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I will be buying a new car next year, and I have been renting now, partly to test out some cars.
It seems like power door locks and power windows could be an asset or liability, i.e. i prefer manual door locks and manual windows because of several reasons (easier to use, dont have to have the power on to unlock/lock windows/doors, crazy if we forget to roll down/up our window and passenger is already out of the car, now i have to go back in, turn the key on and then all this just to roll up or down the dang window!
Also weird - some cars now have the push button on/off switch rather than using the key to start the car.
Also weird - Rogue and Impala have lots of leg room, but the Toyota Rav4 - my knees were scrunched like in my small compact Kia i had. ((i think the seat might have needed adjusting of which i wasn't aware).
so my question - do they even make cars with manual doors and windows and what car would you suggest for lots of leg room so im not squished (I am tall and not exactly skinny) and my knee cramps up after 1 hour of driving in too crampy car, but i can drive for like 2 or 3 hours in the impala without knee cramping. This Rav4 was horrible! even though it was a small SUV. I guess not all SUV's have lots of room, unless i didn't adjust it right.
Trucks and vans can still be bought without them I think....or at least they could up until a few years ago. I hate carpet in a truck too and always have it deleted with a rubber floor. My current daily truck has power locks and windows. My next one won't if I can help it. None of my work trucks have them. This is only the second one to have them of my daily trucks. The other ones didn't. People b*tch about a truck costing $40,000 _$50,000. Start dumping your GPS, power everything, leather, iPod crap, TV, ass warmers..etc... and one might be half that. I don't want that crap on or in my truck anyway.
I do not think you will find manual windows and locks on anything but a "work" pickup truck - the kind some companies buy a lot of.
I don't like some of the electronic integration in vehicles today. But I like power locks and windows. Power locks could be a safety advantage by easily locking all doors in a vehicle. In all of our vehicles, the door locks operate without the key or the vehicle turned out.
The RAV4 should have enough room. The seat was probably too high. A high percentage of vehicles today have a power adjustable seat that adjusts the seat cushion for fore/aft, tilt, and height. Great for finding the right position.
Pushbutton start seemed gimmicky to me at first. But I like how our Infiniti M35 recognizes the keys in my pocket and allows me to unlock the car and start it without removing the keys.
Mazda 3 is a small car....I am a tall man as well, I drove a 2 small cars, and had no problems. I am not overweight though. Try looking into base models, some still use manual locks and windows, but they are becoming more scarce. People like options in cars, they like the personalize them, they like gadgets and things that light up....and stay away from VW's, they're junk, and expensive when they break. I'd look into a late 90's Toyota or Honda. I have had the luxury of owning 2 (1 honda, 1 toyota) and pushed both past 300k.They're reliable, efficient, usually come with the basic essentials, and affordable. I have a 92 accord now.316XXX miles...my biggest issue I deal with are occasional suspension parts need replacing here and there, but thats going be the case with anything high mileage....if they can make it that far.
One thing I will never have is auto locking doors. The people that have them love them, and swear by them.....You'll swear alright when you get stuck on a railroad Xing or go into the river with those SOBs locked when you don't want them to be and all your electrical componets short out on impact. You can't kick out a window under water either. You'll need a spark plug or one of those hammers. I also carry a spark plug just in case. Throw that sucker as hard as you can at the window. It will break. Criminals in the hood have been doing it for years to break into cars.
Technology is great, but expensive...heres an example. The key to my 2004 Pontiac GTO costs over 300 dollars to replace, the keyless entry and trunk switch are built into the key. The key for my Honda Accord, 22 dollars, 4 dollars for a copy. I love what keyless entry does, but if I could have the option of dis-attaching the futures from the key, I would do it in a heartbeat. You're out of a lot of money really really fast if something happens to that key, but I get it, its convenient, and nifty, and a great selling point...people like that stuff, but I dont think they consider the consequences completely. Unfortunately, my idea has already happened, and phased out....1 key with everything built into it is better than a key, and a device that acts like a key chain accessory that unlocks doors,pops trunks, and activates lights.
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