NEVER buy a car with these features according to the 20+ years of CAR WIZARD mechanic experience! 

Just bought a 2023 Tundra with the 14” screen. Let my son borrow it for the afternoon, he connected his phone to listen to his iTunes. The next day my insurance company raised my rates and added my son to my policy. The email said that a private company showed that my son drove the vehicle. He already had his own vehicle that he was insuring. My insurance company demanded he give all his insurance info and some private info for proof. He declined for privacy reasons and my insurance cancelled my policy. These new vehicles with their tech are on condition that we give up our privacy to enter their world. It’s not worth it people.

Never buy a vehicle with this feature: monthly payment

My Dad would say about cars, the more extra features the more that can screw up. This was back in the 60s 😊😊

I am even more committed to keeping my 1999 Camry CE (entry level). It is almost entirely analogue. There is no screen at all. The guages are analogue, it has a five speed manual transmission, and an easy to service 4-cylinder engine. The highest cost repair was the replacement of a worn clutch. Otherwise, the car looks and drives like new. Best of all, it's been paid for, for over two decades.

So the moral of the story seems to be simplicity is better. Seems like we're learning this lesson everywhere these days!

Fun fact, GM made a few pickups in 2021 with no AFM due to part shortages. I own one. Probably will be rare birds going forward

The fact that a person pays for a car with seated seat features but they have to pay to use them with a monthly subscription is a huge scam and should be illegal.

This is why I bought my bottom of the line Honda Fit with a manual transmission. Not a lot of features means not a lot to go wrong!

1:10 #1 eyesight feature on Subaru vehicles 2:27 #2 Fuel management (GM/Chrysler) Run from this feature 4:45 #3 EV Battery packs (holy crap) Extreme heat and extreme cold factors 7:38 #4 Mazda RX series rotary engine 9:40 #5 all inclusive screen 11:45 #6 app based features and technology 13:24 #7 subscription based features 14:51 Bonuses (Ford and Nissan) RU-vid recommended this video to me, and it does not disappoint. You just found a subscriber! Audio is crystal clear, visuals with the discussion, and a good camera angle. My favorite part is you don’t yell as you discuss things.

Car wizard is absolutely right with losing the cellular options to control your car. My 2013 Santa Fe has Bluelink when new, but used 2G towers for connection. When 2G was shut down, so was our Bluelink connection. A feature we paid extra for, is now useless.

Another reason to keep the ‘94 BMW Hooptie. As Popsie said, “son, it got four tires and a steering wheel just like every other car. And if you listen real close at night, you’ll likely be hearing it rust. And lastly, don’t fall in love with something that can’t love you back.”

I'm a retired 35 year mechanic, everything you mentioned in this video, I have been telling people for years. We have 2 Chevy Equinox, 1.5 gas turbocharged engine. Basic car very few, high end features, very comfortable, nice to drive. This car uses a good proven dependable hydromagnetic transmission, still has buttons and knobs, to control everything. We are very happy.

More of these please. I can't stress enough how important it is for consumers to be educated. We determine what manufacturers put in these depreciating equipment. We set the standards. If people don't keep buying these cars, they won't be built.

I agree with the central screen display. I was in an $80,000 Mercedes. It was a new car 2023. The center screen froze and would not respond. The outside temperature was over 90 deg F and inside the car was hotter. Yet, you could NOT turn on the A/C or control the temperature. I will stick with my 1998 Corolla with manual dedicated controls. The car is 26 years old and the AC works amazing

That's why I still drive my 1993 F150. Manual everything.

As an owner of multiple rotary engine vehicles, I can attest. It is a community for enthusiasts. Steer clear if you don’t enjoy searching for parts or diagnosing your own issues. If you want it as a daily, make sure you have a backup. I really love the rotary but it’s not for everyone.

