One big advantage of leather or vinyl is with kids and spills - a real pain with cloth seats.
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I prefer leather but get used to both.
Some people I think should never buy a new car but get one five years old that has all the features that one would argue about paying for.
I’m quite certain you can’t even buy a new car with manual crank windows anymore. Maybe certain work trucks still have them.
Yes!
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I’m just surprised you got a Merkur to go 83,000 miles! 
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Other than the fact it killed batteries every 2 years, it was pretty reliable. I even tweaked it to increase the boost from 13.5 to 17.5 psi. Did nothing for the turbo lag or limited power rpm range (3500 to 5500 rpm) but was entertaining when the boost hit.
The dash cracked after 10 years. Looked awful.
Poked a few pinholes in the wastegate vacuum hose? Yeah, the lag back then was awful.
I drilled out the orifice in the bleed hose to the boost solenoid to restrict the 1st gear boost and then bypassed the solenoid. Instead of 10 psi in 1st and 13.5 psi in 2nd to 5th… 17.5 psi in every gear!
I was going to cut and thread the wastegate vacuum actuator rod but figured this out instead.
Do you buy a house and want to know what you paid per wall for drywall, or paint, do you ask how much extra the crown molding cost before you pay for it??? Or how much extra you are paying for indoor running water, all those things cost extra, and will require repairs down the road?? Codes aside… lol
My dad was a real estate broker most of my life and he used to say, you can hide a lot of money in a house, meaning upgrades, like marble window sills vs wood, or doors and or door handles/knobs, fancy light switches and fixtures, walk in closet vs standard closet, and bathrooms and kitchens are places you can have all kinds of upgrades… If you are building a new house that is one of the things you might look at, but you don’t ask how much extra you are paying for all that stuff if the house is 10 yo, you are buying a package deal, so it doesn’t matter what they all cost… Same with used cars, you are not asking what all that extra power windows and stuff cost, or even new cars already on the lot you are just buying the used/new vehicle that you like…
Most people have a budget, rather it be paying cash or making payments and they find what they like and buy it…
If power windows and AC were free upgrades in this months special, then what??
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I don’t like power windows or power seats, and I especially don’t like the idea of a sunroof or security system. Even if it cost more money to avoid those features, it would be worth every penny.
And in fact, back when you could still order a new car with hand-crank windows, I did pay extra to get a new 2004 Toyota Corolla with non-powered windows, non-powered locks, non-powered seats, no alarm, no security system, etc.
I could have gotten one on the dealer’s lot for significantly less money, and not had to wait for the car to be sent from the factory, but the pre-built cars had power windows, power door locks, and a security system, which I DON’T want. The dealers were also mostly stocking “LE” models with other undesirable features, such as alloy wheels and a sunroof.
So stop with the nonsense that people only want a basic car because they’re cheapskates. Some people simply do not like the bells and whistles, and I am one of them. And elsewhere in the world, basic cars are still offered. Maybe someday, there will be an economy car revival here too.
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Not liking something and willing to pay more to not have said item is a lot different then not wanting something cause you are very frugal… A lot of people would pay extra for a manual trans also cause they don’t like an automatic, heck hot roders like radio delete and no back seats and crank windows for less weight and a performance advantage…
George is just plain cheap and doesn’t want to pay extra for any convenience…
But much respect for liking or disliking whatever, as they say, there is a seat for every a$$… lol
BTW, I don’t like any kind of hole in the roof either… but I am not going to stop driving the Infinity that dad had just because it has one… lol
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My problem is I just don’t fit in many cars with sunroofs. I might even pay more for one without a sunroof.
A buddy of mine just finished searching high and low for a Cadillac CT4 Blackwing without a sunroof.
He was the first of 3 buyers for the car he found. One even stuck around in case his deal fell through.
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I don’t like crank operated windows. I prefer side curtains which have no window regulator to go bad. I really liked driving the Austin Healey Sprites and the MG Midgets. These cars were fun to drive. It was fun to work the manual transmission and rev the engine to keep up with traffic. I think the MG Midgets lost something when the side curtains were replaced with crank up windows.
About 15’years ago, I did come across a MG Midget on an independent used car dealer priced at $700. It needed body work and a new clutch.The sales people were busy with other customers, but the manager gave me the keys and told me to go start it up. She said if I could get in the car, that they might just give it to me. I got in the MG and started the engine. The manager came out to the car and said, “If you can’t get out, you have to buy it”! I was in my mid 60s at the time and am 6’ 2’ tall. I almost had to buy the car.
When I was younger, it was fun to drive a car with minimal luxuries. The VW Beetles were fun to drive. The Toyota Sienna I own is just an appliance for me. It fits my needs, but at 82, I don’t think I can get in and out of a Mazda Miata.
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Modern luxury cars with leather upholstery frequently have perforations in the leather and a fan w/in the seat to keep you cool and dry. I finally decided to use that feature last summer, after a sweaty hike, and it worked really nicely in conjunction with the A/C.
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I’m happy to consider your evidence for making this bizarre statement.
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Is it bizarre to question the priorities of someone who constantly posts condemnations of things like power windows, A/C, and automatic transmissions–which the vast majority of car owners want to have in their vehicle?
Also… please remind us again about the model year of both your Corolla and your Ford pickup.
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I have nothing against those who prefer pricey luxury cars but being an old man and an ex mechanic I prefer simple and reliable low tech with less to go wrong. I bought a new Nissan 5 years ago with manual transmission, manual door locks, hand crank windows, no screens or cameras, etc… I’d be perfectly happy driving my old 1962 Falcon if it were still around.
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I guess that, by '62, Falcons were a LOT faster than the 1960 Falcon snail that I owned. Merging onto an expressway with that car was a true white-knuckle experience.
Even though a 2024 vehicle is safer, more reliable, and less polluting?
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Referring to another poster as “cheap” imo is counter to the forum’s desire for a civilized, polite, and courteous culture. The same goes if a poster is called “stupid”, or that their question is “stupid”. Uncalled for for.
I remind you of the post at the top of this section. This is a place for civilized discussion. Please treat this discussion forum with the same respect you would a public park. We, too, are a shared community resource — a place to share skills, knowledge and interests through ongoing conversation about all things car-related, in the spirit of Car Talk.
In any event “cheap” is a judgement call. If a poster decides to become more educated on electric-theory by rebuilding his alternator rather than buying a new one, is that “cheap”? I’d call that “educational” myself. If a poster prefers to change their own oil and filter in their driveway rather than going to a fast-service lube place for $75, is that “cheap”? I’d refer to that as a “common-sense risk-reduction strategy”. “Cheap” is possible of course, for example if a poster says they want to save money by going 20,000 miles between oil and filter changes, that’s cheap imo. Or refusing to ever tip at a restaurant b/c nobody ever offers you a tip for doing your job, that’s also cheap imho.
As far as power windows, I don’t recall ever condemning anyone for preferring power windows. whether power windows makes logical sense depends on how the car is used, how long you intend to own it, and if that’s just what you want. I don’t need power windows myself, they wouldn’t add much to my car-use experience, so I’d prefer to not have them. Just my opinion, and this is an opinion forum, right? Or are you saying I don’t have the right to express my opinion?
As far as what configurations, A/C, auto trans, power windows and locks etc, that most vehicle owners want, the only way to know is to offer vehicles in both configuration and compare the number of vehicles sold. As far as I know that data is not available, b/c the buyers are not given both options.