Like the title says, are there any EVs that just have a Bluetooth radio and that’s it? Like a normal car, not a smartphone on wheels? If not, do you all think that this will actually happen at some point? This is the main reason why I can’t (and will never) buy an EV. I like to have actual buttons everywhere on my car. I think those massive tablets on these cars with all the touch buttons are very dangerous. I like an “entertainment system” that only connects to my phone with either a headphone jack of or Bluetooth. It’s a car, not a PC.
I think we need a car that “weeds out” all the shitty tech that has been integrated and comes “standard” now.
Let’s take my partner’s 2021 Honda Civic for example.
Lane Keep Assist (LKAS) - it’s garbage. The car does not recognize construction zones, and it will actively fight you if you are in those zones, or if you have to make an emergency lane change without signaling, like if a deer, or child runs in front of your car. We turned this feature off.
Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) - This system legit tries to wreck the car. We’ve had it flag and even slam the brakes dozens of times in non-emergency scenarios. It was so bad we took it back to the dealer to have the software updated (which changed nothing) and considered returning the car. The system has to be manually disabled every time we drive the car, we cannot permanently disable it. Slamming your brakes at highway speeds when someone makes a close merge is a real good way to wreck your car and the 6 or so behind you. The risk of causing 12+ accidents to avoid or mitigate 0 is not worthwhile, and it needs to go.
Adaptive Cruise Control - A great way to make idiots fall asleep, and causes left lane lollygagging. I tried using adaptive cruise control for a few long trips, and what I noticed is that there are long lines of cars driving 4 under where they are all using ACC. When the car automatically adjusts it’s speed, you lose feedback on the speed you are actually going, because you never get into that “decision zone” behind a car where you either slow down, or pass the other car. It also makes people feel more confident to let the car drive, so they’ll fuck around on their phones. Get rid of it, you’ll get where you’re going faster and safer if you do.
Auto Dimming Headlights - Turns on by accident all the time, and very hard to turn off. Works ~50% of the time. Could be good, but really sucks right now.
Here are some features that rock, and should stay in.
Keyless entry
Remote start and push button start
Apple / Android phone integration
Brake hold
Backup camera
Thanks for attending my rant.
Oh man, I love adaptive cruise control. I also don’t agree that using it in the left lane is bad. If there’s a line of cars going too slowly, the person in front is the asshole, not the three using ACC behind them. You really shouldn’t pass on the right anyway, would definitely not call doing that driving safer.
Everybody in the line is part of the problem. If you aren’t passing, move right. You should be checking every 30 seconds or so. Am I passing or going to pass someone in the next minute? No? Move right. Only times I’d consider an exception is if there was an on-ramp lane merging down, or an exit ramp coming up, or if you need the left lane for a turn (and you better have your fucking signal on)
If you get passed on the right, and there is no room to your left, you’ve created a dangerous situation and you need to move fucking right ASAP.
That was actually an awesome rant. Enshitification is rampant
I got one as a loaner last year and agree on everything except the backup cameras, those are completely unnecessary too. I hated that car. Was happy to get my 2012 model back.
I wasn’t big on the backup camera at first, but having it in conjunction with a mirror really helps when parking in tight spaces, or backing out of a parking space. I use it probably 95% of the time when backing up.
Also, it doesn’t really hurt anything to have the backup cam if you’ve already got an infotainment system in the car. You’re not losing or compromising anything to have it, and it’s not going to affect your operation of the vehicle if it turns on unintentionally.
I don’t want the infotainment system either. Cars shouldn’t have that much electronic bullshit in them. Every one I’ve seen has been trash. At most it should have a dock for your phone and let that be your infotainment system.
That’s basically what Apple carplay and Android Auto do. However, it’s nice to have independent audio settings (like fader, EQ, and balance) for the car. Big ol’ GPS/map is nice too. Bluetooth controls for multiple devices. Fuel Economy and car management applications, radio… All things that I enjoy in the car that a simple phone dock would not replicate.
It could. It would just require a more robust app. You could use a tablet instead of a phone if you wanted a bigger or dedicated screen.
I manage my audio and GPS from my phone just fine. No integration with the car necessary besides an aux jack. The dash shows the fuel economy next to the speedometer. Everything else (clock, radio, maintenance due, etc) is managed through the menu buttons (physical buttons, not a garbage touchscreen) on the steering wheel.