Anyone dreading the day when there will be no good sedans in existence?

jamin wrote:

New cars just keep getting more expensive to justify the addition of non-optional useless gadgetry which clutters the dashboard and requires to frame to be built larger and have less window space/visibility so as to fit the useless crap. Other things like keyless ignitions may not add clutter but are still pointless. Fortunately you can still buy cars from the mid-2000s that are compact in size and only a couple buttons on the dash and no screens. Soon these cars will have reached their expiration date and we'll be left with nothing but the bloatware of the post-2000s.

I’m honestly thinking of getting 2-3 good cars from the mid 2000s in the next few years and rotating their use for the rest of my life. I’m getting really tired of the tech race the auto companies are engaging in. So much pointless clutter, so many recalls, so many irritating malfunctions that would be avoidable if they would just stop trying to turn vehicles into mobile entertainment centers. The late 90s and mid 2000s are the sweet spot for car tech that is actually useful, for the last 10-12 years all of the options and additions that we have been introduced to are novelty items.

jamin wrote:

New cars just keep getting more expensive to justify the addition of non-optional useless gadgetry which clutters the dashboard and requires to frame to be built larger and have less window space/visibility so as to fit the useless crap. Other things like keyless ignitions may not add clutter but are still pointless. Fortunately you can still buy cars from the mid-2000s that are compact in size and only a couple buttons on the dash and no screens. Soon these cars will have reached their expiration date and we'll be left with nothing but the bloatware of the post-2000s.

1) So, your problem isn't just with sedans then. Sedans already had less visibility than wagons and SUVs, so if that's your issue, stop getting sedans.

2) I agree with you MOSTLY about keyless ignition. You still have to have the device on you for it to work, but it IS harder for someone to steal your car with out the FOB, AND, especially if you are a person who keeps keys/FOBs in a purse or some other sort of bag, you don't have to fish it out in order to start your car. Mostly though, it seems a bit silly and unnecessary.

3) A lot of the "gadgetry" is great though. I have rented a couple of cars for trips in the past year...both newer than the cars I own, and I like the big screen, the backup camera, the lane assist technology. I didn't find visibility to be an issue even though both were sedans.

i plan to drive my 2010 prius into the frickin' ground. i do indeed dread the day i have to replace it with something newer. my wife has a 2008 focus that is a tank and we're riding that one into the sunset as well.

part of me wants to never purchase a car again and just rent for road trips. savings would go into nice sturdy bikes. i live in a city where commute+errands and whatnot would be inconvenient but doable. a guy can dream right?

Jamin may have the smoothest transition to sitting in a rocking chair on the porch and yelling at kids to stay off the lawn in history.

Though your post did not have much to do with your subject line, I do agree with not liking the reduced choice of new sedans.

I had a Buick Regal GS with a manual transmission that I loved. I regret that I sold and got a new car (a coupe this time).

Not only did Buick stop making manuals, they stopped making sedans. Only SUVs now.

Ford , Chevy and Chrysler reduced their sedan choices as well.

Bring back the damn sedan!

You want to buy 3 cars that are 15+ years old? That's just asking for problems in a few short years if not sooner.

Not sure how old you are, but my guess is there's a new car out there that would appease you that you could just maintain and drive the rest of your life. If you don't want new, cars even 3-4 years ago didn't all have the mucky muck (shout out to Spinal Tap) that today's new cars do.

As someone who only drives body on frame vehicles with solid axles, I couldn't care less what happens to any sedan

Star wrote:

Though your post did not have much to do with your subject line, I do agree with not liking the reduced choice of new sedans.

I had a Buick Regal GS with a manual transmission that I loved. I regret that I sold and got a new car (a coupe this time).

Not only did Buick stop making manuals, they stopped making sedans. Only SUVs now.

Ford , Chevy and Chrysler reduced their sedan choices as well.

Bring back the damn sedan!

I'm not surprised that sedans are fewer and fewer. I will never buy one again. Visibility sucks compared to SUVs and wagons, mostly due to A pillar placement and angle. Hatchbacks, wagons, SUVs are more functional too.

You kidding me?

The Tesla Model S is only a thousand times better than any late 90s to mid-2000s car on earth, but whatever.

jamin wrote:

New cars just keep getting more expensive to justify the addition of non-optional useless gadgetry which clutters the dashboard and requires to frame to be built larger and have less window space/visibility so as to fit the useless crap. Other things like keyless ignitions may not add clutter but are still pointless. Fortunately you can still buy cars from the mid-2000s that are compact in size and only a couple buttons on the dash and no screens. Soon these cars will have reached their expiration date and we'll be left with nothing but the bloatware of the post-2000s.

All you need in a car is a holder for your beer can

Well, ok then wrote:

Jamin may have the smoothest transition to sitting in a rocking chair on the porch and yelling at kids to stay off the lawn in history.

Haha! A good one )

tarckstar wrote:

You kidding me?

The Tesla Model S is only a thousand times better than any late 90s to mid-2000s car on earth, but whatever.

If a car from the mid-2000s has a problem, you can take it to any car service nearby and get it fixed in 1 day. If a Tesla has a problem, it takes 1 month to fix. That's why a Tesla is usually someone's 2nd or 3rd car they currently own.

Then there is a market niche waiting to be filled. Some new company will enter the market making cheapo basic sedans. That's how Hyundai started out.

I agree with this. I have a 2014.5 Camry with tons of good features and 8 airbags but it doesn't have the build quality of my '07 Corolla.

I'd almost think if something were to happen to the '14.5, I'd go find a '97-'01 Camry and build it to perfection like new, then ride it to 400,000 miles.

Or, better yet, a '92-'96 Camry and/or a '90-'01 Lexus LS400. The '02 LS430s weren't the same after that.

Yep, the '79-'11 Panthers (Ford full-size) platforms were amazing.

Someone gets it.

Same with the '77-'96 B-Bodies (GM) and the '81-'89 M-body (Mopar), aka the Diplomat/Gran Fury. Those cars were more mid-size and needed an OD trans, TBI (no carbs) and the 360 to really work. However, the largest engine was the 318. At least the Fords and GMs came with 351s/350s.

I hear ya Jamin. These new fangled cars are neat and all but they forgot to put in a cassette and CD player.

Boomer Nation wrote:

I hear ya Jamin. These new fangled cars are neat and all but they forgot to put in a cassette and CD player.

Real drivers don’t listen to music while driving. Just like real runners don’t listen to music while running.

Radios and cassette tapes and CDs and Bluetooth distract the driver and cause accidents which can kill people. They should be banned.

Agreed in general.

If I’m going to pay a lot for a car, I want to pay for quality, not for gizmos and gadgets. I used to have a 2000 Lexus RX 300 that I absolutely LOVED. It was a fairly expensive car by my standards, but it was expensive because it was just a really well made, comfortable machine. There was nothing really fancy about it in terms of bells and whistles and tech gadgetry. It was just a solid, simple car that lasted almost two decades as a functional tool.

When the old car finally needed to be replaced, I thought about getting a newer RX model, but never really liked any of the ones I tried out. They’ve become so techy with a million features I’ll never use (many of which could just as easily be performed using my iPhone) that really just amount to clutter in my opinion. Ended up buying a Nissan Rogue for half the price.

I want my car to be really good at being a car. I don’t need it to be a computer as well.

If I was an automaker who would I listen to. Jamin or the 30m other people who prefer more expensive, higher quality, and more gadgets in their cars? I’ll go where the money is,