You are right about the complexity.........
In the early 2000's my kids were little, and very young. I was freshly divorced and being young myself I was without a bank full of money and any creditworthiness. I had to sell everything in that divorce and essentially start over from scratch. My Ex lived in another state and visitation usually involved a full day of travel to exchange the kids. I needed a cheap inexpensive vehicle that I could make repairs (on the fly). I chose the simplest SUV on the market. It was a 1978 Ford Bronco that I purchased for around 800 bucks. I had a good paying job and the judge chose to give her half of those wages as well- so paying a car payment was out of the question as well as full coverage insurance. I needed to stretch a dollar as far as it would go. 12 mpg was bliss, because if a part failed on the SUV it was so simple and cheap to fix I could carry enough tools to make repairs without worry.
Every time I picked the kids up in that vehicle my daughter would complain about the heat, saying "turn the A/C on Dad". This Bronco had no A/C, but vent windows were scattered around the vehicle to create a wind-tunnel effect. I explained to her that this vehicle didn't have A/C and she asked if 'I would go to the bank and buy some'. I would smile back at her and say that she would be "OK" and would survive the trip. The Boys never said a word about the temps inside the car- I guess the oldest, being a girl had the most to say about her life experiences. I never once mentioned to her that in the old days' "nobody had A/C".
Fast forward to today - Kids survived their adolescence, I survived being divorced and supporting the Kids all those years (It was tough to do). Now, I can own a truck VS an SUV- no more kids left in the nest. I go and look for something newer to drive. Oh boy, there sure are some pretty trucks out there. Look at the Sticker on the window and see the MPG has improved over the years from 12 to 15mpg- I was looking at a full size truck to buy unlike one of those little foreign jobs. Popped the hood and saw plastic everywhere and in my mind wondering how it didn't melt and catch fire on a hot day. The engine bay was not homeowner service friendly. Opened the door and saw lush carpet, color coordinated plastic accent pieces graced the dash and was plastered anywhere steel may be visible. The instrument cluster was cool to look at ( as it had eye candy everywhere). Everything was lit up, interactive Ford logo would appear as the key was turned and although never (waved hello) it felt as though it did to me. Yep I wasn't getting a car, I was getting a space ship.... Dealer was telling me all the cool features about the vehicle and I am still fascinated about that swirling ford logo on that little tv in the dash. I asked to drive one with a manual tranny and his reply was "Ford no longer sells those - the automatics can shift better than you can". That was a game changer.
Call me simple I guess but I left that dealer and was saddened to know that if I were to purchase new, there would no longer be any shifting with a third pedal in the floor. If it breaks down, a computer scanner must diagnose/troubleshoot and tell you what is wrong with it. Parts I am sure cost a bit more than what I currently drive. Apparently they no longer sell (vent window's) on new cars either. So as I drive too and from work with my arm placed on the sill of the door with the window rolled down, I look and see everyone in their new cars driving around me sitting in PODS with their windows up and it is a beautiful day! Times have changed I guess..... I am now the 'Old Fart' driving that Sanford and Son beat up truck that everyone unconsciously see's driving down the road.
I guess complexity just don't fit me anymore, I still look for a analog hour meters on tractors. Perhaps I am an {Analog guy in a Digital age}
Sorry about the long read
