etc. AC, Power Cool/heated seats, driver assists, auto-park, all controlled via BUTTONS! It's a modern miracle and one of the big reaso…

I hated that knob interface in my Mazda, and it seems less safe since I need to scroll and watch the screen to see when the item I want to click is highlighted. A touch screen seems less distracting. It's been a few years since I had it, but using it with Android Auto was super frustrating.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#269

Post by mikestew » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:57 PM UTC

zqna wrote: post #46

EdwardDiego wrote: post #24

I would kill for Ye Olde Manually Wound windows. Electric windows struggle in temperature extremes, and seem to break down far more often than my old hand-cranked windows ever did. Also, I had more precise control with the hand-crank.

The saddenning part that the majority of the drivers are very proud and enjoy their electronic windows. I guess potentially manual windows could be an option in the new cars, but I'm afraid the most of the new car buyers prefer as much of gimmicks in their cars, about which they could boast right after their purchase. The adults are really just children with the thicker wallets.

The saddenning part that the majority of the drivers are very proud and enjoy their electronic windows.

Much like I enjoy the electric starter on the car, such that I do not need to crank it by hand to start it. I'm "proud and enjoy" my electric starter and windows, and make absolutely no apology for doing so. You want to warm your house with a fire started by flint and tinder, have at it; I'll be over here with my gimmicky heat pump.

Re: Please make a dumb car

#270

Post by everdrive » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 5:58 PM UTC

rabuse wrote: post #215

jdhn wrote: post #200

One of the reasons that there's not really a "dumb" car anymore is that backup cameras are federally mandated. So you have a camera for backing up, and you need a way to display that. So auto manufacturers say "Hey, we have this screen, people are used to touchscreens due to their phone, and it makes manufacturing easier if we put everything on a screen as it means we can just put a flat piece of plastic where all th…

"Then we can charge them for our optional (mandatory, if you want even basic modern functionality, such as remote start) monthly/yearly subscription services! We'll call it Car+!"

The easy solution here would be to eschew such features. Remote start seems like it provides no benefit except to waste slightly more gas, and also to occasionally suffocate the elderly or otherwise forgetful.