24th Jul 2015, 14:23

Ah yes, another example of "older is better" obtusity.

Let's see how you respond to these FACTS:

1. Back in 1976, most cars were typically considered ready for the junkyard by the time they hit 100K miles... if they made it that far. Odometers only went up to 99,999 because an odometer rolling over that figure rarely happened. The average age of a car on the road in 1977? 5.5 years.

2. Now? Even the cheapest economy car is expected to go at least 150K miles and most go well beyond that, even if maintenance is not kept up. Hence the six-digit odometer. Now a used car with "only" 80K-90K miles is called "low mileage". The average age of a car on the road now? 11.4 years (www.rita.dot.gov)

So, cars now last on average more than twice as long AND for twice or more as many miles, but somehow they are still not as good as the old models?

(Oh, and please don't repeat that tired argument that cars are last longer now because people can't afford to replace them as often, the standard of living has declined, blah blah blah.)