My current ride is a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser (purchased in September of 2006). It has been perfect, never in the shop, never failed to get me where I wanted to go, and still has the original battery, spark plugs, belts and hoses (knock on wood). It still has less than 80,000 miles on it (I drove less than a thousand miles this year). It will no doubt out live me.
Okay...that said, I just feel like I want a new car, not because I need one, just because I want one.
I considered buying a new car this year (GT350 Heritage Edition), but every time one became available in my area, sanity returned just in time. I have also considered ordering a new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, but I don't really NEED one of those either, and Jeep reliability has been somewhat hit and/or miss over the years. I was initially interested in the new Bronco, until I saw what the engine/transmission options were (computerized/turbo 4 banger is the only choice with the manual trans), not going to happen.
As I have looked into these (and other) vehicles, I was overwhelmed by all of the stupid, unnecessary, overly complex, ??magic bean? technology that has taken over automobiles (including ??trucks?) in recent years.
YEAH, I get it... computer technology has IMPROVED fuel economy, power, and reliability (???) when it comes to engine design. And ??automatic transmissions? have come a long way from the ??slush-boxes? of my youth. Be that as it may, I have never owned a car/truck with an automatic transmission, and NOT about to start now. Stirring the gears is in my blood, and in my opinion, part of keeping your head in the game. Driving is a FULL TIME JOB, and I don't think that gazing at computer screens, yapping on a cell phone (hands free or not), or management of a Space Shuttle dashboard should be part of that equation.
I do like air conditioning, and cruise control is a must on I-80 across Nevada (except where it ain't), but I don't need or want some gadget ??keeping me between the lines,? deciding how close is too close, backing up my trailer, or making any decision that I SHOULD be making. I have an excellent collection of maps, so even if I've never been to where I'm going, I can pull over and figure it out. If that doesn't work, I can ask someone!!!
I guess that I should just stay in my cave, oh yeah, get off my lawn!
Loyal
ha.?ÿ i'm only now coming around to the idea that a CVT even qualifies as a decent idea. or that a hyundai or a kia is worth considering at all (they're killing it in the reliability ratings the past few years).?ÿ all this is holdover from growing up with a mechanic father.
and i'm with you on the whole bronco/eco turbo pea shooter motor vis-a-vis a good, old, reliable V8.?ÿ if ford hadn't made the worst mistake in their history by killing off the 300 about 20 years ago, i'd still be biased toward any vehicle employing that motor.?ÿ and i don't care if a new ranger with a 2 liter turbo can put out 800 ft/lbs of torque, i don't want to be around when it's attempting to do so.
manual windows and vinyl seats are now considered "extras" on new trucks.?ÿ not kidding.?ÿ just go and try to find one in the wild- they hardly exist.
..As I have looked into these (and other) vehicles, I was overwhelmed by all of the stupid, unnecessary, overly complex, ??magic bean? technology that has taken over automobiles (including ??trucks?) in recent years...
My newest car/ truck in the drive was a 2011 so I bought a 2020 Grand Cherokee a few months ago.?ÿ While I've had good luck with all the different makes and models I've owned over the years I decided on a Jeep (4th. one I've owned) simply because I like them.?ÿ While I couldn't care less for all the techno-crap that's on them, it was far more invasive than I imagined.
I realized the burrowing tendrils of the information age ran deeper than I thought when I received an (apparently monthly) email letting me know my Cherokee's odometer had 381 miles, also listing the tire pressure in all four tires.?ÿ It was an eerie computer generated email just letting me know "they" were there for me in case I needed anything...
It just might be time to start wearing that tin-foil hat.
Agree and disagree, @loyal. The in-dash gps is not worth the money. The 2018 Ford Edge that I liked on the lot had one and now I have it. Its map was two years out of date on the purchase date and I have to update it myself after buying a $125 gizmo. Terrible value. I wish I had found one with all wheel drive (they're front wheel drive); the torque steer when I really step on it is downright dangerous. It's a strong V6; I avoided the turbos.
The hands-free communication is worth its weight in gold, especially in the pandemic. For example, I buy prescription dog food for one of my pups at the vet. They have a no-entry policy; I call in the order, call when I arrive and they bring it out. I can say, "Call vet", the dialer dials it, and the sound comes through the radio speaker and I just reply in normal tones. No fumbling for a phone, no dialing, just voice communication. If I get a text, the system reads it to me.
Touchscreen for air and heat is not a good solution. Aside from the distraction, hitting the screen in the right place over a rough road is not easy. But radio is a snap. If I'm listening to 94.5 and want to hear 104.1, I push a button on the steering wheel and say, "FM 104.1."?ÿ The system repeats it and then tunes the radio. Zero distraction.
My son has a two-door Jeep Willys edition that he's customized to no end. Lifted, wheeled, tired, winch on bumper and an overhead winch in the garage to remove the hard top, etc, etc, etc. A few weeks ago, his wife was driving his truck and he was behind her in the Jeep. He called me on the Jeep com system. The signal kept jumping from his Jeep to the system in the truck, both of which knew his phone. His phone would disconnect in the Jeep, reconnect to the system in the truck in front of him, and I'd be talking to his wife through his phone!
It's all just a bunch of trade-offs and every convenience brings its own set of inconveniences. The one you want is out there, but the hunt may be significant.
