There's not a single new car I would buy at this point

[Onomea]

Re adaptive cruise control, my 2022 Mazda has it. Usually I leave it off, but turn it on for long trips on highways.

It's also adjustable for how many car lengths you want to be from the car ahead. Seems unlikely to me that a mfr would put it in car if it couldn't be switched on and off.

I like it on long trips.

My screen is not a touch screen. It's controlled by a twist/tilt/push knob down conveniently located by the transmission shifter. I like this fine, but noticed many car reviewers do not, and believe I read that on newer models Mazda has gone to the touch screen along with everyone else.

Last spring I took a ride in my brother's beautifully restored 1970 Mustang. A lot of fun, but a much rougher ride than today's cars.

I like today's cars fine. Trouble free in my experience. (Lexus, Toyota, Mazda.)

 

[UncleEd]

These postings or rants if you will make me think how mentally old folks allow themselves to become. In another age not so long ago the advice would be "get a horse."

 

[ladder13]

Re adaptive cruise control, my 2022 Mazda has it. Usually I leave it off, but turn it on for long trips on highways.

It's also adjustable for how many car lengths you want to be from the car ahead. Seems unlikely to me that a mfr would put it in car if it couldn't be switched on and off.

I like it on long trips.

My screen is not a touch screen. It's controlled by a twist/tilt/push knob down conveniently located by the transmission shifter. I like this fine, but noticed many car reviewers do not, and believe I read that on newer models Mazda has gone to the touch screen along with everyone else.

Last spring I took a ride in my brother's beautifully restored 1970 Mustang. A lot of fun, but a much rougher ride than today's cars.

I like today's cars fine. Trouble free in my experience. (Lexus, Toyota, Mazda.)

Our Acura RDX’s have a touch pad in the same location.We don’t like them, too finicky, and would rather a touch screen. The MDX now has a touch screen but it’s a three row SUV which we don’t need.

 

[NYlakesider]

Well things for me have certainly changed. I was a buyer of over 60 new cars and trucks over my driving time. I enjoyed getting a new ride and most times I bought a loaded vechicle.

Now with all the nannies and other junk stuff on a vechicle I think for me less is more. I used to look forward to getting a new ride, but now I'm experiencing a sense of dread for when that time comes.

I started driving in the late 1950s and do not need or want a lot of what is now standard equipment. I have no clue what my driving future with what you are still allowed to get, but think it will bring a lot of trepidation.

 

[delcrossv]

Whoa! My heart fluttered a little. Is the 2500 a 7.4L? Pretty sure that 2dr Tahoe is a ‘99. Think that was the only year they replaced the 1500 emblem on the door molding with “TAHOE”. I like those one model year details. I’ve been the hunt for a 99 2rd with barn doors in the back. Hens teeth I tell you!

Yep. 7.4L. Pretty peppy for an 8000 lb. truck.
Tahoe is a 99. Liftgate, but it's nice having the rear wiper.

229k on the 'burban, 198k on the Tahoe, just tickin along.

Daughter had the Tahoe in ND for school and called it the "Snowcat". 4WD for the win.

 

[Ameshawki]

Iowa salt killed most of the K body Chevys years ago. I had a 99 Suburban, school bus special. 2wd, rubber floor maps. It was ok. For reasons I never understood it ate brake rotors and pads. And no, I don't ride the brakes or do hard stops. Cats and head gaskets went out the same time, sent it packing. Got it to 140,000 and it was done.

 

[SLT223]

Yep. 7.4L. Pretty peppy for an 8000 lb. truck.
Tahoe is a 99. Liftgate, but it's nice having the rear wiper.

229k on the 'burban, 198k on the Tahoe, just tickin along.

Daughter had the Tahoe in ND for school and called it the "Snowcat". 4WD for the win.

Nice! Yeah the old 2dr full size SUV's were the best snow vehicles I've driven. Around me they were generally regarded as the best PLOW vehicles because of the half ton running gear / suspension, and they are a bit shorter than a reg cab short box so a little more maneuverable in driveways.. Lots saw this fate by 2nd and 3rd owners. Needless to say, there aren't many left in these parts.

