“We have a 2013 Honda Fit (last year before redesign) and one complaint is that it has weak air conditioning above 85 degrees”
Every Honda owner whom I have ever known–including me–complained about the anemic A/C on their cars, most of which were Accords. Trust me–this problem is not limited to the Fit model.
Re: Car engine configurations resulting in difficult to change spark plugs.
Just b/c the spark plugs are under the intake manifold doesn’t necessary mean it’s a super-difficult job. You may just need a different tool or technique is all. Or you may have to remove the intake manifold, but it may be designed in a way that doing that isn’t particularly difficult or time consuming; i.e. you’d have to pony up for a new gasket maybe is the biggest downside.
But if the spark plugs are truly difficult and expensive to remove, that could prove to be a problem in emissions states like California. I’ve had to install new spark plugs to get my Corolla to pass emissions the past two inspections. It’s not that new spark plugs made a huge difference, but they made enough of a difference to get the HC’s just under the limit. I’d be reluctant to loose changing the spark plugs out as a quick pre-inspection tool.
A removable battery makes for a thicker, more expensive phone. I much prefer removable batteries, because they eventually wear out, but it’s getting harder to find them because everyone wants the slimmest possible phone. I have an ancient smartphone that meets my needs just fine. I don’t give the number out and only use it when I absolutely need to. Otherwise it stays in a drawer.
I get a new phone every other year. Technology has changed so much by then. Same with a laptop. In fact it’s company policy that all engineers get a new laptop every other year.
I keep my laptops for many years so a removable battery is a must for me. I am not going to pay two grand for a new Mac laptop that I cannot replace the battery in myself, and I have been buying Apple computers since the first Mac came out. They have lost a long time customer.
@MarkM The Galaxy Note series from Samsung uses removable batteries, and are only 1/3 of an inch thick. They also have huge displays, which is really nice when you’re trying to read a book on them. There’s really nothing stopping manufacturers from making thin devices with removable batteries.
There’s really nothing stopping manufacturers from making thin devices with removable batteries.
Except when they have to compete on actual usable time before requiring recharging…and 1/3" thick is huge by current standards…
Then again, you probably can’t bend it either 
^What actual advantage does “being thin” confer to the utility/convenience of a phone, outside of bragging rights?
We saw this in the pre-android era, where phones began to miniaturize from their bulky beginnings. “Small” meant “high-tech” for so long that we ended up with phones where the buttons were too small for many folks’ fingers!
The use of the phone as a computer monitor screen seemed to halt the movement–people do seem to value “big screen phones”–and I thought we were beyond all this foolishness.
@TwinTurbo 1/3" is only 3mm thicker than the current record holder. 
And I can go an entire day with heavy use and still have juice left over when I plug it in at night. The advantage of the large screen is that there’s all this space now for the battery to be large as well, so even though it’s thin, it can hold a big charge.
@meanjoe75fan Simple: I can put my phone in my pocket without creating a huge bulge. Thinner also means it’s lighter - despite having a much larger screen than my old phone, it weighs less than half as much. That’s advantageous when I have it on a suction cup mount on my windshield to use as a GPS - it’s less likely to fall off if it’s not so heavy. My old phone fell off a lot - this one hasn’t fallen off once, even in the winter when the suction cup isn’t as effective.
I value the big screen because my eyes suck, and things are easier to read on the large screen. It’s also a lot easier to write with a stylus when you have enough room for more than 3 or 4 letters per line.
I also fully admit that I am a gadget-happy tech nerd, so there’s that
It’s still 25% smaller capacity than some built in batteries. I have a razr maxx (built in 3300 mAh) that goes days without needing a recharge. The wife just got an S5 with a removable battery that is similar to your note…
“Ignore the salesman, ask to talk to a service tech (best) or the service writer (ok) to ask your service questions.” Be cautious about the service writer. Years ago I had the timing belt replaced on my Audi at the dealer. Within a couple of days I noticed a strange noise correlated with engine speed. I suspected it had something to do with the new timing belt not being properly adjusted. (My father was a mechanic; I grew up in the 40s and 50s working on cars.) I took the car back. The service writer opened the hood and told me that it was probably the power steering. At that moment a service tech just happened to be walking by. The service writer said, “Hey, Joe, can you listen to this?” The service tech revved the engine a couple of times and said, “Sounds like the timing belt needs adjustment.”
BTW, it was a 1982 Audi Coupe. The air filter was tucked into the fender, just in front of the right front wheel. I joked with my indy mechanic that it was probably easier to cut the fender off with a torch, change the filter, and replace the fender. He said, “Almost.”
I think the worst diy car I’ve ever seen is a Jaguar XK150. It had two 6-volt batteries (common in British cars those days) that were in the fender behind the right, front wheel. In order to check the battery water level, which had to be done often in those days, one had to (1) jack up the right, front wheel, (2) remove the wheel (using Jaguar’s special hammer to undo the hub), (3) remove the (dry mud covered) inspection panel behind the wheel, and (4) reach into the very limited space and try to unscrew the battery caps so you could stick your finger into the hole and try to figure out where the water (actually, acid) level was. I worked in a gas station back then. Fortunately, our only regular Jaguar driver owned the local dealership, and he had his mechanics service the car.
Hello, I think this one’s wandered from car topics. Could you please redirect it back? Thanks very much.
edit: @rplantz, thanks. 
