General comments on new technology!
 

I had an accident this week and damaged my 2007 Chrysler Town and Country. A car I bought new almost exactly 8 years ago today. As I absolutely need a van and it must have a flat floor on the interior the Chrysler (or Dodge) van with Sto-and-go interior is a must and a call to my Insurance company got me a 2015 Chrysler Town and Country sitting in the driveway.
Hoo-Boy talk about a technological mind game! The amount of electronics is mind bending. I had to get instructions as to how to turn on the heater so I can drive it.
The only thing similar to my 2007 is they both have 4 wheels.
The engine is overhead cam and a 6 speed transmission. VS. Push Rods and a 4 speed automatic. There is no comparison.
The engine spends city traffic time shifting gears a lot. Face it a small 3.5 engine vs all that weight. It is much faster and quicker (yes there is a difference) than my 2007. Part of that is 100 more hp. The other part is a hand full of gears to get it to move from a dead stop faster.
It has a feature my Saturn did, an economy vs performance button to change shift points. It works like my Saturn did and I like it. But that is about the only thing that directly compares.
It also has a back up camera, a feature I did not expect to say anything good about, but the car is a big car and it lets me park in small parking spots a whole lot easier than I thought I could. So I will take back my negative comments.
I still do not know how half the things work but some of the features I really am not fond of. On my 2007 there is a knob for heater fan, you can feel the indents and know where things are. Wigh levers sliding through notched positions to set the heat. On the video display board of the 2015 you have to manually push a button and look at the display to see what the doggon thing is doing. A little sporty in traffic. Not a fan. 'Specially when you shut the car off and remove the key it resets to default values.
Am I impressed? You betcha, a ton of electronics! But am I pleased? Not really but technology getting better is a way things are going and the cost of advanced electronics is really fairly cheap.
I have never seen this much advancement over a 7 or 8 year time base. It has been hard getting used to it. But and there is always a but, if I can not get mine put back together I will be forced to replace it, a cost I had no programed into my budget so I had better get used to some things.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Unc. Pull out the owner's manual and check online for your model. If it has voice command capabilities, there will be a corresponding voice command for pretty much anything you can command through the display.

This lets you keep your eyes on the road and not on the LED panel of confusion.

The voice thing is activated by a switch on the steering wheel. Most people only learn 8 to 10 command phrases but once you memorize the required input format you can pretty much guess at the others w success. On the Ford Sync system there are supposedly 10,000 commands, 9000 of which will never be used. But the other 1000 satisfy the needs of 99% of the owners

It probably came with a video disc instead of an owners manual. At least, my 2013 200 did. BUT, there's an 800 number in the information that you can call and get a paper owners manual. That's what I did. And I used it to shut the service manager up when he told me I had to come in every 3,000 miles for oil changes or my lifetime drivetrain warranty would be void. I pulled the owners manual and showed him where it CLEARLY states that the oil change is to be every 10,000 miles or once per year. He didn't have anything else to say and turned around and walked off. Get that paper manual and READ that sum beech. How's Val doing?

It won't have all the possible voice commands but should have a layout of the syntax of a command....

And what the hell good is a DVD owner's manual by the side of the road when you have some strange unrecognizable dash light blinking? Saving money is one thing, hosing your customers is another...

Umm!
I went to check the manual (remember this is a rental) and it was missing.
A lot of good that thing did.

And voice commands, come on, they don't work on the kids, much less a used car.

And video instead of an owner's manual?
That is smart, one more thing to loose and also considering I have no use for a video in my car, 1 I would not pay extra for a car with one and two would never use one even if it came with the thing.
Thee I am trying to turn on the damned heater and I need to play a video to figure it out?
Who actually that has read an owners manual has the slightest desire to watch a movie based on a book..
Phoo!!
Not everyone who buys a car buys a new car with an owners manual still in it. I have yet to own a used car that still has had the manual in it.
But I must remember, the manufactures concern stops cold at the end of the warranty.
And the poor dealer, they are lost in limbo on it.
I stopped by a dealer to see what they had In used cars just in case I could not get my Chrysler repaired and the salesman got really upset when I told him I was not remotely interested in riding around in a golf car looking at vans. If I wanted to LOOK at a van I could look at the rental I drove in with.
I wanted to see only and I repeat only those that did NOT have leather and did hafe sto and go interior.
His response was do you mean you want me to check inventory?
And I said yes.
And that up set him.
Big deal, that is his job.
If he wants to sell me a car, let him work at it a bit.

