My Gripe about new vehicles... (and where society is headed)

[iBoston]

I don't think this is about me being older... (50's) .. I just see a trend that really bothers me, and its not just about cars, this problem is stretching through society in all aspects of our lives, but for this discussion, it will be focused on new generation cars....

I will admit, i am a control freak. That being said, i firmly believe 'I own my possessions, they don't own me.' Unfortunetly, we seem to be moving away from that... To give you some background, here are some things that have annoyed me about 2000 generation vehicles.

• Why can't i unlock all doors with one click! - I don't live in the big city.. I'm not worried about someone jumping in the passenger side robbing or killing me!
• Why must the friggen car BEEP at me when i don't wear my seatbelt?? Yes, i wear it but there are times i don't, example, I'm on my property getting in and out of my car often (hauling/moving stuff)... Thank god i could remove the springs inside the actual seatbelt clicker, and make it think my seat belt is always on.
• Why do i have to be going 40 mph to set my cruise control?!?!!?
• Why the hell can't i adjust the radio settings when the car is moving?!!?!?!?!? Have they ever heard of multiple people in the car.. Wife is driving, and i cannot make a change to the radio settings because the car is moving...
• I hate LIGHTS in the car at night.. Why must there be a BRIGHT amber light telling me the air bag is off because it doesn't detect anyone sitting in the passenger seat.. Luckily, a well positioned black duck tape resolves that issue.
• Why isn't there a KEY slot in the passenger side or the trunk?!?!!? - I go to get something out of the passenger side, and forced to walk around to the driver side because there is only one key entry.

Stuff like that drives me nuts. But, its only getting 10x worse!!

Here are problems occurring with new vehicles, thank god, i don't own, that i am very aware of..(from rentals, or friends complaining)

• Its raining, i try to activate cruise control. (it has adaptive cruise control) vehicle says "cannot see". Well then, disable the adaptative part and set the damn cruise control.. NOPE!
• You cannot disable many of the so-called auto-features permanently. You have to disable them EACH and EVERYTIME you restart your car. Example : lane assistance., in another words, the car screams at you and nudges the steering wheel everytime it thinks you've crossed the yellow line.. Or traction control, which is horrible when your driving on ICE.
• Damn car turns off every time you come to a complete stop.
• I know where every knob is on my car, i can enable 4x4 mode or adjust my volume or turn up my heat without my EYES ever leaving the road... Now this is all friggen done through the 17+ inch touch screen TV. Now its impossible to enable / activate those features without taking your eyes off the road, plus i cannot begin to tell you how annoying those bright screens are when your driving at night!!!!!!! Yes, you can turn off the display, but you have to navigate through multiple screens to do it and then to activate anything you have to turn on the screen again, and then go through the whole process of disabling it again. What a pain in the Donkey.
• Those big screens are mostly utilized for selling you annual/monthly service fees for such things as internet radio, or streaming services or mapping services.. None of which i have ANY interest in. And its all about them cheeping out the car so they don't have to pay for putting in knobs and dials...
• NO key entry!!!! - Maybe there is an answer, but how the hell do you get into your car if your battery is completely dead?!!? And then if you cannot get into your car, how do you get access your battery to resolve the issue?!!?! - I live in a VERY cold environment, unfortunately, DEAD batteries are a constant issue around here.

When your possessions control you, that adds stress to your life. That is why i am NOT a overly materialistic person. I own things.. But i want to be in control, and i am willing to take on the responsibility of that.. Yes, i disabled the sensor on the seat of my tractor... I have a snow blower attachment on the rear of the tractor. I need to be able to STAND while its backing up doing the snow blowing. I cannot see if im not standing.,. But, with the sensor, the tractor turned off as soon as i stood up. These sorts of things being mandated with no thought of 'GRAY'.. Not everything is black and white and to shove EVERYONE into this narrow field of what they think it should be is not treating us like 'critical thinkers' that can use our brains and judge for ourselves and take on certain risks... But instead, government and commercialization want to funnel us into this very narrow robotic unnatural way, which just dumbs our society down. I guess in a service based industry, to keep the economy going, that's what you have to do.. Make everyone stupid!

Maybe i am what you would consider old school, but i still like to decide for myself, what i am capable of and not have those decisions taken away from me!

 

[NYDutch]

Did someone force you to buy a car with all those features you don't like? There are plenty of older lower tech cars in great condition available. Or buy one and have it reconditioned.

 

[iBoston]

Did someone force you to buy a car with all those features you don't like? There are plenty of older lower tech cars in great condition available. Or buy one and have it reconditioned.

No, as i mentioned, these are stories i've heard, or from having loaner vehichles when my current vehicle is in the shop.. No, i plan on never owning a new car ever again.. I think i will stick with vehicles made 2010 or less for the future... - I was even thinking i might buy an OLD 60s-80's restored truck, as long as it has 4x4 and cruise control, thats all i care about.

 

[navychop]

Whippersnapper!