I think battery dimensions and capabilities are very relevant to cars these days
It seems like each car model has its own unique battery dimensions. I replaced the battery on a friend’s 2002 Honda Civic a couple of years ago. We found the correct dimensions on a battery carried at Costco, but when we got home, the terminals were opposite. I would love to hear the design engineer justify that one! Fortunately, we were able to make it fit by bending the hood support rod.
Looked at a Malibu, extra battery in the trunk to run accessories to save starter motor battery as it shuts off at a stop. No more spares, just a flat fix setup in the cars we looked at.
low profile tires, beware of potholes, as salesmen say if the tire blows hitting a pothole the rim will probably be shot also.
It’s these consumer micro-electronics that find their way, uninvited, into our automotive functions ( like rats on a sea-bound vessel ) and completely ruin our former way of doing business.
To Steve63 & VDCdriver: Thanks for the heads up about the Honda A/C. That’s one of the very few things I must have in my next car. The '15 Fit I test drove had super cold A/C, part of what I really liked, but it wasn’t a really hot day that day either.
To Lion9car: Great suggestion about reading the owners manual first, although, from what I understand the owners manuals nowadays run 700 - 900 pages. Of course, I think 2/3rds of that is legal disclaimers and warnings. I don’t want the built in navigation system anyway. Prefer the portable kind. Besides the privacy issue, there’s the fact that its going to be outdated in a few years.
Heh heh, you know how certain electronics are referred to as parasitic drains on the battery. Well, to me, the subscription services like navigation system updates and satellite radio are a parasitic drain on the wallet, i.e. you have to keep paying over and over forever. It may not seem like much, but it adds up over time.
To TwinTurbo: As I understand it, the iPhone particularly continues to track you even when it is “powered down”. There was a piece on the local news about that, and how you can check it yourself. ( I don’t have an iPhone, so I don’t remember the details). Someone I work with saw this and was showing everybody (who has an iPhone) how to open up your location history.
True, my life is probably even more boring than most, but that’s not the point. The point is I don’t want Big Brother watching my every move. Some would say, “If you don’t have anything to hide, why do you care who’s watching you?” If you feel that way, you probably have much more peace of mind in this world than I do. But I digress. I realize that I’m supposed to keep the discussion on cars. Sorry.
I may still have a shot at fixing my old car but not sure if I should even try. I could avoid the new car dilemma for now, but 3, 6, 9 months from now something else on my car will break for which I have to go scour the internet for spare parts. Friend of mine was joking that I have to go break into a car museum to try to get parts for my car. (yeah, yeah, I know, nobody has any Ford Festivas in any car museum, it was a joke:-)
Considering that I got over 19 years from a '93 Ford Festiva, I think that a new Corolla or Fit could last me 20 - 25 years. By then I’ll be retired and can replace it with a Class B motorhome, assuming people still drive in 25 years. Or maybe it’ll be like on Star Trek, choose your destination and just “beam” yourself there.
P.S.- The foil hat is supposed to be wrinkled, that’s how it repels the magno-waves.
“I understand the owners manuals nowadays run 700 - 900 pages. Of course, I think 2/3rds of that is legal disclaimers and warnings”
If I recall correctly, the manual for my '92 Accord had approximately 30 pages on how to use your seatbelts!
I haven’t counted the pages in the manuals (there are two) for my current car, but I estimate that they are each ~400 pages. The second manual is for the combined navigation/audio/Bluetooth/backup camera system.
While the manual for the rest of the car is written in plain English, the one for the electronic systems appears to be translated (badly) from a foreign language, and is almost impossible to understand. As a result, I wound up teaching myself the various functions of those systems by trial and error.
I remember when car shopping used to be fun, of course back then I was a kid and not the person actually buying the car.
I just read that thread about the military guy who got bait-&-switched on the interest rate, I’ve heard that’s common too. I was thinking about taking advantage of that .9% Honda is offering, but that gives me 2nd thoughts; what if they pulled that on me? Of course its always best if you can just sit down and cut a check for the full purchase price. Maybe if I can squeeze 1 more year out of my old car. . . .
By the way, thanks for so many great comments everyone. If I didn’t click “Like” or “Agree” it doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate your input, this discussion has really helped me to gain some clarity. I guess it comes down to the fact that things change. Some changes are for the better (airbags, ABS, ESC) some are for the worse (tracking systems, complicated touch screen controls) your opinion may differ. . .
First, I applaud your response to my post keeping it good natured and humorous.
To TwinTurbo: As I understand it, the iPhone particularly continues to track you even when it is “powered down”. There was a piece on the local news about that, and how you can check it yourself. ( I don’t have an iPhone, so I don’t remember the details). Someone I work with saw this and was showing everybody (who has an iPhone) how to open up your location history.
This is where a little knowledge is dangerous. While correct that the phone apps can provide tracking information, it is up to you whether or not they do.
The location services can be completely disabled with one button selection in settings. When enabled, they can be set by each application as to whether or not you will allow each of them to access your GPS location (e.g. maps, weather, etc). This feature can run when your phone is “asleep” but not when it is “powered down”. When powered down, all electronic functions are disabled with the exception of the soft start power circuit. The CPU is inactive and ancillary electronics are powered down to conserve battery power.
Try driving around with the phone powered down for a day and then turn it on and check it again. nada…