I like engine management systems that make newer cars pollute less, perform better, start better and need less fuel and maintenance. But I hate when the "Check Engine" light comes on on many OBD2 cars as they get a few years old! I also like ABS brakes and safety features as well as Bluetooth radios that sync with your phone or Ipod. I don't like FWD cars, transverse-mounted engines, rack and pinion steering, weak FWD transmissions and their limited towing capacity but my daily driver has all these features I don't like as I can't afford any fancy newer all wheel drive vehicle!
I don't drive my old cars in winter anymore but I used to and while they started even in very cold weather (I didn't use their block heater), they had some driveability issues while their engines were warming up at -20°F!
I even had a remote starter installed on my 1968 Buick Wildcat along with keyless entry system that I connected to the vacuum-operated power door locks in the late nineties. The remote starter was quite tricky to use and I had to use a solenoid activated by the unused trunk release button of the remote to depress the accelerator a few times to pump the gas and engage the choke/fast idle and to depress the accelerator again after a minute or two of fast idling! That required recalibration of the high rpm shutoff safety feature of the remote starter to a higher point as the motor would stop when I depressed the accelerator with the factory settings of the remote starter! Making the engine vacuum-operated power locks work with the remote also needed some work but I was able to fix all the small leaks in the system so they would unlock for 2 days after the engine was shut down and I added two electric vacuum valves and reprogrammed the remote control so the impulse for the locking/unlocking sequences would last a few seconds (that was also required for some German cars that had a vacuum/pressure system driven by an electric pump). I have the same style of power door locks in my 1967 Riviera but I never cared about installing a keyless entry system in it or a remote starter in any other car I had since!
I still enjoy using my 1965-75 cars occasionally but I just can't afford it anymore! Those that I have are gas hogs but they don't lack many features from modern cars. My 1965 Buick Wildcat has the mandatory front seat belts, power steering and power aluminum brakes, a variable pitch 3 speed transmission, 2 speed wipers and washer, tilt steering wheel, a remote outside mirror and a day/nite inside mirror, backup lights, chrome plated wheels, front and rear center armrests, a clock, cruise control, a trip odometer, a two-speaker AM-FM radio, map and courtesy lights, two lighters (that now serve as power outlets!) 6 way power seat, power windows (and power vent windows), vacuum operated power trunk release, power antenna (that's getting old school as new cars don't have long antenna masts anymore!), a limited slip rear axle and a rear window defogger (blower).
My 1967 Riviera GS has the previous features (less the trip odometer that wasn't available in 1966-69 Buicks, less center armrests and a 4-way-only power driver seat as bucket seats couldn't get 6 way power like bench seats had). In addition, it also has power disc brakes with 4 piston calipers, vacuum operated power locks, 2 rear seat belts, cornering lights, full instrumentation, console shift, fast ratio power steering, a factory stereo radio and air conditioning with manual controls.
My 1975 Electra lacks about 1/3 of the power that my older cars have with just 205 horses and 345 lb/ft of torque...It's smog-era 455-4 barrel engine has to move an extremely heavy body and unhappy 2.73 gearing (still has a limited slip axle though), it has no variable pitch torque converter (cost reduction) and no tilt steering wheel (because it has airbags) but otherwise has all the options the Wildcat has. In addition it also has power disc brakes with single piston calipers, an heavy duty 80 amps internally regulated alternator, cornering lights, a 4 speaker stereo radio, a split seat with 6 way power on both sides and seat belts for all 6 passengers, automatic level control, firm ride suspension, a speed alert with trip odometer, a fuel economy gauge (!), a "low fuel" warning light, a headlight-on reminder (buzzer and indicator light) automatic climate control, an electric rear window defogger (not a blower on this one!), dual exterior remote-controlled mirrors, automatic power door locks (that allow to unlock all doors from outside with the key and that unlocks/locks doors automatically as you shift in and out of park), driver and passenger side airbags, 3 speed wipers with variable delay and a mist feature, HEI ignition, door warning lights, an illuminated vanity mirror and a light monitoring system.
Many idiot lights but still no "check engine" light!
Many of the features above are lacking on my daily driver (an already 13 years old base model Camry V6)! The features that I miss the most are the automatic a/c and map lamps... I had these in many old cars but my Camry lacks them, it's also the only car I have that has wheelcovers rather than aluminum or chrome-plated wheels! I also hate the look of most modern plastic wheelcovers! Even old dog dish caps looked great compared to plastic wheelcovers!
