I Think I Don't Want These Computers in Cars Anymore

Sorry but I don't believe we would see the performance we see now without computers, both in the cars and in the office.

Come on, a 1000+ hp Corvette? That your grandma could probably drive, assuming she is limber enough to climb into it? Show me the Superman/woman that is going to drive that without killing him/herself if the ABS/TC is turned off?

A 500 hp motor that get's 25 mpg and can be daily driven and/or road tripped? Not going to get both without a computer.

And last I remembered, while the government is forcing things down our throats it is the public that is buying the stuff that is making cars overly complex. Can you find a car that comes with AC only as an option? If not, it's because the automakers are competing with each other and the buying public is willing to pay for those options so they become standard. Another example is the manual transmission, they aren't dying only because they are losing in the efficiency camp but because people aren't buying them. There are automakers still offering them because they cater to enthusiasts and know that in those markets a manual makes them attractive, but most markets dropped them because they didn't sell and spending development money on them didn't make sense. So if anything, we need to point the finger at the sheep buying the cars (which includes us), not the government.

That said, I am all for simpler cars. I don't need or want power seats and wish they offered a manual seat option. The last thing I want in any of my cars is WiFi. I hate self driving cars and the direction I think that will go. But I do like the way they can integrate stuff and do things like turn the radio volume up when speed increases (not a need, just a nice feature). And when that same transmission can change the shift schedule and firmness at the push of a button? I'm all on board then.

Trick is, we have to accept the bad with the good sometimes. There are always compromises. Is a speed sensor annoying when it goes out and the trans is blind and forces it into limp mode? Sure, that sucks. But when the trans can use that info to perform better and the speedometer needle doesn't bounce anymore or the cable squeak, maybe it is worth the discomfort once every 30 years.

Complaining about all computers in cars is like saying I'm never going to take another breath so I never have to smell a fart again.