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Old Dec 11th, 2019, 17:05   #11
john.wigley
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While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with having 'toys' in a car 'Harvey1512'. I think the trick is, as 'DaveNP' suggests, to achieve an acceptable balance. The example he points to of cameras replacing mirrors is pertinent. Not only are they less efficient in David's view, but I would imagine that a camera and screen will be more expensive to provision than a mirror - who will pay for that? Just because we have the technology and can do it doesn't always mean that we have to.

I would not want to return to the cars of my youth, which were basic in the extreme. My Ford Popular was supplied with one vacuum powered windscreen wiper. It had no indicators, heater, windscreen washers, radio, safety belts; none of the safety and convenience equipment that we take for granted today.

My V70 has a decent heater and a good radio. If pushed, I would say that was sufficient. I believe that too many 'toys' (Sat-Nav, phone, T.V. and the like) can prove a distraction. It is said that Issigonis made no provision for fitting a radio in the original Mini for this very reason, although cost probably had something to do with it, too.

Finally, as has been pointed out by others, there is the question of long-term reliability. 'Toys' may be fine for the first owner, often a company, of a motor-car, but when it is 10 years old and has been through several hands, they can be an expensive head-ache. Computers do not like heat and vibration. You would not drive around with a lap-top strapped to the top of your engine and expect it to work reliably after a couple of years, but that is effectively what we are doing with 'new' cars today. As you've probably realised by now, I'm firmly in the 'old' camp!

Regards, John.
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Old Dec 11th, 2019, 17:21   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by john.wigley View Post
While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with having 'toys' in a car 'Harvey1512'. I think the trick is, as 'DaveNP' suggests, to achieve an acceptable balance. The example he points to of cameras replacing mirrors is pertinent. Not only are they less efficient in David's view, but I would imagine that a camera and screen will be more expensive to provision than a mirror - who will pay for that? Just because we have the technology and can do it doesn't always mean that we have to.

I would not want to return to the cars of my youth, which were basic in the extreme. My Ford Popular was supplied with one vacuum powered windscreen wiper. It had no indicators, heater, windscreen washers, radio, safety belts; none of the safety and convenience equipment that we take for granted today.

My V70 has a decent heater and a good radio. If pushed, I would say that was sufficient. I believe that too many 'toys' (Sat-Nav, phone, T.V. and the like) can prove a distraction. It is said that Issigonis made no provision for fitting a radio in the original Mini for this very reason, although cost probably had something to do with it, too.

Finally, as has been pointed out by others, there is the question of long-term reliability. 'Toys' may be fine for the first owner, often a company, of a motor-car, but when it is 10 years old and has been through several hands, they can be an expensive head-ache. Computers do not like heat and vibration. You would not drive around with a lap-top strapped to the top of your engine and expect it to work reliably after a couple of years, but that is effectively what we are doing with 'new' cars today. As you've probably realised by now, I'm firmly in the 'old' camp!

Regards, John.
Regarding screens replacing mirrors someone has forgotten all about the major advantage of a mirror in that of focus and perspective .. You have to refocus your eyes to read a screen whilst with a mirror your eyes are already set for far distance focus ..and also you cannot move your head to get a bigger field of view ..
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Old Dec 11th, 2019, 18:04   #13
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Thought I’d better weigh in. Since I asked the question only fair I give my opinion.

While all the pointless toys you get on the new cars, for instance gesture control in the BM’w and the countless lane keeping systems that actually fight you for control, I’m a big believer in function over form.

I like being able to change my radio station or temperature without taking my eyes off the road and referring to my owners manual and not constantly being told to take it to a dealer. I have heated seats, cruise control, dual zone climate control and a really good sound system (which thanks to a good quality FM transmitter I can have handsfree and Spotify) what more do you need?

One thing I would like would be a heated windscreen, had a jag X type and it was brilliant.

