The Best New Cars for Technophobes
Modern vehicles are packed with technology, from massive touch screens to self-driving features. However, what if you’re not thrilled by all the newfangled features? If you long for the days of simpler cars, you’re in luck. This article highlights some of the best cars for technophobes—vehicles that put the driving experience first.
Keep in mind that as new information emerges, the scores and rankings for these vehicles are frequently updated. As such, the scores mentioned in this article may not always precisely match what you’ll find in our new car rankings. Be sure to read each vehicle’s detailed review for the most current information.
Let’s take a look at some of the most straightforward, technology-light cars and trucks on the market.
2023 Toyota 4Runner
MSRP: $40,155 | Overall Score: 7.0/10
The 2023 Toyota 4Runner is an excellent choice for those who prefer a more traditional driving experience, as it hasn’t had a major update in over a decade. This means it has a user-friendly infotainment system and plenty of physical dials and switches. The 4Runner is also very spacious and offers a roll-down rear window, a feature that’s becoming rare in its class.
Four-wheel-drive models offer excellent off-road capabilities, thanks to a two-speed transfer case and low-range gearing, as well as skid plates. However, the ride quality can be somewhat stiff.
2023 Toyota Tacoma
MSRP: $28,600 | Overall Score: 7.2/10
The Toyota Tacoma features a center-mounted, seven-inch touch screen that feels more like a display from the mid-2010s, and its system is entirely navigable with buttons. The menus are easy to read. The rest of the cabin has sturdy physical buttons and knobs.
The Tacoma offers a six-speed manual transmission and a choice between a four- or six-cylinder engine. Four-wheel drive with a locking rear differential is also available. Its traditional body-on-frame construction results in a somewhat rough ride, but this appeals to those looking for a truly rugged truck.
2024 Jeep Wrangler
MSRP: $31,895 | Overall Score: 7.5/10
The 2024 Jeep Wrangler is a modern take on a classic truck. It puts off-road performance above all else, with an interior designed for durability. The knobs and switchgear are large and chunky, and the infotainment system is straightforward.
The base model comes with four-wheel drive, a six-speed manual transmission, removable doors, a soft convertible top, and manual windows and door locks. A solid front axle is standard on the Wrangler. While this impacts its on-road comfort, it provides unmatched off-road capability.
2023 Chrysler 300
MSRP: $34,295 | Overall Score: 7.6/10
The Chrysler 300 is in its final production year for 2023, and it offers a straightforward, classically styled sedan. It may be one of the last cars available with an analog clock and its 8.4-inch touch screen is easy to read and use. Most functions are controlled with physical buttons or knobs.
The only standard driver-assistance feature included is a rearview camera. Engine options consist of a V6 and a pair of powerful V8s. The V8 engines provide a muscle-car-like experience.
2023 Nissan Frontier
MSRP: $29,190 | Overall Score: 7.8/10
The Nissan Frontier is a small pickup with a cabin dominated by buttons and switchgear. Although it has a touch screen, most of the infotainment system’s primary functions and climate controls can be navigated without it. Its off-road ability comes from excellent ground clearance and a two-speed transfer case, rather than electronic driving modes.
The 2023 Frontier’s V6 engine is simple and doesn’t use turbochargers. The Frontier also uses old-school hydraulic power steering, providing a more traditional feel when driving off-road. It also enhances feedback, making precise maneuvers easy.
2023 Ford Maverick
MSRP: $22,595 | Overall Score: 7.9/10
The 2023 Ford Maverick features an interior with brightly colored, durable plastics, and plenty of physical buttons. While it has an eight-inch touch screen, there are physical controls for stereo and climate settings.
The Maverick is available with a hybrid powertrain that delivers impressive gas mileage, with a rating of 40 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. A more powerful turbocharged gas engine is also available.
2023 Dodge Challenger
MSRP: $31,100 | Overall Score: 8.0/10
The Dodge Challenger is in its final year of production for 2023. Those who enjoy classic muscle cars will be sad to see it go. The cabin is basic and features a small 7-inch touch screen. It also includes a full set of redundant buttons for most controls, so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to operate the stereo.
The Challenger offers a variety of engine choices, beginning with a 303-horsepower V6 and rising to an 807-horsepower supercharged V8. As you’d expect, this Dodge is incredibly quick in a straight line, even if it doesn’t match the handling of other sports cars.
2023 Ford Bronco
MSRP: $34,095 | Overall Score: 8.1/10
Ford’s Bronco is a modern take on a truck with 70s nostalgia. Like the Jeep Wrangler, it offers impressive off-road capability and open-air enjoyment thanks to removable doors and a folding cloth top. Four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case and low-range gearing are standard, as is a seven-speed manual transmission.
Its interior has an easy-to-use infotainment system featuring many durable buttons and switches for core functions. Most of the available options for the Bronco read like an off-road parts catalog, including beadlock wheels, locking differentials, tube doors, steel bumpers, and full-length skid plates.
2023 Jeep Gladiator
MSRP: $38,775 | Overall Score: 8.1/10
The 2023 Jeep Gladiator offers the same off-road credentials as the Wrangler, but in a pickup truck configuration. It is on the more expensive side, but it has four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer case, and a six-speed manual transmission, features that make it one of the few remaining pickups on the market that allows you to shift gears yourself.
The Gladiator has a soft top, removable doors, a folding windshield, and manual windows and locks. Half-doors with fabric window panels are also available for a more open-air experience. The infotainment system is controlled through a small seven-inch touch screen that is easy to navigate.
2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata
MSRP: $28,050 | Overall Score: 8.2/10
It is hard to find a car with a more driver-centric focus than the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Its infotainment system isn’t the most advanced, but the screen can be controlled with a physical rotary dial or touch, making it feel a bit less distracting than some others. Climate controls are all physical buttons, as well.
The Miata’s true calling is its driving experience. A convertible top, a sharp-feeling six-speed manual, and a four-cylinder engine are standard, and this Mazda’s handling is excellent, making it a joy to drive on winding roads.
2023 Mazda3
MSRP: $22,550 | Overall Score: 8.6/10
The 2023 Mazda3 is a strong contender in its class, earning a spot as a finalist for our 2023 Best Compact Car for the Money award. It’s known for its enjoyable driving dynamics and high-quality interior.
Despite the compact-car pricing, the 3’s cabin feels like that found in a luxury car. The Mazda3 does not have a touch screen; instead, it has an 8.8-inch display controlled by a rotary dial, making the infotainment system easy to use.
2023 Mazda CX-5
MSRP: $26,700 | Overall Score: 8.7/10
The 2023 Mazda CX-5 is a fantastic all-around vehicle, and it won our 2023 Best Compact SUV for the Money award. It handles more like a sports car than an SUV, has a luxury-level interior, and is powered by a peppy four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is also standard.
The CX-5’s 10.2-inch display is navigated with a physical dial rather than a touch screen. It also has a good selection of physical dials and knobs to control most settings, and this makes the infotainment system easy for technophobes to use.
