And therein lies the problem - garbage in, garbage out. A sensor, etc. goes wrong, it will show it. If a module quits on you, all bets are off. The most you will get is a generic communication error if you are lucky.
All reasons not to call it a "car".
Agree, software instead of hardware is definitely the future/present āunder the hoodā(?), but it annoys me when Tesla pushes an update that 1) feels like itās still in beta test, or 2) moves/changes some function that I have to go re-find or relearn how it works (iOS updates, anyone?). Iām sure these are all covered in the TOS, which I am expected to read after every push.
When I'd speak to the old graybeards at the FAA about the foreign aviation bureaus, one thing that they often pointed out was that the U.S. aviation system of regulations was built on experiences, good experiences, and a lot of bad. They also pointed out that many of these countries are learning the same hard lessons the U.S. learned decades ago.Agree, software instead of hardware is definitely the future/present āunder the hoodā(?), but it annoys me when Tesla pushes an update that 1) feels like itās still in beta test, or 2) moves/changes some function that I have to go re-find or relearn how it works (iOS updates, anyone?). Iām sure these are all covered in the TOS, which I am expected to read after every push.
I feel like Tesla also forgot some important safety & ergonomic lessons by placing all vital info (speed, navigation, etc.) in the centrally-located touchscreen, with nary a single indicator in front of the driver. I have to look (i.e. turn my head) down and to the right for this and every adjustment to comfort/convenience buried in menu verticals. No wonder they want to make these things fully self-drivingā¦ weāre staring screens, searching for the fart noise (I wish I was kidding), at speed. (Progress?)
Fortunately, the Y is the wifeās DD, and my Jeep has more things resembling 1970s aviation HUD and HOTAS tech. At the risk of being called a luddite, I still like having buttons recorded in muscle memory to push when Iām zooming along at 70 MPH.
[Back on thread: My guess is the OP is more concerned with vehicle longevity than an austere driving experience.]
You are not alone. On a non automotive social media site, my wife came across a thread where a huge amount of people were saying the exact same thing. The consensus was they wanted a simple car that was all buttons and no computer screens anywhere. Hondas and Toyotas from the 90ās/2000ās were brought up as an example many times.
My take on the subject is that as dashboard tablets continue to get larger, and with gear shift levers now occupying the center console, there's increasingly less real estate available for analog-style controls. Thus the ever-increasing migration of HVAC controls to those accursed screens. Consider, for example, how awkward it can occasionally be for the Rube owners to reach down and around the transfer case lever, and/or the transmission gear lever, in order to press the locking axle button, and/or any of the four auxiliary switches.
So, they want this, but in car formā¦
. The Soul is right in the sweet spot of comfort and control buttons, lane-keeping & auto-braking features, but most of the infotainment is via Apple/Android connectivity. The Kona on the other hand is the latest refresh and theyāve gone hard on screens and menus. I expect the Soul to hold up better long term; fewer gremlins.
100%, the USās enviable civil aviation safety record is founded on a lifetimeās worth of reading in NTSB investigations & findings on design, manufacturing, maintenance, and operations. Western Europe is not far behind, but some differences have cropped up over the years, e.g. Air Inter 148. For that reason, I prefer US flag carriers and US (or Airbus) equipment when possible.
And the average age of vehicles on road is at an all time high, because vehicles are lasting longer and longer and longer. Vehicles from the 80s or whatever were total junk that didn't last. Modern vehicles have unimaginable levels of reliability and safety compared to the past.
Makes me glad that Iāve already put more miles (and trail rash) on my year-old Jeep than the many of the 20 year-old models at Gilbertās.
Mm. There's a lot of pride on Gilbert's website.
Every brand has those same practices, even the āpremiumā brands. Donāt for a minute think that the quality of service hasnāt suffered for all brands either. Good techs are now far and few between, just like good tradesman. Society treats them as lower class because they arenāt āeducatedā even though they make more money than those āeducatedā clowns.
Yes, it is hard to get techs - and we only have ourselves to blame, with the college obsession.
Very similar to our Honda dealership, from whom we've purchased 3 vehicles. The Service Writer will usually greet me just as I put it in Park, so that he/she can record the odometer reading and take ~4 exterior photos to document the aesthetic condition of the bodywork at drop-off.
This is how you correctly play the long game: Service, not Sales. From experience, it's possible to spend more time having to talk to Svc Dept staff, regarding a single visit, than it is with a salesman during the sum of the purchase process. That's instructive.