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How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

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Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#11

Post by foobarbecue »

blueridge wrote: post #2

https://archive.is/9IU8W I've got an old (2002) car, I love the buttons and knobs. No cameras, no screens, no key fob, no voice control, no electronic "safety" features, no tracking. The 4L straight six engine is still going strong at almost 300,000 miles. What's funny is watching my friends attempt to back out of the driveway or parking lot without a camera and screen. They put it in reverse and their eyes go right…

Do you know if your 2002 has side-impact anti-intrusion bars in the doors?

I loved my 1999 Isuzu Amigo, and was sad when I was rear-ended in 2017 and had to get rid of it, but that fender bender probably saved my life.

I replaced the Amigo with a 2014 Outlander Sport and in 2019 I was t-boned at an intersection, with the other car driving directly into my driver's side door. I was amazed to find that I escaped without a scratch. I did some research and found that the Amigo had terrible side-impact safety ratings; if I was still driving the Amigo I probably would have been crushed.

In 2007 (effective 2009), the NHTSA mandated that all new vehicles have anti-intrusion bars in doors. That bar saved me.

I think there's a sweet-spot in the mid-2010s when vehicles were being built with efficiency, safety, and durability in mind and weren't yet being festooned with computerized junk.

Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#12

Post by public_defender »

tashoecraft wrote: post #4
blueridge wrote: post #2

https://archive.is/9IU8W I've got an old (2002) car, I love the buttons and knobs. No cameras, no screens, no key fob, no voice control, no electronic "safety" features, no tracking. The 4L straight six engine is still going strong at almost 300,000 miles. What's funny is watching my friends attempt to back out of the driveway or parking lot without a camera and screen. They put it in reverse and their eyes go right…

That’s great for you, but there’s been amazing advances in the world of automobile safety in the past 20 years. I’d rather improve my safety chances in an accident than worry about “tracking”.

This is a false choice. There is no reason that safety would require commercial surveillance. Also, why did you put the word tracking in quotation marks?

Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#14

Post by passwordoops »

bnjmn wrote: post #7

Are there any new cars / car brands that credibly promise not to track their drivers? Any car with a network connection for software updates seems likely to be harvesting driver data, or is at least capable of doing so.

Are there any industries/companies who don't somehow track users these days?

Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#15

Post by Tarball10 »

moonterrace wrote: post #8

2019 car here, equipped with a rear camera. Been driving for 43 years and I refuse to use the cam. The thing that bothers me is now I have to check the mfg connectivity TOS and must opt out instead of opt in to what data is transmitted - it’s ridiculous. Don’t get me started on the ever increasing software subscription services these manufacturers are trying to levy on consumers.

What does refusing to use the rear view camera have to do with data collection? Those were added because kids were getting run over and killed by reversing vehicles. It seems irresponsible to not check it (along with all the other normal checks you do when reversing).

Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#16

Post by hgdcbbc »

moonterrace wrote: post #8

2019 car here, equipped with a rear camera. Been driving for 43 years and I refuse to use the cam. The thing that bothers me is now I have to check the mfg connectivity TOS and must opt out instead of opt in to what data is transmitted - it’s ridiculous. Don’t get me started on the ever increasing software subscription services these manufacturers are trying to levy on consumers.

Aren’t rearview cameras required now for new cars in the United States for safety reasons? Hope you don’t live around anyone too short.

Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#17

Post by vic-traill »

blueridge wrote: post #2

https://archive.is/9IU8W I've got an old (2002) car, I love the buttons and knobs. No cameras, no screens, no key fob, no voice control, no electronic "safety" features, no tracking. The 4L straight six engine is still going strong at almost 300,000 miles. What's funny is watching my friends attempt to back out of the driveway or parking lot without a camera and screen. They put it in reverse and their eyes go right…

2005 Honda Civic LX w/ under 100,000 KM on it. In Canada, but first (and only previous) owner spent winter in Arizona and there has been no previous winter driving.

Car is a champ. I can adjust everything via tactile controls. Sensors exist, but fewer sensors. (Note, this next sentence is me talking out of my ass) There is a whole industry built on replacing faulty sensors that are not detecting the fault they were designed to test for.

Folks may note that a car of this vintage lacks safety features. This car has airbags, ABS and seat-belts. It does not have most of these features [0] built in; the driver is responsible for these features where possible. I'm fine w/ that.

Regular maintenance includes oil change and inspection of components due to age. I've got a great mechanic who factors age into his maintenance recommendations. My annual operating cost, including fuel, insurance, maintenance and parking for 2023 YTD is CAD$1880.

Mobile phone is used via ear bud. That has its own tracking issues but at least does not correlate to car-based telemetry.

[0] https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/04/guide-to-safety-...

Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#18

Post by alejohausner »

foobarbecue wrote: post #11
blueridge wrote: post #2

https://archive.is/9IU8W I've got an old (2002) car, I love the buttons and knobs. No cameras, no screens, no key fob, no voice control, no electronic "safety" features, no tracking. The 4L straight six engine is still going strong at almost 300,000 miles. What's funny is watching my friends attempt to back out of the driveway or parking lot without a camera and screen. They put it in reverse and their eyes go right…

Do you know if your 2002 has side-impact anti-intrusion bars in the doors? I loved my 1999 Isuzu Amigo, and was sad when I was rear-ended in 2017 and had to get rid of it, but that fender bender probably saved my life. I replaced the Amigo with a 2014 Outlander Sport and in 2019 I was t-boned at an intersection, with the other car driving directly into my driver's side door. I was amazed to find that I escaped withou…

You're leaving out the punchline of your reply: those side-impact bars protect passengers better, but they also make the car windows higher, and reduce visibility. It's harder to see out the back of modern cars when you simply turn your body around and look behind you. That's why backup cameras are becoming mandatory in new cars.

Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#19

Post by voz_ »

moonterrace wrote: post #8

2019 car here, equipped with a rear camera. Been driving for 43 years and I refuse to use the cam. The thing that bothers me is now I have to check the mfg connectivity TOS and must opt out instead of opt in to what data is transmitted - it’s ridiculous. Don’t get me started on the ever increasing software subscription services these manufacturers are trying to levy on consumers.

I don’t get this. The rear view camera on my 2019 vehicle is a joy to use. What data could it transmit that I or anyone cares about? I truly don’t understand the privacy obsession. Most people don’t matter, and chances are there’s absolutely no novel or interesting data gathered.

Re: How the most popular cars in the US track drivers

#20

Post by rconti »

blueridge wrote: post #2

https://archive.is/9IU8W I've got an old (2002) car, I love the buttons and knobs. No cameras, no screens, no key fob, no voice control, no electronic "safety" features, no tracking. The 4L straight six engine is still going strong at almost 300,000 miles. What's funny is watching my friends attempt to back out of the driveway or parking lot without a camera and screen. They put it in reverse and their eyes go right…

To be fair, they probably don't realize you can see out the back. On most modern vehicles, you simply can't.

Reversing is very easy thanks to side mirrors, but you can't see the kid you're about to run over.

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