Readers respond to the recent Motormouth column, "Pro and cons abound in automotive technology."
I have to disagree with your response to C.P. from Elmhurst, Ill. All he was stating is not everyone wants or needs some of the features that are now on new vehicles. I appreciate the technology that now offers antilock brakes, collision avoidance, etc. In fact my last new car was ordered with manual transmission and no air conditioning, and the option package offered no choice of radio or interior trim. That was fine with me.
K.S., Mokena, Ill.
Our club of car enthusiasts unanimously (15) found your answer to C.P. from Elmhurst to be impolite, condescending and indicating a rather large lack of information about this. Polls taken over the past year at various national club meetings indicate that most people over 55 find the new auto tech to be unnecessary. I have several friends who sell new cars, and a few who actually have dealerships. Guess what is the most common complaint most of the car-buying public age 45 or older? When you need classes or a CD to learn how to run you car after paying $45,000-plus, it seems a bit over the top.
R. (no last name), Naperville, Ill.
You did not answer part of C.P.'s question. Specifically, you did not answer "are any car manufacturers building any vehicles without all this high-tech stuff?" It is a fair question that deserves some attention, especially from the manufacturers. I have a 2012 Buick LaCrosse with a ton of stuff on the dashboard. I do not think I have ever used one-tenth of it.
R.G., Chicago
I read your sarcastic answer. Boomer had some good points. Driving is a function to get from one place to another — it is not meant to be entertainment. Your snarky answer asking if he wanted to go back to no seat belts and air bags concerned safety improvements — while he was complaining about bells and whistles. Don't dismiss all his points, as they are shared by many other drivers.
A.M., Chicago
A tip for my fellow disgruntled boomer: You want a dirt-simple driver, Bubeleh? Do what I did. Scour the internet for a pre-2002 Honda product. I bought my 2001 CRV in 2015 with 31,000 miles on the clock. It belonged to a retiring professor. (I still have the maintenance log with notations in her charming 1940s Catholic schoolgirl cursive script.) I'm at 56,000 miles now. Today I motor along in total low-tech bliss.
J.M., Chicago
I have to agree with the irate baby boomer who wrote in asking for a basic car without all the bells and whistles. I think there would be a huge market for this and will congratulate the automaker that addresses the need for a basic vehicle. All of this unnecessary electronic mumbo-jumbo just adds cost and distraction. How about something for auto-disabling text on phones or impaired-driver detection? Best wishes for a happy new year!
N.S., Wethersfield, Conn.
Many thanks to our readers who took the time to write — both those who took us to task and those who did not. We took the liberty of editing your responses for space. Yeah, maybe we were a bit snarky. Even Mrs. Motormouth said so, and she is married to this boomer. You can still find vehicles without all of the electronic wizardry. Just shop the lower-end models. You will get what you need, without much of the stuff you don't want. Don't let the salesperson sell you up to the most expensive car on the floor. They will try. He or she will not make as good a commission on an entry-level vehicle. According to NHTSA statistics, the semi-autonomous safety features are responsible for fewer traffic deaths, and we would never advocate removing them. Yet, we agree that the most important components are still the drivers and that they can and should avoid the infotainment distractions. Focus on the serious, responsible task of driving.
Bob Weber is a writer and mechanic who became an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician in 1976. He maintains this status by seeking certification every five years. Weber's work appears in professional trade magazines and other consumer publications. His writing also appears in automotive trade publications, Consumer Guide and Consumers Digest. Send automotive questions along with name and town to motormouth.tribverizon.net.
