Responding to complaints about my sarcastic retort to boomer
I have to disagree with your response to C.P. from Elmhurst, Ill. All he was stating is not everyone wants or needs some of the features that are now on new vehicles. I appreciate the technology that now offers anti-lock brakes, collision avoidance, etc. In fact my last new car was ordered with manual transmission and no air conditioning, and the option package offered no choice of radio or interior trim. That was fine with me. — K.S., Mokena, Ill.
Our club of car enthusiasts unanimously (15) found your answer to C.P. from Elmhurst to be impolite, condescending and indicating a rather large lack of information about this. Polls taken over the past year at various national club meetings indicate that most people over 55 find the new auto tech to be unnecessary. I have several friends who sell new cars, and a few who actually have dealerships. Guess what is the most common complaint most of the car-buying public age 45 or older? When you need classes or a CD to learn how to run you car after paying $45,000-plus, it seems a bit over the top. — R. (no last name), Naperville, Ill.
You did not answer part of C.P.’s question. Specifically, you did not answer “are any car manufacturers building any vehicles without all this high tech stuff?” It is a fair question that deserves some attention, especially from the manufacturers. I have a 2012 Buick LaCrosse with a ton of stuff on the dashboard. I do not think I have ever used one-tenth of it. — R.G., Chicago
The 65-year-old baby boomer that wrote in last week is an idiot. The biggest problem I have with the new technology is the push-button start. My 89-year-old dad has memory issues as well as hearing loss. His new car is so quiet he forgets to turn it off. Recently, thankfully, I came over shortly after he got home or the car could have run for hours. I will turn 65 in June and I embrace most of the new technology, so get with it. Let’s get total hands-free in our vehicles as a new year’s resolution. — B.M., Elmhurst Ill.
I read your sarcastic answer. Boomer had some good points. Driving is a function to get from one place to another - it is not meant to be entertainment. Your snarky answer asking if he wanted to go back to no seat belts and air bags concerned safety improvements — while he was complaining about bells and whistles. Don’t dismiss all his points as they are shared by many other drivers. — A.M., Chicago
A tip for my fellow disgruntled boomer: You want a dirt-simple driver, Bubeleh? Do what I did. Scour the internet for a pre-2002 Honda product. I bought my 2001 CRV in 2015 with 31,000 miles on the clock. It belonged to a retiring professor. (I still have the maintenance log with notations in her charming 1940s Catholic schoolgirl cursive script.) I’m at 56,000 miles now. Today I motor along in total low-tech bliss. — J.M., Chicago
I’m a boomer. I like the improved reliability of modern automobiles. My complaint is that I can’t understand many of the features, and I’m a techie. The manuals are written for seventh-graders and are massively incomplete. — kfrantzen
A: Many thanks to our readers who took the time to write — both those who took us to task and those who did not. We took the liberty of editing your responses for space. Yeah, maybe we were a bit snarky. Even Mrs. Motormouth said so, and she is married to this boomer.
You can still find vehicles without all of the electronic wizardry. Just shop the lower-end models. You will get what you need, without much of the stuff you don’t want. Do not let the salesperson sell you up to the most expensive car on the floor. They will try. He or she will not make as good a commission on an entry-level vehicle.
According to NHTSA statistics, the semi-autonomous safety features are responsible for fewer traffic deaths, and we would never advocate removing them. Yet, we agree that the most important components are still the drivers and that they can and should avoid the infotainment distractions. Focus on the serious, responsible task of driving. It is possible.
Send questions along with name and town to Motormouth, Rides, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Fifth Floor, Chicago IL 60611 or motormouth.trib@verizon.net.