What's new -- and what's missing -- in your next new car

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. Phone calls on your dashboard? Sounds like Blue Tooth or something like that was engaged.

I am not yet ready for that kind of thing, and right now I'm safe because I have a very dumb phone, and even though I'm quite fond of it, it's not capable of very much. It makes and receives calls, makes and receives texts. Other than that, it can't do anything.

The down side about having an older car these days is that the technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. Not like, if this were 1998 and you were replacing your 1981 whatever. While I love my keyless entry, I still keep on looking for the place to insert the key to start the car, or want to take a key out when I arrive at my destination. It's only been two weeks, and I'm still in awe of the technology. I know that soon enough I'll take all of this for granted. Oh, and with my particular car it does not shut off automatically. I need to press the same button that starts it to turn it off, and I think that's a good idea. Especially having read some horror stories about cars not turning off and the carbon monoxide killing everyone in the home.

Several years ago I was muttering that it was probably not a good idea to be driving a 20 year old car. Mine wasn't yet that old, and plenty of reasonable people might disagree with me, but I will still stick to that standard. Actually, I hope to replace this current care no more than ten years down the road, if I'm still driving.

Oh, and speaking mainly for myself, I'm trying very hard not to be a crabby old lady who complains about everything. It can be hard to restrain myself, but I'm working on it.