Newer cars are junk- am I the only one who thinks this?

[SearChart]

I love my old Volvo 240 wagon as a daily, but I know it is a death trap (it was a safe car in the 70s and 80s, it was already heavily outdated in the final model year 1993).

I will always love old cars, and want to own a few different ones. But when that cybertruck hits the EU roads I'm seriously considering getting one of them as daily and drive the classics on a nice sunday.
Even on our safe road network I've had some sketchy encounters with other drivers that easily could have gone horribly wrong, and you don't want that to happen without airbags, abs and a modern crumple zone.

[Boopie]

I love the look of classic cars (and I’m hoping to get a C3 Corvette one day…one day…), and agree with much of what OP said. I’m not a fan of the touch screen that does everything. I’m also not a fan of the stalk shifter (like my MBZ has), where you push the button to change gears. That, and auto stop/start (a feature I dislike, particularly when the default is that it’s on, and you have to turn it off every time you start the car), I think are what causes people to jump the curb and strike pedestrians. Drivers think the car is off but it’s still on.

Stylistically the cars (whether SUVs or sedans) all do pretty much look the same. I blame the wind tunnels and aerodynamics, and computer design. I do think some car companies do a pretty good job of styling their SUVs to look like the rest of the line. So, a BMW or MBZ SUV has design features that match the rest of the line, so they do look like they came from the brand. Of course a Land Rover today is recognizable as being a descendant of a decades-old Land Rover. No disrespect to the Jaguar SUVs, but I don’t think they look like a Jaguar.

After living and driving in Los Angeles for decades, where the traffic is slow (it can literally take 90 minutes to go less than 20 miles) and there are many terrible drivers (and I’ve been in a few accidents), I see a car as safety equipment. You can’t choose the type of car that runs into you. I do enjoy my car’s self-driving feature for stop-and-go traffic on the freeway. Because I do often spend hours in my car each day, I also want to be surrounded by the best comfort and technology for my long drives in particular. For me, the higher driving position of an SUV is key to my comfort (and safety, as I can see more of the road ahead).

I greatly enjoy my 2020 model car, and it’s the best car I’ve ever driven, but it’s not something I’m passionate about, as one gets passionate about vintage Corvettes and air cooled 911s. A car like that would be awesome for the proverbial Sunday drive.

[pickettt]

Originally Posted by SearChart

I love my old Volvo 240 wagon as a daily, but I know it is a death trap .....

...for whatever you run into.

[zama]

Never confuse robust for reliable. Modern tolerances and design mean even sports cars can run 15,000kms without service. The higher levels of complexity in electrics do come with risk. My most reliable car was an early ClubSport Porsche it had so little in it nothing could go wrong.... no air con, no radio, no power windows, no electric seats etc etc ....

[Token74]

For me it depends on the type of car.

My 2008 Aston Vantage N400 feels like a proper raw drivers car, to drive it well requires a little skill and you feel really connected with the road and the driving experience. I’ve tried the new Vantage and as much as I like the gadgets and the reliability, i prefer the looks and drive if mine. I’ve also looked at some other modern sports and super cars, and they just don’t do it for me.

So when it comes to sports and super cars, i prefer older cars.

I also have a 2011 Nissan Navara double-cab that gets very occasional use, it works for what we use it for, but there is no question that a newer version would be better for daily use in every way.

The same goes for Range Rovers. I’ve owned a few over the years and as soon as they bring out a fully electric model I will be looking to add one. For long daily commutes it’s really hard to beat, and the more modern the better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sunrisefl]

Nothing beats the older G wagons

[whatsthetime?]

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[tmmii]

I’ll agree with a couple points. I don’t want all the gadgets. I don’t need a warning that the roads may be icy, I just had to scrape the ice off the windshield. No sh*t there may be ice. I had a rental Buick station wagon a few months back (not something I would have requested but it was the only thing there) that would have warnings pop up when I got to 75mph telling me I was speeding.

On the plastic part, June of 2020 I bought a 2016 Chevy Cruze for a daily. 23k miles later in May of this year I’m a couple miles from home and have the overheat warnings going off. The thermostat housing is plastic and cracks. This was the fifth time I had an issue with either that part cracking or the hose that goes from it to the overflow tank breaking. Five major cooling system failures that left the car underivable in the time it took me to need two oil changes! Have an autozone about a mile from my house so grabbed a backpack and walked there while the car was cooling off. Texted a friend who works at a dealership and asked what’s coming in. Ended up paying a nice covid tax on a 2012 Accord. No extra technology and I’m not on the edge of my seat waiting for the thing to break fingers crossed.