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JD power reports that "people prefer interacting with the apps on their phone than whatever cockamamie b******* was cooked up by the company that made their car." We already knew that but it is nice to see it acknowledged where the car manufacturers might notice.
www.theverge.com/23801545/car-infotainment-custome...r
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Wasnt any cockamamie b******* cooked up by the company that made my car, but then that was nearly 40 years ago, when b******* wasn't so widely available. or so much in demand.
But as noted, if I want some cockamamie b*******, I can use my loathed iPhone to provide it,
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There's a lot of us out there actively wishing to avoid as much pointless faff as possible and voting our avoidance of it with our wallets.
All this supposed info yet they couldn't manage to provide anything for Diesel owners to have info about the state of their DPF, when a regen is taking place or to be able to trigger a manual regen when the right sort of journey is undertaken.
Having been looking around at estate cars, i'd ruled out Avensis (sadly) and Mazda 6 because electric park brakes, then realised to my delight that the 2014 Accord estate i found myself browsing had a manual park brake lever in pride of place and a serious lack of a touch screen to boot, hadn't really considered one before for some reason but now if we go for a used estate its very much short listed.
Edited by gordonbennet on 23/07/2023 at 08:21
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Here you go GB, this Japanese import Volvo V70 is mint underneath. No touchscreen and no EPB!
volvo-v70
As for the issue of infotainment, because pretty much everyone has smartphones it isn't really necessary for the car to have all the same stuff too. Citroen's recent Oli concept car was notable for having a docking port through which owners would use their own smartphones as the infotainment system, reducing the amount of onboard computers (and therefore need for semi-conductors).
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As for the issue of infotainment, because pretty much everyone has smartphones it isn't really necessary for the car to have all the same stuff too.
I am still happy to get through life without either infotainment or a smartphone (I do have a basic mobile for emergency calls). I suspect radios, and later cassette and CD players, were originally introduced to attract those who had to do a lot of driving which they found boring. I don't drive enough for that to happen, so I am happy, and perhaps more aware ?
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Here you go GB, this Japanese import Volvo V70 is mint underneath. No touchscreen and no EPB!
volvo-v70
Superb car that and a wonderful deep colour in a sea of bland boring greys, but i'm still kicking myself for not grabbing one of those E500 Merc W124's that came in from Japan about 5 years ago with around 60k miles @ £13k. could probably have retired on the proceeds now.
Once LPG disappears in my area will bring our decision time to a head.
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There's a lot of us out there actively wishing to avoid as much pointless faff as possible and voting our avoidance of it with our wallets.
All this supposed info yet they couldn't manage to provide anything for Diesel owners to have info about the state of their DPF, when a regen is taking place or to be able to trigger a manual regen when the right sort of journey is undertaken.
Having been looking around at estate cars, i'd ruled out Avensis (sadly) and Mazda 6 because electric park brakes, then realised to my delight that the 2014 Accord estate i found myself browsing had a manual park brake lever in pride of place and a serious lack of a touch screen to boot, hadn't really considered one before for some reason but now if we go for a used estate its very much short listed.
I agree with those sentiments - any engineer worth their salt would've designed in such DPF systems, so either they aren't any good, or more probable, they were time and again overridden by the bean counters and marketing people who wanted to sell common rail turbo diesel cars to people mainly doing short trips from cold / urban work, which patently isn't suited to that sort of engine bar commercial vehicles.
Such systems would probably cost a few £000 at best and would likely have saved these firms a fortune in litigation costs and reputational damage.
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Having been looking around at estate cars, i'd ruled out Avensis (sadly) and Mazda 6 because electric park brakes, then realised to my delight that the 2014 Accord estate i found myself browsing had a manual park brake lever in pride of place and a serious lack of a touch screen to boot, hadn't really considered one before for some reason but now if we go for a used estate its very much short listed.
I have posted many times that I also avoided electric park brakes at all costs until I ended up with one - and found it is brilliant. On the other hand, I still regard replacing manual switches with touch screens as a plague to be avoided.??