 

[dave1918a2]

I'll stick with My 2003 4Runner and My 2001 Vette. A Friend up here has a new Ford 150 with all the bells and whistles. Self drive, recorders and cameras. Records everything in the cab and a camera is always on the driver. Records all driving and sends everything to Ford. Ford can shut the vehicle down completely if it's stolen or driven wrong. No Thanks.

 

[oldbrownhat]

Not in the same vehicle category as most here, but as I was driving home today I saw the car I would buy again when I retire my Ford Ranger - a Suzuki JX 4-dr. Sidekick (also known as the Geo.) I bought a used one many years ago and it was great. 4WD (with manual hubs on the front) and a 2-range gearbox. Good gas mileage (4-cyl.) Never got stuck in snow and as I recall I never had any problems with it.

The few I see these days, like the one today, are jacked up and modded for off-road, also the smaller Samurai. Mine was stock.

 

[LVSteve]

Re adaptive cruise control, my 2022 Mazda has it. Usually I leave it off, but turn it on for long trips on highways.

It's also adjustable for how many car lengths you want to be from the car ahead. Seems unlikely to me that a mfr would put it in car if it couldn't be switched on and off.

I like it on long trips.

My screen is not a touch screen. It's controlled by a twist/tilt/push knob down conveniently located by the transmission shifter. I like this fine, but noticed many car reviewers do not, and believe I read that on newer models Mazda has gone to the touch screen along with everyone else.

Last spring I took a ride in my brother's beautifully restored 1970 Mustang. A lot of fun, but a much rougher ride than today's cars.

I like today's cars fine. Trouble free in my experience. (Lexus, Toyota, Mazda.)

Re adaptive cruise control, I want a setting for using cruise without the adaptive function. Cadillac SRX my wife had did not have such a setting. BMWs generally do.

That knob was the iDrive original from BMW. They work great. Mercedes copied it for the system in my Mercedes ML.

 

[Tom S.]

What does one of those cost, including labor/installation costs?
And will it scramble the electronics on the new cars when connected?

Sorry, I didn't see your reply until now. I had one on my 2006 one-ton Silverado. That was our tow vehicle, and I didn't want to get stranded with our 5th wheel someplace because someone wanted our truck more than we did. At that time, it cost me $400 installed and took the guy about two hours to install it. He came right to the house to do the install. The way it works is it has a harness with multiple wires - a dozen or so - at least two of the wires connect to the ignition system. You have a "plug" that when plugged into the unit, completes the circuit and allows the vehicle to start and run. Without the plug, the vehicle can't be started. So, there should be no interference with any of the vehicle's electronic devices.

 

[Tom S.]

I'm with Quikdraw. My wife's daily driver is now 19 years old and we are interested in a 3-row Chevy Traverse but they did away with the V6 in 2024 and only sell it with a new and unproven 2.5L 4-cylinder turbo. This is a 5000-pound SUV with a 5000-pound towing capacity and the early reports on the engine are not very positive (noisy, feels underpowered, etc.). In any event, I feel like it's going to be about 5-7 years until we have a sense of the reliability and durability of the 4-cylinder turbo. Obviously, we keep our cars 20+ years and I have very little faith in this turbo-4 lasting for that long and giving good service over a range of duties.

The turbo 4 has been out since 2019, so it's not new per say. GM designed the engine to be turbo powered rather than taking an existing non-turbo engine and adding a turbo unit. This means the engine was designed with heavier components to withstand the extra power provided by the turbo charger and so far, the engine has performed well within expectations as reported on forums by owners. The ones I and friends have driven have been very surprising and satisfactory. I would have reservations about buying one to tow a trailer with though, but in all fairness, the Duramax trucks I owned spoiled me when it came to towing - they are simply beasts, and the new Cummings engine Ram is going to start putting in their trucks, rated at 1000 ft pounds of torque, sounds incredible.

 

[FortyFiveACP]

The turbo 4 has been out since 2019, so it's not new per say.

The Traverse turbo-4 I was referring to is the GM LK0 2.5L engine and that is indeed a new engine for the 2024 model year. If you are referring to the 2.7L turbo-4 GM sells in the Silverado/Sierra trucks, that is the L3B engine and yes has been out since the 2019 model year.

 

[SLT223]

These postings or rants if you will make me think how mentally old folks allow themselves to become. In another age not so long ago the advice would be "get a horse."