Over 20+ years in the IT field. All my cars are from the 'analogue gauge' era. Sure, I've installed things over time to get them 'up to date'. Full android touch screen head units, replacement LCD duel dash cam rear view mirrors. ETC. But they didn't come with those features, so I can repair/replace easily when they fail. Sometimes I get the urge to get something newer, and I remember the horror stories from peers who had even a cracked screen under warranty. Automakers are trying to go the way of electronics - disposable. Their is value in being able to still repair you own stuff, and I just do not see that ability in new cars.

My wife and I have an Audi Q8, and a few months back a 3.5k dollar module, that controls features like lane assist, blind spot warning, front and back cameras, bumper senors and some AC features went bad. The dashboard also had a few warning lights and advised that I had limited features available. Again 3.5k dollars, for new module and repair was roughly 1200 dollars. All covered under warranty, yeah don't keep these cars after warranty expires.

Eyesight: Not that bad! I have a 2016 Outback with Eyesight. It just recently quit working (the BSD BLIND SPOT DETECTION) after 7 years. It is a rear and side looking radar detection unit. It did annoy me a little bit that I had to take it to the dealer to fix it however. Got it "aligned" for about $120 at the dealer. Also, if it did have a major repair required so what, it just quits working. Nobody says you have to repair it. As for the front Eyesight detection it has always worked nearly flawlessly even after I replaced the windshield with no alignment done. Personally, I think the system is worth having.

One of the best videos I've seen. I was never into lots of bells & whistles in cars, especially automatic features that turn on or off things. I can't fathom having a touch screen that controls Everything and then it fails! Thanks for the effort you devote making our lives a little bit better. Don

This is why I bought a stick shift Corolla. Buttons, manual seats, dedicated gauges, and the only screens in are non-essentials.

Great advice. I think you're 100% spot on about the 'features as a service' model. Refusing to update or support older devices is just another form of designed obsolescence to get people to buy the next device. And I think it's even worse than the Wizard stated. Just follow the news concerning 'right to repair' and the struggles Louis Rossman has gone through on the behalf of his customers, and the ridiculous cost-inflation that happens when tech companies institute these sort of practices. He has uploaded dozens upon dozens of videos where the Apple geniouses have either refused to repair, said they were unable to repair, or quoted outrageous prices to repair various products. Refused to recover data from M2 drives that Apple unnecesarily soldered to the board. Sometimes the fix was as simple as replacing a $20, commonly used part (that Apple wouldn't repair and wouldn't supply parts or the specs so it could be repaired by someone else), or properly connecting the monitor ribbon. It isn't just shocking, its wasteful and greedy, and infuriating to see our elected officials get snowed (or paid off) by industry lobbyists in hearings and sometimes sabotaging laws intended to protect the public.

Wizard you are spot on about these vehicle being deeply tied to an operating system. They will intentionally deprecate/phase out your vehicle under the guise that the operating system is no longer security compliant. We are trending towards very dark times.

I feel that the auto-stop/start feature on a lot of new gas cars deserves a dishonorable mention, that's gotta rob tons of life from the starter, especially when driving in heavy traffic.

Although I'm from the UK and all of the vehicles in the video are aimed at the American market I found the video very informative. I drive a 10yr old Vauxhall Antara 2.23lt. automatic. turbo diesel injection. Don't have to pay extra for the, electric windows, mirrors, heated seats, air con . sat-nav, bluetooth, or the economy function control, all comes as standard. After watching the car wizard video, it just strengthens my resolve to never buy an ev. Thank you car wizard.

Old Toyotas. Beauty in its simplicity. Easy to work on and reliable as hell.

If the car's seats has heating elements, there's gotta be a way to rewire them with a simple switch.

This was about cars but life in general seems to get more complicated and frustrating with every year that passes. I still use a desktop PC but find myself increasingly marginalised because the internet is now geared toward phones and apps. I hate using a phone as a computer but that is often the only option.

With the introduction of all these new electronic features in addition of GDI and other things that make engines expire quicker, I have decided to not buy any brand new vehicle of any make or model. I like to be in control of my vehicles in every way. I want to be able to fix them and understand them. As always, "NEW & IMPROVED" is not necessarily a good thing. Great video!

