general Cars are just not the same as they were in the past.

[FirePuppy 735]

I'm getting the feeling that today's cars are like, not the same as they were in years past. For example, a 2018 Toyota Camry is like a 2001 Toyota Avalon, a 2018 Nissan Sentra is like a 1999 Nissan Altima, and a 2018 Honda CR-V is as big as a Honda Passport.

[Scrubbed user 3,416]

Blame safety regulations.

[Anonymous Old User Who Has Left 599]

Cars aren't about the people who drive them anymore, it's all about profit advantages for the companies who manufacture them and pushing all the high-tech gadgetry into them. They're basically becoming autonomous robotic transporting capsules.

I'd rather have a rusty $800 '99 Civic than a 2018 Accord where it'll void insurance coverage to merely touch the spark plug, battery, or wheel lug nuts.

DIY repair and maintenance is dying. We need to fight back for our rights. We gave these ppl their money, they shouldn't mess with the products that WE OWN.

 

Edited April 23, 2018 by Shabb3r

[Pr0m4NV14 839]

Remember pop-up headlights? Those were cool.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

I think that kind of depends on what you're looking for in a car. Safety, performance and fuel efficiency have both vastly improved*, and there are plenty of gadgets that have an excellent impact on quality of life. If all you want from a car is to go from A to B with the minimum of fuss then things have vastly improved.

1 hour ago, Shabb3r said:

pushing all the high-tech gadgetry into them. They're basically becoming autonomous robotic transporting capsules.

Not all of them - there are plenty of budget cars that don't have... well, the basic version of my car doesn't even have electric windows or air conditioning. And I was curious about the new automatic breaking system that they've got, only to discover that's it's only available on the (really expensive) electric version^. Unless you count ABS or power steering a fancy gadgets, if you don't want tech then there isn't any.

 

The thing is, those old cars are still around - and long past their warranty, so you can fix and tweak and do whatever you like so long as it stays road-legal. And if there is a demand for that kind of vehicle then companies will make them again - as you say, companies are after a profit, so if they can make money from 'tributes', 'homages' and 'classics' then they will.

 

 

*for the cost involved, in vehicles where they're trying to achieve that - all the usual caveats.

^now that is an autonomous robotic transporting capsule - sadly one that is rather out of reach of my budget.

[Crystal Peppermint 1,108]

I don't know much about cars, but i used to drive a 1997 Toyota Corolla and bought myself a new Nissan Pulsar. And i really like all this new technic,parking was never easier with a 360° camera for parking. So i can't complain.

[Sliding Bolt 4,358]

O

On 4/23/2018 at 4:35 AM, FirePuppy said:

I'm getting the feeling that today's cars are like, not the same as they were in years past. For example, a 2018 Toyota Camry is like a 2001 Toyota Avalon, a 2018 Nissan Sentra is like a 1999 Nissan Altima, and a 2018 Honda CR-V is as big as a Honda Passport.

I completely agree! I mean you’ll never see another one of these beauties. 

Edit: this may be a little extreme and I’m not sure this is what you meant but it’s true 

Edited April 25, 2018 by Sliding Bolt

[Dreambiscuit 9,691]

I'm not a fan of newer cars. They have too many computery gadgets in them and that's asking for trouble. In the old days there weren't sensors to tell a car to do this or do that. Now, when something goes wrong with a car, it's usually a faulty sensor rather than a faulty car (and yes, I do consider them separate entities). Now car companies are pushing for more and more automation and computer tech, to the point where the car stops itself if it detects an obstacle, or steers to keep you centered in your lane, etc. What happens when one of these systems inevitably fails and hits the breaks in the middle of the fast lane on the freeway? Or steers you into potholes, debris or road damage the computer fails to detect? It's bad enough when a car fails to adjust air to fuel ratio properly because of a bad sensor (which is why we used to have carburators that could be adjusted manually), but at least it wasn't dangerous to the driver and passengers. Now I fear for what a car does independently of the driver's commands, just so the car manufacturers can show off how clever they think they are with their pointless bells and whistles. If you want to impress me, merely make a car that lasts beyond it's 5 year warranty. 

Better yet, I'll stick with older cars.  

[StormBlaze 992]

technology. and I hate it.

I looooove classic cars. Utterly love them and would love some kind of Triumph one day - my parents have a TR6 and had a TR2, so i grew up with them. 

What I love about having older cars is that when something goes wrong, its normally a very very easy fix and that you can do it yourself (with aid of the Haynes manual) or local garage can do it. My Dad tells me stories of TR convoy days where all you needed was a spanner or wrench and the car would last the rest of the trip. and several more stories on bodging together random materials to hold something or act as a patch. You would not be able to get away with some of those fixes today lol.

