Sure, lots of internet people who don't want to be tracked (license plate readers notwithstanding).

But also plenty of IRL people complaining about how, for example, they miss their $10k pickup with no power anything that worked great for anytime they needed to haul material X from location M to N, but now you need to drop a minimum of $50k for a vehicle you might use once per weekend to haul gravel, insulation, cement, lumber, furniture, etc.

Trucks are a particularly big market for this idea. It's a vehicle you use when you're already dirty and sweaty from work/projects and don't care about comfort, and serves a primary purpose: moving heavy and/or large items.

But the big carmakers have opted to cater to the market that doesn't actually use trucks for their actual purpose, but rather the market that buys trucks as commuter vehicles.

You can still get a stripped down, plain white F-150 for under $27k through fleet sales. But buyers don’t want that. They want the 4-door people hauler that happens to have a pick-up bed and leather seats.

They’ll imagine the $10k from memories but forget the vinyl seats, no AC, and manual windows. But they won’t buy that one n

They are also thinking of that $10K in todays dollars. Adjusted for inflation, that $10K truck that could could buy back in the mid-80s costs the same as a new one today. You just get a heck of a lot more features.

Assuming those memories are from the 70s, $10k then are worth about $50k today. Never mind the fact you’re also buying a much, much better vehicle in most aspects.

That statement makes no sense. The folks complaining can still buy those old pickups if they want. All that has happened is they are now older. No one is forcing them to buy a new truck that they use sporadically.

I've investigated about 20 of those old pickups; they're crap, because they've been run into the ground. I want a new old pickup.

That will not happen unless new legislation is passed:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-19/bigger-pi...

I would love a stripped down 1990's-era Toyota truck

https://www.thedrive.com/news/42523/84-mile-1993-toyota-pick...

But not for 50k

Ignoring everything else, that new truck is much larger. Compact trucks have not really existed in the US market for a decade at least.

An old Ford Ranger was 175-200 inches long depending on year and model. The new one is 200-210 inches.

Sort this list by class and you'll see a total of two compact trucks in the US market. Both are debuting either this year or the next: Ford Maverick (200") and Hyundai Santa Cruz (195").

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks

Those new "compact" trucks are sadly still 2ft longer than old compact trucks from the early 90s. Can't get anything small anymore.

People can have nostalgia for stuff they grew up with but when it comes down to it don't actually want to spend the money to buy it now.

I reminisce about 90s sports cars that I used to dream about too. But then I think about the lack of bluetooth, keyless start, the low power output, poor handling, poor safety, poor fuel economy, and I just buy a modern car instead.

Yeah, I don't like how overcomplicated many products are becoming but even then wouldn't buy a car without at least AC and Bluetooth.

My must-have now is the backup camera with steering integration. I can hook up a trailer like a god now.

Actually new vehicles are legally required to have backup cameras. At least if they are sold in the US [1]. I would love to see a simple, back to the basics vehicle but there is so much regulation and safety requirements that it is unlikely for any basic vehicle to be sold in the US.

[1]: https://abcnews.go.com/US/cars-us-now-required-backup-camera...

It's absolutely a good thing that these cameras are required with how many children are run over frequently as drivers reverse their cars.

"Where is your god now?"

"Right behind you."

You could easily pick up an after market bluetooth-enabled product. A/C is definitely important however.

Though A/C doesn't really need much in the way of electronics.

interestingly, I go the opposite direction. I try to buy cars without AC (environmental reasons), without electronics (expensive to fix when they fail 'cos the constructor takes a huge premium on these), with the least possible automation ('cos I think these are overpriced)...

Basically, the more sophisticated a car is, the higher the risk of failure and thus price to fix the failures. Now, I buy inexpensive cars. Maybe if I go for expensive brands, the risk is less.

I won't buy a car if it has bluetooth or cellular connectivity, but that is getting harder to find. I want that shit air-gapped. Someday I might have to just rip out the media head and telematics unit after buying it if I can't find one anymore.

I'd describe myself as having above-average privacy anxiety but I have to ask, what's the threat model here? I'm way more concerned about ALPRs than I am about Bluetooth or a data connection.