I have a 2015 Subaru Outback and so far no issues with the Eyesight System ( includes blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert), 140,000 miles.

About EV's: at least in my country, some insurance companies deduct the value of the battery pack to zero quite fast. That means that if your 6-7 years old car is in an accident, the insurance company will not pay for a new battery, and the insurance money you get when it's totalled you get scrap money - since they value the battery to zero.

I have an 8 year old car that I love! Until last year, I could lock, unlock, locate, and enable valet mode remotely with my phone. Then the cellular technology used (3G I believe) was no longer supported and I lost all of those features. Not really a big deal for me, but goes to show you what might happen.

Great art work from Mrs. Wizard. She is so talented.

I love this video. When you talk about losing everything and then I see the picture of that old abandoned house. It works ! I'm already Hurting. God Bless you David.

One of the best , most reliable vehicles I have ever owned was a 1990 Chevy Cheyenne Pickup, 2 door short bed, 4.3 V6 with 4 speed auto trans. Manual windows manual door locks. I drove this thing past 300,000 miles and nothing ever broke! They need to bring this truck back! Everything nowadays is way over engineered and way over priced plastic! As the Wizard says the junk yard will be full of them due to unavailable specialty parts.

Former ASE Master Tech with a degree in automotive technology(1987 that is). I initially eye roll when I saw this or any “list” or warnings about cars (#Scotty), so I was pleasantly surprised when you presented a cogent argument and real world issues. Nice work. 👍

Good looking out Mr. Wizard! You are a brilliant technician and your integrity and honesty is a rare trait. Congratulations on your success! You and Mrs.Wizard have earned it!

More sage advice from the wizard😁 I agree completely and will keep in mind the screen only vehicles/option packages when shopping for my next car/truck. Thx wizard!

Another big thing to avoid are those fancy matrix LED headlights as Audi and other brands offer. Those cost each $3000, not included the control modules and the labour to take half the front of your car apart and replace them. In total it's between $4K and $5K to replace one of those.

That dude rolling around town in the factory fresh 1978 AMC Pacer doesn't look so stupid now, ngl♡

Things are getting more and more crazy. No wonder sometimes someone gets up, takes a weapon and shoots around...

Ive had my subaru for over 6 years and the eyesight has been perfect no issues at all

I can totally see that with the screen part. I personally dislike them from a design perspective. I hate that they would put a rectangle screen behind a round steering wheel. I also don’t want all my controls in one place because it’s distracting.

A lot of these problems make me want to buy a brilliant red Barchetta from a better, vanished time

Thank you Mr and Mrs wizard your channel is very informational on automobiles Thank you for all that you do

Just finished watching a video about an elderly lady and her one owner 62 year old '57 Chevy Belair, still looking like new and perfectly working...

More than ever before I'm proud of my 1999 toyota avalon. Runs like a champ, looks like a champ with almost 25 years and 240k miles.

"People keep calling me to fix their rotary engines, but we don't get into them because we never see them." Well yeah you won't see them if you keep turning them away lol

Also, your take on “subscription features” is spot on. We a had Onstar services in our 2008. Saturn and we were paying for the basic level Onstar services, but GM canceled it because it was G2 technology and they said they couldn’t support it any longer.

i have a 2016 subaru outback purchased new and the eyesight system has been flawless, works great ......car has a 167k on it. One of the best and most reliable cars i have owned. So go figure genius

Nice to have blogger who is down to earth and genuinely interesting and on your side.

Thanks for all your tips. Take care!

You really provide a real public service with these videos CW. In my opinion the future does not look bright, quite the opposite. If I could advise one thing, it would be something like: people, stay minimalist in your choices, now more than ever less is more

This is why I'm keeping my 98' lexus gs400, just simply simple & reliable.

Genius idea with the picture frame as a whiteboard! Thanks for sharing the wisdoms!