How old was he?

Kids and cars are different.
When the car misbehaves, you can turn it off.

I'd have jerked a knot in his ass. Lazy car salesmen DO NOT get to sell me a car. When I bought my 200, I put that poor guy through the ringer and he knew his stuff. I was somewhat impressed with him and I'm someone that is not easily impressed. By ANYONE. Remember Fred Thompson? I knew him before he got famous and was NOT impressed one bit. Met a lot of country stars over the years in Nashville and was NOT impressed.

I love Dodge/Chrysler vans in that you can put all the seats in the floor. Here are some suggestions for you if you're looking for alternatives to the Starship Enterprise you have now.

2005-2009 Nissan Quest. Kinda weird on the outside. Back seat tumbles into a well in the back. Middle seats fold and squash down somewhat flat. Heard they have a good ride. CVT transmission. Don't see to many on the road. Take that for what it's worth.

1998-2002 Toyota Sienna. Bulletproof drivetrain. Seats don't stow onboard, hope you have a garage, but with them out it has a flat floor. Little on the narrow side, "mini" in minivan. High resale/used value.

2003-2007 Toyota Sienna. More boring Toyota reliability. Available AWD. Rear seat stows, middle seats are garage queens. High resale/used value.

I would stay away from Honda Odysseys. I would also steer clear of Hyundai's offerings. Not much to recommend after that. All the companies went SUV crazy for hauling stuff instead of minivans. I don't know how big of a box you're looking for, but a Honda Element or Kia Soul might be alternatives too.

Unc

If you get the Soul, they give you a discount on a hamster suit...

Oh the imagery

I was surprised when I bought the 92 (RIP) it still had the original owners manual.....also had the original bill of sale and dealer window tags. I should have kept the stuff.
I know I am only 22, but I swear I am an old soul.
I am not a fan of all the new technology out. My girlfriend has a 13 Ford Edge. Granted, it is nice. But there is just to much going on in the dash. Not enough character with all the digital stuff going on.


Also, to touch base on "kids" these days. Again, I am the baby of this family, I know that.
But people are beyond spoiled and selfish. They don't know what its like having to do physical labor, or having to earn money for what they want.
Doing something extra these days is a chore. I know we all have lazy days, but seriously, not everything in life is going to be handed out on a silver platter.
The generation I am growing up in more than disgusts me.
If you guys like physically knew me, and hung out with me on a daily basis, you would probably think I belonged in the 70s/80s.
For some reason that generation seems to have their crap together (I don't mean to offend anyone by that statement, its a general statement, not trying to pin point anyone).

Well the initial phase of being frustrated is over. I can deal with the traffic ticket in January some time (still have to check it out) The new Chrysler was interesting, way too much electronics in the thing, it was faster than snot and the 6 speed transmission is busy shifting in traffic trying to move a lot of weight quickly with a small motor that twists tight quickly. Shift was hard and it bothered Valerie's incisions from the operation. I had a Chrysler salesman remove the consul, it turns out they are removable but they sure screw up the floor space in a van. Bill look put my 'Chrysler back together so I traded them, the Enterprise rep got his panties in a not when he discovered the console was riding as baggage and though I broke it.
Dr. and other visits are under control, sure would like to have a whole week with out one, and I'll bet Rube feels the same. (Thinking of you) And the headlights started working again on my Saturn. I think it was just corroded connections inside the steering wheel from sitting too long and too many times.
I've been to the VA and they are running tests on me to see if I have had a "silent heart attack" as they have defined the words. If so I have problems that I did not know Ihad and if true that makes #5 and that is getting a bit spooky.
And with all the best meaning in the world, Merry Christmas to any and all.
Later, got to get some sleep
John

Every generation has had their own set of issues. But I will agree the majority of the kids of the last 2 generations have pretty much sucked. But I think alot of that is due to a woeful lack of parenting skills. I'm not a parent, so you can label me irrelevant, but the last two generations of kids seem to have no concept what "work" actually means, and that it's not necessarily FUN. Who are the most recent generation's parents? The 2000ers. Where'd they get their parenting skills? Modeled after mom n dad.....from the 1980s
Mom n dad got their skills from their parents in the 1960s. That I think was the last generation that smacked their kids if they misbehaved.

