Will Automakers Get the Market and Make Simple Vehicles Again?

[NMC_EXP]

Will Automakers Get the Market and Make Simple Vehicles Again?

In a free market economy if there was a demand they definitely would. However, the government will never allow that to happen.

Not even maybe.

 

[NMC_EXP]

I have the 10" display in my truck, it's nice. I can see info at a glance and easily access what I need to.

Watching movies, surfing the net and doing social media while driving?

 

[kdeleon]

Less money. They are spending a lot *more* money to build that sophisticated vehicle. The one that has to pass all the silly crash tests and consequently weighs more, and then needs a complex engine and drivetrain to try and meet the MPG *and* emissions requirements.

Manufactures will spend more money offering different variations of a specific model. And if there is no market there isnt an ROI. Exceptions would be fleet trucks, a base Jeep Wrangler sport (ac optional). They build it since there's a market. Of course all the safety mandates will be there as well as the improvements to EPA to avoid hefty fines. On the other side of the fence, you have the Land Cruiser with one model, no poverty version at least here in the US. There is no market and for the number they are selling, it will cost them more. Besides they have their utility LC in the 70series, they just dont see the urgency to sell it here. I would love them to sell it here but that is wishful thinking.

In other parts of the world, there are basic vehicles being built. They are cheap and it is exactly what the masses need.


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[Deleted member 9101]

Watching movies, surfing the net and doing social media while driving?

More like navigation, satellite radio, and gauges through the app Torque.

 

[Clutch]

As a toy, I wouldn't mind an older truck with a modern drivetrain. I'm more of a 68-72 Chevy with a built LS guy, not so much on a LC. Driving to work everyday and hauling my family, I'll take the newer truck every time.

I have the 10" display in my truck, it's nice. I can see info at a glance and easily access what I need to.

What do you guys use the display for? My crap is old, so it doesn't have anything. Have a phone that has gps, but I don't use it (don't even like using maps), don't like talking or texting while I am driving either. Work gets so damn loud all day loooong, I am there 10-12 hours 5-6 days a week...I generally don't even turn any music on when I am in my truck or SUV. Use the commute to decompress from the day and just listen to the hum of tires.

68-72 Chevy oooh good years! yeah be ok for a hobby truck, and to think how much money goes into a resto-mod, could buy a couple few F150's.

Car culture is a funny thing isn't it? All this time, money, and energy goes into these things. Supposed to give you freedom, but it really doesn't.
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Always read car and truck magazines, those have turned into the internet and forums. I have always been a gear-head...and still pretty much am, just love looking and researching vehicles, I am obsessed...why I don't know...so how does one break that, how do you become a non-gear head? I am trying to force myself not to like vehicles...and then I see a cool Land Cruiser and it all goes out the window.
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Heck this forum is just filled with people arguing over vehicles...so I am not alone...

You are using useless stats if you go by raw numbers. Everything needs to be put in a relevant perspective.

Since fatalities per mile are way lower than in 1899 I'd say it's much safer to drive. It happens to be much safer to live as well. Heck, your survival rate driving down the freeway is probably better than it was sitting in your living room in 1899.

My question is why the steady and dramatic decline in fatalities/mile? Crappy driving back in the day? Bad roads? Did wheels fall off more often? Or did people just not give a ********?

I do agree with you that per miles driven the death rate is lower, but a small town's worth of people are dying every year. Seems like I lot me, even given the stats.

Why have death rates gone down? Safer cars I am assume, but I am not a vehicular death analyst...just a knucklehead googler.

 

[rruff]

Why have death rates gone down? Safer cars I am assume, but I am not a vehicular death analyst...just a knucklehead googler.

The rates were dropping steadily well before cars got safety features. And there isn't place in time where you can say MADD, seatbelts, airbags, ABS and crash testing made a difference. It's hard to tell, maybe the decline would have stopped at a higher level without these things. It's also possible that they've had no net benefit at all. Wouldn't surprise me. For instance, helmets actually don't reduce the fatality rate for bicycle riders. But a lot of people like to pretend otherwise.