I was watching and waiting for exactly this to come up because it occurred to me before posting. I’m 44. I worked in shops as a kid and recall my seniors making similar comments to me that I now make today, but about computer controlled fuel injection vs analog / carburetors. The reason I posted is because I think things are little different now. Now we face car manufacturers recording our driving data and selling it to insurance companies. We fight for right to repair, which is being fought in, I think, 34 states because of “product pairing” (not just car manufactures these days), and software licensing. We don’t seem to actually own what we historically “bought”. I put that in quotations because the concept of ownership is changing in a manner I don’t appreciate. I don’t want to “need” all these support people in my life. My life is busy enough without them, and don’t value the solution they bring to the problem they’ve created. While highly subjective, that’s how I feel.

There was a time when computer technology and software was a convenience vs previous product execution. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like that time has passed because the people running the balance sheets figured out how to use it as a money grab, primarily software licensing. I feel like it’s being used against me as a consumer. I just prefer to rely on myself. I’m passionate about guns and cars. The latter, as I’ve historically enjoyed them, seem to be under attack like the prior, but in a more insidious manner. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m just nostalgic and getting older, but the whole thing feels wrong to me. And yes, I agree, this a rant.

 

[soFlaNative]

recording our driving data and selling it to insurance companies... “product pairing” (not just car manufactures these days), and software licensing. We don’t seem to actually own what we historically “bought”.

There was a time when computer technology and software was a convenience vs previous product execution. Maybe I’m just nostalgic and getting older, but the whole thing feels wrong to me. And yes, I agree, this a rant.

Thanks to SLT for articulating the uneasy / p.o'd feeling I've been carrying for years that in many cases I'm viewed as but a tool in a marketing campaign. No discount without the app, rewards cards, immediate requests for reviews from everything from an Amazon purchase to a doctor visit to buying a pry bar at Harbor Freight. I don't have a problem with people making a living but I don't care to interact once the transaction is finished. I can find plenty else to occupy my time.

 

[gym cat]

Along with INNOVATION comes FRUSTRATION.

 

[ladder13]

Ford is coming out with a new model, a hand cranked starter.

 

[The Big D]

My sister is looking for a new car…

…and doesn’t want one with a push to start button.

She’s a Luddite. Reckon some of you in this thread are, too.

Be safe.

 

[oldbrownhat]

... The reason I posted is because I think things are little different now. Now we face car manufacturers recording our driving data and selling it to insurance companies. We fight for right to repair, which is being fought in, I think, 34 states because of “product pairing” (not just car manufactures these days), and software licensing. We don’t seem to actually own what we historically “bought”. I put that in quotations because the concept of ownership is changing in a manner I don’t appreciate. I don’t want to “need” all these support people in my life. My life is busy enough without them, and don’t value the solution they bring to the problem they’ve created... Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like that time has passed because the people running the balance sheets figured out how to use it as a money grab, primarily software licensing. I feel like it’s being used against me as a consumer...

This is a sore point with me, too. I've previously posted links to articles discussing intrusions on our privacy. This is one, from AP a year ago September:

Carmakers are failing the privacy test. Owners have little or no control over data collected

...Unless they opt for a used, pre-digital model, car buyers “just don’t have a lot of options...”

Cars scored worst for privacy among more than a dozen product categories — including fitness trackers, reproductive-health apps, smart speakers and other connected home appliances — that Mozilla has studied since 2017.
​

I can't find another article that comes to mind now, but as I recall in WA state a year or so ago woman found that her "infotainment system" was logging what she was playing through AirPlay from her phone and when she took the case to court the judge decided that under current regulations this was not an invasion of privacy.

 

[delcrossv]

Iowa salt killed most of the K body Chevys years ago. I had a 99 Suburban, school bus special. 2wd, rubber floor maps. It was ok. For reasons I never understood it ate brake rotors and pads. And no, I don't ride the brakes or do hard stops. Cats and head gaskets went out the same time, sent it packing. Got it to 140,000 and it was done.

Ziebart is your friend. Only way to keep cars rust free in the northern Midwest. I'm a believer.

Burban needed manifold gasket, machined the heads flat and used Fel-Pro. No issues since.

The burban used to eat pads- just weighs too much. NAPA "Fleet" pads are the solve ( and not trying to panic stop )