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While modern cars have scene marked improvements in emissions, they also have a lot of computers in them. It’s just the way things are. For the longest time, these computers were easier to ignore. Sure, there were chips controlling the braking system, some elements of how the engine operates, and what have you, but these all had an “out of sight, out of mind” element to them. Nowadays, they’re everywhere. There will be multiple systems overseeing every minutia of how every component in the vehicle operates. Moreover, the computers are so much harder to ignore, especially with every new vehicle essentially having a tablet grafted into the dashboard.

Of course, a lot of this is a reflection of what consumers claim to want, but I wonder if its just the vocal ones plunking down money (or more likely, taking out a massive loan), to get one of these things. With the scalability of vehicles, it’s a shame that there aren’t extremely simple base models for those who don’t want bells and whistles, and also aren’t keen to sell their organs on the black market just to get one of these things. All I want is something I can fit in comfortable, gas pedal, brakes, steering wheel, heater for the winter, and a slot to put my own stereo in. A lot of this can be done in an analog fashion and be just fine.

Things like how modern cars will force themselves back into their lane if the driver is drifting worry me more than anything else. Stuff like that is just a band aid for bad driving. I guess it kind of protects us from all of the irresponsible distracted drivers with their eyes on their phone instead of the road, but I’d much rather there were stricter enforcement to get these people off of the road.

Also, a lot of this computerized stuff makes it far harder to do repairs oneself. I grew up fiddling around with cars from the 80s and it was so much easier to take care of them thanks to how simple they were. A person could change various fluids themselves, adjust spark plugs, and even swap out entire components if they were feeling a bit daring (or just knew what they were doing). Now, the level of expertise is much higher, and even if you have that, many of the parts are proprietary and cost a king’s ransom to replace. It used to be that one could go to the parts store and get a replacement headlight for $20, but now things like that often cost $1,000 or more. It’s absurd.

A lot of this will also have knock-on effects on the secondhand market. For the longest time, if someone couldn’t afford a new car, at least they had plenty of options for used ones. In my area, there are nowhere near as many older vehicles on the road as there used to be. At one time, there was a pretty diverse mix of eras of cars out there. These days, I’ve seen a few models that go back 20-25 years, and are generally in very good condition, but they’re usually very specific Toyotas (lots of 4Runners!), but that company is one of the few that historically made vehicles meant to last. Overall, though, spotting older cars has become a rarer site than in the past.

Even then, I do wonder how long a modern Toyota will be viable for. I’m not at all optimistic to see a 2020 Corolla or 4Runner still on the road in 2045, similarly to how I can frequently see 1995 models driving around now. How long will all of those computers in new models last? How much will it cost to maintain them when the warranty expires and owners have to buy those expensive proprietary parts out of pocket? How long will firmware continue to be updated on the tablet in the dashboard? It’s a lot more complicated and costly to maintain a vehicle over the long haul now.

All of this does make me think that automakers want to condition people to treat their car or truck as more of a disposable commodity. It started when leasing became far more popular than simply buying a vehicle. A lot of people just get a 5-8 year lease, drive the vehicle into the ground, then get another one. Some will grab an off-lease vehicle looking for savings, but dealers appear to have wised up to that, adjusting prices such that they aren’t as much of a bargain as before. For the most part, a lot of people just get something to lease, and cycle through one vehicle after then next. It’s very wasteful. The days of the family car that was always there as someone grows up are largely gone.

This pattern also is getting me to research how much of an environmental impact vehicles have at end of life. It would appear that the EU has become concerned with this and is looking at legislation to require car makers to ensure their vehicles have a certain amount of recyclable parts in them. Vehicles are turning a corner on the emissions side of things with electrics coming along, but they still have a lot of plastics in them, and then there are all the electronics and the batteries. How much of that can be salvaged and reused, rather than being put in a hole in the ground? Also, how safely can it be done, or will the West once again put all their stuff on boats to the developing world, where people their will do dirty, dangerous tasks disassembling them for pennies and winding up with cancer?

There are a lot of problems that I see with modern vehicles from the experience operating them to how people consume them to how they’ll be disposed of. When I was a kid, I had it drilled into me that it was Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and it was in order of importance. Recycling was actually meant to be a last ditch Hail Mary when someone couldn’t do the first two. However, we live in quite the hedonistic consumerist society these days, so reduction has flown clear out the window for many. Reusing stuff just isn’t fashionable for them either because they’re compelled to keep up with the Joneses, but they love the recycling. It makes them feel good about themselves, like they’re making a difference and saving the planet. Just don’t tell them all those water bottles they chucked in the recycling bin were taken to a facility, crushed into cubes, then put on ships to the developing world where they were still put in a hole in the ground. Out of sight, out of mind. Ignorance is bliss, and all that. Hopefully cars won’t be added to that list, but I’m not optimistic.

Anyway, this post is starting to go all over the place! =p Basically, I just want a simple car or truck with minimal computerized parts, that is easy to maintain, and with a plan to safely dispose of it at the end of its life. Sadly, it would appear that auto manufacturers and the people that buy their products are quite intent on going in the exact opposite direction. Improved emissions on new vehicles is obviously a very good thing, but I do wonder if other practices that have come about around car ownership may be opening a whole new can of worms. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Disdain for Modern Cars