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Having been looking around at estate cars, i'd ruled out Avensis (sadly) and Mazda 6 because electric park brakes, then realised to my delight that the 2014 Accord estate i found myself browsing had a manual park brake lever in pride of place and a serious lack of a touch screen to boot, hadn't really considered one before for some reason but now if we go for a used estate its very much short listed.
Iirc the Mazda6 didn't get an EPB until ~2015. On the other hand the rear seats don't fold properly flat (to me a fatal flaw in an estate). & of course many would warn you away from the diesel.
Also iirc the 2.2 Accord diesel (if that is the engine that you were looking at) could suffer from clutch problems.
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Part of the problem is that all too often, the implementation of the gadgetry such as the infotainment tocuhscreen system in vehicles is poor to say the least, and at best about as good as a 4yo tablet running the latest software on out-of-date OSes.
A good number of them appear to use software specifically designed for them rather than clubbing together with other makes to task software manufacturers to make more 'generic' systems properly based on newer tech that a) works and b) is fully compatible with the latest add-on apps and phone/tablet software, but without compromising the security of the vehicle physically or from a controls / sensor POV.
That they have the cheek to charge vastly more than you would to buy a relatively basic smartphone or tablet that is far superior in ability and still updates (its apps at leas) for free well after 3 years of ownership rather shows up the car manufacturers.
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The gadgets, gizmos, and gimmicks are fitted by manufacturers because people want to buy them. They often cost little to add to the specification, but can be priced to maximise car makers profit. Nothing unusual or wrong with any of that.
They frequently don't have a common standard as to differentiate one offering from another is the quality (or otherwise) of the 3Gs. I am anyway unsure whether it is the entire system that is unique, or more likely just the front end controls and display.
I am 90% satisfied with a car provided it reliably starts, steers, stops, and provides reasonable levels of comfort and performance. 3Gs make little difference to my buying decision - although it clearly does for some folk.
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The gadgets, gizmos, and gimmicks are fitted by manufacturers because people want to buy them. They often cost little to add to the specification, but can be priced to maximise car makers profit.
This is chicken and egg. People can't 'want to buy' something before it is offered to them by the makers ! So unless those people get together and beg for the gadgets and gizmos it must be the makers who make the first move ?
Presumably some gizmos have been offered and not much liked - or been ruled out by the bean counters. There was a fad for heated door mirrors at one time, but I don't know how widespread they are now ?
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The gadgets, gizmos, and gimmicks are fitted by manufacturers because people want to buy them. They often cost little to add to the specification, but can be priced to maximise car makers profit.
This is chicken and egg. People can't 'want to buy' something before it is offered to them by the makers ! So unless those people get together and beg for the gadgets and gizmos it must be the makers who make the first move ?
Presumably some gizmos have been offered and not much liked - or been ruled out by the bean counters. There was a fad for heated door mirrors at one time, but I don't know how widespread they are now ?
Most gadgets start life on the most expensive cars and work their way down if they prove popular. Not to mention market research.
I have heated door mirrors and see them as a useful feature not a fad.
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<< I have heated door mirrors and see them as a useful feature not a fad. >>
I wasn't suggesting they are a present-day fad. My 1983 Cavalier estate had them, but I don't recall many of my cars with them since then.
I agree they are good for shifting frost or condensation, but not actual drops of rain, which are a much commoner nuisance on my mirrors.
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The gadgets, gizmos, and gimmicks are fitted by manufacturers because people want to buy them. They often cost little to add to the specification, but can be priced to maximise car makers profit.
This is chicken and egg. People can't 'want to buy' something before it is offered to them by the makers ! So unless those people get together and beg for the gadgets and gizmos it must be the makers who make the first move ?
Presumably some gizmos have been offered and not much liked - or been ruled out by the bean counters.
Thats just the point Andrew, people are like Magpies, they just want the latest "shiny thing", doesn't matter whether or not they need it, will use it or know what it is for. If the manufacturer is offering it, they want it. And when it comes to touchscreens, bigger is always better!.
