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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?

#111

Post by HWR_14 »

fletchowns wrote: post #56
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 :(. I'm on the opposite side of this. All the new safety & driver assist features are the best part about getting a new car. I wouldn't buy a new daily driver that doesn't have blind spot monitoring, collision avoidance, lane keep assist, etc. Once you have these features and you are accustomed to how they work, yo…

> I wouldn't buy a new daily driver that doesn't have blind spot monitoring, collision avoidance, lane keep assist, etc. Once you have these features and you are accustomed to how they work, you can't go back.

And I don't like them. But only one of us has the government taking away our choice by making them mandatory.

I wouldn't mind them if it wasn't for the fact that they universally seem to be points of failure that shorten the lifespan of the car.

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

#112

Post by madcaptenor »

javajosh wrote: post #65
porkloin wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's certainly true, but I do feel like there's a sweet spot in the 2005-2010 area where most "critical" safety features (improved airbags, traction control, ABS brakes) are almost certainly present, but none of the modern safety features that fall more into the "augmented sensory" category (merge/blindspot detection, early braking), which I'm happy to compromise on. I drive a 2007 SUV which does everything I need…

I drive a 2007 SUV too for just this reason, and plan to move to an EV for the same reason. And there's another commenter in this thread who also has a 2007. Coincidence? I think not!

My wife drives a 2007 Ford Escape, still going strong at 194k miles, and I'm just praying it doesn't fall apart on us.

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

#113

Post by outworlder »

> and prefer their cars without fancy digital gimmicks

What's a 'digital gimmick'? Is stability control a gimmick? ABS? What about cruise control? Lane assist? Auto-breaking to avoid collisions?

If you are talking about things like touch screens to control basic functions, then it's understandable. Or maybe you want a car without GPS.

In general though, moving functions away from hardware makes things more reliable, not less. When was the last time you had to adjust your engine timing? Or disassemble a carburator to figure out issues, rather than plugging in a scanner and having the onboard computer tell you what's wrong.

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

#114

Post by lordnacho »

garyfirestorm wrote: post #91
lordnacho wrote: post #55

Build yourself a Caterham. I did this at one point, you'll learn a few things and the thing is totally analogue.

please tell us more about this? which one did you build, how much did it cost? what did you use it for? how was your experience? maintenance?

Can't quite remember the cost of it, maybe $25k at the time? It was the classic Caterham 7 that is maybe the most common kit car, green with a yellow stripe down the middle.

Reasonably easy build, but you need a bunch of torque wrenches and a dolly (Is that what they call is? Thing that can lift an engine?). The tools aren't hard to get, but you want to rent the dolly for a day. Nobody can lift the engine block.

It's not really that hard to do, just quite time consuming. There's a heck of a lot of parts to put together. Of course you will need a locked garage to put it in, it can't just be thrown together over the course of a weekend. Took maybe a few weekends for three busy people with jobs.

Use it for? My colleague bought it and drove around in it. It's quite a basic car by modern standards. Feels like you are touching the road when you're driving it. Also the clutch is unforgiving. Tiny bit too fast and the thing dies, and you're sitting in a busy junction with people laughing at you. Also it's really a fairweather car. There's leather panels that will stop it being flooded but in rain it's quite uncomfortable.

It's also not a car that a lot went wrong with. What is there to break on such a thing? But to be fair it also wasn't driven much.

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

#115

Post by officeplant »

selykg wrote: post #80
rootsudo wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, you shouldn't have self tapping screws anywhere near an engine bay. But since you know what they are, I guess their danger is minimized. It is quite OK to run w/o an engine cover, it is a worthless piece of plastic.

They can actually be worse, trapping heat in. But yea, completely non-functional. Remove it if the clips are broken. You aren't missing anything.

I assume they are talking about the splash guard / aeroplate underneath the engine which helps with MPGs to some extent. The plastic engine cover doesn't even need to be touched during an oil change.

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

#116

Post by olyjohn »

Gigachad wrote: post #64
MisterBastahrd wrote: post #39

There's going to come a time in the near future where analogish features are going to be seen as luxury components.

Buttons and dials, sure. But no sane person is longing to buy a car without reverse cameras or collision avoidance.

I must be insane. But I could care less about either of those things.

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

#117

Post by alphabettsy »

HWR_14 wrote: post #111
fletchowns wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's a dying breed though, complicated "driver assist" systems are becoming standard or even mandated :(. I'm on the opposite side of this. All the new safety & driver assist features are the best part about getting a new car. I wouldn't buy a new daily driver that doesn't have blind spot monitoring, collision avoidance, lane keep assist, etc. Once you have these features and you are accustomed to how they work, yo…

> I wouldn't buy a new daily driver that doesn't have blind spot monitoring, collision avoidance, lane keep assist, etc. Once you have these features and you are accustomed to how they work, you can't go back. And I don't like them. But only one of us has the government taking away our choice by making them mandatory. I wouldn't mind them if it wasn't for the fact that they universally seem to be points of failure th…

How does a defeat-able non-essential feature shorten a vehicle’s lifespan?

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

#119

Post by elorant »

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.

Ah, my dad owned one of these. Rudimentary reliable car that can go anywhere. He used it mainly in back roads with no tarmac whatsoever. The damn thing worked like a clock. You can find parts everywhere and they're cheap, any mechanic can work on the car, and it's build like a tank. It's not fast, or particularly comfortable, but it's the epitome of reliability and dependency.

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

#120

Post by olyjohn »

johnea wrote: post #89
judge2020 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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...

Instagram is one distraction, so is navigating through a bunch of touch screen menus to turn up the heat or turn down volume.
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