That car is 5 years newer than the newest car I have ever owned.
Photography by Chris Tropea
If you haven’t noticed, 2006 was a long time ago now, and cars have changed a lot in those years. Today, when you step into almost any new car, you are greeted with a large touchscreen infotainment system, parking sensors, radar cruise control and much more.
Stepping into our 2006 Mustang GT has been a welcome change to that complexity. I spent some extended time with it while my car was down for a bit.
What does the Mustang have for creature comforts? An AM/FM radio with CD changer, and that’s about it.
No big screen, no sensors, no push button ignition, no fancy dual-clutch automatic, not even Bluetooth. It’s just a car in the best ways possible, and after a week of using it as my daily driver, I am in love with it.
There is something enjoyable that I didn’t know I missed about not always having all the information in front of me. It brings back memories of my first car–back when life was possibly simpler.
Do I need to have my phone connected to the car at all times? No, but I have been trained to do it after having CarPlay and Bluetooth radios for the past few years.
In the week I spent with the Mustang, I found myself enjoying the local radio stations in a break from the monotony of listening my regular playlist on Spotify or another episode of my favorite podcast.
Maybe I’ll dig out my old CD collection at some point, but for now, I am enjoying the simplicity of it all: picking a radio station and listening to the burble of the exhaust in the background as I go down the road while rowing through the gears.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy all the modern creature comforts and amenities of new cars, but it does have me thinking, do I go back in time a bit with my next daily driver to get more of the simple life?
That car is 5 years newer than the newest car I have ever owned.
I drove the S197 when it was new as we had them in the press fleet. I liked it then. It was new yet still felt like a Mustang.
Like Chris, I’m enjoying my time with ours as well. It still delivers that analog experience.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
And it is still a great daily, I would have no problem driving that car all the time. Did I mention how good the exhaust sounds?
I have really enjoyed my 2014. Even with the 3.7 and the 6-speed it's a pretty fun place to spend time and still gets 20-30 mpg.
I wish the SCCA had come out with the spec class before I bought one.
Another reason modern cars are silly, I can read this article on my infotainment screen.
I just bought a 2011 GT for daily duties. It does have Bluetooth (+ some mild handling mods), but otherwise it's a simple driver w/o annoyances. I get this 100%. I start driving mine on Monday. Can't wait!
Chris Tropea said:Another reason modern cars are silly, I can read this article on my infotainment screen.
My 2009 Hummer has a Kenwood double-din. It's a touch-screen with Android Auto, which provides navigation, streaming music, and phone access, all on a 7" screen. Not once have I wished for a larger screen.
My wife's Volvo has a large screen with most of the controls in it. I find it particularly annoying to have to find the right screen to change the fan speed or temp in the HVAC instead of just turning a knob.
I'm starting to think enormous screens are similar to enormous lifted trucks. They are more about the statement than the functionality.
Toyman! said:I'm starting to think enormous screens are similar to enormous lifted trucks. They are more about the statement than the functionality.
Fundamentally the move to touch screen controls (which is what is driving the big screens) is driven by production costs. It's much cheaper to put one screen in the car and control everything with software than it is to have 80 different buttons and knobs like a mid-90s BMW.
In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :
I understand the reasoning. I just don't agree with it. I'd rather pay extra for buttons.
Not to mention the common point of failure when the touch screen dies. When the center screen in the Volvo dies not only will it lose the nav, it will lose HVAC, infotainment, and the ability to adjust a multitude of things in the vehicle. I'll bet that screen is uber expensive to replace, assuming you can find one in 15 years. I'd also bet it needs special programming to work with the vehicle.
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