Problems with modern cars

[GAbOS]

I don't give a shit what gas costs, it's gas and I need it to get around. That and even though out most efficient ride is my 3/4 ton duramax at about 18 on the highway unloaded, our carbon foot print is smaller than many of the greenies that buy a new prius everytime they update the preloaded apps in the radio, since we keep our vehicles for a long ass time and don't buy a new one every other year.

I always get a kick out of the Prius' (Prii ??) trying to out acellerate me at stop lights and up the mountain. Idiots

On topic: I wouldn't mind seeing cost based on current year cost of living/inflation versus what it was say in the 80's. I would say we might be shocked at how close they would be. This is not counting Trucks though, which have significantly increased in cost due to their popularity now. My first brand new truck was a 1993 Ranger for less than 10k.

[2mAn]

I don't give a shit what gas costs, it's gas and I need it to get around. That and even though out most efficient ride is my 3/4 ton duramax at about 18 on the highway unloaded, our carbon foot print is smaller than many of the greenies that buy a new prius everytime they update the preloaded apps in the radio, since we keep our vehicles for a long ass time and don't buy a new one every other year.

Im just giving you a hard time. An old inefficient car is much more environmentally friendly than the idiots who replace their cars every 3 years to the newest crap that is 10x more efficient.

[MrBurgundy]

mrsleeve, you should put this sticker on your truck and offend some millennials.

[redsubdivisions]

mrsleeve, you should put this sticker on your truck and offend some millennials.

Gotta make our home a little bit warmer for any future guests, knowwhatimean?

[E30 Wagen]

My biggest complain about new cars, and this applies to every manufacturer, is that with each new generation they just keep getting bigger. Compare old Corollas, Accords, 3 series, Jetta, or any truck from 20 years ago to the same models today and it's like they're twice the size. It's ridiculous and I'm starting to feel claustrophobic anytime I'm in a parking lot with all these huge cars.

Plus they all look way over-designed. Everything is trying so hard to grab our attention by trying to look sporty and aggressive and fancy.

[MrBurgundy]

My biggest complain about new cars is that with each new generation they just keep getting bigger, and this applies to every manufacturer. Compare old Corollas, Accords, 3 series, Jetta, or any truck from 20 years ago to the same models today and it's like they're twice the size. It's ridiculous and I'm starting to feel claustrophobic anytime I'm in a parking lot with all these huge cars cars.

Plus they all look way over-designed. Everything is trying so hard to grab our attention by trying to look sporty and aggressive and fancy.

Lexus over-designed their entire new line up. The new GS-F looks like 10 different concepts mashed into one ugly car.

[mrsleeve]

Im just giving you a hard time. An old inefficient car is much more environmentally friendly than the idiots who replace their cars every 3 years to the newest crap that is 10x more efficient.

I know you are, and thats how I took it.

Another thing I hate about new shit, YOU CANT SEE OUT OF IT. I drive my old 97 L/C I look over my shoulder or behind me and there are WINDOWS I can fucking see stuff out of. Which really cuts down on the need for back up cams and blind spot monitoring. Also the Mirriors may be a little small but YOU CAN SEE stuff in them because they are mirrors not turn signals, mood lights, sonar pods, and lane cameras......

[varg]

Plus they all look way over-designed. Everything is trying so hard to grab our attention by trying to look sporty and aggressive and fancy.

Lexus over-designed their entire new line up. The new GS-F looks like 10 different concepts mashed into one ugly car.

I'm with you here. I hate how new cars look in general, and I hate the bloat, but the over-styling really needs to stop.

Take the new NSX for example. There are 4 inlets/grilles on the front end, 3 different types of grille pattern, and an enormous, hideous glossy piece of plastic with fake chrome above and below. The headlights are 12.5ft long and each one contains what looks like 6 separate headlights. There are more lines and creases on this car than on the receipts in my pockets, and it can't decide whether it should be smooth and flowing or angular and angry looking. It's time to fire all of the designers and revoke accreditation of all of the design schools, because every single one seems to have forgotten that less is more and simplicity looks good.

[rturbo 930]

I'm with you here. I hate how new cars look in general, and I hate the bloat, but the over-styling really needs to stop.

It's ridiculous how big cars have gotten. Quite a few cars that used to be compact cars are now midsized. Park a Mini next to an E30 and see which is bigger. And that's a fuckin Mini! It's supposed to be small!

