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Is There Too Much Technology on Your Dashboard?

Kaspars Grinvalds
/
Fotolia

There are probably still a few cars on the road that have only a radio, or perhaps even a cassette deck. However nowadays, it's kind of a throwback to even find a CD player in some newer models.

Electronics are a huge deal in the cars of the 21st century, from the way the engines themselves are controlled, to how drivers and passengers are kept safe and how they’re entertained.

"Something I read recently said that the average car in 2012 had $330 worth of semi conductors in their car, and about ten percent of your car's value is now tied up in infotainment," says auto contributor Mark Savage.

With more standard cars being equipped with technology previously seen only in luxury cars, the market is forced to be more competitive in order to attract consumers.

"[Companies are] not required to do that – it’s just everybody knows that if (they) don’t have them, no one’s going to buy (their) car.  The low-end cars got to have the same as the high-end cars, which is probably one reason why the low end cars are costing more than they used to," explains Savage.

From ever-expanding dashboards to the implications of driver-less cars, Savage and former Lake Effect producer Dan Harmon discuss how technology could be taking the character and enjoyment of driving on today's roads:

Mark Savage writes the auto review column, Savage On Wheels, for WUWM (formerly for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) and Savageonwheels.com. He is the former executive editor of American Snowmobiler magazine and FineScale Modeler magazine, both part of Kalmbach Media in Waukesha.
Dan Harmon was one of the original members of Lake Effect (formerly At Ten). He started at WUWM in November of 1998 and left December of 2015 after 17 years of production.