Be careful how you option that new car

[Enchanter]

I like it up to a point. I don't like "touchscreen everything", gesture control, or feel like I need all the voice commands.

I hate most touch screens because they require the driver to take their eyes off the road to make any adjustments. I want a physical button for the common controls like volume, change channel / track, turn off the infotainment, etc.

Example: I have to take my eyes off the road and look at the instruments on my s1000rr to confidently change riding 'modes' even when using the physical button. I need to know what setting it is currently in, to then know how many times to press it to switch settings. Adjusting driving modes on my Cadillac is as simple as 1 press always moves it to economy, 2 presses is performance, 3 is hold, 4 is mountain. No need to take my eyes off the road.

Garage door openers you can sync to just about any remote - your apartment complex, your parents' house, whatever.

I've had many cars over the last 25 years that had integrated garage door openers. I never programmed them because they work / are powered when the vehicles were off. I don't need someone gaining access to the car and then being able to get into the garage and house.

A few years ago someone stole a car from SFO, used the registration to determine the residence, and used the garage door opener to gain access inside the residence.

This is exactly why I don't have a garage door opener inside my cars, and there is no information inside the car to link it to my physical address. The registration is to my PO Box, the insurance card is on my phone, and 'home' on my GPS is an intersection a few blocks away.

Also the direct phone number to the 911 dispatches in the areas I frequent are programmed into my phone and when possible the cars.

 

[TheRobSJ]

But the things I DO like :

Auto start / stop / cylinder deactivation / mild hybrid systems for fuel efficiency.

You may be the only person I’ve ever heard of that likes that.

If the vehicle is an actual hybrid with a pancake motor/generator between the engine and transmission, that fine I suppose. But if the auto start-stop is accomplished with an old fashioned starter motor (like a lot of new cars use today? Ugh. There’s that one second delay from when you take your foot off the brake for the engine to start and give you propulsion. And sometimes you get a fail to restart and the car sits dead at the light with people honking till you key off and restart. Have had countless people ask if I can permanently disable it on their vehicles instead of having to hit a button every time they use it.

 

[Enchanter]

You may be the only person I’ve ever heard of that likes that.

If the vehicle is an actual hybrid with a pancake motor/generator between the engine and transmission, that fine I suppose. But if the auto start-stop is accomplished with an old fashioned starter motor (like a lot of new cars use today? Ugh. There’s that one second delay from when you take your foot off the brake for the engine to start and give you propulsion. And sometimes you get a fail to restart and the car sits dead at the light with people honking till you key off and restart. Have had countless people ask if I can permanently disable it on their vehicles instead of having to hit a button every time they use it.

I had a CT-5 loaner that had a physical switch to shut it off. It was non-latching and had to be selected each time the car was started, but it was an acceptable compromise (for a loaner).

I never got used to the brake hold though. Stop the car, and you can take your foot off the brake and the car keeps the brakes applied until the throttle moved.

 

[Killroy1999]

I have a manual transmission hybrid with 3-cylinders. :nerd

Autostart is blissfully smooth.

 

[Abacinator]

Yeah, while I love all the tech on my wife's car the analog Miata is miles more fun to drive.

The thing I don't understand is that some owners change out the stock steering wheel in the early models like mine for one that looks cool but lacks an airbag.

That seems, um, pretty dumb.

Airbags are heavy! :laughing

 

[Kurosaki]

Weight savings, yo.

 

[GAJ]

You may be the only person I’ve ever heard of that likes that.

If the vehicle is an actual hybrid with a pancake motor/generator between the engine and transmission, that fine I suppose. But if the auto start-stop is accomplished with an old fashioned starter motor (like a lot of new cars use today? Ugh. There’s that one second delay from when you take your foot off the brake for the engine to start and give you propulsion. And sometimes you get a fail to restart and the car sits dead at the light with people honking till you key off and restart. Have had countless people ask if I can permanently disable it on their vehicles instead of having to hit a button every time they use it.

I hate hate hate that.

Thankfully my wife's car does not have it though the non turbo does.

 

[GAJ]

Airbags are heavy! :laughing

:laughing

First thing I did with the car when I bought it in 1994 was takeout the space saver spare tire for weight loss.

Almost doubled the trunk storage area! :laughing

 

[TheRobSJ]

I had a CT-5 loaner that had a physical switch to shut it off. It was non-latching and had to be selected each time the car was started, but it was an acceptable compromise (for a loaner).

