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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?

#141

Post by supertrope »

soylentcola wrote: post #120
humanistbot wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Kia Soul and other Kia models can be hotwired in 30 seconds by popping off a plastic panel housing the ignition, inserting something with the dimensions of a USB A male plug, and turning it like a key. It is a huge trend on TikTok for the "Kia Boys" to steal Kias and go joyriding. My insurance company stopped insuring Kias in my area and cities and states are suing Kia over the rampant theft problem caused by bad…

Does Tiktok also have "learn to drive manual" videos? Because I've yet to meet a kid under 18 who knows how.

By the time they realize it's manual transmission they have already smashed the window and ripped open the steering column.

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

#142

Post by Someone »

guerby wrote: post #96

In the EU new cars have to be connected to the cellular network, this is called "eCall" https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/security-and-em...

Also, most new tires have RFID chips that can be read out

https://rfid.michelin.com/what-is-rfid/:

“Permanently readable

- RFID used in tires is a passive technology that doesn’t require a battery

- Tire tag can be read even when the tire is moving or rolling

Remains in good conditions during entire lifecycle

- Tire tag is robust against any tire solicitations, ageing, weather conditions

- Tire tag is embedded into tire and can’t be removed, it's not an accessory

Secure

- Tag is locked after writing by the tire manufacturer

- Robust traceability technology against robbery and counterfeiting.”

And to top it off:

“To ease access to tire data between several tire manufacturers, a new organization called GDSO (Global Data Service Organization for Tires and Automotive Components) has been created. The purpose of this new organization is to provide an information service enabling to retrieve data associated to each tire ID (SGTIN96) in the relevant database. A data referential lists all standardized data that can be communicated through public or private access thanks to a standard API.”

⇒ If the governments wants to track the global whereabouts of all cars, they easily can.

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

#143

Post by nostrademons »

tredre3 wrote: post #23
PaulHoule wrote: post #7

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…

> 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's more to cars in snowy climate than driving. OP clearly wants AWD, why tell him he doesn't really want it? As someone who's lived North most of their life, AWD is clearly a big advantage both for driving and for getting unstuck. Have you never…

Grew up in New England, on what passes for a major highway in those parts (i.e. still a 2-lane road with stop signs and unprotected turns, but a numbered route so it would get plowed regularly). We'd get plowed in 2-3 times per year. The way we dealt with it was that I'd wake up early with my dad and break out the snowblower and shovels, and we'd shovel the car & driveway before taking the car out. Driving straight over a snowbank strikes me as an exceptionally bad idea for multiple reasons, the most mild of them being having to push for an hour to get unstuck. The least mild would be successfully driving over the snowbank, then skidding out as you hit black ice on the other side, spinning into opposing traffic that didn't see you coming and also can't stop in time, getting hit, and dying.

The sibling comment that says "Four-wheel drive is a crutch to get you into situations your brakes can't get you out of" is right. It always seemed like the stuck & crashed vehicles on the side of the roads were 4WD and AWD - because their owners had a sense of invincibility that they felt exempted them from the need to take extra time and drive slowly and carefully in the snow.

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

#144

Post by patatino »

MaxikCZ wrote: post #91

Im driving 2018 Skoda Octavia (3rd generation). No internet, no anti-theft, no subs. It has touchscreen radio, but basically everything have a dedicated button still (whole clima control, including heating seats, front/rear glass etc). I touch it like twice a year. You can get it AWD and my avg is around 8-9 L/100km (I drive rather energetic and short trips, it can do 6 L/100km when I try). 4th generation is where th…

Same car, amazing, never any problem at all.

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

#146

Post by speedgoose »

zhivota wrote: post #126
speedgoose wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not having snow tires is illegal and dangerous in Norway.

Good for Norway I guess? Like I said, it was never an issue, and I drove on roads that were consistently snow covered. Just drive slower. I used to pass a lot of vehicles stuck in snow banks off the highway after they had passed me at high speed, cars, trucks, SUVs, didn't matter. The primary risk factor in snow driving is speed.

Yes, Norway has good road safety numbers despite the weather.

Not having enough grip is an issue. Summer tires become useless when the road is very cold, or snowy, or icy. It’s physics and while driving slow helps, it’s still unsafe.

It’s not uncommon to see cars with summer tires struggling to climb the tiniest uphill roads with the first ice in October because some people forget that it gets cold every year. Good for you that you never got stuck or crashed, but it doesn’t mean it’s safe.

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

#147

Post by potta_coffee »

Pre-2000 Toyota anything. 4wd required, then get an older Rav4. I prefer 4Runners but you're not going to get 30mpg. If you can get by without 4wd, then get a Camry. Best car ever made in terms of reliability / maintainability and dead simple. Huge trunk space too.

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

#148

Post by potta_coffee »

nostrademons wrote: post #143
tredre3 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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's more to cars in snowy climate than driving. OP clearly wants AWD, why tell him he doesn't really want it? As someone who's lived North most of their life, AWD is clearly a big advantage both for driving and for getting unstuck. Have you never…

Grew up in New England, on what passes for a major highway in those parts (i.e. still a 2-lane road with stop signs and unprotected turns, but a numbered route so it would get plowed regularly). We'd get plowed in 2-3 times per year. The way we dealt with it was that I'd wake up early with my dad and break out the snowblower and shovels, and we'd shovel the car & driveway before taking the car out. Driving straight o…

It snows heavily but infrequently here. I love 4wd for when I have to get somewhere on unplowed roads. I'm a very cautious driver. It's also nice for to / from the ski lifts in sketchy weather.

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

#149

Post by solardev »

zdragnar wrote: post #33
el-dude-arino wrote: post #3

Well I an tell you right now you don't need 4wd, it snows like a MF where I live and if you have FWD with proper snow tires (which you should regardless), you will drive circles around 4WD/AWD cars with just all season tires on in winter. Just buy a mid-2010's honda civic or a toyota camry.

Snow tires help you decelerate, and provide a bit of extra traction to accelerate from a dead stop. 4wd will get you moving from a dead stop as long as you aren't bottomed out. I've gotten several cars un-stuck with both a pickup truck and a UTV in 4wd, neither of which were bothered by the snow that had left the cars marooned. AWD is better than FWD with snow tires if and only if it also has snow tires.

For moving from a dead stop, why is 4WD better than AWD (assuming equal tires)? Does it have to do with the locking differential, or something else...?

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

#150

Post by potta_coffee »

rpmisms wrote: post #30
tredre3 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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's more to cars in snowy climate than driving. OP clearly wants AWD, why tell him he doesn't really want it? As someone who's lived North most of their life, AWD is clearly a big advantage both for driving and for getting unstuck. Have you never…

During the part of my life when I lived in an intensely snowy climate, I never had a vehicle with four-wheel drive, and never had any issues. Four-wheel drive is a crutch to get you into situations your brakes can't get you out of.

I drove a 2wd pickup for years in a mountain town and I did ok. But now I have 4wd and it's great. It's not necessarily a crutch, but it can become one if one isn't smart about how they drive.
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