Who else is fed up with car culture and the auto obsession ?

DdBob

DdBob

Dogue in teh desert
It can't just be me can it ? This insane obsession and lust for the automobile particularly in America but also places like the UK, Eurpe, etc.
I think at least here in the 'mericuh it began to go insane somewhere aroud the early 200's with the craze of the swuv and pick up truck. Ut seems since then every model year gets bigger, more powerful, more creature comforts and TECH. There's always been a oneupmanship with "THE BIG THREE" but it's out of hand and really a fleecing of the public...what's that old saying "a fool and his money soon parted"

At work just a couple weeks ago on a 2014 GMC 6.2 truck with a bad motor at about 140,000 miles we did an engine swap with a reman from GM....just short of 10,000 dollars it cost the customer....the motor retailed at over 7000 dollars...fucking insane. Repairs cost more across the spectrum.

I saw an ad on tv for a VW product that was all decked out in 20 inch black wheels, etc....it looked like a street racer car

i saw an ad for the Chevy Blazer (out of retirement) which bears zero resemblence to the Blazer Heritage...it is one of those "aggressive AWD street machines" with a dash that looked like an iPad home screen

Here's the pic of a Tesla pick up "truck" at 50-60 thousand dollars (where's the bed: confused: ) https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-pickup-truck-price-elon-musk/
tesla-pickup-truck-1a.jpg

it touts a 240 volt connction for tools (I have a hard time seeing this on construction job sites). I think it was the new GMC I saw on tv that also spoke of a DC connection in the bed of the truck...can you imagine the added expense to the charging system? the battery...what's your batter gonna cost 600 dollars?

Maybe it's because I've been in the repair business since 1993 and i remember when late 1970's vehichles still came in to the shop...when there was a clear seperation of utility vs sport...when a truck was a truck was a truck.
i remember when models did not change from year to year and automobiles primary function was transportation (what a novel idea) and vehichles were sold with a lower (relative to economy) price point and repair price point.

when did cars go from necessary evil/utility to image accessory for the average buyer (ok we always had sports cars and Jeeps but I'm talking your average sedan or truck)....shouldn't that be for the aftermarket? It sure would lower prices if the automaker didn't need R&D (not to mention inventory) for 17 different option packages per vehicle...

/end rant.



finally I'll leave this comment from the Tesla truck article (250 mph....why?)

Screen Shot 2019-06-03 at 5.50.53 AM.png
 
Tesla is going for that intimidating cyborg look there - I don't think I like it. And I don't see your stereotypical pickup driver liking it either, but I could be wrong.

Cars are fun, I get why people become obsessed. I've had car fever at various times. But I would be glad to see a shift away from every household HAVING to have 1 car per person of driving age. And I would love to see the fossil fuel era come to a close.

I probably won't be around for either of those though.
 
i agree that the whole truck thing has gotten way out of hand, but not just the makers, the owners too. all these giant 4 door 4x4 trucks that will never be off pavement, except a dirt road here or there. wtf?

also i'm tired of the "our fast car has 500 HP.....well then our's has 600 HP....." etc. NOBODY needs a car with that kind of power or 180 MPH+ speed, certainly not in america. the only public place you can open one of those cars up reasonably safely is at Bonneville. and i don't see lines of people and their super cars headed for Utah. and the way people drive, at least around here, everyone should be limited to a fucking Yugo!!!
 
Needless complexity + needless conveniences + an industry that's conditioned consumers to expect "new" models every couple of years regardless of whether the changes are substantive or not = insane cost spiral.
 
I will say that the horsepower wars are really silly. My 2013 Mustang has 420hp and it’s ridiculous to imagine anyone ever needing more than that.
 
Here's the metro 3 cylinder...changing the timing belt was like doing a thermostat on a 1978 Chevy pickup...iwth is wrong with this? it gets you from point a to point b and you get responsive road feel 9unlike these behemouth vehichle nowdays with their 400 dollars oil filled motor mounts that isolate you from the driving experience)...

look at this thing...beautiful....it would cost you like less than 20 bucks to do a tune up and even your granny could change the Plugs on this

 
i remember a couple years ago the Shelby GT500 was like 500 HP, then the Super Snake (Stage I) was 600 HP and then the Super Snake (Stage II) was like 750 HP, but it voided the warranty.......WHAT??!!??
who the hell spends $80,000+ on a car with that kind of tech in it, but have NO WARRANTY??!!? just to be able to say "i have the S.S. Stage II."
 
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It sounds like you're not fed up with car culture. In fact, it sounds like you are very much part of it.

You just don't like where it is going now.

The modern car has become a multi-ton iPhone accessory. And a semi-disposable, non-user-serviceable accessory at that. Car manufacturers aren't targeting owners anymore. They want leasers. They want someone to keep making payments and turn it back in after a few years. God help the owner who gets one of these things after warranty.

Today's stereotypical pickup driver falls into three categories: The true work truck, the tax write-off, and the poseur.

The true work truck is long past its warranty, usually hauling equipment in a trailer. The driver is typically on the phone talking to his client or boss.

