Revisiting New Car Technology

[Handy Don 14,129]

My wife prefers her 2013 Subaru over my recent Volvo--smaller, more nimble, and less “helpful” stuff. 😁

In that vein, she shared this image with me today...

[ri702bill 9,533]

31 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

and less “helpful” stuff.

And a fold-up paper triple A map in the glove box for the "manual" GPS...

[ebinmaine 72,985]

3 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

And a fold-up paper triple A map in the glove box for the "manual" GPS...

 

 

Trina still keeps a paper copy of the old school DeLorme Maine gazetteer with her at all times.  

[ri702bill 9,533]

It was a 50 mile ride to my last job - each way. I still have the Southern New Endland Road Atlas in the trunk of my car. I eventually learned SIX different routes to get home - and used them all at one time or another... Did not care to use more than two to get to work though...! 

[Handy Don 14,129]

3 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Trina still keeps a paper copy of the old school DeLorme Maine gazetteer with her at all times.  

 

8 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

And a fold-up paper triple A map in the glove box for the "manual" GPS...

We keep AAA state maps and renew them every couple of years. 

The “video” of backing up, though, really cracks me up. 

[Beap52 1,479]

In anticipation of our Niagara Falls trip later this fall, got the atlas from our local insurance agent.  I use it to double check the computer maps. 

 

I've considered getting a rear view mirror that attaches to the original one for my 1992 GMC.  They've got these things that  have a forward looking camera and another attached to the back of the pickup to help with hooking up a trailer or keeping eye on traffic and acting as a back-up camera.  I've about decided I've got enough gadgets--heater, air conditioning, am/fm radio (tuned to one station) and a turn indicator and two sun visors.

[adsm08 3,338]

4 hours ago, ri702bill said:

And a fold-up paper triple A map in the glove box for the "manual" GPS...

 

The one "high tech" gadget I actually like in cars is an on-board nav system.

 

I bought a radio with BT and nav for our Explorer, because we use it for the longer trips, and that thing is drunk. D R U N K drunk. One time it took me on a route that took 45 minutes to get somewhere that should have taken 15.

 

Another time it told me to go one way down a road for 5 miles. At the first turn it told me to turn around and go back the way I'd just come. Then when I got 5 miles back down the road it turned me around again and I got out my phone because by then I was lost.

[lynnmor 7,858]

10 hours ago, adsm08 said:

 

The one "high tech" gadget I actually like in cars is an on-board nav system.

 

I got the built in nav system in a new Ford truck, they charged a fortune for it and then charged a considerable amount for each update.  Then after a few years they offer no updates so the system becomes obsolete.  What a joke!  The answer to the problem is to keep buying new trucks or buy a Garmin with free updates.

[953 nut 60,348]

15 hours ago, Handy Don said:

The “video” of backing up, though, really cracks me up. 

My wife took a second or two to get it and then thought it was extremely funny.        

Neither of our vehicles have a back up camera. We had a rental car a couple years back with the camera but I still used the mirrors while backing up.

I always take a look at Google Maps before going anyplace for the first time. The GPS in my wife's car tends to favor the busiest roads when there are alternate routs that are shorter with less traffic. I have an old Garmin in my truck that has served me well for about twenty years but I always have a paper map with me just in case we encounter a major traffic jam. The GPS won't direct you to a perfectly good alternate route but a map will show you what is available.

[peter lena 9,309]

@Handy Don  we all come from a different era , when it comes to cars , nothing today compares to   the the earlier era anything, both good and bad , but today . its clear you are  in the foundational  era  of  anything  transportational  , regularly stop down at my friends shop, everything is plastic , even the fasteners !  the partial mechanical engines built , by BMW are very scary , major service , is replacing electrical harness , units , engine tear downs for internal  plastic parts , similar to ROVER , its also  very frustrating  to put in " parts " that you know  , will only  last a short time . every country that makes related parts , always tweeks  it into THEIR  IDEA , OF A KNOWN PART  , good luck with that ! imagine  these are the good old days of  transportation , not for me . pete   

[Kenneth R Cluley 595]

I am positive that the setting on the Nav system defaults to "Most Annoying Route" !

