Am I the only one angry about start buttons?

[marlinspike]

My mom's car is in the shop, and long story short as part of a way of satisfying me (their service at first was unsatisfactory, went it with a problem, came out with a new related problem, then they wanted to charge me $250 for a failed attempt at fixing this problem and then guessing that it needed an $1100 dashboard, a guess that turned out wrong once I pushed back btw) they had her swap her enterprise car for one of their new 3-series BMWs.

Am I the only one tired of technological advancements that take us two steps back? What good is a start button? It's an extra step, it requires me to put my foot on the brake to start the car, it's just another electronic to fail and immobilize the car, it looks cheesey.

What good is electronic throttle? Throttle cables do snap, but throttle linkages never break so that can't be it. All it's good for is getting rid of all pedal feel (BMW used to have the second best pedal feel, second only to Porsche IMHO...who has also gone to e-gas).

What good is an electronic turn signal stalk? All it does it counter my intuitions. Let's say I want to change lanes, so I turn on the left blinker, change, but it doesn't reset. Fine, so I hit it to the right to get it to cancel. Nope, that turns on the right blinker.

What good is "steptronic" or whatever name you want to give the auto "manual" mode? All it does is pretend to give me control, only to shift when it decides I don't actually want the gear I set it to. It also has a delay, unlike the mechanical linkage gear shift in my 1985 Benz (which also allows me to select each gear if I choose to go out of auto). I also have to tap it 3 times to go from 4 to 1, whereas is my 1985 Benz I just yank it back and to the right through the gated system in one fluid motion if I want to go from D to B (B is one for some reason I'll never understand).

I don't understand why they keep putting in more things to break that don't actually add any benefit.

These aren't one more thing to break, but what good are run flat tires? All they do is prevent your realizing you have a flat and make so much road noise that those of us used to decent tires get out of the car to make sure the pressures are correct. "But these make it so I can drive to the shop if I get a flat." GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTT AND CHANGE THE &*#$#)(@* TIRE!

[Rambit]

Too funny!!! Hey, how's that car of yours coming along?

Bernie

[OoTLink]

I think if you're going to do keyless, you might as well go all out and have a start button - it's a simpler electronic than having an ignition that can fail if you have too heavy a keychain.

Many cars these days require you to put your foot on the brake to start them, can't say that's unusual - our LXes are some of the most old-fashioned cars out there, there's not a single LED used at all on the 05-07 interior, in the 08+ they have LED dome lights, nothing else. Uh, and there's more :P

[NOVO]

The technology is there for people to pay for and then after a while pay to fix it, then when things get messy, sell the car and get a new one hoping that they will get trouble free motoring.
If you come to see it from a corporate point of view, it is a smart way to make money, let the people want thing that will break, and if they don’t like it force it on them by not giving them the option to go with a conventional key for example.

Another thing that I see happening in the local market her in the UAE that might not be the case in The US is that we are forced to by from local dealers, I know it might sound crazy but on some car models like the BMW X5 we can import them from the US. With better options for half the price of what is offered in the market and it takes the car from 4 to 6 weeks to arrive, rather than waiting for months to get it from the dealer. The smart a**es in the dealer ships here are now even refusing to service any vehicle that is imported with the excuse of software difference. Daaah I brought in a car not a computer...

[MattRobertson]

When the sky car becomes a reality you Luddites will be put in your place.

Saw it on the cover of Popular Mechanics. Almost here. Any day now.

[marlinspike]

Originally Posted by NOVO

The technology is there for people to pay for and then after a while pay to fix it,


Another thing that I see happening in the local market her in the UAE that might not be the case in The US is that we are forced to by from local dealers, I know it might sound crazy but on some car models like the BMW X5 we can import them from the US. With better options for half the price of what is offered in the market and it takes the car from 4 to 6 weeks to arrive, rather than waiting for months to get it from the dealer. The smart a**es in the dealer ships here are now even refusing to service any vehicle that is imported with the excuse of software difference. Daaah I brought in a car not a computer...

On the first part, I think it's misguided logic. Yeah they're going to replace the car with a new one hoping for trouble free motoring, but they're going to look at a different brand because they're tired of the troubles and they think a different brand won't have them.

On the second part, it was like that here in the late 70's early 80s, and the dealers did the same thing to try to fix it (i.e. refuse to service imported cars). Then the government helped the dealers out by making it hard to import cars. Eventually the car companies just started giving us the prices and most of the options they have in Europe (and now we get better prices, though still not all the options).

[marlinspike]

Originally Posted by OoTLink

I think if you're going to do keyless, you might as well go all out and have a start button - it's a simpler electronic than having an ignition that can fail if you have too heavy a keychain.

If it's keyless and has a start button I suppose that's fine, though I still rather a key. What this 3er has requires me to insert the key fob into a slot and then push the start button. A good ignition can take a beating btw. Mine is still tight after 21 years and over 160k miles, including 9 years of my mom putting her keychain in there (probably weighs close to a pound). Also, when an ignition switch fails it gives you warning, it gets lose, then it starts to stick, eventually it fails. When electronics fail they just suddenly fail.

That put the foot on the brake to start may be one of our many nanny state laws for all I know. It's still stupid. First off, you can't start an automatic unless it's in P or N anyways. All of our nanny state laws (like the ones that ruin the interiors of our cars for the sake of idiots who won't wear a seatbelt) remind me of the garage door industry. A $200 garage door opening unit put in use starting 20 years ago will outlast a $600 one you buy today because they had to reduce quality to keep the prices reasonable with all the new safety requirements. A good one today costs ~$2200.

[marlinspike]

Originally Posted by MattRobertson

When the sky car becomes a reality you Luddites will be put in your place.

Saw it on the cover of Popular Mechanics. Almost here. Any day now.

Ah yes, any day now since the 1960s. Whenever it does come, it will surely be the death of all who buy it. A pilot will tell you a Cessna is the motorcycle of the sky. Imagine what a sky car would be.

[DanRealtor]

Hey Marlinspike,
It is great to hear your enthusiastic, cheery banter again. It's kinda like a warm ray of sunshine on a cool clear day. Please, before anyone gets the wrong idea about you, post something critical of something or someone! (jk)

Good to see some familiar old timers around here now and again.

I should be getting my car back on 1/4/08. It's in the shop getting a facelift and some botox (damned wrinkles on the roof). Until then, it's just me and my mighty 2.7 liter black Charger. (woohoo).

[vvv90]

Originally Posted by DanRealtor

I should be getting my car back on 1/4/08. It's in the shop getting a facelift and some botox (damned wrinkles on the roof). Until then, it's just me and my mighty 2.7 liter black Charger. (woohoo).

About damn time El Crasho!