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Ask HN: What's the best car without undesirable features?

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Re: Ask HN: What's the best car without undesirable features?

#71
I'm done of the on star GM vehicles you can swap the OnStar for an aftermarket Bluetooth adapter if you like. It's been a few years, but had been looking at used trucks but wanted the Bluetooth support a few years back.

I will say definitely like having a backup camera, and use the steering controls while driving. The remote/Internet support is a bit scary.

Ironically, my challenger came with 3g wireless which is no longer in service, never bothered to get the upgrade.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best car without undesirable features?

#72

Volvo 240 - if you can find one arguably most reliable car ever; and without any modern features

In the comments they said they used to drive in the snow with FWD but prefer AWD. They might not be okay with RWD. I personally loved sliding around my 240s in the snow but that's not for everyone :)

Re: Ask HN: What's the best car without undesirable features?

#73

Used car with front wheel drive, preferably traction control, put Blizzaks on all four wheels and you’ll do OK in snow unless you insist on driving on unplowed roads. There are a wide range of cars I would consider. Say a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord or a Nissan Altima. Lately I have been partial to Buicks. An old Nissan Leaf with a shot battery can still go 70 miles which makes it a great second or third car in a…

My son has a 1996 Buick and there is no problem getting parts

Hopefully the airbag in the steering wheel is not integrated with the horn in a vinyl housing.

The vinyl shrinks with age, and eventually to the point where there is sufficient pressure to continuously honk the horn.

When that happened to the 1997 Le Sabre I bought for my kid, the options were disconnecting the horn or replacing the airbag. The replacement options were NOS at around $1600 and around $800 for salvage.

Parts online not including labor, the colors were the last ones anyone would choose (non matching of course) and there was no guarantee the vinyl hadn’t shrunk to a similar point.

Eventually we bought him a Tacoma. I thought I gamed the system. I didnt.

Hopefully your mileage will vary.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best car without undesirable features?

#75
I owned a 2015 Jeep JKU. One of the last years before they started putting in larger touch screen consoles. Awesome vehicle, very customizable, low tech, and can be downgraded further if desired with relative ease. Replacement parts are extremely cheap, as are general repairs. The obvious drawback would be the environmental impact.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best car without undesirable features?

#78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pricey, but seems to check my boxes. Thanks!

Ah yes, the Grenadier - BMW engine and modeled after a Defender. Certainly a paragon of reliability right here.

The engine has a great reputation for reliability, given proper service.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best car without undesirable features?

#79
Third or fourth gen Subaru Outback. I owned a fourth gen six cylinder and was happy with overall power and comfort. Had the most basic LED stereo. Nothing connected to the web. There are a ton of aftermarket mods out there and you can pick up good deals in PNW on Craigslist.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best car without undesirable features?

#80
post #27

Has there been a widespread epidemic of anti-theft systems being used to impair the enjoyment by owners of their cars? Has it happened even once? I think you're looking for a 20-year-old car. The last car I had that met all these criteria was a 1999 Mazda. But you will have a hard time finding a car that was marketed in America 20 years ago, that realistically gets > 30 MPG.

here's a salient example https://old.reddit.com/r/RealTesla/comments/15u8wuv/tesla_re...
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