Are today's cars too high-tech?

Is it a car or a personal workspace? When I think back to my first car, a 1982 Toyota Celica, it was as basic as it gets.  5-speed manual, 2.4-Liter inline 4, AM/FM/Cassette, and AC.  There was so little to do in the car other than drive and listen to music.  And with 100-horsepower and a Pioneer deck, neither the drive nor the music were cutting edge, but it was a cheap thrill.

Today, that 5-speed manual has been replaced by continuously variable transmission so that we don't have to occupy our left foot or right hand with mundane tasks like shifting gears and depressing clutches.  The modern car includes many tchnology options such as Bluetooth, satellite radio, iPod interface, real-time traffic, real-time weather, navigation, DVD player, and even the ability to import photos.  Some luxury cars even offer on-board computers that tell us average speed, fuel economy, and zero to sixty times.  

Technology is a wonderful thing and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy some of these gadgets when I drive these rolling entertainment centers. But the one thing car companies have not been able to replace is the passion some of us still have for driving. What about a good old-fashioned stick with a built-in scrambler to cancel all cell phone calls?  That's technology that will enable us to focus on what has become the least important part of driving... driving the damn car!

I recently drove a Nissan Frontier, base truck with a 5-speed manual.  For $18,000 you get everything you need and nothing you don't.  And when you open the hood, you can see a motor instead of a big plastic cover.  I hope decontented cars and trucks like this become more popular as our financial struggles continue, and we re-learn the joy of driving.