We're past the peak! New cars are growing far too complex, frustrating and expensive
Senior test editor Dean Gibson thinks that modern cars are becoming too complex and frustrating, signalling the end of ‘peak car’
I had the fortune (some might harshly say misfortune) of driving a 2016 Skoda Fabia Mk3 recently. It was a fairly humdrum experience with nothing exciting to report, but maybe more importantly there was nothing that was actively frustrating.
With today’s new cars required by law to have electronic driver-assistance tech that offers varying degrees of interference and annoyance, the Fabia was refreshingly simple – just turn it on, stick it in gear, and off you go. It also had Apple CarPlay, which I was surprised by, so all I had to do was plug my phone into the USB socket and hey presto, there was up-to-date navigation with live traffic information on the touchscreen.
That screen was part of Skoda’s Bolero infotainment system, which also featured Bluetooth phone connectivity and a DAB radio (although CarPlay also meant that music streaming was on offer). And while the display was only 6.5 inches across – modest by today’s standards – it was big enough and colourful enough to see clearly.
A lack of intrusive safety systems, and modern mapping tech via a smartphone made that almost decade-old Fabia much more appealing than it should have been. And it got me thinking: are we past the peak of the automobile? If this supermini had all of the convenience features that I wanted, then surely most other cars from a decade ago would be able to meet the needs of the vast majority of buyers for considerably less cash than the latest models?
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Another piece of tech that makes me think that the 2010s could be the sweet spot of automotive progress is the OBD (on-board diagnostics) port. Before its arrival, a car’s electronic ‘brain’ was a mystery, and before electronics became common, a mechanic would be the best person to help get a sickly car back on the road.
But you can get an OBD reader that plugs into the socket that checks the error codes that let you know if something is wrong with a car. Armed with that information, some quick online research will tell you if a problem is fixable, arguably saving you cash on misdiagnosis or repairs that might not be necessary to get a car back to full health.
Today’s cars are getting harder to work on due to online connectivity, software updates and plenty of closed systems. If you’re happy behind the wheel of a car that’s a bit older, you could feel the benefit of some pleasingly modern tech, but without the frustrations and expense that might come with a more modern machine.
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