Discussion
Several weeks ago our 12 year old Subaru Forester got backed into in a parking lot. Today it's getting fixed up at the body shop (omg insurance worked?!) so we have a rental and they gave us a 2027 Kia Carnival.
My car doesn't have any screens or smarts or anything. Basically the fanciest feature it has is cruise control. This 2027 has screens everywhere, backup camera, lane detection, built in maps, is a hybrid, and feels like driving the starship Enterprise in comparison.
@bigzaphod when we went from a 2010 Prius to a 2022 Bolt it was crazy how good the tech upgrade was.
@bigzaphod I put a very simple aftermarket CarPlay head unit and backup camera into my 2008 Impreza in 2019, and I love the combination. An old-fashioned car with knobs and buttons, nothing ever beeps, but I can use CarPlay and safely monitor the turkeys when pulling out of a parking spot.
@bigzaphod Last Summer or so I went out looking to replace my 2018 Impala and the Kia’s were what I ultimately decided on…. until we started talking money. Yikes! Looks like I’ll have a 10+ year old car for a bit..
@bigzaphod this is what i am expecting once my M6 iMac shows up this week as i will be upgrading from a 2019 Intel iMac
Like, seriously overwhelmed driving this. Had the same feeling when we got the rental for our vacation earlier this year. Absolute sensory overload.
@bigzaphod I had this experience in a rental in Italy this summer. Apparently cars there are now required to show the (poorly camera-detected) speed limit next to the speedometer and it was constantly flashing and often incorrect.
@bigzaphod Overwhelming is right. They rightfully don’t want us using our phones while driving yet all of this distracting tech is perfectly OK.
@bigzaphod this is why I am a huge CarPlay fan. at the very least when I rent a car, I know how navigation, calls, music and podcasts work without being overwhelmed by custom stuff.
That said, though, this Kia seems a lot better in some way I can't quite define than the Chrysler we had this summer. Feels somehow better thought out. Still, though, it's quite a lot. One of my kids is still learning to drive and he gets overwhelmed in our old junker car. I can't imagine trying to learn in a modern car.
We never tried this with the summer rental, but managed to just barely fit this monster of a van into our one car garage. Can't walk behind it or in front of it... but... TECHNICALLY it fits.
@bigzaphod Count yourself at least a little lucky. We have this driveway with walls on both sides (our house is on a hill above street level) that’s technically WIDE enough to park a modern car in… if you have no need to open any doors wider than 12”.
But it sure did beep and blink a lot about it. The car does NOT want to be in such a small space.
I guess we're just not rich enough for modern cars - can't afford one in the first place and can't afford a big enough garage to please the sensors in one, either.
@bigzaphod backup cameras and their warning systems are highly addictive. Once you get used to them it’s hard to go back. They often spot danger before you do.
@gedeonm I do like the backup camera. I think that's a good idea for sure - especially for giant vehicles like this van.
@bigzaphod I feel that. My previous car had USB for phone audio and Bluetooth for calls, but that’s about it. Car I have now is older and really has nothing. A few years ago we got a Subaru Legacy for my wife, which is pretty well decked out. What’s funny is that she initially didn’t care about CarPlay, and I played jokingly annoyed that she got it before I ever did (and still don’t). Now she loves it, and I’m jealous!