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On paper, new cars are better in every conceivable way. They're more reliable, safer, more efficient, have more power, handle better, etc. But most of them are not very unique or cool. It's not like most older cars are deathtraps. They're very serviceable vehicles for the most part. Drive what you want. But don't pretend older cars are better in some measurable way. I personally drive a 2008 Wrangler. It's far from efficient and there are safer cars on the road. But this is what I want to drive. I don't have to ignore or rationalize safety tests done on my Wrangler to feel ok driving it. I just accept the risk as part of ownership of the vehicle.
As far as things like fuel injection go, I'd much rather take the infinitesimally small risk that something expensive could jack my fuel injection than spend any more time adjusting a carburetor. I'm pretty sure I spent most of my free time in my teenage years adjusting the carb on my Malibu just to keep it running right. All to keep it at its pristine 8-12mpg. And may I never have to adjust points again...
I had old 2001 Subaru Legacy around, sold it 2 years ago because in comparison to my 2009 Camry, it's 2 different cars but just the start up time is a different league. Today's EFI is so quick that as soon as I popped the keys in start the car up, there's zero hesitation. You don't have to worry about old car's with Startup problem and Startup fluid. Dangerous stuff to have around.
The Camry is out the driveway in less than 30 secs and on my way to work.
Today I actually drive the Toyota Prius more, it starts up and gets out in under 10 secs.
Every car I've ever had has lasted longer than the one before it. I've had all American cars. The one I'm driving now is a Chevy Prizm, fifteen years old. It's running fine, gets great gas mileage, and I've taken care of it — regular maintenance, bumps and bruises fixed, and it's always been garaged, so it looks much newer. In my state they charge annual fees based on how expensive and new your car is, so I also pay next-to-nothing for my registration. I have to get a $12 emissions test due to the age of the car, but so far it's always passed with flying colors. Three cheers for old Americans.
My parents car was a 1948, straight-8 Pontiac. The first night I drove her, I knocked two deer into the barrow ditch, passed through a major hail storm, and had my way with a pretty fair-sized ole gal in the back seat. The next morning, you couldn't see a dent, scratch, or any other mark on the car.
I recall most driveways had lots of oil spots and so did every parking lot. The old cars seemed to leak a lot of oil. I don't see as many oil spots as I use to.
I agree with most of what you said, but you left out some of the most important advantages of new cars:
1 - Safety Equipment - New features such as: ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control, etc, Improved equipment: better tires, better brakes, better handling. Mandated safety design: - pedestrian safety bumpers/hoods (detracting from the style you mention), 3rd brake lights, etc. An argument can be made that a good driver doesn't need most of these features, but not everyone is a good driver and all of these items can help in an unexpected situation.
2 - Performance. Cars today perform so much better. From acceleration, to top speed, to braking, to handling, there is hardly any car from 35-40 years ago that can keep up with even the econo-boxes of today.
3 - Reliability. Getting 100,000 miles on a car from the 60's and 70's was doable, but a big achievement, usually requiring some of the (cheaper) repairs mentioned to get that far. Today, 175,000 or 200,000 miles is more likely to be "the norm", with some 100k powertrain warranties. You are also much less likely to be stranded on the side of the road than previously.
Finally, as to the seats you mentioned, most people fine the soft "pillow top" seats more comfortable for the initial feeling, but longer seat-time generally requires firmer seats for most body types. People spend much more time in cars today on average than they used to, so firmer seats are generally better for the majority of the population.
What I really miss about the old cars was that they changed every year. Even if it was just tail lights or something, you could usually visually tell the difference between a 1974 and 1975 car. Now, due to manufacturing process, and required crash testing and such, there are less visual changes between model years.
I agree ,we get very nostalgic for things from the past, but we forget what junk cars use to be.Today even the worst car is 10 times better than the best of yesteryear.
1.people walk away from accidents that years ago would have killed or crippled them.
2. very reliable, a 10 year old car from yesteryear was pile of rust that you pushed to the nearest junk yard, today,as long as you take good care of it, a 10 year old car is still in good shape.
3.fit and finish, even the cheapest cars today are put together very precisely.just look at the fit and finish of some old car--its laughable.
Every car I've ever had has lasted longer than the one before it. I've had all American cars. The one I'm driving now is a Chevy Prizm, fifteen years old. It's running fine, gets great gas mileage, and I've taken care of it — regular maintenance, bumps and bruises fixed, and it's always been garaged, so it looks much newer. In my state they charge annual fees based on how expensive and new your car is, so I also pay next-to-nothing for my registration. I have to get a $12 emissions test due to the age of the car, but so far it's always passed with flying colors. Three cheers for old Americans.
You know that Prism isn't an American car; It is a rebadged Toyota Corolla.
No, quite the opposite actually which is why the newest vehicle I own is a 1979.
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I agree