Excellent video!! What you said about the Wenkel engine, cvt transmission, and the tech in the vehicles is what I've been warning my friends about, now I got to show them video

I'll take my simple older cars

Surprised air suspension didn’t make the list. I’ve heard even Lexus’ coughs up expensive problems

Thank you for the advice. Feel better soon.

Lots of experience gives you great vision!! Thanks Wizard!!

The more advanced cars get, the more I like older cars. Looked at some new trucks and its turbos, hybrids and etorques. That 90s pickup with a simple V8 and electronics sounds more appealing.

The app and software issue will probably be the biggest one. You raise a really good point. Even if the manufacturer doesn’t drop support, you have to worry about either your phone manufacturer ending support, your cellular company ending support for the modem’s radio in your vehicle. Ford already screwed this up on vehicles within the last 5 years.

Hello! I feel really good having watched your channel as my vehicle (Peugeot 407, sedan, January 2005) is nearly 20 years old and is , like me, out of date but more fixable than its successors. All gauges are analogue, I have switches, and push buttons and the only screen is on my radio / CD player! I believe totally that EVs can be pollution free but we just aren’t there yet. In some ways Fred Flintstone had it spot on! Thanks for an honest and informative channel!

One of the things I Love about my 2005 TT 3.2 is how it’s just a car. No infotainment system. No nav system. Just a pure driving machine. I won’t buy any car that comes with any ‘subscription’ anything. If they want to move to subscription model of business, then stop selling cars. Just rent them to us at a price that is lower than purchase payments. When I needed to get a truck, the prices on trucks were higher than my first house cost. They have to offer them with 7 year loans just to make the payments even remotely within reach, but they are still unaffordable. Won’t be long before we are taking out 15 year mortgages to buy a dang car. When the Maverick came out, I ordered one the day after they could be ordered. $31k. With heated seats and steering wheel I don’t have to pay monthly for, and a minimal information system that has no effect on the normal instrument cluster. But that’s probably the last truck Ford will ever make that you can just own.

It's worth mentioning the StarLink system on new Subarus. There is some issue where they will start to drain the battery all of a sudden. I have a 2019 WRX STi, and one day, my battery was completely dead. I replaced the battery with a new one, and the battery was dead in under a week. It turns out it has something to do with the StarLink system (maybe the GPS tracker) that goes bad. After I pulled the fuse that supplies power to it, my battery and car are back to normal. There has been a class action lawsuit that few people are aware of. Apparently there is a fix for it, which I will have to get, since pulling the fuse disabled my front speakers.

More reasons I love my vintage automobiles and avoid dealers like a plague! 💕 I can add tech for communications, entertainment, security, etc., including backup cam and upgrade those systems as needed without it affecting the operation of my vehicles.

Owned two Subarus over last 10 years. Absolutely no issues with Eye-Sight system. I personally have recommended Subarus with Eye-Sight to my friend who told me it save their life by stopping before a collision with an idiot who blew a stop sign.

Thank you Car Wizard ,I feel the same way about these complicated technologies either

Another reason why I'll hang onto my '99 F150 4.6 5 spd... it's easily the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned in all my 35 yrs of driving. I've owned it for 21 yrs now, and it's never needed anything except basic maintenance items.

The anxiety of having a battery health meter right in the gauge cluster like its a fuel gauge must be unreal.

Thank you . Very professional and informative.

So far so good with the eyesight on my Subaru Forester and my sisters Subaru Ascent. We'll have to keep our eye on it.

Thank you Car Wizard FYI Nissan built a BEV: Leaf with zero TMS Thermal Management System. Without a proper TMS to cool (think hot weather), these batteries die pretty quickly. Australian owners developed class action suits against Nissan as their batteries were rendered useless. Nissan is a troubled company in fact the debt is considered junk and their former CEO is wanted by Japanese police as he fled the country in some kind of suitcase.