So I think it was the breakdown of parenting skills in the 70s and 80s that kept declining, and now we have progressed to point where there's no real discipline at home or school and to dish it out you risk child endangerment or assault charges. These kids expect somethiñg for nothing because they've never been taught otherwise. By their parents

If I wanted the latest and greatest in car technology, I wouldn't still be driving around in an '02 SC! The basic car was designed back in the early 90s with some styling updates. Compared to cars today, I'm piloting the Apollo moon lander. The latest tech I have is an aftermarket radio that has an AUX and USB plug. I graduated high school just as personal cell phone use took off and have always been behind the times (still have a flip-phone!). I just have no need for gadgetry. I have A/C, power locks and windows, and a manual transmission that gets me good economy. Don't need much else.

Has your shifter bushing broken yet?--- it's right around that time--best to already have some form of replacemen and a phillips screwdriver in the car to remove the center console. Worst comes to worst, hold the shift cable to the ball, put it in second, and limp home.

Just to one-up you (which is quite rare for me), I have a custom modified 1997 OEM Saturn AM FM CD w Equalizer AND a FRONT AUX 3.5mm jack for Ipod and other input. I'm a stock kinda guy who likes the stock look---with an exception here and there when it makes sense.

Funny that you mention that Derf. It's on the list of Spring Break projects along with replacing all the IP bulbs and some rust repair. The shifter still works fine, it's always been a little sloppy. I suspect i have one or two bulbs in the IP out, but I'm thinking of replacing the lot of them, like you. And I have a growing rust spot on the frame behind the door that I want to address before it eats away at the metal and the car snaps in half. Ok that a little too dramatic, but rust is ugly.

I just have to wait until I have the time and warmer weather to do it. I don't have the benefit of a garage or even a covered area to work with anymore.

I completely agree with you... I see some of the crap kids do these days, I think, "if I had done that as a child..." I refuse to raise my son to feel entitled... After all, we all have our part to do... And yes I believe in firm discipline when needed...

On kids both mine and current generation, all kids, ourselves included were raised with the hopes that our parents had, that we would have to deal with something less in the terms of problems than they had. Sort of like depression era living was not wished upon us or at least me and what ever had to do with life style during WWII was also not wished up on us, but we were taught values such as soda pop bottles were worth a nickel and if you wanted something extra you went out and worked finding them so you could reclaim them and obtain the cash.
However one of the saddest things that I have seen in my life time was watching a mother use the ATM and as money came out the little ankle biter danced around shouting "Mine, Mine,Mine" as the money came out.
Watch the Disney Channel once in a while and see all the advertisements telling the same ankle biters all the things they deserve to get, just tell your parents about them.
I don't deserve to have a cell phone, and I need one for minimal functions, my grand children have them and on plans that are very close to triple digit figures a month. And they do not have to pay for them. One hell of a lesson there!
I guess I am classified as an old grouch because I still have to earn and pay for my toys.
Speaking of that! Rust
That stuff is awful and I have fought it all of my life because it destroys my toys. That is one of the reasons I moved into the SW and then Arizona.
For example here I replace exhaust systems because I want to, not because it is rusted out and gone. However the trade off is heat and U.V., which destroys plastic and rubber. And guess what is a major component on my Saturn. (Also on my 70 through 80's AMC cars. To get replacement parts I have to touch base with people across the northern states and Canada where the cars rust out but the plastic interior pieces are still there. I have some work to do on my Saturn dash and the parts are on the shelf, but I am half afraid to start for fear of breaking things apart trying to unsnap the pieces.
And as to my AMC vehicles, I have a 74 that if I live long enough I will restore and sell and the dashboard is shot, trying to get replacements has been an exercise is carrying plastic shrapnel. I finally got an entire flexible dashboard from a fellow in N.J. who bought one from N.C. to get parts from and then stripped and sold the rest, I also got a double hand full of interior pieces that will work for the 74 and the 76 I am building, but it took me four years to find some one who was parting out one from the rust belt and was willing to remove and package up the pieces I wanted. So that and the missing front seats are now in my possession, the seats came from Texas and are a 2 year only compatible item.
But I paid for my toys rather than expecting some on to buy them for me.
And life goes on!
Merry Christmas

