this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2026
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My current car is old. I had a lot of repairs done on it recently. If I get a new car, I don't want features. Lane assist, backup camera, DUI Camera, telemetry, auto breaking or other frankly silly features. Call me grumpy, but I find modern cars very distracting.

Can I ask a dealership to disable these at purchase? Is there a car that works best for being private besides just older cars?

I drive very little in a year. No, I can't ride a bike.

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[โ€“] SUDO@reddthat.com 1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I feel backup cameras are a gateway drug for cars. I would not turn a car down for having one for example. As other features go, I drive so little that the car doesn't need to be fancy. It's a way to get from point a to b.

[โ€“] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Tell that to the kids and pets that got run over because they were in a blind spot, backup cameras help to prevent that.

I completely understand not wanting the whole suite of modern safety features, I hate most them too, but they do save lives. If you don't drive that much, then they shouldn't bother you if they are there. Most can be turned off anyway. If you're that desperate to not have a rear cam, just tape over it, but please don't.

Even the "cheap", sub $30k new cars come with a lot of the safety features standard now. (Based on general internet rumblings), a used 2018-2022 higher trim car will probably be the sweet spot between having some of the safety features (that can be turned off), physical AC controls, and not having the ads and giant tablet screens. Personally, I wouldn't go any older than 2020 unless you find something well taken care of. A 2018 model year would have be released summer 2017, 9 years ago.