3rd Oct 2026, 17:06
I certainly don't hold an extreme view on this; old cars weren't *that* good and reliable, nor are new ones *that* bad and unreliable. As with everything, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
What is true, however, is that while older cars were obviously less safe, it wasn't that they were less reliable; rather, they were easier to repair, and breakdowns generally didn't render the car inoperable.
Cars today (at least those from the 2015–2020 period onwards) are built to last only a certain number of years, and to me, that is wrong. This is especially true given that many people cannot afford to replace their car every few years, let alone buy a brand-new one.
No one disputes that modern cars are safer and pollute less, but, in my opinion, at least, that shouldn't be the only criteria for a car.
The car in this review, while not exactly "old," dates back to the mid-90s; yet, all things considered, it was a safe, reliable, and relatively low-polluting vehicle.
14th Oct 2026, 13:27
As a user previously mentioned, it’s not so much that older cars are inherently more reliable, but rather that they are much easier to repair.
With all due respect, I don't think old cars are junk—with few exceptions. Safety improves year after year, but reliability doesn't—not to mention durability.
I’d be curious to see if, in 15 or 20 years, an Escort from the early 80s or even the late 70s holds the same value as a 90s Galaxy—or even a newer model.
I believe there would be more demand for the Escorts, and there are reasons for that...
28th Sep 2026, 16:18
I agree that these were the golden years. After that complexity has increased and durability has significantly taken a dive. Hybrid technology, direct injection, cylinder deactivation, VVT, VVH, turbos, even bi-turbos on 4 cylinder engines, use of plastics on central engine parts and cooling systems, wet belts that disintegrate, light weight cam chains that last 50K, CVT transmissions and DSG transmissions that barely make it past 60K, low tension piston rings that makes your engine an oil burner from new etc etc. The list is long. Keeping many cars beyond 100K has become a nightmare, in some cases financially impossible.