I bought a Yaris back in 2014, that's got very few 'bells and whistles'. The most 'techy' items are the bluetooth and leccy front windows.

No cruise, EPB, lane assist, auto braking, wipers or lights. No DRLs even.

I'm dreading replacing it!

Same here yaris 2015 plate diesel very simple car changed the dip lights and the drl which were actually halogen bulbs 5 min job to change twist and pull

I agree with the OP - I bought a new VW Touareg in 2015, even then it had the least intrusive "infotainment" centres of the short listed alternatives - at least it still had buttons/switches for almost everything even though some were duplicated on the touchscreen.

Since then I've looked at more modern alternatives and don't like what I see so the Touareg is a "keeper" - I know that sooner or later something expensive will go wrong but I have a nice big savings pot because it's cost virtually nothing in repairs so far.

you have to 'see' the screen to access the basic controls whereby in an older car you could usually grope around for the buttons to change the radio etc whilst keeping your eyes on the road.

It is just how the technology has progressed. But I do admit sometimes manufacturers make it easier for them rather than for consumers. One glaring example is Tesla where everything screen driven. Latest Model 3 does not even have any shifter! One needs to swipe up or down on screen to select D or R.

Not all tech is bad though. I enjoy adaptive cruise control. Voice control, while still patchy, improved a lot and many functions can be accessed by voice - without taking eyes off the road.

Even if you are taking eyes off the road momentarily (for whatever reason) the lane keeping assist or auto emergency brake are insurance policies.

Younger generation would not buy cars with no tech (if they can afford cars with newer tech).

We still have choices. While some features are now mandatory (e.g. DRL etc.) for other features we still have options to choose a car which we like.

Me too....started driving in the '60's....and although my wife has a Yaris Y20 with all the gizmos and gadgets (which she loves) I'm far happier in my 20 year old V6 Estima which has a Garmin satnav and a dash cam as the only additions.

Passed test in 1967.

Would love an EV: when cheaper /better serviced with chargers.

Till then old tech for me..By time everything is sorted I am likely to need auto pilot:-)

If Renault go down the route of everything being controlled by touchscreen, it should be interesting as their cars have an annoying habit of screen freezing up.

See my post on technical where I have been forced to sort of ways to reboot the screen, which seems to be a common failure on Capturs and Kadjers .

I was admiring a new Outback a few weeks ago, not really interested because the thing is ridiculously huge, my 120 series LWB Prado now has quite a small footprint compared to such vehicles.

The owner happened to be a Subaru sales chap who wasted no time in telling me about the electronic safety features it had, 'eyesight' being the Subaru system.

I hadn't the heart to tell him i have no interest whatsoever in all of this so called safety electronic tat, the trucks i drive are stuffed to the gills with such things and it all leaves me cold, the one thing that should be useful AEBS i've had to modify my driving (cutting in closer, fantastic advance that is, not) to stop the system slamming the brakes on for no reason at all in chicane type situations, among other tat the new truck will have an electric park brake, another answer to a question no one asked...the very last thing i want is my own vehicles stuffed with pointless stuff that doesn't do the job its supposed to, will annoy SWMBO and i constantly and will inevitably go expensively wrong.

Deskilling (dumbing down) drivers of all vehicle types by having the vehicle do the driving for them does not end well now and won't end any better the more garbage they chuck on.

Next year all trucks going into London will have to have new AI blind spot cameras, that's another £1000 or so (and they're forever going wrong) added to the cost of each vehicle which will be added to all our food etc bills.

I hired a Tesla model S for the day as a present for my daughter's 18th birthday. She couldn't drive it but we managed very well, she was the systems operator and I was the pilot. Just make sure you always have a second person with you and you will be fine. On a more serious note, voice command makes a lot of sense, which I presume must be available on these high-tech cars.

Being in the car is a fairly tedious experience, so give me as many gadgets as you can..

I understand that spending hours on a motorway,can be tedious, especially in heavy traffic or poor weather, and that some people have to endure that fairly often. But if you are not pressed for time you can avoid motorways (I think they perform a useful function in reducing traffic on other roads) thereby having a more interesting road to drive on.

Now and then I drive from Cheshire to Aylesbury to visit my daughter, which can be done mostly on A51 and A5. On a good day that can be quite a pleasant drive - no M'way at all.

As mentioned before, Dacias have the bare minimum of this electronic junk. My 2021 Duster has an ignition key, a proper handbrake and old fashioned controls for the heating and ventilation. The touch screen is just for the radio and Sat Nav. Agree with the OP 100%.

Edited by martin.mc on 30/12/2023 at 06:58