Hey Automakers:

My (actually the wife's, she's gracious enough to let me call it ''mine) Chrysler 300 was broad-sided with me behind the wheel. While I'm grateful for the thick sheet metal (I walked away), the other drivers insurance totaled it. So now we're car shopping. Some hints to car makers:

---People are getting taller. Your average car buyer doesn't want to do squats to get into their new vehicle.

---Gimme my cd player back. Not every driver wants to laod up thier phone/mp3 player and connect it via patch cable or bluetooth to thier car to listen to their music.

---Heated seats, EVERY car, standard,NOT an option.

---Stop making every USB port a hotline to the stereo. I wanna charge my phone, not read thru a 300 page manual to avoid auto listening to all my ringtones.

---Us drivers don't need to scroll thru a 15 screen menu to set FM radio presets.Perhaps remove all the blue tooth crap? Better yet, make that an expensive option, instead of heated seats?

---GTF outta here w/ the donut spare. Most ppl don't drive right to tire shop upon getting a flat. The whole '50 miles, under 50 mph' thing hasn't been observed since dirt was invented.

---Those blue/white xenon headlights should be punishable by bodily harm. Unless I can run my brights, and a rack of LED aux lights, and a line of 12 KC Hi-Lites ("Brighter than the sun").

---Built in alka sensors would save so much, for so little. Drunk? Your car won't start. Easy...

Yes, I'm old (54 in a month).......GET OFF MY LAWN !

a reply to: Brywilson2

Lol. You're not even old, but damn, you sound it.

Get all the new fangled electronics out. No computor, no inbuilt sat/nav, no electric windows, no central locking, no on the move engine management etc. etc.
Something wrong?? Main dealer diagnostic $$$$$. Main dealer fix $$$$$. Just the hell put the toggle switches back.

I totally agree with your complaints. I would add stop all the crap with self-driving BS. I don’t want any “feature” that removes the control of the vehicle from me.

originally posted by: Metallicus
I totally agree with your complaints. I would add stop all the crap with self-driving BS. I don’t want any “feature” that removes the control of the vehicle from me.

Amen. That and 'drive by wire' electrical steering control. Make it the driver who controls things, Not the decision of a servo that can fail or short out.

NONE of your complaints will be addressed in your favor. Get over it.

a reply to: Brywilson2

Can't help you with the rest, but they still make AM CD players for cars.

Buy one.

a reply to: Brywilson2

Have you considered buying a 1988 Lada ?

originally posted by: Nothin
a reply to: Brywilson2

Have you considered buying a 1988 Lada ?

No, but I would love a 1973 Impala

a reply to: Brywilson2

Why can't someone make a car with the great simplistic features of older cars, and the reliability of newer cars, and sell for a 'reasonable' price ?

We just bought a forester, it is just about the right height, has lots of headroom, and you can see all over. As far as that backup camera is concerned, I never use it. I would rather just look out the windows and in the mirror.

We did not get the heated seats, we have them in the explorer and unless you have a super alternator, after three weeks of short trips the battery is dead when it is ten below zero or colder. We do not use them anymore in the winter because of that reason.

The windows on the suvs seem to be getting smaller and smaller, and they are way too small inside. That is the reason we got the forester, it is about the same size as our ford explorer. We did not want the sunroof, the kids always want to open it and never check if it is fully closed before leaving. I hate wet seats, I would rather not have one for that reason.

A breathalizer can deny you from driving the car if you are not even drinking. some chemistries can trigger a false failsafe.
dmcantor.com...

a reply to: Brywilson2


---At 6'4", I understand this pain. However, at least we've the freedom to buy whatever type (well, almost) of vehicle we want.


---And most cars still do have CD players?

---I'd rather have remote start with auto climate control as standard, then you don't need to worry about heated seats. I like the fact that on newer cars, you can buy a plug and play module now that plugs into the OBD2 harness, and tucks up under the wheel. Its a godsend compared to the older kits with yards of wiring you gotta mess with.

--- I agree about the USB ports. Gimme a quick charge 3.0 USB in the center console. And maybe enough room for a wireless charger.

--- One page of presets will do. How many radio stations do people listen to these days?

--- Agreed on the spare, however I've seen how BMW and Volkswagen implement full size spares in constrained space, its not pretty.

--- A hell of a lot more visibility than halogen. How about auto darkening windshields, since we can get that on our prescription glasses.

--- What if you just used mouthwash before heading to work?

originally posted by: Brywilson2

originally posted by: Metallicus
I totally agree with your complaints. I would add stop all the crap with self-driving BS. I don’t want any “feature” that removes the control of the vehicle from me.

Amen. That and 'drive by wire' electrical steering control. Make it the driver who controls things, Not the decision of a servo that can fail or short out.

Even mechanical steering has its own set of issues. Ultimately, neither system is good or bad when taking into account the person behind the wheel.

originally posted by: Metallicus
I totally agree with your complaints. I would add stop all the crap with self-driving BS. I don’t want any “feature” that removes the control of the vehicle from me.

Until the day perhaps comes, (shortly), when your self driving car can pop to the shops to get your pre-ordered groceries for you while you spend your time doing something other than driving, shopping, queueing, trolley-pushing and parking. Personal Automotive Drone.

originally posted by: Nothin
a reply to: Brywilson2

Why can't someone make a car with the great simplistic features of older cars, and the reliability of newer cars, and sell for a 'reasonable' price ?

Government regulations. A lot of the bloat and tech of new cars is government mandated. For example, back up cameras, ABS, etc.

If you want a simple car, you basically have to restore an older car. Pretty much any car after the late 90s is going to be a tech nightmare imho.

I would like to have a car that you could rip every single wire out of the vehicle (excluding battery, plug and starter cable) and it can still run like the old days!

Now days, one small component goes out, everything goes out with it and it'll cost you the price of a whole strip of crap just to have one small component replaced.

+1 Heated Seats (Steering Wheel too)

USB/SSD navigation radio.


Still... As the new junk comes with the new vehicles, It gets hard to do without. The gauges in my Hellcat and the displays on my vette has me spoiled rotten. Now with my STI, I can't stand having basic controls and displays anymore. I feel cheated!

originally posted by: Metallicus
I totally agree with your complaints. I would add stop all the crap with self-driving BS. I don’t want any “feature” that removes the control of the vehicle from me.

I can’t wait for cars to be self driving. How will police justify roadblocks then? No more DUI’s, no more speeding tickets. No more seized money from people just traveling across the state. Nothing giving the police probable cause to pull you over and act as revenue collectors.

I think self driving cars are going to effect a lot of things beside the automotive industry.

It’d be like having your own Uber that doesn’t require a driver.

Hoping one day I can splurge on an analog restomod car. I want an Icon 4x4 Bronco or an FJ Cruiser.

a reply to: Brywilson2

Those blue lights are hell on country roads, freeways or roads in general without ambient light to oncoming traffic. Where I live in eastern Oregon, there is no ambient light and I feel like running those fools off the road.

originally posted by: Edumakated

originally posted by: Nothin
a reply to: Brywilson2

Why can't someone make a car with the great simplistic features of older cars, and the reliability of newer cars, and sell for a 'reasonable' price ?

Government regulations. A lot of the bloat and tech of new cars is government mandated. For example, back up cameras, ABS, etc.

If you want a simple car, you basically have to restore an older car. Pretty much any car after the late 90s is going to be a tech nightmare imho.

Back-up cams are mandatory now ? Dang ! Am out of the loop.
Only backed into something once, in 40+ years of driving, and it wasn't that bad.
My dad taught me to drive.
He said: 'go forwards'... LoL !