I wish someone would make a truly dumb car. Sure you can have microcontrollers for emissions, safety, etc but beyond that give me a 1970s user interface and make the car as independent of technology as possible.
She knows how to change this, repair that, fit whatever and is very happy doing that. But she also knows that as a female if she goes into any garage for a 'diagnostic' she will be overcharged. In fact even for something normal with a 'non-computer' car she will be overcharged.
Cars without computers are like gold.
Given that ECUs / microprocessors have been standard on cars since the late 60s / early 70s.
For me it’s the network connections and updates that scare me. The software on my ‘99 Benz hasn’t changed in 24 years, and I don’t need it too.
Microprocessors didn't exist until the early 70s. Late 70s / early 80s is when they started becoming common in cars.
I see VW advertising a car with an ECU in 1968, but likely just transistors.
Enjoy
It would be dangerous, because various driver warning systems and such would not be possible. System that are having a significant impact on per-mile safety for vehicle occupants (road safety for vulnerable road users has plunged.)
It would not be economically viable to operate, because engines are efficient as they are thanks to things like variable valve timing, direct injection, and so on. Some ECUs can sense how good the combustion was on a particular firing cycle via resistance across the spark plug after the ignition event. None of that would be possible with a "dumb" car.
It would also not be economically feasible to repair, because the diagnostic time would be crazy. Trying to diagnose "dumb" cars from the 80's and 90's was a nightmare. You could spend hours just trying to figure out what was wrong in a maze of wiring, relays, resistive packs, analog sensors, vacuum lines, etc. Dealerships are staffed by low-level techs, people on their way to something else or starting their own shop. Car companies couldn't possibly train them on all the intricacies of analog "dumb" car technology anymore.
Now? I plug in a OBD2 wireless module, tap "scan" on my phone, drink a cup of tea while it systematically talks to every module in the car, and I not only get fault codes, they've likely got time and mileage stamps, an indication of whether they were intermittent or continuous.
I can trigger a test on a component.
I can see what the ECU or body control module THINKS is going on versus what's actually going on.
I can tell the body control module to adapt to a new analog sensor.
all without needing to so much as pop the hood, remove a single screw, or upholstery clip.
It's a fucking dream.
The shittiness in "smart" cars is because legislation in the US hasn't kept pace with technology, and that is because legislation and regulation in the US is dominated by corporate interests.