I am really wondering how people on Reddit always ask for these cars but in reality most people buying new cars buy the shiniest one they think they can still afford…
Elon Musk proved that cars can look horrifically disfigured from the outside, barebones from the inside (yes, current Tesla interior quality is not bad but Tesla got big when the interiors werent great) but if it means you can have 600bhp in a family car and show off to your neighbors while being smug about driving an electric car you are going to be hugely successful…
I am really wondering how people on Reddit always ask for these cars but in reality most people buying new cars buy the shiniest one they think they can still afford…
Reddit isn't a great proxy for American consumers. 44% of reddit users are 18-29 (or at least were 2 years ago). If you look at the total US population around the same time, the 18-29 age range represents 14% of the populace.
We know that age and wealth are correlated, so I suspect that the reason that Reddit sounds different than what you see in your day-to-day is because redditors are more cost-conscious due to being younger (on average) and thus poorer (on average).
It's the same with small phones. People state they want them, but their buying habits say otherwise. People think they want a small car without a backup camera, until they get in one and drive it.
people liked Tesla cars when they were first introduced and Musk had yet to go mask off. by the time the trucks had come out, Musk had been the person he is today for a while.
Cyber truck is something I watched with what can only be considered morbid curiosity.
The vehicle is basically a serial killers school ground weapon of choice. The sharp literal-metal "bumper" puts out so many headshots at the crosswalk the quake announcer would hesitate.
Yet, the new electrical architecture, battery and bus design is really cool and frankly poses a ton of advantages if more models went for it.
The thing is made as a minimum viable product and its quality is, as you said, abhorrent.
Yet, The EV traction control systems and the brains are so unbelievably good that on asphalt and dirt roads that AT tires barely hold it back. It's really awesome what they have done with the whole system.
The Tesla engineers continue to amaze me with their ability to pump out really amazing tech and genuinely interesting equipment. Sadly that interest will never turn into a purchase because Elon is the largest most catastrophic piece of shit to land on this earth and his existence is counter productive to the democratic advancement of an entire country.
Living outside the US: Every time I see one I can only assume the driver spends every night wishing they were 9 on the Island.
on top of this there ARE super basic cheap offerings from almost every manufacturer. I really don't understand these comments at all. if you don't want a car with a touch screen then buy one without a touch screen
I've really liked the Mazdas I've owned, and wanted to stick with a drivetrain and cockpit setup that I knew and liked. But they don't run the a la carte style of trims. You get three tiers to choose from, and you get what you get for most of the typical consumer options (there are dealer-option bullshit that you can deny, but none of that is anything a typical consumer would care to option for anyway).
That's certainly part of it, but there's also the profit-margin question. A big chunk of the cost of a car is just the materials (~60%) and "putting it together" (~5%). Value-add items--heated seats, better infotainment systems, &c.--are an easy place for manufacturers to get better margins.
The best selling vehicles in the US over the past few years are the RAV4 and Camry. Before that the Accord and Ford Taurus. Affordable basic vehicles are what people want. Fleet vehicles are what put larger trucks on top but in my opinion they don’t reflect on what the average person wants.
And I think the people that want the newest most touchscreen apple carplay cars are choking down the marketing koolaid and are somewhat dull.
Without things like CarPlay we end up with more manufacturers trying to sell subscriptions to access things you already own. There’s been a concerted effort by several brands to not support CarPlay so they can sell apps like it’s the 1990s selling ringtones all over again.
They are also encouraged by regulatory laws to make them that way. A larger vehicle (by size) is allowed to have a larger engine, and the number of mandatory safety features means that small size cars end up feeling really slow and low power unless they have a high performance package.
If there was a decently priced mini size car in my area that performed well, I'd be happy to buy it. But if you go to a dealership it's all trucks and SUVs.
This is the complete list of US federally regulated safety features:
• Seat belts (Mandatory since 1968): Required in all seating positions to prevent occupant ejection and reduce collision injuries.
• Front airbags (Mandatory since 1998): Required for driver and front passenger protection in frontal impacts.
• LATCH Car Seat Attachments: Standardized lower anchors and tethers for children's safety seats.
• Electronic Stability Control (Mandatory for 2012 model year): Computer-controlled braking designed to help drivers maintain control and avoid skidding or rolling over.
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (Mandatory for 2007+ cars): Alerts drivers when a tire is significantly underinflated.
• Backup Camera (Mandatory since May 2018): Rear visibility systems required on all new light vehicles to reduce blind spots.
• EV and Hybrid Minimum Sound Requirements: Audible motion sounds required for quiet low-speed electrified vehicles to alert pedestrians
So this:
the number of mandatory safety features means that small size cars end up feeling really slow and low power
Indeed. It's not the safety requirements that are the problem. It's the fuel efficiency requirements that require high-cost, short-life adaptations like CVTs and various engine modifications like reduced cylinder usage or start-stops.
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u/CueAnon420 9h ago
Up until the recent fuel crisis, consumers have been picking the loaded huge vehicles. That's why they make them.