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#91
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On Thu, 3 Feb 2005, Sherman Cahal wrote:
> Power windows are a time saver and a safety tool. Please. That's just as stinky as Ralph Nader's claim that automatic transmissions are safety devices. |
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#92
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Daniel J. Stern wrote:
> Sherman Cahal wrote: > > > Power windows are a time saver and a safety tool. > > Please. That's just as stinky as Ralph Nader's claim that > automatic transmissions are safety devices. IME, automatic boxes are quite the opposite of safety devices. Once when my V40 was in for service, they lent me an automatic V40 (or S40, I forget which). It was bad enough that the wretched thing changed gear in silly places (such as on a bend where I would simply *not* change gear manually), but the beast came uncomfortably close to getting me rear-ended at an amber light: it was just as well there was noone tailgating me when I went for the clutch and the extra-wide brake pedal went far too close to the floor. Arrggghhhh!!!!! I'd rather be landed with a manual Civic than another auto 40 ... |
#93
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John David Galt wrote:
> Paul D. DeRocco wrote: > >> Maybe so--I don't know much about the regulation of the car market. But I >> wonder how many people really want stripped cars. Admittedly, I don't >> hang >> around with a lot of po' folks, but I only know one eccentric engineer >> who >> likes driving around without A/C (in SoCal) or power anything. He >> recently >> had to purchase more of a car than he would have liked, when his junker >> Corolla gave up the ghost, but most people I know like pretty heavily >> loaded >> cars. I certainly do--I'm a road geek _and_ a gadget freak. > > > I like mine loaded too, with features that actually do useful things > (a nice radio, automatic transmission, air bags and ABS, and power > steering). But I had to special-order my car to get it without a > sunroof (they leak), and was not even allowed to get it without power > windows and keyless entry, both of which I'd pay extra not to have. Having a 15-year-old car as I do, I appreciate the desire to cut down on bells and whistles that are only going to break down the road, and instead putting that money into a car that'll outlast all that cheap circuitry. My power locks, for example, lasted until the car's 9th year (luckily they are redundant). But power windows is one of those things I don't know if I could ever go back to the days without. |
#94
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On Thu, 3 Feb 2005, Pete from Boston wrote:
> But power windows is one of those things I don't know if I could ever go > back to the days without. Surely you could. It'd take about a week of annoyance then they wouldn't bother you any longer. |
#95
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In article ich.edu>, Daniel J. Stern wrote:
> On Thu, 3 Feb 2005, Pete from Boston wrote: > >> But power windows is one of those things I don't know if I could ever go >> back to the days without. > > Surely you could. It'd take about a week of annoyance then they wouldn't > bother you any longer. I never liked when it started to rain and the passenger side window was down. I just don't feel comfortable leaning across to roll it up while trying to drive at the same time. The driver's window could be left roll up, but the ones that I can't reach as easily from the driver's seat I prefer power. |
#96
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Brent P wrote:
> In article ich.edu>, Daniel J. Stern wrote: > > On Thu, 3 Feb 2005, Pete from Boston wrote: > > > >> But power windows is one of those things I don't know if I could ever go > >> back to the days without. > > > > Surely you could. It'd take about a week of annoyance then they wouldn't > > bother you any longer. > > I never liked when it started to rain and the passenger side window was > down. I just don't feel comfortable leaning across to roll it up while > trying to drive at the same time. The driver's window could be left roll > up, but the ones that I can't reach as easily from the driver's seat I > prefer power. Add to that you have to reach for the crank to roll up the drivers side window as well. What if some windows in the back were down? Or what if you had to reach up and crank the sunroof closed? Those are all MAJOR distractions that are virtually eliminated through power windows. The power windows don't "break" unless you have a poorly designed car (eg. Ford, GM), get lots of water on it (leaving windows open in the rain), or disable it somehow. |
#97
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['Pete from Boston':]
> Having a 15-year-old car as I do, I appreciate the desire to cut down on > bells and whistles that are only going to break down the road, and > instead putting that money into a car that'll outlast all that cheap > circuitry. My power locks, for example, lasted until the car's 9th year > (luckily they are redundant). My car (Rosie) is now 19 1/2 years old and the electronic gadgetry has outlasted pretty much everything except the major powertrain components. When my mother purchased Rosie in October 1985, the various electronic gadgets--which came as standard on that trim line--were still so novel to her that she insisted on a five-year extended warranty for them as added insurance. She never recovered the money she paid for it because the electronics worked flawlessly for the entire warranty period. Although I lost "every time" reliability about eight years ago on accessories like cruise control, keyless door entry, and power door locks, they are still very usable. I now consider them more or less indispensable as convenience features. The keyless entry system once saved me when I accidentally locked my keys in the trunk in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I also use the cruise control system so heavily on long trips that its complete failure is one of the very few circumstances that would prompt me to get rid of the car without hesitating (others include damage to the engine or transmission serious enough to necessitate rebuilding or major overhaul). I think it is very much a question of the reliability of the car model. Rosie is a second-generation Nissan Maxima, well known for high reliability in service. If I were forced to purchase a car made by an American Big Three manufacturer going through dark days, I would think carefully about electronic options too. > But power windows is one of those things I don't know if I could ever go > back to the days without. If I were buying a new car, I would still insist on power windows, central door locking, power mirrors, and power seats, but I think I could dispense with seat/mirror memory and automatic mirror dimming (for the time being, at any rate--I know I will want mirror dimming as my eyes get older, and memory seats are convenient when a car has to be shared among multiple drivers). And I think I would be able to escape from gas stations more rapidly if I had an electronic trip computer. Practically the only widely touted accessory which I consider completely useless is automatic headlight dimming. |
#98
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#100
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