I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla. She’s been my trusty steed for the last 14 years and is in good working order. I recognize she won’t last forever, and if, god forbid (mostly for her) I get in an accident, I will need to get a new car. So what dumb cars do you drive, and what would you replace them with?
If you don’t live in that one country where they get stolen easily, Hyundai I10 and I20 base models are the perfect dumb car
Absolutely nothing to go wrong; the most technological thing on them is a Bluetooth stereo, and the little 1.25L motor only needs an oil change every 20k kilometres to keep it sweet
The motors in us Hyundais are pretty notorious for not lasting long. Pretty much the opposite of a Toyota.
Actively in the process of replacing a 151k mile hyundai engine in my wife’s kia soul.
The 4 cylinders are trash, the v6’s are pretty good.
Am I missing something or people are calling engine of a car “motor”? Because there is a big difference between the two.
When you say dumb, do you mean like with minimal computers? I think I remember reading about Mercedes or something working on a vehicle that’s entirely mechanical with zero computer integration. I imagine it would be pretty expensive though
For that, they’d have to develop an entirely new engine, which they then couldn’t sell in Europe, America, Australia or most of Asia due to emissions regulations. So maybe they’re doing it, but it will be a one-off prestige project at the end of the internal combustion engine age, and all of them will be put in museums or private collections.
Maybe there’s just reusing an old OM601/602 from the 80s like diesel swappers are into.
No way. Anyone have a link? Its gotta at least have electronic fuel injection. A 2025 Benz with a carburetor and old school distributor is not believable.
Mechanical injection diesels could work with no digital computer, but getting one through modern emissions tests in any countries with half a standard should be impossible.
I would prefer something old enough it wouldn’t even have a backup camera
Why? I wouldn’t go without a backup camera. It only takes one time for a small child running after a ball to slip your eye and you’ve got blood on your hands. When a driver gets behind the wheel, they are barely in control of a multi-ton murder machine. A backup camera is a very easy-to-use tool to keep the murder machine under control.
Many Toyotas. Even their newest series LandCruiser is doing well and will continue the legacy of doing well because durable mechanical simplicity is what it brings to the competitive table.
A lot of Toyotas last a long time and are easy to work on. That in turn makes them popular, making parts for them even cheaper.
Honestly? Consider grabbing another Corolla if you liked your Corolla. The Toyota price tag pays itself off in longevity and low ongoing cost. They just don’t die and do their job well for a long time.
Honestly? Consider grabbing another Corolla if you liked your Corolla
Agreed. My 2020 corolla has very little of the digital bells and whistles that are increasingly getting in the way of things “just working” in the driving experience.
Still, more than I’d like, but much less than any other vehicle I’ve driven in the last 10 years.
And, as far as I can tell, it doesn’t have any way of “phoning home” to tell the corporate overlords if I’m doing something they don’t approve of.
I can’t quote it offhand, but I know I’ve read an article recently about corporations phoning home and I believe Toyota was on the list. I’ll see if I can dig it up.
That said, I agree about the Toyotas. Even if they DO phone home and we have to deal with that crap, they’re bulletproof and deserve their reputation.
Edit: guess I never ended up reading the whole article, but it was Mozilla. Hopefully this helps: https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/blog/privacy-nightmare-on-wheels-every-car-brand-reviewed-by-mozilla-including-ford-volkswagen-and-toyota-flunks-privacy-test/
That report is based on reading privacy policies, it doesn’t actually assess what cars / brands actually do or are capable of
For about ten years prior to 2020, I only had a company car. I’ve gone the past four without a car but I’m looking around for something to make it easier to visit family and take short trips.
Not only is the cost of a new car mindmelting, all the crap they put in them now is detrimental to me considering anything made in the past few years. I would sooner opt for a car with roll down windows and an AM radio than have to drive down the street with a giant computer screen shining in my face pinging me with all sorts of distractions. And that’s coming from someone who spent over ten years installing car stereos and remote starts, etc.
I don’t know what to do either. I’m looking at cars made around 2010-2015. I’d probably drive less than 2,000 miles a year but I’d still worry about wasting money on something that isn’t going to last me at least ten years. I also have a thing for cars that feel good to drive, typically German cars, so these cheap little Hyundais and such probably aren’t something I’d consider.
Can you clarify exactly what you mean by a “dumb car”? Do you just mean that it doesn’t have a screen in the cockpit? Or something else?
Internet connected (smart) or non-internet connected (dumb). At least that’s what this phrase means with all other context.
Understood, but OP mentioned that he wanted something without a backup camera, so that’s why I was asking for clarification.
Is 2002 recent? Still loving my vintage wrx.
When the wheels fall off I’d like to go with something electric, but those tend to be phones with wheels. Maybe a used volt?
Hey if it still runs and they were readily available. In terms of recent I was talking newer than my car, old enough not to have a computer system or backup lights.
Every car you could buy in the past 20 (probably 30) years had a computer system, because you can’t meet emissions regulations without fuel injection.
In Europe, the Dacia Sandero base model is a car that literally only comes with what’s needed to drive or mandated by law.
The previous generation was still available with wind-up windows, no power steering and no radio.I don’t know about any offerings in the US market.
I think OP is probably thinking of the kind of car computers that require you to use a touchscreen to control the windshield wipers, or turn off heated seats if you haven’t paid your monthly rental fee. Not a car built entirely without microchips.
If at all possible, consider replacing your car with an E-bike. Way cheaper, both in upfront and maintenance costs. No insurance, no gas, no registration fees, etc, etc. With the right set-up you can haul a week’s worth of groceries in the rain and not even think twice about it.
My 2019 Hyundai Ioniq SEL has been incredibly reliable for the last 5 years. It’s a very boring car compared to alternative hybrids, but I save money on gas, which is what I got it for.
I have a 2015 Dacia Logan, that’s just smart enough (can connect to Bluetooth).
I’m rocking a 1998 Toyota 4runner and when she dies I’ll replace her with another one
I switch back and forth between my 96 Tacoma with 250k miles and my 06 Scion xB with 190k miles. Love them both. Bury me in one of them.
I think what is a good choice greatly depends on your location, which affects prices, availability, spare parts availability etc.
I recommend a 2010 Toyota Corolla.
Alternatively, does anyone know of (a) car(s) which are easy to remove any computer systems?
You cant remove just any computer systems. Your current car would not start without all the chips inside.
New regulations require the use of several sytems ranging from ABS to eCall.
If you don’t want any of those, just repair/buy an older car.
There are still cars being made without tablets in the middle if you just want that.
Is the Holden/Vauxhall/Opel/Chevrolet Astra available in your country? I had one for a few years, tidy little car, built well, runs well. When it was written off I bought another, very happy with it.
