Do simple, analogue vehicles still have a place in a world of increasingly high-tech cars? We think yes, and there are a few big reasons why.

Here’s the situation. There are smooth flat screens, driver assist features and wireless charging pads aplenty in the current car market. The BMW 5 series lets your car park itself while you stand outside using your smartphone. Several makes and models have fingerprint scanners built into the door handles. Even the Honda Odyssey has become pretty fancy, with a microphone that lets the driver talk to the rest of the cabin like in an aeroplane.

And while new car tech is truly amazing on the whole, there are some signs that Australian drivers love a simple set of wheels just as much as the most high-tech cars.

The importance of rugged reliability

The more gadgets, gizmos and technologies a car has, the more complex it can be to fix. While that trade-off is worth it for most drivers, there’s still definitely a demand for cars that could be fixed on the side of the road out past Woop Woop.

For example, the base model of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is a $80,000+ vehicle with manual windows and a basic dash – yet it’s a dream vehicle for many Aussie drivers. That’s because the last thing you want is complexity when you’re in the middle of a paddock or on a remote mine site! Rugged, repairable and reliable definitely wins out in the workhorse world.

The beauty of the tactile in car technology

Innovation is great – but so is a good old-fashioned button that you can find without taking your eyes from the road. There are so many online forums bemoaning the lengthy process touchscreen controls demand, even to adjust something simple like temperature. And anyone who has a car that beeps at them for any tiny misdemeanour (such as taking the key out of the ignition) certainly knows what alarm fatigue feels like.

Perhaps we humans just like things simple as we’re navigating the roads? After all – the world is complicated, and there’s a growing fondness for analogue experiences among all this complexity. There’s still a market for film cameras, vinyl records and even cassette tapes! And classic cars are certainly not becoming less collectible. They provide a drive that feels tangibly connected to the road, even if there are few creature comforts.

New technologies have undoubtedly made our car journeys safer, smoother and more comfortable. But perhaps there’s still some room for the best of the old-school.

The value of privacy when behind the wheel

Some of the more advanced car tech now involves the capturing of user data. In a mycar Tyre & Auto study of 2,004 Aussie car owners, 36% harboured concerns over in-car data collection and monitoring for personalised services. Meanwhile 26% expressed hesitation about biometric tech, such as fingerprint or face recognition. And these concerns could actually be valid.

In 2023, the Mozilla Foundation stated that high-tech cars were the worst category of consumer products the organisation had ever reviewed in terms of privacy. Out of 25 popular brands, 21 had privacy policies that allowed the company to share or sell customer data with external businesses. In fact, the state of Texas is suing General Motors for selling drivers’ data to insurers without consent: an issue that only became apparent after some drivers’ insurance premiums suddenly went sky-high. Imagine your hatchback dibber dobbing about your driving habits! And closer to home, there are calls for changes to the Australia Privacy Act to ensure there is better data privacy in connected cars.

Are we nearing our limit for high-tech driving?

In the same mycar Tyre & Auto study, 44% felt apprehensive about emerging technology like autonomous driving, while close to a quarter weren’t on board with the integration of virtual assistants such as ChatGPT. Part of these concerns might come down to feeling safe on the road. 88% of survey respondents said they’d witnessed other drivers being distracted by in-car technology.

And the driver pushback against ‘too much’ tech is also a factor in the US. Analytics firm JD Power has reported that while features like smart climate control are appreciated, those such as fingerprint or face scanning and gesture controls tend to cause more problems than they solve. Screens for passengers also don’t win much love as particularly valuable features in a car. Some manufacturers have even played around with subscription-based car features, which could lock the average Joe out of all but the basic features anyway.

Could we be nearing the limit on the amount of tech we actually like in our cars? As Carma’s Director of Buying Peter Willis explains, “There’s always demand for affordable and straightforward cars, particularly if it’s for a daily driver. The new tech can be amazing – but so is having a car that’s easy to maintain, service and repair. There’s certainly a lot to love about that.”

So – how much does tech tempt you for your next pre-loved car?

Whether you’re after something simple that gets you from A to B or something more intricate that transforms the driving experience, Carma is a brilliant place to begin any search for pre-loved cars. Every key feature and function of these cars has been looked over in detail by experienced mechanical teams according to a comprehensive checklist, then priced competitively so there’s no need to wheel and deal with a used car salesman. It’s as simple as search, buy and drive with a 7-day return window and a 3-month warranty. Sometimes, simple is good. Start your search here.