Posted on 11/03/2015 11:23:56 PM PST by Cowman
Not only are cars becoming more safe, feature-rich and efficient, but engines have never had more output, whether it’s an econobox Hyundai Sonata churning out a torque curve that would literally twist the swiss-cheese frame of a Mk. I Golf GTI, or the more insane Dodge Charger Hellcat, with its ticket-to-the-pearly-gates 707 HP supercharged V8.
*** However, as with anything in the known universe, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, no matter what ‘80s John Travolta will tell you. With legislation putting forth mandates for increased complexity in cars over the last three decades, automobiles have become, on average, more than 800 pounds heavier than they were in the late ‘80s. In addition, car prices have drastically increased over the years, even when inflation is accounted for, fueled in no small part by the added cost of development and implementation of the systems that serve as layers in between the driver and an unfiltered driving experience. For example, A loaded 1983 Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit GTI cost around $8000 brand new, which translated to just over $19,000 in today’s money. Fast forward to today, where a 2015 Golf GTI with all options ticked would set you back more than $31,000.
The model also gained over 1,100 pounds in curb weight over the same time, .
*** I can’t help but wonder what would’ve come out of a automaker’s factory when the company wouldn’t have had to deal with the stringent regulations that tie the industry down to making cars that all look and feel relatively numb.***
(Excerpt) Read more at thegarage.jalopnik.com ...
My daily driver is an ‘86 535i. Talk about a great car.
‘80s era cars are right in the sweet spot IMO. Most had electronic fuel injection which was an important improvement yet they were still fairly simple machines overall.
I don’t think the regulations are the problem here. I think a bigger issue is simply the expectations of the customers. Cars are simply being designed to accommodate buyers who are increasingly incapable of driving. Think about that one for a moment.
I remember my older brothers' 50's days and my 60's days and they were still Norman Rockwell
So I guess I have to admit to being part of the problem when I went into my 60's daze
Another reason why cars all look the same today is that most of their parts are the same. I seem to remember reading an article last year that said 60% of the parts in a compact car are common to all manufacturers and models.
I’ve had better luck with cars of more recent vintage as far as reliability and trouble-free driving well over 100K miles. Complexity is an issue once they’re into needing repairs, though.
Cars today take on a generally similar shape because, oddly enough, the wind tunnel the BMW designers use, performs almost exactly like the wind tunnel used at Honda, Ford, etc. When you go for peak aerodynamic efficiency, and shape your vehicles accordingly, the end results will invariably be similar.
A friend just took delivery of a 2016 Bentley GTS. It’s beautiful. I would have to say that there are still very nice cars out there. On the downside, it didn’t cost $6000 off the showroom floor with an SS/RS package and 400hp, but it’s pretty damned spiffy. It’s impossible to work on, but....wow. I can’t complain.
I could go for that.
In 5 years that will be universally accepted.
We won’t actually be driving at all. There are already cars out there that require no driver input. That’s where things are going. We’ll all be riders, not drivers. The cars will be small & underpowered, but who will notice while they are texting, napping or surfing the ‘net?
Yep - I have a bottom end Mercedes (CLA250) with a 2 liter engine with turbo. It is every bit as quick as the Camry I traded in even though the Camry was a V-6 with 268 HP (my 4 cylinder has 208 HP) and gets 6-10 MPG over what the Camry got. Not to mention it sticks to the road like a cat on a curtain - can't fault today's cars as being overweight and numb - I'd say the author thinks we should all be driving electric Smart cars to minimize our footprint...
Disagree about longevity. My Expetion has 170k on the clock and I’ve spent almost zero on maintenance other than normal oil, tires, brakes, and wiper blades. Our last Tnree Fords have all been like that — 2 Explorers and 1 Expedition. I am amazed at the excellent reliability engineered into their products.
My biggest complaint about cars from the 50’s and 60’s was the rust factor. You spent hours cleaning, tuning and babying and then the rust sets in. Hell, those cars were starting to rust in the showroom.
The reason why all of them look alike today is that they all go thru wind tunnel testing which bevels all style out of the car. This results in a .5 mile per gallon increase at high way speed. this "increase" costs all pretense of style or uniqueness.
I’ll soon have my 53Willys jeep back on the road.
Next, I’ll get my 56 Chevy 3/4 ton rolling again. It just needs a fresh coat of paint. Then I think I’ll get my Son’s 75 Vette going again.
I just hate working on the newer, computer controlled, cars.
My scion FR-S is more fun than anything under 60k that I’ve driven. Cars really do just keep getting better...so far.
About 20 years ago I read an article that talked about that Being a future risk.
Even Jeep has had to bow to the gods of aerodynamics some. Yours is the first one to have anything but flat glass.
I am driving/restoring a 1967 Camaro and a 1957 Bel Air. I eat it on gas mileage, but repairs and upgrades are very economical.
I bought the Camaro from a junkyard for $250 in 1978 and the Bel Air for $3500 in 2009. I’ve put about $3,500 into the Camaro over the years, another $2500 into the Bel Air. I need to put $5000 into each car to put them into “to die for” shape (4 speed transmissions, interiors, dick brakes).
So, my all in cost will be about $20,000 for 43 car years of service, which works out to $38/month for two cars. Oh,and I don’t pay smog or have red lights that come on forcing to make idiot repairs. The end valuation will be 45,000 and they will never depreciate. The cars are infinitely reparable and fun as hell to drive. And just one new car could easily cost me $25,000.
So no, I’m not trading in. I get asked to sell all the time, but people don’t understand the old car math.
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