I DD an 86 Jetta. I have sort of a love/hate relationship with it. Surprisingly, I like the way it drives. Good and torquey despite only 90hp. Great city car IMO. Does okay on the highway, just takes a little longer to speed up. Stupidly simple, and ours, which my parents bought in 1988, has been reliable in the 28 years and 520k miles we've had it. Stupid cheap to own.

However, the radio sucks, the headlights suck, the brakes suck, and the handling sucks (although it's very comfortable), and there's a number of things that are just worn out, and parts are getting hard to find. I could fix most of those if I wanted to put in the effort, but the other thing that sucks about it is safety and there isn't anything I can do about that. With everyone driving around in 3000lb+ (at the lightest) cars, not paying any attention to what they're doing, and with more of them on the roads than ever, I gotta admit it makes me a little nervous driving around in such an old car. I still like my Jetta, but I've been thinking of trading up to something newer for DD purposes- Mazda or Subaru probably. There would be some trade-offs, but a newer car would take care of most of my complaints.

I agree that the styling of a lot of newer cars leaves a lot to be desired, although I generally like the looks of VAG and British cars. Almost everything today is needlessly overly complicated and I often wish we were living in simpler times.

Gotta make our home a little bit warmer for any future guests, knowwhatimean?

Oh shit.

[M-technik-3]

Wife has a 2016 Crosstrek.

It isn't bad really and the tech is a nice touch.

Only real complaint is with the CVT. Shifting from reverse to drive literally takes 3-4 seconds. Incredibly aggravating, especially in busy smaller parking lots.

I will be sticking with older cars personally. I just like the simplicity and the fact that I can understand everything that is going on with the car. But a newer car is excellent for the boring stuff, i.e. roadtrips, etc.

My wife has one too, very simple car, with minimum intrusion into driving via touch screens and nani's unless you get the uber limited job

[Vincent Brick]

I always get a kick out of the Prius' (Prii ??) trying to out acellerate me at stop lights...

Ugh I live in CA so I do get stomped by Prius from stop lights, fuckin' smog laws.



The video definitely goes along with why I have no desire to own anything newer than the '90s, even if my car is slower than pretty much everything else on the road.

[tim88325is]

From a historical perspective, people were just as upset with disc brakes(what happens when they get wet?), hydraulic brakes(what if they spring a leak?), and fuel injection(no one will ever be able to fix or diagnose those systems!!). I am sure that internet forums from the 1920s and on had similar discussions and arguments as we are having now.

These examples might be a moot because the technology that is computer based has increased exponentially in new cars as well as shrinking in physical size. Meaning the transition from cable operated brakes to hydraulic brakes was at least a mechanical change on a human scale that a good mechanic could easily grasp and learn. New cars rely so much on computers and code that is "hidden" from easy access in small circuits, much more difficult to transition from a "wrencher" to a "coder". Not to mention the general cheapening and limited lifespan of modern products.

My take on whether old/new cars are more/less environmentally damaging is like listening to the guards of a concentration camp compare their behaviours. One guard might say that they shoot their prisoners for a quick death, others may quietly starve them, others may torture but at the end of the day, they are all killing people and causing harm.

"If there is a hell below, we all gonna go" - Curtis Mayfield

[estoguy]

I agree with the video and many of the posts here.

The overengineering that is going into cars is getting ridiculous. Even cars built between 2000-2010, but it's really getting noticeable now.

It's one thing I love about my E30 that I've been daily driving for just over 4 years now. You get in and drive. No "smart" features, no cameras or other gadgets. Set the mirrors, get on the clutch, shift into gear and go. The only gadgets are the things you bring into the car. In my case, my phone and ipod.

One big point in newer cars is visibility. Without the gadgets, new cars have so many blindspots, unless you know how to set your mirrors, etc. The A and B columns are huge on most cars now, and really cut your sightlines. On an SUV or van, good luck trying to see anything if you look over your shoulder. This is where the SAE recommendations on mirror setting can save your bacon.

Not to mention working on a car anymore is getting really unfriendly.

Side note... Not sure why there is bitching about M20 mileage... My 4 year average has been 7.8L/100 km (30.15 MPG US, 36 MPG UK). It's only slightly higher than my last car, which was a '99 Jetta MkIII 2.0L.

[varg]

I hate it when people carp about gas mileage on here. Sub-prius MPG is a small price to pay for driving a car as enjoyable and good looking as an E30. Back when I had the Turbo M42 and a working odometer I was getting ~18mpg and burning premium (93AKI). The odometer stopped again a few months after fixing it so who knows what kind of mileage I'm getting now.

[agent]

I am sure that internet forums from the 1920s and on had similar discussions and arguments as we are having now.