 

[Foxbat]

Regarding the Automatic Cruise Control not working in the rain, Mrs. Foxbat’s car has that feature and we’ve used it in the rain & snow before. But sometimes its sensor gets too wet/snow-covered and then you have no cruise control. We drove a car in 2017 that actually had both ACC and conventional cruise control, so it might be a manufacturer decision on whether or not to offer that feature.

There seems to be some pushback on the soft controls in autos, some manufacturers have listened and put back knobs and switches for things like climate control and audio. My 2014 Ford has both manual buttons and knobs for heating/cooling and controls for the stereo that I can activate without looking away from the road. If it had a heated steering wheel, AWD, and ACC I would be inclined to keep on driving it for the foreseeable future.

 

[dishdude]

 

[TRG]

Speaking of wanting to control or enable certain features... These AMBER ALERTS on my phone are pissing me off! I don't need to be woken out of a sound sleep at 1am to alert me of a kidnapping or abduction that's 100 miles away.

 

[NYDutch]

Speaking of wanting to control or enable certain features... These AMBER ALERTS on my phone are pissing me off! I don't need to be woken out of a sound sleep at 1am to alert me of a kidnapping or abduction that's 100 miles away.

Check your settings. On my Samsung phone, I can selectively enable or disable emergency alerts, including Amber alerts, by going to "Notifications", "Advanced Settings", "Wireless emergency alerts", and toggling on or off by category. A previous phone had them under "Government alerts".

 

[N6BY]

Speaking of wanting to control or enable certain features... These AMBER ALERTS on my phone are pissing me off! I don't need to be woken out of a sound sleep at 1am to alert me of a kidnapping or abduction that's 100 miles away.

Don't sleep with your phone.

 

[TRG]

Don't sleep with your phone.

Great advice. But I'm on-call most nights.

 

[TRG]

Check your settings. On my Samsung phone, I can selectively enable or disable emergency alerts, including Amber alerts, by going to "Notifications", "Advanced Settings", "Wireless emergency alerts", and toggling on or off by category. A previous phone had them under "Government alerts".

Thanks!

 

[navychop]

“Where society is headed…”

Reminds me: Where are we going and why are we in this hand basket?

 

[harshness]

• Why can't i unlock all doors with one click! - I don't live in the big city.. I'm not worried about someone jumping in the passenger side robbing or killing me!

This went away with vacuum-powered door locks. It is considered a safety feature preventing assailants from entering the car on the blind side.

• Why must the friggen car BEEP at me when i don't wear my seatbelt?? Yes, i wear it but there are times i don't, example, I'm on my property getting in and out of my car often (hauling/moving stuff)... Thank god i could remove the springs inside the actual seatbelt clicker, and make it think my seat belt is always on.

This is a gubmint regulation.

• Why do i have to be going 40 mph to set my cruise control?!?!!?

It used to be 30 but it wasn't having the desired effect of preventing people from using cruise where they really shouldn't be. See more at "auto-pilot".

• Why the hell can't i adjust the radio settings when the car is moving?!!?!?!?!? Have they ever heard of multiple people in the car.. Wife is driving, and i cannot make a change to the radio settings because the car is moving...

This is a new one for me but I can see the motivation. With larger and larger "screens", the accessories require considerably more concentration and refined motor skills to operate.

• I hate LIGHTS in the car at night.. Why must there be a BRIGHT amber light telling me the air bag is off because it doesn't detect anyone sitting in the passenger seat.. Luckily, a well positioned black duck tape resolves that issue.

Another gubmint safety regulation.

• Why isn't there a KEY slot in the passenger side or the trunk?!?!!? - I go to get something out of the passenger side, and forced to walk around to the driver side because there is only one key entry.

Keyfobs and RFID are how doors are unlocked these days. Keys and a remote trunk release are there in the event that the battery is dead.

Not everyone lives in Mayberry so some overkill must be engaged in for the safety of all.

 

[iBoston]

Not everyone lives in Mayberry so some overkill must be engaged in for the safety of all.

Highly disagree. I didn't turn 18 for my parents to quit being parents, and my government start. All features like this should be in the control of the user to disable. We do live in a free country right? I ALWAYS wear my seat-belt on the road, but i totally disagree with the law.

 

[harshness]

We do live in a free country right?

Freedom doesn't mean freedom from reason and personal responsibility. Switching something off and assuming the associated responsibilities are not necessarily connected.

If I were to gripe about modern transportation, I'd gripe about the kinds of vehicles that are available as seems to be required to end-run CAFE requirements. Why is it that we must all accept something that looks like it is designed for off-road use? How is 25MPG acceptable for basic family transportation? Is Ethanol our friend?

 

[primestar31]

Why can't i unlock all doors with one click! - I don't live in the big city.. I'm not worried about someone jumping in the passenger side robbing or killing me!

My 2010 Mazda 3 has all sorts of various security modes, and ONE of them allowed me to reprogram the locks so that they ALL lock or unlock with one press of the button on the fob. It can be quite convoluted to do it, but I can change all sorts of functions to do alternate things.

Check your manual, or for a Youtube video that may show you how to do it for your vehicle.