Im really really against the amount of computerware being put in modern cars too. A simple fix is no longer a simple fix, its a full fiasco that requires an IT technician to do it or some similar BS. So youre constantly fearing a breakdown as you cant do anything to fix it. Not to mention its killing generations of basic common sense and knowledge; people dont even know how to change a tyre or fluids when doing a long trip, or cant because the software wont let them; people are getting more and more lazy when it comes to driving because the car does it for them, again losing common sense and becoming entitled. My brother is learning to drive right now and told me that his instructor (who taught me as well 6 years ago) has started asking students how to use a sat nav............. WTF

I know that rant is more driving based than car based, but seriously it just reflects the modern day life of both person and car.

Im old fashioned, I like to be 100% in control of my driving and I like to know what is up with my car when it starts acting up.

 

edit: I drive a 2001 Toyota Yaris (1.3) and LOVE that car as its just at the borderline of fun ol junker and digital age. Heck theres still a tape deck in it, but a digital dash. 

Edited April 25, 2018 by StormBlaze

[Sliding Bolt 4,358]

@StormBlaze yeah those old Triumphs are great. Back when it was just you, the car, and the road. I'm helping my friend restore his 1974 TR6. He got it as his first car.  

[Longhaul 6,842]

Compare the 1973 Dodge Challenger (which my mother had) with today's Challenger.  I'd take the '73.

[StormBlaze 992]

3 hours ago, Sliding Bolt said:

@StormBlaze yeah those old Triumphs are great. Back when it was just you, the car, and the road. I'm helping my friend restore his 1974 TR6. He got it as his first car.  

noice! lucky guy! ours is a 74 as well. Signal Red, Dads rebuilt it 3 times since getting it in the 80s. Ive not driven it myself ...yet. Not allowed to drive it lol plus my thick thighs dont quite fit very well, theyre certainly built for skinny people ^^;

[TBD 17,254]

From using the stick to depending on techs to do all the driving for them?...I can't argue with that.  

Edited April 25, 2018 by TBD

[meck-can-ik pony 1,091]

The issue with newer older cars is once they reach 10 years old and multiple problems start there impossible to fix, I just replaced a driveshaft on a Citroen picasso and it turns out there 2 types of shaft where one has a different abs system from another model (Unknown to me as I had the dumb luck of ordering the wrong part) so I had to recycle the old abs ring to fit the new part, In order for the sensor to pick up the signal that the shaft was still in motion when going round,

my own car being a 15 year old citroen C5 with hydraulic suspension has multiple faults on the dashboard everything from ABS to Airbag to DPF and now the Timing belt has snapped off it and am at the point now of, Do I fix the car or Just brake it for spares now. 

And back in the day on the old Vauxhall Viva you could replace an engine in just a few hours whereas now you have to talk to a computer and then disconnect all the auxiliaries and the hydraulic pump for the steering all the wiring on the engine and the coolant pipes and its near enough a days affair compared to the past. 

 

[Luminance 2,186]

Tbh, newer cars have modern safety and fuel efficiency features which something like that would had been impossible in the past due to the lack of technological advancements. The push for advance autonomous cars or alternate fuel/powered vehicles is amongst us but the older models are still here so it's not like they're all gone. 

[Anneal 2,197]

56 minutes ago, Star Light said:

Tbh, newer cars have modern safety and fuel efficiency features which something like that would had been impossible in the past due to the lack of technological advancements. The push for advance autonomous cars or alternate fuel/powered vehicles is amongst us but the older models are still here so it's not like they're all gone. 

Hell, airbags are fairly recent considering the history of cars, and they are considerably safer to drive than say, a few decades ago. Most older cars probably won't pass any safety inspections in some states which do have them, and usually need to be re-fitted. Actually...I'm not sure why some US states don't do annual checks, you would think that emission-compliant and safe motor vehicles would be something everyone wants, especially in a country with so many vehicles. 

There are plenty of old cars that are great and well-liked, but people are too trapped up in nostalgia sometimes to notice its flaws. 

Edited April 28, 2018 by Anneal

[Concerned Bystander 2,902]

Newer cars do tend to look a lot less distinctive than their predecessors, but this is because they are designed for aerodynamic efficiency and this tends towards very similar shapes and lines.  In regards to automation you must bear in mind that the vast majority of vehicle accidents are caused by a failure of the pink fleshy thing behind the steering wheel, things like assisted braking and lane departure detection cannot make any vehicle 100% safe but they can compensate for a momentary lapse of attention that might have otherwise led to an accident.

I'm about as far from being a petrolhead as it is possible to be.  A car to me is purely a conveyance to get me and my stuff from A to B, and given that I regularly make the eight to ten hour drive between work and home I want to do so as comfortably and efficiently as possible.  When I bought my latest car just prior to moving with work to where I am now the one thing that was absolutely mandatory was cruise control, I didn't even consider any car without it.  For my next car I may even consider an automatic gearbox.  I am also a big fan of my automatic headlights and windscreen wipers.

