Decade of Change: Top 10 Ways Your Car Has Changed In 10 Years

[russellw]

• Communication advances help drive changes in consumer preferences
• Self-parallel parking, reversing cameras and hands-free liftgate among the technologies that make driving easier and more convenient
• Ford has responded to the trend for an increased desire for personalisation

Over the past 10 years few sectors of our society have experienced as much change as the automotive industry.


Ten years ago, automakers were touting the number of cupholders in the cabin and the increased off-road capabilities of family haulers.


Today, these same companies are racing to offer increasingly hands-free mobile communication, eye-popping fuel economy and technologies aimed at helping drivers avoid accidents.


Ford’s US-based global trends manager, Sheryl Connelly, said cars have become more like brains on wheels.


“Consumers today want to stay connected and they want the drive to be an experience, especially since the amount of time Americans spend in the car has nearly doubled in the last 10 years,” she said.


Technology evolution
Many of the changes in automobiles were driven by the ever-evolving ways people use mobile devices and the Internet to consume information, communicate with others and even engage in commerce.


According to the United Nations, about five billion people now use cell phones while weekly Internet usage has expanded rapidly across the world.


This trend has exploded in the past decade, redefining the way we use our cars. As the calendar flips to 2011, and automakers kick off a new chapter of innovation at the North American International Auto Show, here are some of the ways the industry has changed since 2000:


Top 10 in 2010
Infotainment: Vehicle options 10 years ago, such as in-dash compact disc players and speed control systems, are now standard features. Consumers’ desire to have constant access to information helped spawn technologies such as voice-activated controls, real-time traffic and Wi-Fi mobile hot spots now found on many 2011 Ford products in North America and other markets.


Entertainment:The days of packing a clumsy library of CDs or VHS movie tapes are gone. Today consumers have a wide variety of compact ways to be entertained while behind the wheel. For example, a decade ago satellite radio was not available in cars. Today, more than half of new passenger cars in North America are equipped with the service, according to Ward’s Auto. Ford vehicles equipped with SYNC® can stream Internet radio like Pandora or can play music from USB plugged-in digital music players or memory sticks.


Taking out the guesswork: Today’s vehicles are equipped with new technologies that make driving easier, including self-parallel parking, rear reversing cameras and rain-sensing wipers. Terrain management, a new Ford feature available on the 2011 Explorer in North America, lets the driver select the type of terrain the vehicle is driving through, such as sand, snow or pavement, and the vehicle then adjusts wheel spin, throttle inputs and other inputs accordingly.


Accident avoidance: Automotive safety has also advanced dramatically. In 2000, the average car had at least two airbags. Today, most vehicles have at least four, with some models equipped with up to 10 airbags. The airbags themselves also have improved. Ford is the first automaker to introduce inflatable second row seat belts.


The biggest change, however, is in the area of accident avoidance. For example, Ford’s new Curve Control, available on the 2011 Explorer, monitors a driver’s speed entering fast, sharp corners then corrects the vehicle. Other examples from Ford include a collision warning system that detects moving vehicles ahead; Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) that alerts the driver when approaching vehicles enter the system’s defined blind spot zone; and cross-traffic alert to sense oncoming traffic when the driver is backing out of a parking spot.


Fuel economy:In the early 2000s, bigger was better. Vehicles were large and powerful and boasted off-road capability rarely used by the average consumer who purchased them. Consumers wanted cars that could transport large amounts of cargo and lots of passengers.


Cars and the engines that power them are shrinking and have become more fuel efficient. According to Edmunds Best-Selling Vehicles, the most popular models in 2000 were trucks. That same report from 2009 shows small passenger cars topping the list.


According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, fuel economy between 2000 and 2010 improved for the industry from 19.8 mpg (11.9 litres/100km) to 22.5 mpg (10.5 litres/100km) – a 14 per cent improvement. Increasing numbers of consumers are also choosing smaller, fuel-sipping four-cylinders. The percentage of fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines in North America increased from 31.7 per cent to 48.4 per cent between 2000 and 2010. For example, the four-cylinder version of the Ford Fusion, which attracted 55 per cent of buyers in 2007, now accounts for more than 70 per cent of sales.


Built-in navigation: TripTik® gave way to MapQuest, which soon led to the first commercially available automotive navigation system in the late 1990s.

According to Berg Insight Research, there are an estimated 150 million in-dash, aftermarket, compact personal and navigation-enabled mobile guidance devices used globally. Today, navigation systems are integrated into vehicles and are much more comprehensive.


