I myself have been involved in these topics in the comments section on here. And I do agree about the older vehicles not being fit for today's modern roads. Traffic is 10 times worse, parking spaces are smaller, main roads (at least where I live) are usually 3 very narrow lanes.
My main objective is the debate that the old cars aren't as reliable as newer. This is simply not true. 60s, 70s and 80s mostly V8 full and midsized cars are just as if not more reliable than anything new. Everything now is turbo charged, parts made of plastic, electronically controlled, the list goes on and on. In the end it is more potential things that will eventually need costly, complex repairs. For example tire pressure monitors are very annoying and it seems like every manufacturer has problems with them.
Sure, modern vehicles have all kinds of neat gadgets and features, too many that are unnecessary that you would want to have control of yourself. Another improvement is fuel mileage which is what everybody wants, and of course safety. Nothing to complain about there.
Another thing is less maintenance. Spark plugs, fluid changes and filters are now at higher intervals. But this doesn't make the modern cars more reliable. I would never consider not changing transmission fluid that supposedly lasts the life of the vehicle. Most never do and you can't even check the fluid level let alone add to it. Cooling systems are also more complex. The days of simply draining and filling a radiator without getting air pockets are far gone.
Spark plugs? If you own a modern V6 be prepared to take apart half of the top end of the motor just to get to them.
In the past you will also see the whole "older cars weren't built to go past 100,000 miles, that's why they had 5 digit odometers". This again is not true. Again most domestic V8 intermediate and full size cars did in fact go well over that. If you ever notice it was in the mid 80s when you started to see 6 digit odometers surface. This was not an overnight decision. People were buying used cars in like new condition with the odometer reading 40 thousand miles when in reality it was 140 thousand. I currently own a 2005 Lincoln Town Car with 130,000 miles, the way it looks and runs? Yes, it could pass for having only 30,000 miles. This is my daily driver along with 2 others in the past 18 years (96 and 2002) these were very reliable with most of the engine technology dating back to 1991 when the 4.6 was introduced, but yet each one I owned that was newer did have better modern handling. To me this brand of car combines the looks, size, V8 power, reliability and body on frame rear drive construction of a 70s car, combined with the handling and safety of modern day. You get the best of both worlds.
Unfortunately the old vs new topic can go on forever with comparisons. I like to include cars that I and immediate family have owned in the past. Our best, most reliable car believe it or not was a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme sedan with the wimpy but rock solid Olds built 260 V8. This car was bought at an auction in 1982 as an ex-fleet car with about 90,000 miles and was driven up to 1990 before the transmission failed with close to 300,000 miles. In the meantime my older brother owns a 2015 Tahoe that has been a headache the past couple years. Sure it has 160,000 miles, but the problems it had were unheard of in a say 1993 model. Why? Because a 93 isn't equipped with some of the things that went wrong with his.
My folks currently have a 2016 Buick Lacrosse that has been decent besides the tire monitors and inner wheel well linings falling off, being made out of some sort of carpet like material???. They have always purchased the Buick brand in the past, most reliable being an 85 Lesabre being pushed to its so called limits accumulating high miles in the 6 years it was owned with only a power antenna going bad. Very common on any GM from the era. In the end I prefer and am a fan of the older larger domestic cars. Especially GM and Ford. But I will admit it took a lot of time for those companies to catch up with the imports as far as small front drive and rear drive cars that were rushed into production, but then again in my opinion the Pontiac 2.5 "Iron Duke" was one of the best and most reliable 4 bangers GM ever produced.
20th Nov 2024, 20:31
I myself have been involved in these topics in the comments section on here. And I do agree about the older vehicles not being fit for today's modern roads. Traffic is 10 times worse, parking spaces are smaller, main roads (at least where I live) are usually 3 very narrow lanes.
My main objective is the debate that the old cars aren't as reliable as newer. This is simply not true. 60s, 70s and 80s mostly V8 full and midsized cars are just as if not more reliable than anything new. Everything now is turbo charged, parts made of plastic, electronically controlled, the list goes on and on. In the end it is more potential things that will eventually need costly, complex repairs. For example tire pressure monitors are very annoying and it seems like every manufacturer has problems with them.
Sure, modern vehicles have all kinds of neat gadgets and features, too many that are unnecessary that you would want to have control of yourself. Another improvement is fuel mileage which is what everybody wants, and of course safety. Nothing to complain about there.
Another thing is less maintenance. Spark plugs, fluid changes and filters are now at higher intervals. But this doesn't make the modern cars more reliable. I would never consider not changing transmission fluid that supposedly lasts the life of the vehicle. Most never do and you can't even check the fluid level let alone add to it. Cooling systems are also more complex. The days of simply draining and filling a radiator without getting air pockets are far gone.
Spark plugs? If you own a modern V6 be prepared to take apart half of the top end of the motor just to get to them.
In the past you will also see the whole "older cars weren't built to go past 100,000 miles, that's why they had 5 digit odometers". This again is not true. Again most domestic V8 intermediate and full size cars did in fact go well over that. If you ever notice it was in the mid 80s when you started to see 6 digit odometers surface. This was not an overnight decision. People were buying used cars in like new condition with the odometer reading 40 thousand miles when in reality it was 140 thousand. I currently own a 2005 Lincoln Town Car with 130,000 miles, the way it looks and runs? Yes, it could pass for having only 30,000 miles. This is my daily driver along with 2 others in the past 18 years (96 and 2002) these were very reliable with most of the engine technology dating back to 1991 when the 4.6 was introduced, but yet each one I owned that was newer did have better modern handling. To me this brand of car combines the looks, size, V8 power, reliability and body on frame rear drive construction of a 70s car, combined with the handling and safety of modern day. You get the best of both worlds.
Unfortunately the old vs new topic can go on forever with comparisons. I like to include cars that I and immediate family have owned in the past. Our best, most reliable car believe it or not was a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme sedan with the wimpy but rock solid Olds built 260 V8. This car was bought at an auction in 1982 as an ex-fleet car with about 90,000 miles and was driven up to 1990 before the transmission failed with close to 300,000 miles. In the meantime my older brother owns a 2015 Tahoe that has been a headache the past couple years. Sure it has 160,000 miles, but the problems it had were unheard of in a say 1993 model. Why? Because a 93 isn't equipped with some of the things that went wrong with his.
My folks currently have a 2016 Buick Lacrosse that has been decent besides the tire monitors and inner wheel well linings falling off, being made out of some sort of carpet like material???. They have always purchased the Buick brand in the past, most reliable being an 85 Lesabre being pushed to its so called limits accumulating high miles in the 6 years it was owned with only a power antenna going bad. Very common on any GM from the era. In the end I prefer and am a fan of the older larger domestic cars. Especially GM and Ford. But I will admit it took a lot of time for those companies to catch up with the imports as far as small front drive and rear drive cars that were rushed into production, but then again in my opinion the Pontiac 2.5 "Iron Duke" was one of the best and most reliable 4 bangers GM ever produced.