|
|
This topic comprises 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Buying a new truck
|
Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"
Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 02-22-2013 05:58 PM
But it does seem to be part of your point.
If your point is strictly about airbags being unnecessary, then why characterize them as "an explosive inches away from my face"? Those kinds of (alarmist-sounding) statements completely overshadowed any other argument you were trying to make.
My point is that even if airbags ARE indeed killing SOME people, they are doing more good than harm and, hence, they seem like a sensible thing to have. After all, the car itself could kill you in a number of ways. The gas tank has been pointed out, but even seat belts could conceivably factor into an automotive fatality.
If you avoid all of the things that are mostly good but could still POSSIBLY kill you, you'd pretty much have to just stay at home -- and that's just a death of a different sort. And a prolonged one, at that.
As for the industry "forcing" all of these features on us -- I'd bet you could still get a stripped-down version of just about any car -- minus the fancy audio/video, GPS, warmers, etc. But, I'm guessing that even the most basic model will have seat belts and airbags. And I suspect that is because most people want those features. I believe that if the majority of drivers objected to airbags, they would never have caught on the way they did. So, until it's proven otherwise, I'm not going to buy into the notion that airbags are a feature that's being forced onto us against our will.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Scott Norwood
Film God
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 02-22-2013 07:43 PM
Air bags ("passive restraints") are required by law for new cars sold in the US, just as seat belts have been required since the 1960s. The car owner can, of course, disable them, but they still get built into the price of a new car.
By that standard, at least, they are indeed being "forced" on American consumers.
They actually existed as an option in the 1970s, but almost no one bought them. They were then unavailable as an option for a while into the early 1980s, and then made a comeback in the late 1980s when the benefits became clearer. At some point between then and now, they became standard on many cars and were eventually required by law.
As for pointless "features" that come with new cars, here is one of my pet peeves: car keys. My first car was a 1980s GM model that used "normal" keys that could be duplicated for about a dollar at any hardware store. New cars use keys with built-in chips which require blanks that can only be purchased through a dealer. They are also annoyingly large (the "handle" part of the key contains the chip). This is sold as an anti-theft feature, as it supposedly ensures that a generic key cannot be made to start the car. A key for my Honda goes for upwards of $60, and requires a service appointment. That is insane. Do any customers really want this "feature"? Has the auto theft rate gone down since this became common? I doubt it. Anyone who really wanted to steal my car would just tow it away.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monte L Fullmer
Film God
Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004
|
posted 02-23-2013 01:05 AM
quote: Mike Blakesley
the electronics ARE a pain. The clock keeps resetting itself; the satellite radio forgets what station it's on or else it changes the source for no reason
Question is: you paid for a vehicle that is almost like buying another house, then "By DAMN! all of that gadgetry crap had better work and stay working since you had to get a 2nd mortgage to afford the purchase!
Heard something interesting and can believe it: All automakers have two departments:Engineering and Management. Most "big box" manufactures have major levels between management and engineering with management telling the engineers how to do it without question and the engineers just do it without question. If there is a problem that arises, the engineers can't communicate with the management and those problems keeps being manufactured.
Not with Hyundai/KIA: The engineers and management has a meeting once a week to talk about what is needed or possible problems. If there is a problem, the engineering team tells the management about it and the management immediately addresses the problem to be corrected.
My mother has a KIA Spectra and we have the Rondo and definitely impressed with our selection(s). I traded our Saturn for the KIA after seeing potential problems with the Saturn..and the vehicle didn't even have 55K miles on it. Granted, the Saturn L100 was an excellent vehicle on the road, but didn't want that vehicle to be living in the shop for most of its life and taking my money with it.
My decision for this choice is due to that I'm a mechanic and can recognize quality from within, not from the outside.
I've noticed that the Big Three thrive on their truck sales, in which they are built extremely well (I'm a GMC/Chev fan), but their cars are something else to be desired-built to last the three years the lease agreement they've been built on.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Randy Stankey
Film God
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 02-23-2013 12:06 PM
In the scheme of things, airbags aren't that big of a deal.
The more important thing is that there is too much junk that isn't necessary being stuffed into cars which increases the price.
Electronic dashboard, DVD players, MP3 players, navigation, Bluetooth, voice control and all that other crap. None of that crap is really needed. Cars, today, are being sold, almost entirely, on the basis of superficial features.
Auto makers either can't or won't work to improve cars. Maybe automotive technology has topped out? Maybe we've improved cars so much that, unless there is a major shift in the way we think about car engineering and construction, we can't make them any better?
We've been using deisel-electric railroad locomotives for decades but hybrid cars are still in their early stages of production. I like the idea of gas-electric/hybrid cars but I don't think the technology has developed enough and they are still way too expensive.
I propose that, if we spent less research on putting crap into cars that we don't need but, instead, spent that money to make current technology better, we would either have gasoline engines that are far better and more efficient than they are, now, or we would have developed hybrid technologies to the point where they are better and less expensive.
Yes, capitalism means making money by selling products and services but it doesn't mean that manipulating markets in order to increase profit without improving current products is ethical.
| IP: Logged
|
|
Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001
|
posted 02-23-2013 12:28 PM
quote: Mike Blakesley
I've NEVER heard of an airbag going off when the car didn't hit something first.
US Department Of Transportation Jeep Recall Notice
quote: US Dept Of Transportation
Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
JEEP / GRAND CHEROKEE 2002-2004
JEEP / LIBERTY 2002-2003
Manufacturer: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC Report Receipt Date: NOV 08, 2012
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 12V527000 NHTSA Action Number: EA12001
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE
Potential Number of Units Affected: 744,822
Summary:
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, through March 28, 2003, and 2002 through 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, through May 23, 2003. A component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front airbags, side curtain airbags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Consequence:
Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Remedy:
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a supplemental jumper harness to the airbag control module, free of charge. Owners were notified of the recall by interim letter in January 2013. The remedy for affected Liberty vehicles is expected to be available in April 2013. The remedy for affected Grand Cherokee vehicles is expected to be available later in the year. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.
Notes:
Chrysler's recall campaign number is M35. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Now you can READ about airbags going off when the car didn't his something first. What the government link does not tell you, but the mailing from Chrysler does, is that they do not have the parts to fix the problem. Never again will I buy a Chrysler vehicle. Never.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
This topic comprises 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
Home
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[sex]](graemlins/sex.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic