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I am in a similar position. I think about it almost daily. I use to rent a car when I was going on a significant drive but, to be honest, the last time I did this, I found it very confusing.
My age is an issue and also what seem like minor health issues to people who know me but make driving long distances uncomfortable, so its not like I'm going to suddenly start driving more than I do now.
My insurance would go up.
Would I enjoy spending the money elsewhere more? My very rural southern county has excellent transportation for those who need it and a young woman down the road from me can give me a ride if needed.
So you posted in the right place. I get it...... everything except why I started typing in italics
Yes, newer cars have safety systems but they also tend to have annoying "eco mode." On a Mercedes C class sedan I had as a loaner, ECO stop/start was so frustrating I vowed I would never buy another Mercedes. The car shuts the engine off when you're at a stop light. Then there's a delay in acceleration because it only turns it back on when you press the accelerator -- and it's not instantaneous.
I guess it's great for people who 1) like to fool themselves into thinking they're saving the planet and 2) are OK with the notion that the designers of the car know better than they do.
Why not go for some test drives of the current models? Might help make up your mind. Or you can do what I used to do, though it's a bit extreme: Rent a car for 28 days at a time.
The engine off eco mode can be turned off. It's used by the car makers to help meet fleet wide gas mileage rules.
The engine off eco mode can be turned off. It's used by the car makers to help meet fleet wide gas mileage rules.
Yes, it can be turned off, but on that Mercedes, eco mode was the default once the car was started again. You had to disable it each time you drove anywhere.
Never buying any Mercedes passenger car with that feature. I'll keep buying Sprinter vans if I have to.
I am back and forth about it too OP. As an older single driver, I need reliable transportation that gives me what I need.
So at this point I will keep my 2012 Infinity EX 35 until the need or safety technology becomes so compelling that I must use my money to buy a car( with safety features particularly). The may be years in the future. My car is well maintained and should last.
Many of the newest features in autos are those that manage to distract the driver. All the technology to connect a smartphone is one example. Different entertainment streams, the big iPad-like displays stuck in the center where you have to take your eyes off the road to do simple things like turn on the A/C, and there's a glare on those screens.
I had a loaner with all the bells & whistles, including the iPad like screen the heads-up display that reminded me of a ticker across the TV screen. Hated those features and read the manual to turn them off stat, just for a 24 hr loan while my car was being fixed.
I love technology but IMO it's misguided in a situation where one's attention must be on the road and stay on the road for the safety of everyone.
Don't let fear make you give up an auto that is doing just fine and not having any mechanical or other problems.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Your call... sounds like you want a new(er) car. some people are that way, that is fine.
I dislike plastic, and I prefer 'sustainable' solutions (why waste the resources if my current car is ok?)
I drive a 43yo car that should last me another 40 yrs. (I still gets 50 mpg, as it did the day it was new)
I often haul my neighbors back and forth the the dealer to get their new cars repaired. Mine has never darkened the door of a fix-it shop.
YMMV
I can always rent if I want a NEW car for some reason. (rented (6) last month while traveling... stopping every 400 miles for fuel is pretty ridiculous. Mine goes 1250 miles between fills)
My 'aunt' got frightened into buying a new car (safety features / driving aids). She REALLY dislikes the new car and tried to get her old car back. but... it was sold before it hit the resale lot. (Probably to an employee)
For us it's always the repair costs and condition. Then age. We rarely keep a car longer than 13 years. The one we just sold was 16 years old and had been hit in the front twice. Once on the left and once on the right. Even though it only had about 70k miles it was time to let it go.
If the OP's cars are in good shape and they are comfortable with them then buying a car with all the safety features becomes, in my mind, a toss up. OP, if you notice that you are not seeing cars next to you when changing lanes, find yourself tailgating due to poorer sight, or backing up/pulling forward into things, then a car with new safety features might be a good option.
We decided years ago that our next car would have some features that will help us as we age and aren't quite as sharp. And an electric car - within reason.
So we bought a 2018 Honda Clarity. One heck of a learning curve, but it has a lot (not all) of those "help features" we want and it is a large car for a PHEV (plug in electric vehicle). It seats five comfortably and gets around 45-50 miles from the battery. Since it also has a gas engine there is no range anxiety. When the battery gets low we plug it in overnight and voila! The next day we have 50 or so miles to drive without using gas.
But, as an earlier posted stated, the learning curve can be steep. With this car it doesn't have to be though. You can put it in Drive and go. The onboard computers handle gas or electric, or both for you.
Personally, I hate all the new technology they're putting in cars these days. The day I need a car to keep me in my lane or stop for me I'll turn in my keys. As for me, I drive a 2012 Lexus LS460 and a 2005 Porsche. They're both well maintained, but simply due to their age they're not worth bupkis. To replace them with new versions would cost me a small fortune. And I'm cheap.
Personally, I hate all the new technology they're putting in cars these days. The day I need a car to keep me in my lane or stop for me I'll turn in my keys. As for me, I drive a 2012 Lexus LS460 and a 2005 Porsche. They're both well maintained, but simply due to their age they're not worth bupkis. To replace them with new versions would cost me a small fortune. And I'm cheap.
In the majority of cars you simply turn those features off. Ours has buttons at the lower left of the dash to do just that. Lane keep usually doesn't engage even if it's on until the car is going 45 or faster.
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