 

[iBoston]

My 2010 Mazda 3 has all sorts of various security modes, and ONE of them allowed me to reprogram the locks so that they ALL lock or unlock with one press of the button on the fob. It can be quite convoluted to do it, but I can change all sorts of functions to do alternate things.

Check your manual, or for a Youtube video that may show you how to do it for your vehicle.

Some cars allow this, and i commend that, but many do not... Believe me, i already looked.. As it turned out, when i installed the remote start for the vehicle, i was able to get them to set a setting to double trigger unlock when i click to unlock.

 

[iBoston]

Freedom doesn't mean freedom from reason and personal responsibility. Switching something off and assuming the associated responsibilities are not necessarily connected.

If I were to gripe about modern transportation, I'd gripe about the kinds of vehicles that are available as seems to be required to end-run CAFE requirements. Why is it that we must all accept something that looks like it is designed for off-road use? How is 25MPG acceptable for basic family transportation? Is Ethanol our friend?

I am not talking about rules that put other people at risk.. I believe in PERSONAL freedom which does not infringe on other peoples rights. And just because you cannot see why someone wants a particular feature does not negate it... I use cruise control to make sure i go the speed limit. We have a lot of rural roads where the speed limit is 25. It doesn't mean i want to zone out. And for me to have to explain that to you is ridiculous. - And if the government really cared about safety, then they would not let vehicles speed but max out the speed limit to GPS coordinate. , but that would prevent them from collecting billions in tax revenue. I don't need a lecture. I don't infridge on other peoples rights, don't make limitations to restrict mine when you can easily make them customizable.

Allowing someone to speed is far mar likely to affect someones else life and liberties way before me choosing whether or not to wear a seat-belt or being able to set cruise control at 5mph if i so desire, so, lets not get in tho the massive hypocrisy of these supposed safety laws. Default it towards safety, but ultimately let the user decide!

 

[SamCdbs]

• Why must the friggen car BEEP at me when i don't wear my seatbelt?? Yes, i wear it but there are times i don't, example, I'm on my property getting in and out of my car often (hauling/moving stuff)... Thank god i could remove the springs inside the actual seatbelt clicker, and make it think my seat belt is always on.

The government.

• Why the hell can't i adjust the radio settings when the car is moving?!!?!?!?!? Have they ever heard of multiple people in the car.. Wife is driving, and i cannot make a change to the radio settings because the car is moving...

The government.

• I hate LIGHTS in the car at night.. Why must there be a BRIGHT amber light telling me the air bag is off because it doesn't detect anyone sitting in the passenger seat.. Luckily, a well positioned black duck tape resolves that issue.

The government.

• Damn car turns off every time you come to a complete stop.

This is a "gas saving" feature. Obviously, it might save a thimblesworth of gasoline over the life of your car. Which, obviously, will be much shorter because the hardest thing on an engine is start up, when all the oil is down below. Only a moron would come up with a "gas saving" device that reduces the life of the engine by years. The automakers HAVE to make the default "always on" because the government (of California) requires it and they don't want to have to make two versions, one for the left coast and one for normal places.

But there are two ways to defeat this. If you have a good scan tool (not the $20 ones they sell at AutoZone, etc) just open up the thing and change a reading to out of spec. A YouTube search for your model will tell you which one. Scotty Kilmer is good on this. The more simple way is just to look on Amazon or good auto parts websites. Most models have a rewire kit for this that just reverses the polarity of the switch, changing the default to always off. I have an Audi, which is the same mechanics as a VW, not the most popular selling car line, and I found a kit for less than $20 and its simple to install.

• NO key entry!!!! - Maybe there is an answer, but how the hell do you get into your car if your battery is completely dead?!!? And then if you cannot get into your car, how do you get access your battery to resolve the issue?!!?! - I live in a VERY cold environment, unfortunately, DEAD batteries are a constant issue around here.

Read to owner's manual. On the last 4 cars I have had, different brands each time, you take the key fob apart and there is a key. Then you pop off the plastic piece on the door handle where the key hole used to be, and there is a key hole under there.

 

[iBoston]

But there are two ways to defeat this. If you have a good scan tool (not the $20 ones they sell at AutoZone, etc) just open up the thing and change a reading to out of spec. A YouTube search for your model will tell you which one. Scotty Kilmer is good on this. The more simple way is just to look on Amazon or good auto parts websites. Most models have a rewire kit for this that just reverses the polarity of the switch, changing the default to always off. I have an Audi, which is the same mechanics as a VW, not the most popular selling car line, and I found a kit for less than $20 and its simple to install.

Why can't the automakers on the huge touch screen TV's in the car, have a Setup menu that allows you to run through every supposed feature, and let you enable/disable them!?!? You know, i was born and raised in Los Angeles California... I think you can figure out why i left that state behind. It is not a place to be calm. You can be the most patient and giving person in the world, just drive around in traffic for a week or two and you become the thing you hate. You cannot drive in Southern California without becoming an aggressive driver. No one will ever stop to let you in. You have to push your way in. I moved to "Mayberry" as Harshness stated, as a conscious decision to withdraw myself and hit the rewind button, and i will fight tooth and nail to keep my 'Mayberry' alive!!!!