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559 points cxr | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.46s | source
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WarOnPrivacy ◴[] No.44476845[source]
I drive a Toyota that is nearly old enough to run for US Senator. Every control in the car is visible, clearly labeled and is distinct to the touch - at all times. The action isn't impeded by routine activity or maintenance (ex:battery change).

Because it can be trivially duplicated, this is minimally capable engineering. Yet automakers everywhere lack even this level of competence. By reasonable measure, they are poor at their job.

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aikinai ◴[] No.44476892[source]
It's cost, not competence. These days making a touch screen is easier and cheaper than manufacturing and assembling lots of little buttons and knobs.
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gaudystead ◴[] No.44476984[source]
One of the reasons I purchased a (newer but used Mazda) was because it still has buttons and knobs right next to the driver's right hand in the center console. I can operate parts of the car without even having to look.

(another reason was because it still has a geared transmission instead of a CVT, but that's a separate discussion)

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bluGill ◴[] No.44477203[source]
My newer phev saves me a large pile of money ever month in gas. Not as much as payments, but closer than you would think.
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1. sokoloff ◴[] No.44480250[source]
At an average 14K miles per year and a guessed 25 mpg, that’s 560 gallons/year. At $4/gallon (guessed and well over the US average), that’s $2240/yr.

If you exclusively charged with completely free electricity and still managed to drive that 14K miles in a year, you’d save $187/mo.

If it moved you from 25mpg to 40mpge, it’d save you a little over $70/mo.

Our two cars are a BEV and a hybrid, so I’m no battery-hater, but neither is cheaper than a reasonable gas-only equivalent would be.

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2. bluGill ◴[] No.44482486[source]
that is a large pile of money saved there, but not as much as payments.

Still cars don't last forever - my pervious minivan needed a transmission rebuild so we can cut the cost of the replacement by 10000 since either way that money is spent and now the newer van is break even on payments and it should still work after it is paid off for a few years.