At 5:37, you speak the truth. My Gen1 Leaf had 65k miles on it. A great, reliable car with only 2 issues in 7 years. A bad 12volt battery, and an unrepairable flat tire. Still had original brakes at 11 years old. What sucked was the state of health of the big battery. 46.5% remaining gave me about 35 miles on the guess o meter. I traded it in on a PHEV. I still get 35 electric miles on my new car, but then it runs on gasoline for the next 600 miles.

Just bought a brand new Camry…love the fact that the gauges are analog…. They will never fail

I just bought a 1997 Lexus. 80,000 ORIGINAL miles. Love it!

I think as another item....we should think about LED/Laser headlight units. Lots of newer cars have them. They should last a pretty long time...but when they go dark, it will be thousands to replace the units. And they WILL go dark.

I was a Toyota technician and the app based features were the Achilles heel of all newer Toyota cars. When it first came out the cars were coming back in tow trucks because the system drained batteries, it was more common on HVs. The battery problems eventually trickled down but some customers have theirs randomly not work, I prob get 1-2 diags per day.

Thanks Wizard! Very good advise. I drive a 2008 Toyota Solara Convertible with 60k miles and I love it!

Thanks Mr wizard love your knowledge about vehicle expenses for people who buys these don't have any savings behind them your channel is a must have cheers Stephen 🤠✌️🍀🦅🐴⭐

As for screens, The more dangerous issue is that at high speeds above about 60-70mph, our field of vision narrows to about 15 degrees to either side. The speedometer and other information is outside of this narrow cone if it's where you have to turn your head to see it. This means it's as distracting to your driving as texting or anything else that makes you have to re-focus on the road. As for the Patriot, it was a great little truck as it was frequently on sale for 13-14K, IFF you got it with 4wd and manual transmission. Yes, that's like 5% or less of the ones that were made. But minus the CVT and with a manual transfer case, it was basically a previous generation Wranger in SUV form. The only issue was that it didn't have a low range, but unless you're going over rocks, that's fine. Then it was fine as a basic truck, not too dissimilar from the myriad of small pickups and SUVs from the 90s. That still is the case with all Jeeps. Manual, 4WD. Everything else is asking for trouble.

This video needs a sequel and beyond. A series to share wisdom and experiences from the Wizard is needed!

Excellent material straight to the point

I ran into "We don't support that anymore" 20 years ago with a Topaz. Somebody backed into the car in a parking lot and cracked the bumper. The insurance company totaled the car because Ford didn't have parts over 10 years old, and the insurance wouldn't accept after-market parts. We accepted $700 for the damage and had to register the car as " reconstructed". We drove the car for another 5 years before a bunch of un-available parts failed, and scrapped the car, still running. Everything that was broken was optional features. All the cars I own now are at least 25 years old and most have crank windows. Simple is better. If you want awesome features, rent a car and turn the problems back in at the end of the day.

Seeing all of this makes me happy I don't have to deal with any of it. I daily drive a 2017 Nissan 370Z which has a simple interior with a radio and CD player, a naturally aspirated engine, and a manual transmission. It's amazing fun to drive and has been very reliable so far.

Im so old school, just explaining the joy of your radio having knobs to my kid. 😎👍

Great perspective on all cars mentioned.

I appreciate the good, honest advice.

Thanks Mr. wizard for this very interesting information.To be honest though, I'm going to keep driving my 40 to 60 year old vehicles, for as long as I possibly can, which I hope is until I die. I fix mostly everything myself. I don't fix big things though, like transmissions. I just had one rebuilt on my 1978 Bonneville, and it now drives like new again.

Thank you...AMD. Great videos for Part 1 & 2. I had a failure on my 2005 Sienna sliding door lock release actuator about 10 yrs ago. The dealer wanted to charge $800. I told him I can live with manually opening the door 😁. As a DIY myself, I searched on RU-vid and found a few videos on how to replace the small motor assembly. There was one video that a DIY'er opened up the motor assembly and just replaced a $2.50 12v tiny motor. So I did the same. It took me about 1 hr to replace. Saved myself $800 with a $2.50 part. I learned a lot from both of your videos on Sienna vans. Will inspect the radiator and transmission cooling lines. Thanks again for all the great tips and advices. 👍👍👍👍

Real good information! I will try to stick with my older cars as long as possible.

