Context:
I don't want the car reporting to insurance hard breaks and such. But frankly I just find these things creepy and I just want a base model car.
Buy one made before, I dunno, 2005?
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/blog/privacy-nightmare-on-wheels-every-car-brand-reviewed-by-mozilla-including-ford-volkswagen-and-toyota-flunks-privacy-test/
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/
The effort needed to neuter surveillance equipment in modern cars without compromising functionality is comparable to the effort of sprucing up an older car. Possibly biased from driving and maintaining a decades-old car. Is there a particular reason you prefer a modern car?
I'm used to driving old shitboxes but a few years ago we rented a completely new car. It was almost driving itself, making sure I stayed in my lane, it had automatic beam selection, a big screen for playing music and navigation, tiny little plastic thingies that pops out when you open the door making it harder to dent adjacent cars. It was a fucking spaceship. I'm not going to lie, I would love to have all of those fancy features.
Always remember that once you sign the dotted line, there's no changing your mind later. That's the advice I received in the Navy from my Chief. This is where doing your homework really pays off.
When buying a car, try to plan ahead ten to twenty years. Most people don't buy a new car every couple of years, so you'll need a car that suits your needs for a long time.
Are you planning on getting married and having kids one day? Maybe a minivan. Do you do a lot of trade work? Maybe a pickup truck. Are you just trying to get from point A to point B? Maybe just a regular four-seat car. Planning ahead will save you headaches in the future.
Get something that's easy to repair yourself, the spare parts are cheap, and are easily obtainable. Some brands are extremely difficult to fix yourself and that's by design.
As for car internet privacy, I don't know what to tell you.
Find where the cellular antenna is, and cover it with a rudimentary faraday cage.
Are cars outside the United States more privacy conscious, or is this a gap in GDPR as well?
You can attach antenna terminators to the cellular antenna.
Is there a way to disable the cellular antenna? Vehicle have to be prepared for dead spots. Maybe yours is always in a dead spot.
I love how nobody even bothers responding to this dumpster fire. Just downvotes. Hilarious.
Lots of stuff here but for something useful.
Get a radio /cellular disruptor /signal jammer you plug in the cigg outlet. Wont be able to listen to radio or use your phone.
Old car if possible.
If not a basic Dacia is the least bad of the new ones.
