Bring back the basic & simple cars

[Richard A Thackeray]

My 02 Almera has a cassette player. That's one basic "Feature" I could happily see upgraded,

I remember many, many years ago, my father owning an Austin Cambridge (the A60 shape), that didn't have a radio
It did however, have an aerial, so (this was in the days when such a feature was fitted!), the battery powered radio from the house was taken with us, & plugged into the aerial lead!
If it wasn't the Cambridge, it was the Viva HC estate that followed it

 

[rugby bloke]

Our base model VW Up! is still pretty basic. When we went to collect it the salesman made a great show of demonstrating the features, which didn't extend much beyond turning on and off the radio, adjusting the seat and .. that's pretty much it !

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

This seems a strange example to pick. What is so complicated about not having to think about headlights at all? This is definitely a simplification, and prevents tragedies like this.

It's not the same, but the amount of vehicles that were, & still are, seen, in the hours of darkness simply on the 'Daylight Running Lights' is crazy
It would have been so easy to rig them to power up the rear-lights at the same time
One issue that doesn't help, on pre 'DRL' cars, is the constantly illuminated instrumentation too

But I am with you on the touch screen. Why???

My Octavia has one for the radio/CD (no Sat-Nav in mine), & on a particularly rough road surface, you have to brace the other fingers against the surround to change channels (one good reason for steering wheel controls. not on my SE level though!)
'Chin-Chin' (the Panda) just has big buttons

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Our base model VW Up! is still pretty basic. When we went to collect it the salesman made a great show of demonstrating the features, which didn't extend much beyond turning on and off the radio, adjusting the seat and .. that's pretty much it !

Maybe he worked for our Hospital, at the Post-Graduate Medical Teaching Centre, in the old building. & made this sign??
Some of the Doctors who needed that may be Consultants by now

Your life in their hands.........................

 

[jefmcg]

Maybe he worked for our Hospital, at the Post-Graduate Medical Teaching Centre, in the old building. & made this sign??
Some of the Doctors who needed that may be Consultants by now

Your life in their hands.........................

View attachment 351980

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Classic Gary Larson

I did like his 'Lupolinoslipophobia' drawing

View attachment 351981

 

[rugby bloke]

I did feel sorry for the salesman at the first dealership we went to when we were looking to buy an Up. He was a young lad, looked about 12 and was clearly on a bonus if he sold us extras for the car. We just wanted a basic run around that the kids could use to learn to drive in so were not interested in anything beyond the standard spec:
"Do you want to upgrade the radio ?"
"No"
"Do you want sat nav ?"
"No"
"Do you want alloy wheels ?"
"No"
"Do you want metallic paint ?"
"No"
repeat for about 5 minutes ... followed by silence.
We eventually bought it from another dealership that was happy to sell us the car we wanted to buy.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

That's like trying to buy a PC/lap-Top for day to day use (ie; no gaming/film downloading, etc..) on a weekend from PC World (other stores are available, as the BBC would say)

 

[Jody]

You're not allowed to use a phone at the wheel but manufacturers think its OK to put in touch screen oprated everything. Its just so dangerous and not needed.

 

[velovoice]

Since 1999, I've owned nothing but Citroen A-series. Found out a few months ago that the Dyane I sold in 2009 (when I took up cycling and went car free) is being totally restored. The temptation to make an offer on it once it's done is, at times, nearly overwhelming.

The beauty of a simple machine in good working order never fades. I learned to do everything from basic services to major overhauls on these cars.

Happy days (2006)

 

[screenman]

As for oddities, our XKR had a 'fly-off' handbrake, between the drivers seat & doorsill
As the transmission tunnel was a fair old size, combined with how low the car is

View attachment 351972



So is ours (present shape), it has central-locking, but, as a cost-saver, the hatchback isn't incorporated on the base model
I've not locked the keys in it, when opening the boot first....................yet (it'll be 3 year old in October)

My old Land Rovers were fairly basic (as they should be!!), barring the 110 Td5 that was my last one - with its ridiculously positioned ECU (under the drivers seat, close to the factory recommended wading limits)
The height of technology in my previous one, with a 300Tdi, was the FM radio!!
I won't mention the door-locks that could be opened with a .................

Drive my first XJS 14 miles before I worked out the handbrake, back in about 1980

 

[Drago]

T'is why I love my Ford Fusion of Elderliness. In the top spec Pension Book trim it has sensible options like climate, heaters screen, heated mirrors, and a very simple fuel computer. All useful or nice stuff, not useless tinsel that does nothing to shorten the journey, make the journey less fraught, and allow the driver to arrive more relaxed.

 

[mjr]

*The Dacia is having a tow-bar fitted and 2 new tyres today @Hill Wimp reckons it will double its value......

Fit a double exhaust, then you can sell it for more as a wheelbarrow.

I agree on the evils of DRL (should never have been allowed IMO - I wonder whether they'll ever study the effects including all the negatives like those increased failures to illuminate in the dark and fog) and car touchscreens (how the fark are you going to operate that without looking, like you can a real dial or switch?)

 

[Drago]

Indeed, you cant work a touchscreen by feel. No click, click, click and you know without looking that the heater fan is now on three quarters.

DRLs are another piece of useless shizzle foisted on us by Europe. There's no evidence they have a positive impact on the accident rate in our climate, get they add weight and complication, and require fuel to be burned to power them. Nice work Herr Juncker.

 

[Jody]

I agree on the evils of DRL (should never have been allowed IMO - I wonder whether they'll ever study the effects including all the negatives like those increased failures to illuminate in the dark and fog) and car touchscreens (how the fark are you going to operate that without looking, like you can a real dial or switch?)

DRL's are a good addition to cars. Volvo have shown this over the years.