Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2014 15:57:35 -0500
Reply-To: mcneely4@COX.NET
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: New cars..RE: Friday NVC: European Union switch to diesel not
working so well
In-Reply-To: <Gk1o1o01v08X5Fr01k1qkV>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Yes, cars are overly complicated. I recently had an example of that with my Prius. The display went out, the one that illustrates ongoing data with the running of the vehicle, and which provides an interface for controlling AC, heat, audio and so on. It also provides data for troubleshooting and making adjustments that used to be done manually on such things as timing.
Without that interface, the car can be driven, but its absence is a pain.
A dealer quoted me $6k+ !!!!! . I found a used one with a one year guarantee and a claim to have only 50k miles. Since mine had gone 120k miles, I thought I would take a chance, did, and a year and 10k miles later it is still going. I paid $250. I also learned that the display unit is repairable, and in fact, a different dealer told me that they would send mine off for repair, the cost would be $300, and the guarantee would be 3 years. I saved my old unit, so I will have two repairable units if the one in the car now goes bad.
So, some of these complicated (and unnecessary complications) on modern cars are repairable, but some of them may be quite expensive and not worth it in the long run. My daughter bought a 2012 Prius, and it does not have this display unit. Controls are more "normal."
Yes, it will probably be illegal to operate a "driver" controlled car on the roads in a few years. All will be automatic. No driver.
mcneely
---- Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> What concerns me is how complicated new cars are. Backup cameras, in-dash computers, 67 air bags, doors that unlock when you get near them, ever more complex emission controls, etc. None of this stuff will be fixable at some point, so I doubt anyone will be driving a 2014 car in 2034 or 2044 like you can drive a 30 year old Vanagon today. By then they will all drive themselves anyway.
>
> The preferred dealership financing model is the three or four year lease, forever.
>
> Stuart
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dave Mcneely
> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 12:20 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: New cars..RE: Friday NVC: European Union switch to diesel not working so well
>
> The average age for cars registered in the U.S. is 9+ years. They go for 200k miles still running like new. Modern cars, despite all the negative publicity, are just BETTER than cars used to be. When I was young, we expected a car to do pretty well for 50k miles, then to limp through to 100k. Starting around 1990 I began to notice that people were driving late model cars well past that, and not having to repair things.
>
> Now, if something DOES go wrong, getting it fixed can be frustrating and expensive. But things just don't go wrong like they used to. Heck, spark plugs last 125k miles, and oil lasts 8k miles. Tires on sedans run for 80k miles typically.
>
> But, we keep complaining.
>
> mcneely
>
> ---- Project Pat <psdooley@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
> > I don't think calling newer cars "POS" is very fair. And I don't see
> > them being replaced every few years as a necessary exercise.
> > I have seen plenty of examples of 2005 and newer vehicles in the
> > 150-200k mile range still going strong, still getting good gas mileage
> > and still not fouling the air.
> > Yeah, I use to be all for keeping the old iron on road, but do you
> > really want to ride on a highway full of them?
> >
> > I paid 16k out the door for my wife's Corolla. 5 years and 90k miles
> > later, all I have done is oil changes and front brake pads. Car
> > drives like new and feels like it could easily do another 100k.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> > Behalf Of Don Hanson
> > Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 1:58 PM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: Re: Friday NVC: European Union switch to diesel not working
> > so well
> >
> > Just so they don't start going after old cars . . .
> >
> >
> >
> > Remember "Cash for Clunkers?"
> >
> > that took a lot of great old vehicles out of service and got them
> > replaced with the "new, disposable vehicles" The car companies would
> > love to see us all having to drive (and replace every few years with
> > another $20k POS they could sell us with a finance contract and
> > extended warrantee for about $50k) only new vehicles...It is not
> > unlikely that they'll figure out a way to get their Congress to pass a law in that direction and call
> > it...."good for you"..."Clean air" Job creators...
>
> --
> David McNeely
--
David McNeely
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