I never got used to the brake hold though. Stop the car, and you can take your foot off the brake and the car keeps the brakes applied until the throttle moved.

There’s probably some kind of law saying that the manufacturers have to make it default on in order for them to get the EPA city rating they get for the cars.

Speaking of default on. The brake hold feature is defaulted off on my Acura and many other manufacturers. Not sure why some just have it on all the time. But a way around it, and sometimes the auto stop-start is to just barely have brake pressure, just enough to keep it stopped. Push down harder and the brake hold will engage.

 

[wazzuFreddo]

'home' on my GPS is an intersection a few blocks away.

HOME on my car's GPS is still set to the previous owner's house. I never bothered changing it since I am confident that I know where I live. :laughing

 

[davidji]

I hate most touch screens because they require the driver to take their eyes off the road to make any adjustments. I want a physical button for the common controls like volume, change channel / track, turn off the infotainment, etc.

Absolutely. I think touch screens on cars endanger riders, as drivers have to look at the context sensitive screen, rather than reach for a knob or button whose position they've more or less memorized.

 

[Blankpage]

I've had many cars over the last 25 years that had integrated garage door openers. I never programmed them because they work / are powered when the vehicles were off. I don't need someone gaining access to the car and then being able to get into the garage and house.

A few years ago someone stole a car from SFO, used the registration to determine the residence, and used the garage door opener to gain access inside the residence.

This is exactly why I don't have a garage door opener inside my cars, and there is no information inside the car to link it to my physical address. The registration is to my PO Box, the insurance card is on my phone, and 'home' on my GPS is an intersection a few blocks away.

Also the direct phone number to the 911 dispatches in the areas I frequent are programmed into my phone and when possible the cars.

Potentially disastrous outcome. Didn’t consider that, worth noting.

 

[mrzuzzo]

Absolutely. I think touch screens on cars endanger riders, as drivers have to look at the context sensitive screen, rather than reach for a knob or button whose position they've more or less memorized.

Yeah, maybe this was true a decade ago when people listened to mp3s, CDs, and FM radio.

I have no idea how you'd switch between playlists or a podcast library using a knob that you memorized. Need the screen for that and unfortunately, those that drive the antique/junkyard cars from 20 years ago have to stare at their phones in order to manipulate their music. I ended up installing an Android Auto double din unit in my truck for this. Much easier to see than the phone.

 

[TheRobSJ]

HOME on my car's GPS is still set to the previous owner's house. I never bothered changing it since I am confident that I know where I live. :laughing

Of course we all know where we live. But let’s say you went on a trip somewhere and it had you take a whole bunch of turns through a neighborhood. And now you want to leave but it’s night and/or you can’t remember how to backtrack. I can simply say or push the “go home” function and it routes me out of there.

Tim does bring up a great point though. If someone steals your car with your garage door opener (or programmed homelink) in it and there’s some kind of way to dox you in the car? Yeah now you lost your car and given the thief a key to your house. Whenever I get a preowned vehicle inspection at the dealer, I delete all that information out of the navigation, delete all paired phones, and wipe the homelink. Because 99% of the cars that get traded in seem to still have all that information intact.

 

[GAJ]

Of course we all know where we live. But let’s say you went on a trip somewhere and it had you take a whole bunch of turns through a neighborhood. And now you want to leave but it’s night and/or you can’t remember how to backtrack. I can simply say or push the “go home” function and it routes me out of there.

Tim does bring up a great point though. If someone steals your car with your garage door opener (or programmed homelink) in it and there’s some kind of way to dox you in the car? Yeah now you lost your car and given the thief a key to your house. Whenever I get a preowned vehicle inspection at the dealer, I delete all that information out of the navigation, delete all paired phones, and wipe the homelink. Because 99% of the cars that get traded in seem to still have all that information intact.

If the car gets stolen the first thing I'm doing, as my wife programmed in the code, is unplugging the garage door opener and getting the code changed.

 

[wazzuFreddo]

Of course we all know where we live. But let’s say you went on a trip somewhere and it had you take a whole bunch of turns through a neighborhood. And now you want to leave but it’s night and/or you can’t remember how to backtrack. I can simply say or push the “go home” function and it routes me out of there.

Tim does bring up a great point though. If someone steals your car with your garage door opener (or programmed homelink) in it and there’s some kind of way to dox you in the car? Yeah now you lost your car and given the thief a key to your house. Whenever I get a preowned vehicle inspection at the dealer, I delete all that information out of the navigation, delete all paired phones, and wipe the homelink. Because 99% of the cars that get traded in seem to still have all that information intact.

