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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   2115 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 9, 2025

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Very likely looking to buy a new (to me, at least) car in the next few months. Weirdly, I have almost no starting criteria on which to begin my search. It really will be mostly a Point A to Point B thing, and while I'm not opposed to any features/bells/whistles, I find myself mostly apathetic. Just not really aware of what really nifty features might be out there now that can genuinely provide value. Almost certainly want something <10yrs old, good chance I'd be amenable to something <5yrs old. Last car I bought was 4yrs old at the time, and it's still in pretty great condition after an additional decade. It was near the end of a model run that was still just "basic car, engine makes it go", not a bunch of computers and wiz-bang gizmos in the cabin. I grew up too poor to ever think about buying new, but I know that was almost a better deal in the market for some window in time not too long ago. I have more means now and am not completely opposed to it; it will depend completely on the shape of the market once I really dive in.

Anyway, with that background, I'd like to at least try to focus in on one Small-Scale Question for this Sunday. Any resources for how to find a relatively-recent car that isn't constantly spying on you? Any little communities out there that curate some lists for cars that spy less on you out of the box or have how-to guides for lobotomizing cars that can be lobotomized?

I won't rehash too much of my Friday Fun Thread comment about cars, but some points to consider:

Buying new still kind of sucks from a value proposition. You'll almost always regret the equity you drop for a car being new. That feeling lasts 3-6 months and you pay for it for 3 years. Buy something fresh off lease instead. This is one of the most extreme examples you can think of, but getting a Panamera for $40k (compared to what would be a $238k sticker today) is amazing.

If you want a car to not spy on you, you'll have to get an older car. I have not seen communities to lobotomize modern cars, it seems difficult and would disable features that you only get with new cars. It's much more likely to find communities that modernize older cars with newer features.

I find the nannying and eco/safety features of modern cars infuriating. It's like watching commercials on TV; too infuriating to deal with. However, there are some killer new car features I lust after:

  • Radar Cruise Control
  • Apple/Android Car Play
  • Heated Steering Wheels

If you go after those, I don't think you can go wrong. Getting something with enough space to put stuff in is important.

I know you view these as just an appliance but any other detail at all? Do you go on long drives? Do you go camping? Do you care how it looks? Any brand preference at all?

You could try an old hatchback. The Ford Fiesta I have doesn't even have cruise control or electric windows.

I have a car that's almost two years old. One of the best features is the sideview mirrors can melt the ice and snow. It has a lot of really annoying safety features though which you either can't turn off or they automatically turn back on every time you restart the car. The worst is the seatbelt chime that immediately sounds when the car turns on, even if it's just the electronics. Another really bad one is the automatic emergency braking. This one is actually dangerous. It's always turning on in situations where it isn't needed.

Especially if you do much interstate driving, consider something with adaptive cruise control (i.e. you set max speed and do the steering wheel still, but it does acceleration/breaking). Makes things way less taxing. Something comma.ai compatible is one way to get that in older cars.

I've never understood the point of cruise control. It doesn't really take any effort to maintain a constant speed.

IMO, it depends on what specific kind of freeway driving you do. My commute spends just twenty minutes each way on a busy freeway, where my speed changes all the time and cruise control is worthless. But I once took a drive through the featureless wastes of rural Ohio on US 30, with hardly any traffic on the road, and being able to rest my foot for two hours on an eleven-hour drive (each way) was nice.

Interesting, I like even plain cruise control. Gets tiresome on my ankle otherwise. But adaptive is a whole nother level. Now you don't have to speed up and slow down as people in front of you do things - you are really just setting a max speed. Super great in stop and go traffic.

I think cruise control is useful for those times where it would take the average driver effort to maintain a constant speed- specifically, avoiding fines when the design speed of the road is sufficiently divorced from its limit (especially if those fines can be levied automatically).

Adaptive cruise control (and the lane-keep assists) is mainly so that you don't crash while you're navigating through your car's shitty infotainment menus, keeps you driving straight when you are flash-blinded by modern headlights, or when you are texting.

I was also sceptical but adaptive cruise control actually makes a pretty big difference for a longer drive.

a) Minimal effort is still nonzero. With cruise control it's zero, and that is nice.

b) Adaptive cruise control is a whole new level. It's amazing in particular during traffic jams when you are going to be stopping and starting a lot.

I've been halfheartedly searching for a car for over a year now, and still haven't found anything good. Used prices are still ridiculous, the new ones are bloated messes that slam your brakes for no reason, and I still can't import a Hilux

Used prices are still ridiculous

Buy a Mustang. Ford still makes them, and they're still relatively cheap new; both things that depress their used prices (to the point I'd actually consider them undervalued). They're luxury, but not luxury enough that people are priced out of new.

3.7s are the cheapest models because "muh V8" and "the Ecoboost is faster", but you still get 300HP, 30 MPG on the highway, on 87 octane, with very little tech stupidity.

Used manuals are still reasonable.

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