Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
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Notes -
Very likely looking to buy a new (to me, at least) car in the next few months. Weirdly, I have almost no starting criteria on which to begin my search. It really will be mostly a Point A to Point B thing, and while I'm not opposed to any features/bells/whistles, I find myself mostly apathetic. Just not really aware of what really nifty features might be out there now that can genuinely provide value. Almost certainly want something <10yrs old, good chance I'd be amenable to something <5yrs old. Last car I bought was 4yrs old at the time, and it's still in pretty great condition after an additional decade. It was near the end of a model run that was still just "basic car, engine makes it go", not a bunch of computers and wiz-bang gizmos in the cabin. I grew up too poor to ever think about buying new, but I know that was almost a better deal in the market for some window in time not too long ago. I have more means now and am not completely opposed to it; it will depend completely on the shape of the market once I really dive in.
Anyway, with that background, I'd like to at least try to focus in on one Small-Scale Question for this Sunday. Any resources for how to find a relatively-recent car that isn't constantly spying on you? Any little communities out there that curate some lists for cars that spy less on you out of the box or have how-to guides for lobotomizing cars that can be lobotomized?
I won't rehash too much of my Friday Fun Thread comment about cars, but some points to consider:
Buying new still kind of sucks from a value proposition. You'll almost always regret the equity you drop for a car being new. That feeling lasts 3-6 months and you pay for it for 3 years. Buy something fresh off lease instead. This is one of the most extreme examples you can think of, but getting a Panamera for $40k (compared to what would be a $238k sticker today) is amazing.
If you want a car to not spy on you, you'll have to get an older car. I have not seen communities to lobotomize modern cars, it seems difficult and would disable features that you only get with new cars. It's much more likely to find communities that modernize older cars with newer features.
I find the nannying and eco/safety features of modern cars infuriating. It's like watching commercials on TV; they almost make me physically sick. However, there are some killer new car features I lust after:
If you go after those, I don't think you can go wrong. Getting something with enough space to put stuff in is important.
I know you view these as just an appliance but any other detail at all? Do you go on long drives? Do you go camping? Do you care how it looks? Any brand preference at all?
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