The tax write-off is late model, way more tricked out than necessary, and has magnetic signs or a window sticker to justify its claim as a business expense.

The poseur is also late model, tricked out as a badass mud machine, and may never leave the pavement. Bonus points for Punisher sticker.

The tax write-off and poseur often overlap.
 
USian Pie said:
It sounds like you're not fed up with car culture. In fact, it sounds like you are very much part of it.

You just don't like where it is going now.

The modern car has become a multi-ton iPhone accessory. And a semi-disposable, non-user-serviceable accessory at that. Car manufacturers aren't targeting owners anymore. They want leasers. They want someone to keep making payments and turn it back in after a few years. God help the owner who gets one of these things after warranty.

Today's stereotypical pickup driver falls into three categories: The true work truck, the tax write-off, and the poseur.

The true work truck is long past its warranty, usually hauling equipment in a trailer. The driver is typically on the phone talking to his client or boss.

The tax write-off is late model, way more tricked out than necessary, and has magnetic signs or a window sticker to justify its claim as a business expense.

The poseur is also late model, tricked out as a badass mud machine, and may never leave the pavement. Bonus points for Punisher sticker.

The tax write-off and poseur often overlap.
Click to expand...

you forgot about the giant silver testicles hanging from the tow hitch. :eyeroll:
 
USian Pie said:
It sounds like you're not fed up with car culture. In fact, it sounds like you are very much part of it.

You just don't like where it is going now.

The modern car has become a multi-ton iPhone accessory. And a semi-disposable, non-user-serviceable accessory at that. Car manufacturers aren't targeting owners anymore. They want leasers. They want someone to keep making payments and turn it back in after a few years. God help the owner who gets one of these things after warranty.

Today's stereotypical pickup driver falls into three categories: The true work truck, the tax write-off, and the poseur.

The true work truck is long past its warranty, usually hauling equipment in a trailer. The driver is typically on the phone talking to his client or boss.

The tax write-off is late model, way more tricked out than necessary, and has magnetic signs or a window sticker to justify its claim as a business expense.

The poseur is also late model, tricked out as a badass mud machine, and may never leave the pavement. Bonus points for Punisher sticker.

The tax write-off and poseur often overlap.
Click to expand...
no...believe me I am fed up with it. I own a 2004 Jeep GC with the 6 cylinder...I specifically bought that used back in 2011 because it was the perfect mix of old technology/simplicity/ and just enough modern tech (basically fuel injection) i will drive that into the ground.
If i could have a Star Trek transporter to beam me around I would. I don't desire any vehicle nowadays. I have always been an outdoors person so i like the ability to be able to go off the beaten track (i live out west...AZ). I will not buy another suv/truck or Jeep though...I really don't even want a car but like I said above....I suppose the one I would look at would be a Subaru (because I know what I'm looking at by trade) but hopefully that won't be till like 2032 or something and I hope it will be my last one. I seriously would drive the Geo if I could get my hands on one.

I'm only part of the culture because it's how I make my living....That could change soon when my boss sells and retires...unfortunately it's all I know but living alone I think I could get by on menial retail job or a landscaper or something. Iam hoping I don't have to do this the rest of my work life and if so I'will retire early and poor because mentally I won't be able to take it.

You are correct about the planned obsolescense though...it's all designed to A: get buyers returning for new lease/purchase and B: get customer locked into service and that brings more money back into the maker.
 
I'm hoping my current ride (2002 Honda CRV) lasts a few more years....but it is at 235K miles. When it dies I'm planning on buying a used car, probably Japanese, for cash, and driving it for at least a decade.
 
Don't you know that your car defines you? That it is a statement more than a means of transportation?
It tells the world your level of income and worth (vehicular douchebaggery). It can even say, "Get out of my way. I am more important than you!"
2016-cadillac-escalade-frontside_csesc1601.jpg


Some people seem to fall for the advertisements and identity culture.
 
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Denverdave said:
I'm hoping my current ride (2002 Honda CRV) lasts a few more years....but it is at 235K miles. When it dies I'm planning on buying a used car, probably Japanese, for cash, and driving it for at least a decade.
Click to expand...
Milage is another bad by product of the modern car. I've thought about this a lot :embarrassed: the reason so many cars have 200,000 or more now is because of great gas milage and comfort. It's also allowed people to move miles and miles away from their work. I couldn't begin to tell you how many cars come in with over 200,000 and less than 7 years old...had a 2014 f150 last week with 196,000...that's almost 35,000 miles per year...about 300o miles per month (in the old days you'd get an oil change every month with that milage)....about 750 miles per week...wtf ! In 8 years I've owned my Jeep I've put 41,000 total and I've been to Colorado, California, NM, , utah and Nevada but then again I live 1.4 miles away from work. I think the farthest commute I ever had was 8 miles one way.
 
Tig said:
It can even say, "Get out of my way. I am more important than you!"
Click to expand...

That is the DC suburbs. "I'm driving my super expensive car, so I don't need to pay attention to other drivers, I just do what I want, when I want to."
 
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