Thing is a lot of the toys in cars these days make for poor drivers as we rely on them too much. I’m guilty of it, took me a week to be able to properly park this thing without sensors. Haha!
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Old Dec 11th, 2019, 22:27   #14
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John W, I do like a toy but the full screen of a Tesla in particular worries me as it has so much potential to be distracting. Others are following and whilst it all looks very sexy I think some of it should be reigned in a little.

Keep some buttons and dials, don't have everything on a touch screen.

A toy I forgot to add that I love, parking sensors. Absolutely invaluable. I can park without them but boy do they help.

Mota, I agree regarding a heated windscreen. Always on my wish list but to date always bundled up with a host of other expensive extras that I don't want, nor can justify.
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Old Dec 12th, 2019, 11:47   #15
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Watching the boob-toob last night, I think I saw the most ridiculous function so far.

The new BMW (series 1?)... you unlock the driver's door with your smartphone?
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Old Dec 12th, 2019, 12:47   #16
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John W, I too grew up with a side-valve Ford so over the years got to know its foibles. Plywood floor panels over an inch thick that delaminated but only showed when I took a corner a bit fast and the missus in her seat lifted and slewed over.... 6v electrics which needed daily use of the starting handle in winter - but it always started. Did away with the vacuum wipers - put in an electric motor: fitted flashing indicators after a blind idiot failed to see the semaphores; made my own towbar for it to take my home-made trailer camping all over the country with the toddlers - great times.
Nearly forty years on, times have changed, but like others have said I'd never have a modern car. Far too bland-looking and riddled with those stupid gizmo's: would you leave your computer out in all weathers - of course not. I have driven cars and vans in most continents after years of touring on a big motorbike, so know how to use my eyes and senses to drive safely. Today my cars are all 1/2-series Volvo's, simply because they were the last sensible Volvo's. I don't need parking aids and have never got it wrong: I don't need a radio - it has never worked after two decades of running one of those cars. I don't want a car as cozy as my sofa, don't want to do 80+mph, don't need satnav (on the rare occasions I venture to the unknown, I read the map first), and don't need mobile phone plug-in devices.
I just want sturdy comfort and safety that keeps the weather out. My '70s and '80s Volvo's can all do that - simple really.

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Old Dec 12th, 2019, 13:54   #17
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Did you have to hold your's in second, too, 'Triple-S'?! J.
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Old Dec 12th, 2019, 17:23   #18
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Originally Posted by christheancient View Post
Watching the boob-toob last night, I think I saw the most ridiculous function so far.

The new BMW (series 1?)... you unlock the driver's door with your smartphone?
We have a lot of the new BM’s on fleet and that is by far the least pointless thing, new X5’s and 3 series come with a mood setting that plays stock music and sets the temperature to either wake you up in the morning or chill you out on your drive home.

The current 7 series comes with a fob the size of a Nokia 3310 from which you can wake it up and set the the temperature, oh you can also drive it in and out of a parking space to save you squeezing in or out of it. (Which I think might be slightly illegal? I’ll leave that for those in the know to answer.) Also come with a tablet so the rear passenger can adjust all the settings he wants, which I kind of get with it being a car to be driven in not drive.
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Old Dec 12th, 2019, 18:43   #19
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Teslas can also be summoned from their parking spot by using your mobile phone.Most pointless electrical gizmo? On the Tesla 3[could also be available on other models]there is an "emissions control" where you can programme any of the seats to make a sound like a whoopee cushion when sat on!! Who thought that was a much needed accessory?
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Old Dec 12th, 2019, 18:52   #20
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In our household it's an 11-year-old Mini Cooper, a 21-year-old S70 and my 22-year-old S90.

In recent weeks we've had as service loan cars a brand new Fiesta and a brand new Mini Countryman.

Each of us in turn could not wait to get our old cars back again.

When I first drove the Fiesta it took me ages to adjust to the plethora of pointless gadgets, and to be honest all the gizmos were so distracting as to be positively dangerous.

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