 

[Clutch]

The rates were dropping steadily well before cars got safety features. And there isn't place in time where you can say MADD, seatbelts, airbags, ABS and crash testing made a difference. It's hard to tell, maybe the decline would have stopped at a higher level without these things. It's also possible that they've had no net benefit at all. Wouldn't surprise me. For instance, helmets actually don't reduce the fatality rate for bicycle riders. But a lot of people like to pretend otherwise.

Not a clue why there was a decline, do you know? How many overall accidents occurred last year? Including non-fatal. Be curious to compare the number of all accidents. Are people wrecking more or less? I am not finding much info on that.

EDIT, found this: https://www.driverknowledge.com/car-accident-statistics/

I dunno, I have had my head dragged across the ground a couple few times in bicycle and moto accidents. Cracked helmet stained with blood to prove it...if I wasn't wearing it, wouldn't be here today trolling the internet...hmmm, maybe that is my problem, hit my head one too many times.

Though I only wear a bicycle helmet if I am racing or mountain biking, won't wear one tooling around town on my beach cruiser or the commuter bike.

 

[rruff]

Not a clue why there was a decline, do you know? How many overall accidents occurred last year? Including non-fatal. Be curious to compare the number of all accidents. Are people wrecking more or less? I am not finding much info on that.

Just guessing before the 70s that a combination of better roads and traffic signals, widespread driving (women take fewer risks), freeways (no cross traffic), better brakes and tires.

After that MADD, seatbelts, child seats, airbags, ABS, traction control, etc have probably resulted in a further significant reduction. But I bet it's a lot less than what is believed.

Regarding bicycle helmets. The real statistics show they don't reduce fatalities. That's where they look at data before and after mandatory helmet laws. I also looked at fatalities among pro road racers who generally did not wear helmets until I think 2002, when they became mandatory. The fatality rate went up, but that is a small sample size.

Some possible reasons for ineffectiveness are that helmets make your "head" bigger and harder to tuck (I always tuck when falling head first), they increase the severity of rotational brain injuries which are more dangerous than impact injuries, less incentive to avoid hitting your head if you feel it's protected, and more inclined to take risks.

If you can find stats showing fatalities before and after mandatory seatbelt laws that would be informative. I think most of the other stuff was phased in slowly though.

 

[Clutch]

Just guessing before the 70s that a combination of better roads and traffic signals, widespread driving (women take fewer risks), freeways (no cross traffic), better brakes and tires.

After that MADD, seatbelts, child seats, airbags, ABS, traction control, etc have probably resulted in a further significant reduction. But I bet it's a lot less than what is believed.

Regarding bicycle helmets. The real statistics show they don't reduce fatalities. That's where they look at data before and after mandatory helmet laws. I also looked at fatalities among pro road racers who generally did not wear helmets until I think 2002, when they became mandatory. The fatality rate went up, but that is a small sample size.

Some possible reasons for ineffectiveness are that helmets make your "head" bigger and harder to tuck (I always tuck when falling head first), they increase the severity of rotational brain injuries which are more dangerous than impact injuries, less incentive to avoid hitting your head if you feel it's protected, and more inclined to take risks.

If you can find stats showing fatalities before and after mandatory seatbelt laws that would be informative. I think most of the other stuff was phased in slowly though.

I always felt that Harley and quad riders should be forced not to wear helmets. Of course by your theory...I may have it all wrong.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

I always felt that Harley and quad riders should be forced not to wear helmets. Of course by your theory...I may have it all wrong.

Hey easy on the quad riders. I've watched enough streetbike videos on youtube to know they are the biggest jackwagons of them all.

 

[Clutch]

Hey easy on the quad riders. I've watched enough streetbike videos on youtube to know they are the biggest jackwagons of them all.

Ha ha! I like to give my buddies who ride quads and Hogs a little bit of a hard time. Shhh...don't tell anyone, I have rented a chopper a couple few times in the past, I can see the appeal of just plunking down the road making a bunch of noise be a jackhole.

