Are there too many gadgets in new modern cars?

[Philipkee]

https://m.huffingtonpost.ca/andrew-tai-/new-car-technology_b_8437666.html

 

I came across this article and I kind of agreed with it. Recently I sat in a Subaru impreza and Iwas kind of impressed wwith it but I realised it was full of features and gadgets that I thought I will never use.

 

so its like kind of wasted and will be distracting to me if I bought it.

 

what do the Bros here think? Are there too many features in new modern cars of am I a dinosaur?

[Blueray]

This was in Straits Times some months back.

 

[Othello]

Yes I agree. No doubt, many of these features are good-to-have but in reality, not necessary. But hey its a tough world out there, gotta compete. I remember my mum's Kia Koup has disco surround lights on the speakers !!!!  It was an advertised feature and the SE showed us !! Really ?!?!?! 

 

Many driver aids, I think reduces our driving skills. Park Assist, reverse camera, Lane warning etc etc ...... Could this be a reason some drivers' natural instincts have dimmed and so many drivers seem to have lost the ability to gauge?

 

The only niceties I have in my car is the Stop-Start feature (which I detest) and the auto-folding side mirror (which I hardly use). I like it that way. Less things to spoil and hence lower repair/replacement costs 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2018 by Othello

[Volvobrick]

I think auto emergency brake should be standard equipment. Plus reverse camera. Both reduce unnecessary lives lost. Auto brake would probably save both women victims last week. All other can skip.

[Wolfverine]

Agree with that! A few more useful gadgets will be the HUD and soft close door.

 

However, there are definitely technological gadgets that are IMO quite redundant - one that comes immediately to my mind is the BMW's gesture control . 

 

 

I think auto emergency brake should be standard equipment. Plus reverse camera. Both reduce unnecessary lives lost. Auto brake would probably save both women victims last week. All other can skip.

 

[inlinesix]

I think auto emergency brake should be standard equipment. Plus reverse camera. Both reduce unnecessary lives lost. Auto brake would probably save both women victims last week. All other can skip.

It is available now.

 

Cruise control with auto braking & lane controls

[Throttle2]

Yes there are too many gadgets.

 

If i have the option to drop 70% of them and save money accordingly, i would do so.

[Philipkee]

Yes there are too many gadgets.

 

If i have the option to drop 70% of them and save money accordingly, i would do so.

My car is a manual. Only gadgets are a radio/cd player and reverse sensor. I have one gps but it's almost never used (kept in glove compartment ).

[Volvobrick]

My car has GPS built in, but I never use and prefer to stick my phone on the dash and use Google maps instead with traffic.

[Jamesc]

I like all the mod cons on a car.

 

Last time no starter motor have to turn this handle to start the car.

 

I am so glad no need to do this now.

 

 

I also like the remote control lock. When I started driving 30 years ago I had

 

to use a key to unlock in the rain.

 

My last car didn't even have rear remote windows. I had to reach behind to unwind

 

every time I pass the customs at the causeway.

 

Actually I have the opposite problem not enough money to buy the top range cars

 

that have more cons.

 

I would to have eye sight that will do auto brake when someone runs in front of the

 

car and rear camera etc

 

Imagine my MIL walking behind my car while I am reversing. Can see on the screen

 

in full technicolor. 

 

  

 

To avoid her lah.

[Wt_know]

should be back to basic

just the steering and a stick

[Ravinged]

Many driver aids, I think reduces our driving skills. Park Assist, reverse camera, Lane warning etc etc ...... Could this be a reason some drivers' natural instincts have dimmed and so many drivers seem to have lost the ability to gauge?

 

Ditto that. Mercedes Benz parking assist is just making dumb drivers even dumber that they can't park a car. I just felt, if a driver can't even maneuver into a space to stop your vehicle decently, you better not be on the roads. 

 

[Phluvcat]

My car has GPS built in, but I never use and prefer to stick my phone on the dash and use Google maps instead with traffic.

I use Waze, find it better than Google Map.

[Ravinged]

I use Waze, find it better than Google Map.

 

When I drove up to Mersing/Rompin, Google Map showed me another way which is 30km longer. Even if I am planning my route at home, Google Earth showed me the same error.

 

Once in a while it tells me to drive through Changi-Pengerang .... and I'm like FML.

 

Edited April 28, 2018 by Ravinged

[Phluvcat]

My car is a manual. Only gadgets are a radio/cd player and reverse sensor. I have one gps but it's almost never used (kept in glove compartment ).

No ABS too. I braked hard yesterday on wet concrete just before T junction. First try skidded like on ice, released until gained traction and braked again with some sliding, managed to stop before the second line.

 

On hind sight should have just pass the amber light.

 

I wondered if ABS could have done it better on the bloody slippery concrete surface.

When I drove up to Mersing/Rompin, Google Map showed me another way which is 30km longer. Even if I am planning my route at home, Google Earth showed me the same error.

 

Once in a while it tells me to drive through Changi-Pengerang .... and I'm like FML.

 

Then I recommend you the App Waze. Gives you much more info. My only gripe is sometimes the instructions come a bit late.

 

Try it you will be pleasantly surprised.

[Ravinged]

Then I recommend you the App Waze. Gives you much more info. My only gripe is sometimes the instructions come a bit late.

 

Try it you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

Ya I use Waze now. Haha! Just sharing my frustration with Google Map before I downloaded Waze.

 

[SGCMHello]

If you prefer simplicity or “just be practical” by going back to basics, it’s a sign you have reached old age. Not thrilled, not excited, highlight the negatives of new technologies, but perspective of car is mere transport. Servicing cost is a major concern. ...... bread & butter Toyota Honda get your nod.

 

If you find cars with basic features dull and boring, and prefer feature rich cars, you’re probably still young at heart.

 

I prefer to enjoy what technology has to offer today. Only when I retire will I consider either uncle Benz or uncle Altis.

[Camrysfa]

when the gadgets no longer wows, try porcelain .....

 

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/bugatti-unveils-22m-sports-car-with-a-porcelain-caviar-tray-20110704-1gz1p.html

 

 

 

2011 news ......Bugatti, the maker of the world's fastest production car, has developed a €1.65 million ($A2.2 million) special edition of the Veyron Grand Sport model with porcelain accents, including a caviar tray.The L'Or Blanc, the first vehicle equipped with porcelain, according to Bugatti, is a joint effort between Volkswagen AG's supercar brand and Berlin-based KPM, a 248-year-old porcelain maker that traces its roots back to King Frederick the Great of Prussia.

 

The L'Or Blanc, which is painted in vibrant white with royal blue lines curving along the exterior, was developed as a one-of-a-kind model for an unidentified businessman from the United Arab Emirates, who has a collection of about 800 cars, Ms Wilm said.

 

The L'Or Blanc, which is painted in vibrant white with royal blue lines curving along the exterior, was developed as a one-of-a-kind model for an unidentified businessman from the United Arab Emirates, who has a collection of about 800 cars, Ms Wilm said.

 

The vehicle features 12 porcelain elements, including wheel badges and fuel and oil caps. A panel depicting an elephant standing on its hind legs, a Bugatti symbol, is mounted between the seats. A sceptre, the logo of KPM given to the company in 1763, is inlaid at the top of the windshield.

 

A highlight of the car is a porcelain dish in the centre console. The dish can serve as a caviar tray, when used together with an ice bucket that's part of a specially designed picnic set, said Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti's design chief.