Sammy Tran articles

Older cars were full of features that made perfect sense to drivers at the time. Today, many of them look confusing, charming, or downright strange.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans was supposed to celebrate speed and human nerve—but in 1955, it became the scene of the deadliest disaster in motorsport history.

Modern cars can practically park themselves, stream millions of songs, and warn us about hazards before we notice them. Yet drivers are increasingly nostalgic for features that required no software updates, subscriptions, or touchscreen tutorials. Once you remember how satisfying those older details could be, today’s most advanced interiors can suddenly feel like they are missing something important.

In the 1980s, most students drove hand-me-down sedans or whatever their parents could spare—but some had cars that made everyone stop and stare.

I always assumed my car only knew where I was while I was using navigation. Then I learned that many connected vehicles can store or transmit detailed location information long after the trip is over. The more I read, the more I wondered exactly how much my car knew about me, and whether I could stop it.

The first time I accelerated, I could have sworn the engine suddenly sounded louder and more aggressive. Then I realized something strange. The noise was coming through the speakers, not from under the hood. Once I learned how common this feature has become, I had one big question. Can you actually turn it off, or are you stuck listening to it forever?

Premium fuel can feel like cheap insurance for an expensive car, but after years of paying more at the pump, is it really worth it?

I bought a newer car expecting smarter technology, but the voice controls quickly became one of its most frustrating features. Simple requests like changing the temperature or finding a nearby gas station often turn into a string of repeated commands and misunderstandings. It made me wonder why automakers keep replacing reliable buttons with systems that still struggle to understand basic speech.

Buying a new vehicle felt like a major upgrade. It came with navigation, smartphone integration, remote features, and driver assistance systems that promised to make every trip easier. Then I discovered the car was also recording far more information about my driving than I ever realized.