I had to swing by the Beta dealer today on lunch to get some parts...was eyeballing the SideXSides. Damn! Those things are nice, come a long way since Yammie Rhinos. They have gotten so good I don't see the point in modding a 4WD whatever. Why build anything new or old, when theses things are ready to go? Hell, you can get 4 of them for the price of one resto-mod.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

68-72 Chevy oooh good years! yeah be ok for a hobby truck, and to think how much money goes into a resto-mod, could buy a couple few F150's.

I can buy a pretty solid one for 5 k and put 10-15 in it and have a pretty potent truck. I had a 58 Chevy that sat on a S10 frame and had a healthy 454/Th400 and it wasn't that expensive at all. The most expensive part was getting a 9" narrowed,custom spring perches, amd redrilling it to match the bolt pattern for the front wheels. The rest was relatively inexpensive. I bought most of The stuff used then rebuilt/modified it to work for me.

 

[Clutch]

I can buy a pretty solid one for 5 k and put 10-15 in it and have a pretty potent truck. I had a 58 Chevy that sat on a S10 frame and had a healthy 454/Th400 and it wasn't that expensive at all. The most expensive part was getting a 9" narrowed,custom spring perches, amd redrilling it to match the bolt pattern for the front wheels. The rest was relatively inexpensive. I bought most of The stuff used then rebuilt/modified it to work for me.

That isn't bad at all. Of course when I say resto-mod I think of this.



If you do all the work yourself and not go crazy like the one above...cost isn't too bad...our neighbor back in PA used to build customs. '50 Merc, '41 Ford, '36 Pontiac...late 60's C-10 as a parts hauler. Used to hang out in his garage and shoot the ******** and drink ol Mil'.

I had '72 Chevelle with I had to sell for getting my license suspend for drag racing when I was 16, got my license back, bought one of my dad's old work trucks '76 F250...fixed that up...then bought another Chevelle a '71...my dad wrapped that one around a tree. Originally moved out to AZ to learn how to build hot rods and muscle cars...but life took a turn and went another direction, and got out of the car scene, and started buying slooooow Toyota trucks.

I almost dragged home a '65 VW Bug over the summer...and then thought to myself, what I am going to that with that!? Fix it all up and then what...sit around and stare at it? Trying break myself being a car-nut...on one hand I am totally fed up with vehicles in general, mainly because of having to commute now....and on the other...ooh look at that over there, I need that!...no...no, I don't....

 

[Deleted member 9101]

That isn't bad at all. Of course when I say resto-mod I think of this.



If you do all the work yourself and not go crazy like the one above...cost isn't too bad...our neighbor back in PA used to build customs. '50 Merc, '41 Ford, '36 Pontiac...late 60's C-10 as a parts hauler. Used to hang out in his garage and shoot the ******** and drink ol Mil'.

I had '72 Chevelle with I had to sell for getting my license suspend for drag racing when I was 16, got my license back, bought one of my dad's old work trucks '76 F250...fixed that up...then bought another Chevelle a '71...my dad wrapped that one around a tree. Originally moved out to AZ to learn how to build hot rods and muscle cars...but life took a turn and went another direction, and got out of the car scene, and started buying slooooow Toyota trucks.

I almost dragged home a '65 VW Bug over the summer...and then thought to myself, what I am going to that with that!? Fix it all up and then what...sit around and stare at it? Trying break myself being a car-nut...on one hand I am totally fed up with vehicles in general, mainly because of having to commute now....and on the other...ooh look at that over there, I need that!...no...no, I don't....

My daughter is 9 months old...as soon as she's old enough to help I'm getting another project car/truck. "Daddy daughter project" sounds like a great excuse for a build!!

 

[Clutch]

My daughter is 9 months old...as soon as she's old enough to help I'm getting another project car/truck. "Daddy daughter project" sounds like a great excuse for a build!!

With safety regs getting tighter and tighter, and autonomous vehicles upon us. In 15 years 3 months, think we will be still allowed to drive our own vehicles?