Is It Possble Modern Day Automobiles Are Becoming Too Sophisticated?

Is It Possble Modern Day Automobiles Becoming Too Sophisticated?

- No. People are just dumb and unwilling to re-learn.

iDrive :-(

I think you will find different answers based on the age of the person you ask. People roughly 25 and younger will say no. We find that the car is what disconnects us when we get in. No Internet, no texting, no Facebook. We've come to expect safety features like side curtain airbags, ABS, traction control, onstar type technology, cars that stop themselves before an accident can occur etc. The more connected and technology packed the car becomes the better. Now ask people between 30 and 50 and they can't make up their minds. They like the safety features but can't always figure out the other technology in the car (nav system, voice recognition etc). then you go to people my dads age 60 and older and they start to think it's overwhelming.

@dl767captain: Although there is "some truth" in what you say, it does not tell the entire story. When we look at computers, for example, the "mature" crowd looks at the "young" crowd and is amazed by how tech-savvy they appear to be. In reality, these young "computer experts" just know how to do their stuff, like playing XBox360, and running various apps like iTunes, Facebook stuff, etc. They are as helpless at trouble-shooting registry and diagnosing hardware faults as is the "mature" crowd.

So it's not a matter of Young=Tech Savvy, Old=not. It's a matter of the "young" crowd being able to do a *little* more of some specific stuff than others, and thereby appearing to some of the "mature" crowd as being gods :-) Next time a car engine dies, ask one of these "tech savvy" young folks to McGuyver it back into operation, and you'll find they are as helpless as the "mature" folks. Mind you, they'll probably be better at establishing a bluetooth connection between their cell phone and the car audio system than grandpa.

(PS: I didn't vote you up or down)

That is true if the car breaks down, the difference is most of us in the younger crowd know to call someone like AAA or the dealership the second something goes wrong with the engine. My dad for example wants to try and fix the car himself when something wrong with it or change the oil because that's what he used to do. For the younger generation we know that someone else knows how to do it correctly and we don't waste our time doing something wrong to the car (me changing a tire would be a BAD idea, I understand how to do it but I trust AAA way more!). The thin is that most of our newer cara are so reliable it's rare that anything happens to them that isn't the technology side. We had my first car for about 13 years and the only problem we had was with the radio, and that I was able to google how to fix it. We may not know how to fix the problems ourselves but we know where to go to find the answers

I can speak for some of the oldsters, I'm 59. I think the new tech is wonderful for the most part. You will find it common that we lament the simplicity and purity of the old tech. Manufacturers are so pre-occupied with meeting safety, environmental and EPA regulations that cars, while better, are all becoming boring and very much alike.

Ask the person who needs something fixed once the car is out of warranty ? What will happen when the car is ten years old and the
cost of a repair (any repair) exceeds the value of the car ? Years a go a sealed hedlight cost $12 and a turn signal bulb $.49 and you could make the change yourself, now a headlight unit costs $1,000 plus labor.
Sure its great technology and soon everything will be electrical and wireless (brakes, steering, suspension, etc etc) but at what cost and how will those dependant on used cars be able to afford keeping them on the road ?

It is for the Germans that's why they break so much electronics. Don't own one out of warranty unless you have alot of money.....

Right, and the japs are a BARGAIN when it comes to maintenance. That $1200 starter replacement and $2500 transmission replacement my aunt spent on her lexus was positively a STEAL.

/sarc

2500 for a trans. is cheap. It's about 10k for a bmw or merc. trans....

OMG, Im going to need a drink first if Im going to deal with your stupidity....

Yes.

I have 26 years of selling luxury cars. You may have just been born boy!!! I'll take on youy automotive knowledge any day.......