There was a fad for heated door mirrors at one time, but I don't know how widespread they are now ?
They are pretty widespread, justifiably so. They certainly shouldn't be lumped in along with what is being spoken about here as they are genuinely useful. Sure you can clean them or scrape ice off them before leaving, but conditions like fog can have the door mirrors fogging up quickly while you are driving. With heated door mirrors, you just switch them on and they clear. IMO they are at least as useful as a heated rear window (as a van driver and ex bus driver I can easily manage without a clear view through the rear window, but not the door mirrors).
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Apart from very budget models I think just about every car has heated door mirrors.
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Driving without door mirrors is impossible these days so heated mirrors are a real bonus. Not convinced about the need for the motorised mirrors which tuck in when parked but I suppose with the cost of replacing damaged ones worth having. I think some top of the range cars now have cameras and screens to replace mirrors or did I dream it?
It is a sad day when a car is in the dealers not because of mechanicals but the info tech is u/s let along the cost out of warranty.
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I think some top of the range cars now have cameras and screens to replace mirrors or did I dream it?
Not just top of the range, the Honda e has camera's rather than mirrors. Though IMO where they are mounted makes them look very vulnerable, and I have no doubt they'd cost an arm and a leg to replace. Some trucks have them too.
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I’ve driven a Genesis GV60 with them.
It takes a bit of getting used to - the driver’s side ‘monitor’ on the door tends to be obscured by my arm, so a change of driving position required (removing my elbow from where it usually rests on the door).
Perspective is also different in terms of judging how far other traffic is behind you - Genesis do superimpose an amber and red line on the road to help you better judge distances.
They’re a nice toy, but I’m not sure I’d pay for them as an option.
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<< That's just the point Andrew, people are like Magpies, they just want the latest "shiny thing", doesn't matter whether or not they need it, will use it or know what it is for. If the manufacturer is offering it, they want it. And when it comes to touchscreens, bigger is always better!. >>
I think there are quite a few who would be happy to do without several gizmos which come with the car they buy - but of course deleting them is not a cost-effective option ....
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The gadgets, gizmos, and gimmicks are fitted by manufacturers because people want to buy them. They often cost little to add to the specification, but can be priced to maximise car makers profit.
This is chicken and egg. People can't 'want to buy' something before it is offered to them by the makers ! So unless those people get together and beg for the gadgets and gizmos it must be the makers who make the first move ?
Presumably some gizmos have been offered and not much liked - or been ruled out by the bean counters. There was a fad for heated door mirrors at one time, but I don't know how widespread they are now ?
Such items may - when fitted be a relatively cheap to do for the car manufacturer - though given the number of them that soon adds up to many £0000s, but what they never reveal to the punters, and something that most normies naively don't do their homework on - is how expensive said gizmos are to repair / replace if (and likely when) they go wrong, often out of warranty.
And it's not just 'gizmos' that are arerly used - its things like 'decorative' (i.e. that provide no additional operational benefit) LED light clusters that cost several magnitudes more than the previous generation with one lamp per light and which was relatively easy to replace, which themselves were magnitues more expesive than the one 'standard' round [glass] lens + lamp that lasted many years without going cloudy and bulbs cost £1 - £5 that you could fit yourself in less than 5 minutes.
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My Auris has a touchscreen option to read incoming SMS messages, the need for which has utterly escaped me in 7 years of ownership. It can't deal with WhatsApps, which is probably as well. I remember reading about some high-end cars which can read out a connected phone's text messages and transcribe spoken replies while the driver is actually driving. Is that still a thing? (shudders) Again, utterly pointless and of questionable safety.
We have come a very long way from this 1950s manifestation of in-car utopia , and I don't believe the search is by any means over. thevinylfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Hig...g
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My Vitara will read out a text message, a bit gimmicky but not pointless imho.
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When you’re in the car several hours a day, and WhatsApp is the primary means of communication for a field based team, to have the message read out to you, and to be able to reply in voice, is very useful.
Not just high end cars - Google operating system is now In Renaults.
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