I agree with buying/building my toys on my own, rather than expect mommy/daddy to buy it for me... Like I said, I wasn't raised to feel entitled, but rather ask what I can do for society, and I intend to pass that sentiment onto my son...

Unc, the one thing i remember from when my brother had his work rental T&C was that it is an excellent burnout machine. aside from that it has all the standard gadgets and gizmos that everyone has become accustomed to as standard. My father just picked up a brand new 2016 F350 lariat. I am not looking forward to teaching him how to use the touchscreen controlled everything!

On the topic of todays kids, I believe a few of my friends and me are the only ones (that I know) that will do real work. 55-60 Hours of labor a week are normal to me, but I had to babysit (and I mean babysit) my one friend who my uncle hired to come and help me and my other guy this summer. He thinks working at shoprite slicing deli meats 6 hours a day is a hard job, when I cant get him to show up on time even two days in a row (when he only works 3). He tries to weasel his way out of work early every other week so he can go hang with friends or go to some event, but complains when he doesn't have money to $200 part on his yota. I have countless stories of this kid thru out the years ive known him. His sense of entitlement is astounding, and doesnt pay a single bill. I firmly believe were screwed in the future.


On an unrelated note. Hello everyone! Its been awhile hasnt it?

Wow, it's been forever! Glad to see you back around here! Yup, I agree that from the predominant sense of entitlement in today's generation, we are, to quote Bender B. Rodriguez, "royally boned"...

I'm kinda surprised you haven't returned here with another Saturn... I've had three, and my latest has been a huge PITA, but somehow I still love it...

Thanks man, Im back to stay! you should have seen all the dust on my laptop when I decided to turn it on today haha. No new saturn yet unfortunately, I just picked up a bronco for the winter so I can park the diesel and keep it outta the salt. putting a motor in the bronco this week. Whats up with this one? Im just getting around to checking all of the posts ive missed yet.
However, I start a new job next month, one that will take me all the way to retirement. If all goes well I will not be saturnless by the end of next year

off topic but since you asked what's new, I must inform you that sw2cam and Rjion (brothers in real life) have retired from our forum. The torch has been passed to myself and some dude named Goaliemo, who, by the time he's done, will have only 3 screws and an N-clip remaining as factory parts on his IRL.......he's a good guy....

I was wondering where those names went, I wish i was here to say goodbye properly. lmao I almost spit out my beer reading that last part. I will meet him in due time haha. I just posted something in the thread so we dont derail this topic too much, even though it is off topic

yep--sorry for the excursion, Unc--back to business

Wow where the hell was I in all this? I'm lost lol.

And as for the self entitled generations I think a lot of that has to do with the fact in the late 90s and early 00's is when a lot of teenagers started having their own kids so they raised little assholes. Both of my parents were born in the 50s...I dropped out in the 10th grade and I had to get a job and pay rent and pay my own cell phone and everything. I moved to my cousins for a few months and had to pay them rent. I grew up way before my time though. I conversate better with adults twice my age. I don't understand people my age. Oh well...old soul I guess.

Never would have guessed about the dropping out in a million years. And you do converse with people twice your age (I'm proof of that) quite succinctly. I've always been in awe of the fact that you handle so much **** at such a relatively young age, yet you manage to keep your life moving forward.

You don't understand people your own age because your level of maturity is higher; you traveled a different path in life and matured at a young age in order to survive. Other people your age had mommy n daddy pay for their college tuition. Their daily lives are nothing like yours; their perspective on the "real world" is quite different than yours.

They seem to think they are entitled to certain things in life.

You work your a s s off in order to get every thing you want out of life.

I try my best. I'm definently not the best example but I try.

And that's what sets you apart--you do not give up