I should drive by the previous owner's house and see if I can open the garage. Absolutely nothing was deleted, including multiple route guidance entries from the previous owner's house in Pleasanton to Santana Row. :laughing

 

[Enchanter]

I have no idea how you'd switch between playlists or a podcast library using a knob that you memorized.

I had a G35 that went something like this:
Twist knob to select list of *something.
Press button in center of knob.
(repeat as necessary)

It still required a glance to read the selection, but I didn't have to stare at the screen and guide my outstretched arm and finger to one of the 5+ 'buttons' on the screen while the movement of the car also caused my arm to move.

I solved the problem in my full size van by ensuring the touchscreen stereo has a handheld remote control. It didn't take long to learn button location, and even in the learning process I could hold the remote up in my field of view (of the road).

 

[Enchanter]

Examples of the garage door opener being used to get more:

https://www.kron4.com/news/only-on-...to-steal-another-vehicle-from-fremont-family/

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/l...homes/63-ff9387cc-de81-4b66-94f2-164ef4286180

https://www.channel3000.com/car-pur...ss-to-home-via-garage-door-opener-police-say/

 

[NorCalAthlete]

You may be the only person I’ve ever heard of that likes that.

If the vehicle is an actual hybrid with a pancake motor/generator between the engine and transmission, that fine I suppose. But if the auto start-stop is accomplished with an old fashioned starter motor (like a lot of new cars use today? Ugh. There’s that one second delay from when you take your foot off the brake for the engine to start and give you propulsion. And sometimes you get a fail to restart and the car sits dead at the light with people honking till you key off and restart. Have had countless people ask if I can permanently disable it on their vehicles instead of having to hit a button every time they use it.

Implementation varies drastically by manufacturer. I've found one that is damn near seamless though and they've beefed it up to where the multiple start/stops aren't an issue for wear and tear (and is also where the hybrid system comes into play, assisting with that). In the fraction of a second where your foot comes off the brake it's already rolling as soon as you touch the gas with no delay. But even my Durango has the cylinder deactivation for better fuel economy while coasting - I've seen 28 mpg cruising at 60 mph, and that's with the V8 HEMI. Of course, bay area traffic being what it is, I rarely actually go that slow, but hey...:laughing

I hate most touch screens because they require the driver to take their eyes off the road to make any adjustments. I want a physical button for the common controls like volume, change channel / track, turn off the infotainment, etc.

Example: I have to take my eyes off the road and look at the instruments on my s1000rr to confidently change riding 'modes' even when using the physical button. I need to know what setting it is currently in, to then know how many times to press it to switch settings. Adjusting driving modes on my Cadillac is as simple as 1 press always moves it to economy, 2 presses is performance, 3 is hold, 4 is mountain. No need to take my eyes off the road.

Agreed, this is primarily my gripe with touchscreens aside from cleanliness - having to glance over to ensure I'm hovering over the correct button.

I've had many cars over the last 25 years that had integrated garage door openers. I never programmed them because they work / are powered when the vehicles were off. I don't need someone gaining access to the car and then being able to get into the garage and house.

A few years ago someone stole a car from SFO, used the registration to determine the residence, and used the garage door opener to gain access inside the residence.

This is exactly why I don't have a garage door opener inside my cars, and there is no information inside the car to link it to my physical address. The registration is to my PO Box, the insurance card is on my phone, and 'home' on my GPS is an intersection a few blocks away.

Also the direct phone number to the 911 dispatches in the areas I frequent are programmed into my phone and when possible the cars.

Obvious security risk is obvious.

Simple solutions:

1. Park in your garage instead of your driveway...
2. Don't leave your registration in your car, carry it in your wallet.
3. Have a lockbox inside the car - something like a Consolevault, not just a locked glove box - where you can keep stuff like that.

At the end of the day if someone wants access to your house, there are a dozen ways to get in including the garage door opener, so it's a fairly minor concern to me compared to the convenience factor. Calculated risk, if you will. And I too do the whole "go home" GPS trick to just a generalized gas station in my neighborhood or something where I really just need it to start the journey and get to a main road and then cancel it.

 

[NorCalAthlete]

I've always said I'd never buy anything newer than 2002 but I really like the late model F30 BMWs

The F36 GC is a slightly more practical (and better looking imo) version of the F30....here's a nice example (and carbon black is a beautiful color, it's got a tinge of blue in the right light).