There are still plenty of older cars available in the used market, and there will be for years to come, but cars will continue to become more and more advanced and features that are exclusive to top of the line models today will eventually be standard right across the range just like once luxury features such as electric windows, remote key fobs and air conditioning have already become.  All cars will one day be fully automated as standard, this is the inevitable end state of the progress we see happening today, and once the technology reaches the point of being perfected (or as close to such as is possible) hopefully our roads will be much safer.  I personally look forward to the day that I can get in my car and watch films or take a nap during that slog to get home.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Concerned Bystander

[Phosphor 11,528]

I love classic cars and trucks. There's much less plastic and they just flat out look awesome. With that said, I have to say that modern cars are more reliable and safer. We can easily put 100k miles on a new car without an engine rebuild. Many classics would need a rebuild at that point.

Anit-lock brakes are also nice. My '77 Ford pickup truck doesn't have modern safety features, so I drive it much more carefully than normal. Today's fuels are also a nightmare for classics. My truck will get the case of vapor lock on hot summer days. I intend to rectify that problem later this fall. Going with an electric fuel pump instead of mechanical. 

[Here No Longer 5,276]

Nothing is, and nothing will be the same. I honestly take complaints like these moreso like whining than anything else. If you want an old care, just get one off of Craigslist or something. You don't have to buy a NEW car. Nobody is forcing you to buy a 2010s model car. You could have a freaking Model T for all anyone cares. It. Doesn't. Matter.

[Hachiroku 127]

Cars are too fat nowadays.

t. stupid broke 20 year old male saving up to buy a 240sx

[Envy 6,159]

I can't say I understand. Cars are better than they've ever been. Different air-conditioning/heating options for different seats. More intuitive ways to play music from your phone/MP3 device. Warnings when you get too close to someone else, automatic braking (IIRC), etc., etc.

They're nothing but machines to let us travel around easier. Today's cars are doing that with more convenience and safety than ever. What more is there?

[EpicEnergy 23,218]

I think cars are better than they were in the past with modern technologies and safety mechanisms.

[Cirrus. 1,089]

On 10/4/2018 at 12:04 PM, Envy said:

They're nothing but machines to let us travel around easier. Today's cars are doing that with more convenience and safety than ever. What more is there?

What more is there?...

To some a car is an extension of oneself or an "instrument" of transportation. NOT just a washing machine with wheels.

My summer car that I specifically ordered new in 2013 is a MANUAL transmission Camaro. I didn't want a touch screen, nanny sensors, etc. It was one of the last years before all that stuff became mostly standard. I got a V6 due to cost/ insurance/ and fuel economy. I get 25mpg around town and have get 32-34mpg on long trips (not grandpa driving either.) It was actually quite a bit less new than I would have guessed also.

Driving that is a way different experience than a normal automatic transmission car. You HAVE to go by sound and feel. You also are forced to pay more attention because YOU have to make more decisions (aka manual transmission)

That kind of car has a time and a place though. Bumper to bumper rush-hour traffic ABSOLUTELY sucks driving stick, which thankfully I rarely ever have to deal with. Driving in snow is crap too, but I have an old 1998 4X4 SUV that was my grandparents' for that.

It's also different if you work on your own car and know what everything is/does on a car. You could point at anything on my cars and I could tell you what at least 95% of the pieces are/do.

Living near the "Motor City," both sides of my family have been in the auto industry- Tool and die (metal press/cutting/shaping machines), die design, metal forming processes, etc. I would have been too, but the industry is not what it used to be- too unstable now.

New cars seem flimsier and have less individuality. They seem more alike than different. Years ago it was more the opposite. All the extra computer nannies and the like make driving more of a numb, boring experience. I like driving to drive and NOT be messing with technology. (Plus if you keep the car for a while and that stuff starts breaking, you're going to wish it didn't have that stuff when you see the repair bill.)

 

Another good analogy would be playing a musical instrument. (I played violin and piano although not very good )

People can use computers to make/synthesize music more easily and conveniently. You don't even have to worry about it going out of tune either! Why play an actual physical instrument anymore? Seems inconvenient.  </sarcasm>

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Cirrus.

[Splashee 28,563]

True. When I was little, each car had a soul. Even the bad ones!

 

Today, they all look dull, with the soft edges and over the top head/back lights. They are of no interest to me!

[Pentium100 2,122]

And that's why I drive a 1982 Mercedes W123. If something goes wrong I can either fix it myself (if it's something electrical for example) or I can take it to pretty much any mechanic. Mostly what goes wrong with it is rust (especially because of road salt), so I get it patched once in a while and that's pretty much it. 

No computers, no complicated technology. I did have AC installed though, but that is simple as well, just one switch turn the compressor on or off.

My backup car is a 1984 VW Jetta Mk2. This one has automatic transmission and a catalytic converter.

I would buy a more modern car only if the government forced me to. If the government banned all gasoline cars, I probably would just get my Mercedes converted to electric..

If one of my cars got damaged beyond repair I would just buy another old car, maybe another W123, maybe a Volga (thicker metal = less rust holes and smaller dents if I hit something).