Great information. Thank you Senor Wizard.

We have a 2017 Outback with Eyesight…during the first winter our windshield was broken by a rock kicked up from a plow. The Eyesight DID have to be calibrated by the dealer, and it was $200. HOWEVER, our insurance gives us a 15% discount for that feature alone. Also, you must activate Eyesight by pressing a button on the steering wheel, it does NOT default to being on while you’re driving. Sometimes it gets confused by the lines on a road, especially if that road is in the process of being repaved, and you get those “line” on the road from the machine that grinds off the top layer of asphalt. It’s a fairly novel feature, and it only really nudges the wheel if it senses you are straying from your lane. It will also flash a warning to keep your hands on the steering wheel if it senses you are trying to let the car drive for you. But other than the windshield replacement and subsequent calibration, we have had zero issues with the feature.

The thing with screens or even the touch controls is a pretty peeve with me. I had a friend that was going through cancer treatment and she had to have someone drive her to her appointments and I offered to do that. She has I think a 2010 Fusion which is a really beautiful car AMD one I considered for a time. Driving it however with those touch controls was really problematic at first and a distraction later on. If you try to change the temperature of these hvac for example, you must take your eyes off the road and adjust it on the screen or on the tough controls. Neither one of these have any tactile feel. Yes there are steering wheel controls but you have to navigate a menu beside your speedometer and that takes your attention as well. This was not something I dared attempt going through a construction zone with narrow lanes. And I know Im probably going to get a lot of hate in response to my opinion. But those people are doomed to have bad luck while trying to use their controls. Trust me, I already see people swerving around texting and driving.

Haven't watched yet but here's what I'd say: Connected cars Button start Controls on screens Lane assist Features that take control when you drive CVT Proximity lock/unlock That's just what instantly comes to mind

8:20 your right. I had one in the 90's and you had to find dedicated rotary shops. It was easy to find you just had to go to a meetup for people who drove RX7s. That's how I found the shop that worked on mine. Mazad Speed was the name and the people who worked their all drove their own RX7s and raced them. I was lucky and bought a rebuilt for racing 13b because the old buyer left the project. Got a good deal. Wish I still had it.

Wizard, I usually agree with the advice you offer, but this time I have disagree. I have owned 4 Subaru's with EyeSight(TM) and never had an issue. I have owned a 2015 Outback Limited 25i, a 2021 Ascent Touring, a 2022 Outback Touring XT and currently a 2023 Outback Touring XT. I live in southern end of NJ where we have much wildlife. Before I retired I would go the train station at around 4am to go to work, Some of the roads were very dark. One morning in my '15, suddenly the vehicle just stopped on this very dark road, what the heck is going on. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a huge back mass...it was a huge buck crossing the road. The EyeSight system saw the buck when I could not and saved me from having a very bad day. At the time I purchased the vehicle it was an option. After this event it was worth every penny. I am not an auto technician as you are, however, I do know enough Subaru owners who have not mentioned any issues with the system. I can tell that the older versions had open cameras which were susceptible to dirt and over spray. Maybe the folks you have met did not bother to read the owners manual where it explained the care of the cameras. I never allowed any glass cleaner, interior protection sprays to be sprayed inside the cabin. Te new version of the system the cameras are sealed.

I've been considering buying an older truck that's in excellent condition, and I can work on myself. Prices are outrageous, and these "conveniences" are anything but. I have an older Ford truck that is super simple and kept in good shape. And it turns heads. Subscriptions for power windiws?! Officially out of hand, haha. Great video.

Very good info. When I buy a other car i will look at these things.

Great tips and some I had not thought of.