Tech and modern cars.

 My old Astra was getting to be a real pain.  The noise from somewhere underneath continued (see my original write up on it), but additional, hard to trace problems were also building up.  It had started to leak somewhere around the boot too, yet I could see no good reason for this since the seals were good.  This got to the point where, over time, the recess for the spare wheel filled up and the water then sloshed around sufficiently that it started to soak through the foam of the rear seat, making it damp.  The inside of the windows were often dripping with moisture too, and demisting took an age.  Since last autumn and winter here were exceptionally wet, this was a constant source of annoyance.  Since building an extension on our house a few years I no longer have direct access to my garage, and have to work on the car out in the street.

I have to admit that although the bodywork was in good condition, The constant niggles with this car, most of which were probably caused by poor maintenance by the previous owner, were wearing me down, and my enthusiasm for putting any real effort into fixing it had long since waned.  It was never a "good" car, and I had only bought a scrapper so that we could transport our largish hairy mutt of a dog on the (covered) back seat without having to worry too much.  Since her passing, the car was a workhorse for as long as it could be easily maintained, nothing more.

Then an engine warning light came on.  It still drove OK, but the OBD reader told me that the emissions from the catalyst were out of range.  Looking the code up online gave no one specific cause, so dealing with the problem would have meant replacing parts until I got lucky, a time consuming, and potentially expensive process.  On top of this, it was still chucking rain, with a forecast that showed no change in this situation for a good while to come.  Time to call it quits I thought, so I sold it for spares or repair.  I miss that damned car not one jot.  :-)

It's replacement is a Mini Countryman as in the picture.  It had a mere 30,000 miles on it and was immaculate, with one owner, and a full dealer service history.

It's nice to drive (excluding the hates below), has a good gearbox (manual; I'm not keen on automatics), comfortable, well specced etc.  Thus far, and despite having a lagger capacity, turbocharged engine, it seems to be more economical too.  What's not to like?  Well................

Whare do I begin?  The clutch is unusually heavy for a modern car.  We tried a few others too, and yes, they are all like that.  Progress is supposed to be a wonderful thing, and I'm not a complete luddite, but how can making people into semi participants in the driving experience and ownership of their car be classed as progress?  For example, what exactly was wrong with checking the engine oil with a dipstick?  The Mini doesn't have one, relying instead on an engine oil sensor.  A simple strip of metal with upper and lower limit markers was reliable, easy to read, and unbreakable.  Where is the problem to which the tech solution of the sensor is such an improvement, especially when to get an accurate reading of the oil level, drivers need to run the car for at least half an hour before going through the on board menu to ask for a reading!  That is not useful progress in my view.

Then there is the stop/ start facility.  I don't know anyone who likes this.  The fuel saving is marginal at best, and constant stop/ start would mean that the turbo in most cars would never spin up properly, the battery ages more quickly, and the starter motor will wear too.  In addition, when in traffic, cars will be slower to get moving, increasing congestion!  There is little sense in this facility on modern cars.  Perhaps that is why immediately beside the start button on the Mini, there is a switch that turns start/ stop off.  That being the case, why fit it in the first place?

Another wonderous, and very intrusive feature are the numerous sensors around the car that tell you of the proximity of obstacles.  Now, I don't know about all those out there who may read this, but I am neither blind, nor do I drive with my eyes closed.  Red warning lights come on in the Mini even when driving down a narrow road, diagrams flash up on the console, and things beep constantly even when driving slowly down a narrow road, and these damned things make parking the noisiest activity possible.  Rather than being conducive to safety, I find it intrusive and distracting.  Thankfully there is yet another dash switch where this can be turned off, and the sensitivity of the system can be set in the consul men.  Personally, I hate it this feature, and again, this must be an acknowledgement that this system is unwonted, and perhaps even dangerous.  Why bother with it?

Do we really need to dumb drivers down to the point where the car takes over?  Should drivers not be responsible for their driving, and if they really need these things, should they even be driving?

Don't get me wrong.  I quite like the Mini, but would like it a whole lot more without the intrusive tech.