Creature comforts: Consumers today enjoy a more comfortable ride. Better interior materials, sleeker interior designs, heated and cooled seats that automatically adjust driver position, remote start and more storage capacity all offer more comfort and convenience. Even a hands-free electric liftgate that opens with the wave of a foot underneath the rear bumper can be found on Ford’s new C-MAX.


Customisation:Ford has responded to the trend of an increased desire for personalisation by adding features in its vehicles such as ambient lighting colors that can be changed to fit the driver’s mood, driver’s seats with customised settings that adjust automatically with the push of a button, even decal kits for the new Fiesta.


Security: Keyless remotes, alarms and warning systems, and anti-theft systems have come a long way toward making life on the go safer for many. For example, Ford and Lincoln vehicles in North America come with technologies such as SYNC’s 911 Assist™ and Vehicle Health Report, or MyKey®, which allows parents to restrict vehicle speeds when a teen driver is behind the wheel. Intelligent Access with push-button start allows Ford or Lincoln drivers to start the engine by simply carrying the key fob as they approach and enter the vehicle.


Paint colours: Brighter, more vibrant paint colours are edging their way into consumers’ hearts. Black and silver still top the list, but colours like Lime Squeeze found on the Ford Fiesta or Yellow Blaze found on the new Focus have become more popular. New paints mixed with glass or metal flecks have also changed the way cars look.


Next 10 years
The next decade will bring more revolutionary change for both the auto industry and American consumers. Look for higher gas prices, better lithium-ion batteries, alternative fuels, more advanced safety technologies and more connectivity such as vehicle-to-vehicle systems that will allow vehicles to “talk” to each other via wireless communications embedded into the car.


“People are used to living with technology,” Connelly said.


“That’s why companies always have to think ahead. Understanding what consumers want and need tomorrow – or even next year – isn’t enough. We have to anticipate needs and desires farther out, 10 years down the road and beyond so we can deliver vehicles that will truly fit our customers’ lives.”


Source: Ford Media

[4.0i OHC]

Wow. I still remember back in 1999, when CD players were merely optional. I was a five year old boy, disappointed that my grandfather decided not to pay for a CD player when ordering his then-new Futura. We've really come a long way; my mother's 2009 R36 came with a built-in hard drive standard.

However, some of this newly adopted technology is a mere hindrance. Touch screens prove difficult to operate whilst driving, and the automatic tailgate on the aforementioned R36 is simply SO SLOW.

[SpoolMan]

The space saver wheel has become popular among vehicle design engineers, but its one thing most do hate about a new car.

[MO]

Space saver spare wheels are great(I guess) in the 'burbs but their not much good when your 300ks from the next town. I really do wonder about the boffins that design this stuff. Have they ever been out of the city do they know about the outback?

[xespak84]

more driving aids that make peole more dependent on them when driving and simply lose driving skill, becoming more lazy

[glavas]

Originally Posted by xespak84

more driving aids that make peole more dependent on them when driving and simply lose driving skill, becoming more lazy

Couldn't have said it better my self.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by MO

Space saver spare wheels are great(I guess) in the 'burbs but their not much good when your 300ks from the next town. I really do wonder about the boffins that design this stuff. Have they ever been out of the city do they know about the outback?

Obviously the ones from the US, Europe or Asia don't.

[Revolver]

As the callender flips to 2011 it has got me thinking.....

With all of these electronic driver aids, & the ever increasing demand for such capabilities, it has to be asked, where does it end, & what are we coming to?

All of these options are to "increase driving saftey", and while computers are mistake free, they are however not immune to electrical, softare, & hardware malfunctioning, & causing the driver to have an accident, because what electronic aid was there to help said driver, is no longer functioning due to the aforementioned reasons.

Then we have the age problem. No I dont mean the baby-boomers or Generation X. No. Im talking about, after years & years of service, as with anything, breaks down. How many of these electrical aids will cause cars electrical system to go absolutely beserk in the future. There have been cases of the up market BMW's, Audis, even Fords, & Holdens (among almost every car manufacturer) having problems with a new sort of technology that has been implemented. A prime example is the video of the BMW (if I remember correctly) "Auto Brake" (Or the like) test that was displayed infront of the motoring media, of which, the test car was meant to brake before a stopped vehicle (in this case a truck) & stop safely. However, just kept sailing past into the object. The words from the presenter were "obviously the has been a malfuntion". All of this was meant by a chorus of laughter. Sure this is only a test, but if after 10 years, the same were to happen? Its not a problem for the 1st owner, who in most cases doesnt get these problems, however, what about the person who owns the car 10-15 years + down the line?