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I have a 2016 Toyota 4-Runner. Bought it new. Perfect. Not fancy, not all computerized and robotic. Has all I need and no issues.?ÿ
right- the 2019 frontier i bought a few months back has an SD card slot in the stereo.?ÿ i can, apparently, update the nav system at my leisure.?ÿ not that i've yet to use it once...
funny to see people commuting to work every day with a gps unit up on their dashboard.?ÿ i get the live traffic condition use, but otherwise... i mean, i know i'm much more familiar with streets in general than most of the public, but you'd think that- after a month or two- commuting to work every single day would teach most people all the various routes available to them between the same two points.?ÿ i can see tourists in rentals or other out of towners having a reliable need for it, but i'm talking about the cars i see regularly, driven by the same people who've been driving the same routes for years on end.?ÿ?ÿ
I was looking at a 1963 dodge dart.
2 Dr hardtop.
Slant 6. Creamy white. Red vinyl seats.
Buy that, and it'll be worth more in 25 yrs.
N
funny to see people commuting to work every day with a gps unit up on their dashboard.?ÿ i get the live traffic condition use, .?ÿ .?ÿ .?ÿ?ÿ
GPS only does not provide live traffic conditions without a two way WiFi, cell network or sat-nav connection.
Had a '68 that my Grandpa bought new, I got it in '80, didn't know how many miles were on it, but you couldn't kill that thing, although in the Mid Hudson Valley all car bodies rot extensively over time (not much either, due to the amount of salt they put out). We were giving it a tune up one day and decided to hook up the dwell meter, the cam in the distributer was so worn down that the needle just swung back and forth all the way, still ran like a top though.
I was looking at a 1963 dodge dart.
2 Dr hardtop.
Slant 6. Creamy white. Red vinyl seats.
Buy that, and it'll be worth more in 25 yrs.
N
A friend of mine was a lifelong VW aficionado.?ÿ Well into his years he had pretty much let all of them go and only kept his memories and photos.?ÿ About 20 years ago he discovered a garage in the PNW that took old bugs down to the metal and completely restored them from the ground up.?ÿ For about 15k he purchased a Bahama Blue '64 VW bug rag top restored to mint condition.?ÿ He and his wife spent countless hours running around to car shows with their 'baby'.?ÿ She was always the first to tell folks "he paid way too much for it".
He passed away about 3 years ago.?ÿ Another friend of ours kept up with them more than I and reported the VW was sold after our friend passed.?ÿ His widow was apparently happy she had doubled the purchase price in the sale.
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Traffic??ÿ What's that?
To magic GPS thingy " No, no, no.?ÿ I said take me to the Schmidt house."
..... but I don't need or want some gadget ??keeping me between the lines,? deciding how close is too close, backing up my trailer, or making any decision that I SHOULD be making. I have an excellent collection of maps, so even if I've never been to where I'm going, I can pull over and figure it out. If that doesn't work, I can ask someone!!!
Sounds like me c.2009, resisting getting a smart phone. Once you get used to these things you wonder how you ever got along without them. It's time to get on with the next phase of your life.
I realized the burrowing tendrils of the information age ran deeper than I thought when I received an (apparently monthly) email letting me know my Cherokee's odometer had 381 miles, also listing the tire pressure in all four tires.?ÿ
This article is scary.?ÿ It says a lot of newer cars record the GPS location and time of EVERY event, including seat belt clicks and door openings, as well as speeds, etc.
Okay...that said, I just feel like I want a new car, not because I need one, just because I want one.
My suggestion....just wait for that urge to pass or until you get a better one!?ÿ
All the tech stuff on new cars reminds me of y2k hysteria. ?ÿMy wife was so happy that my 65 cj5 Jeep was pre computers and would allow our survival come that dreaded day :). ?ÿI must admit that when I put electronic points in my 72 Chevy pu for convenience I kept the old points in the glove box just in case.
Loyal ?ÿyou sound like a 16 year old teenager. ?ÿYou have a loyal Toyota that has never let you down and you want to try some new contraption. ?ÿI agree with Gene wait for the urge to pass :). ?ÿGood day! Jp
Buying a new one doesn't mean that you have to get rid of the old one.
Last new vehicle purchase was in 1983.?ÿ I am more than happy to buy something someone else doesn't want anymore.?ÿ I would rather pay my local mechanic than take the loss in value on a new vehicle.?ÿ Insurance rates and property taxes are significantly lower, too.
I watched a pickup burn and my first call was to 911 to alert them to what was happening in case someone else were to call it in and to tell them there was absolutely no need for a fire truck to show up.?ÿ Shortly thereafter I called my insurance agent to cancel my policy effective immediately as I only had the mandatory basic coverage which does not include anything to be paid to me, only others.?ÿ Went out and bought a different pickup in less than a week's time for $3000.?ÿ It's still going, like the Energizer Bunny.
@paden-cash Did you know the new Corvette will let you raise the front by several inches to clear a bump, for instance, and then will remember that location and automatically raise the front when you approach it.
I'm told that all of this connectivity that new cars have, including the location tracking, vehicle speed monitoring, seat belt click recording and engine condition monitoring cannot be turned off or disabled, unless you are named Elon.
Wasn't there a movie a while back where all of these "connected vehicles" were taken over and given a command to "punch it and turn left" at the same time?
My 2006 Ridgeline has 318K and very few bells and whistles. Air, cruise and power windows, cloth seats. Recently added a wireless WiFi radio and ceramic window tinting all around. That's it. 20 MPG on the highway.
She has been very good to me and has just enough capacity to do what I need. But man, is she tired.?ÿ
JA, PLS SoCal
That's crazy.
I took my driving test twice in a '61 Biscayne with no PS.?ÿ Flunked the parallel parking both times.?ÿ Finally passed it when my brother 'borrowed' from the garage a Chevelle with PS to let me take the test with.
Wish they had that automatic parallel park gizmo back then.?ÿ