[adsm08 3,338]

6 hours ago, lynnmor said:

I got the built in nav system in a new Ford truck, they charged a fortune for it and then charged a considerable amount for each update.  Then after a few years they offer no updates so the system becomes obsolete.  What a joke!  The answer to the problem is to keep buying new trucks or buy a Garmin with free updates.

The newest cars mostly don't even have a built-in nav system, they have CarPlay or AndroidAuto and you use your phone for the nav, the car just mirrors the screen.

[Ed Kennell 42,164]

8 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Neither of our vehicles have a back up camera. We had a rental car a couple years back with the camera but I still used the mirrors while backing up.

I am a mirror using truck driver with a stiff neck that has about 10 degrees rotation on a good day.   I have found the rear sensors in Mrs. Ks Escape a great safety feature when backing out of a parking lot space where the mirrors can not be used to see an oncoming car.

[953 nut 60,348]

4 hours ago, adsm08 said:

The newest cars mostly don't even have a built-in nav system, they have CarPlay or AndroidAuto and you use your phone for the nav, the car just mirrors the screen.

Guess I will need to continue using maps, my phone probably isn't compatible with these new systems.

[8ntruck 7,877]

I find the back up cameras handy.  Like @Ed Kennell, my neck is not as flexible as it once was, and my bifocals make weird images when viewing through the glasses at high eye angles.

 

Parking sensors are somewhere between handy, annoying and comical - like going through the bank drive through and all of the proximity warning lights and buzzers going off saying 'WE ARE GOING TO DIE!!!

 

One of the local car dealers loaned a truck to the local high school robotics team to tow the team trailer to Houston for the world championships this year.  I was one of the drivers.  It had a feature that would put a picture on the dash of the appropriate blind spot when you turned on a turn signal for a lane change - I found that to be really nice.

[EB-80/8inPA 1,872]

14 hours ago, lynnmor said:

I got the built in nav system in a new Ford truck, they charged a fortune for it and then charged a considerable amount for each update.  Then after a few years they offer no updates so the system becomes obsolete.  What a joke!  The answer to the problem is to keep buying new trucks

So, what’s the problem?  A new truck only costs what you could buy a house for only a couple of decades or so ago.  Just dollars a day!

[EB-80/8inPA 1,872]

 

2 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Guess I will need to continue using maps, my phone probably isn't compatible with these new systems.

I remember learning how to read a map and all the symbols legends in elementary school.  I’m fairly certain that no such instruction occurs these days (they no longer even teach cursive, and I love to curse!).  On the bright side, though, my shiny new electric plug in car (lolz) will know to prevent me from moving in the event I fall behind on my payments.  Progress!

[My_horse 23]

We rented a ‘25 Buick Enclave for our trip this year. Great google based navigation system. The dashboard was one big screen. You could have maps up on the right side and also in the “gauge”area behind the steering wheel. It was pretty cool. 
 

The seat had a vibration thing in it that would go off if a person was approaching, or if I got close backing up, or coming up on a car too quick. That got turned off. 
 

I wouldn’t want to actually buy a new car today, Too much unnecessary stuff to possibly fail after the warranty is up  I’d lease instead. 

[ML3 1,727]

Im so glad my 2016 Colorado has none of that technology. Sirius radio & backup camera is about it. I did install a Garmin GPS unit that I hardwired. I still prefer to use a GPS than my phone as my navigation. Did similar setup on my 2018 Focus. Simple, yet effective.  It also has backup camera that as i get older I do find useful.  

 

Now.....my 2025 Cadillac. Dashboard has the huge screen which is Google based. Super cruise, Lane keeping assist, pedestrian warning, etc, etc. Seats & steering wheel vibrating when driving, warning lights & chimes when a pedestrian walks nearby. The absolutely stupid start/stop feature! Then I can adjust suspension, exhaust note, steering effort, & probably a bunch of other things that I dont know how to or will ever need to. Its way too much stuff. 

 

Think my 1989 Town Car is pure, simple old school luxury. 

Edited Saturday at 04:42 AM by ML3