Not to mention the parts & knowledge to repair the technology. In ten years will the replacement parts be available? Probably not. Look at (&this is simply an example, as with any motor company) how much stuff is now obsolete from the mid 90's to early 2000's Ford spare parts range. & You cant expect aftermarket providers to keep supplying every year model, they too have to keep up with model movement, albiet, up to 10 years behind. So if your car wont function without <insert electronic aid here> & you cant get a replacement, or repair it, what do you do with the car? Throw it away & buy another. We are heading more & more towards a disposable society when it comes to cars. To bolster that statement, look at Cordless drills, Microwaves, Fridges, Washing Machines, TV's etc. Costs MORE to repair than to replace. So its only a matter of time befoew the same happens to the automobile industry.

We teach our children how to control a car before letting them have their drivers licence, but at what point does this practice become avicerated by technology that avoids an accident for them, depresses the brake & stops safely without the mere hint of lock-up? We as a society are becoming to dependant on technology that "makes our life easier".

Look, dont get me wrong, dont paint me, as "anti Technology". Im certainly not, I have an iphone, had an iPod for years, have always had a gaming console, & computer (Albiet not the latest & greatest one). My Employment requires men to work using a Computer Aided Dafting Program, & will be shifting to a new 3D platform in the next 2-3 years maybe less, after our clients Corprate "control" in-fighting is sorted out. Im quite looking forward to this new software. I also yesterday installed a new Alpine Headunit into my car with the associated Bluetooth Module so that I can Send & Recieve calls through the HU in my car. I gave it a good workout last night & I think its ####### wonderful. Oh, did I mention that I can also setup my iphone, iPod, USB stick to play music? Or my stacker, & can also accomodate another stacker or 3, the imprint sound refiner, or a range of other accessories that can be put through the module box I have through its Ai-net System? Two words: AWE, SOME! (Yes I know its only one, but I an outlining the feeling of having such a capable HU)

Once upon a time, it was considered an "option" to have this & this in your car, now it seems, that soon there will be a car manufacturer that will "cash-in" on the plain car market. Just a bare bones car. With Maybe ABS, TCS, & all the entertainment gizmos, but no driver aids. Look at the Bugatti Veyron, then its arch enemy, the SCC Aero. Which while the Veyron has all the concievable driver aids & equipment, The SCC Aero is a "Drivers" car. With No ABS, TCS, or Power steering.

So after all that, I suppose the question I am asking is:

Where has the essence of driving gone?

Or has/will it be made obsolete by our busy lifestyle?

[flappist]

Originally Posted by SpoolMan

The space saver wheel has become popular among vehicle design engineers, but its one thing most do hate about a new car.

The problem is that in most new cars have directional tyres and different offsets front and back.

This means you have a 75% chance of the spare wheel being "wrong" for the car and as most people are lazy they will just stick the backward spinning wrong offset wheel on and leave it there.

Well until they have an accident due to blowout, no grip in wet, overheated bearings or whatever and then the insurance does not pay because you have the wrong wheel on.

Space savers are a pain in the bum but will force you to solve the problem correctly as soon as possible.

[arlester]

Some good points have been raised but I believe people are getting ahead of themselves saying things like ABS, TCS and ESP are taking control away from the driver. If you look at it these systems are all there for when you ******* it up (ie: Out of control). Most of these systems don't intrude on the drive until something goes wrong.

Also in cars like the GT-R and Veyron their systems are there to make the car faster and easier to drive. But they still feel analouge. It doesn't really feel to much like the car is doing the driving for you.

I know that I would rather a car with these systems on it compared to one without. Simply because when/if I get it wrong while going up my favourite bit of road I know there is something to catch me. I'm not saying I am going to rely on it but it is still good.

As far as directional tyres go then this should be explained by either the tyre shops when you get new tyres or the dealership when you buy a new car. I know that I explain to my customers where the jack and spare wheel is and where that wheel can go.

I don't think that the teaching system is going to change very soon as we still need the skills that they show us. This is because we still need the same skills as we always have. It is only once we lose control that the safety systems kick in.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by xespak84

more driving aids that make peole more dependent on them when driving and simply lose driving skill, becoming more lazy

On the other hand they also save the lives of super heroes who think they know how to drive simply because they are paying off a "performance car".

[mik]

the one great thing in the technology of recent years that i think is the bee`s knee`s is the ABS brakeing system, this is a great device imo, ..........parking assist ,stability control, crash avoidance, .....what ever happened to just opening eyes and driving to the conditions? or learning to park? internet in the car......why??? call me an old fart but some of this stuff is a backward step imo.