19th Jan 2018, 20:34

Agreed. I'm half and half on modern vs. old being durable or better. While I grew up, buying even a humble Mercedes 200 meant you got something which was built like an anvil and could be thrown off a cliff and would still run, taking a step back to assess the current situation has me giving modern cars their due. When I was growing up in the tropics, a 5-year old car needed rust taken out of the panels, and a 10-year old one would be on its way to the junkyard. "Overhaul" was a normal part of a car's life (the engine, that is). And a car, even well-maintained, may decide to simply not start for whatever reason one morning.

Here came electronics and fuel injection, airbags and ABS. I thought, here we go - unrepairable, disposable components. But, my not very light 2001 BMW hatch uses less fuel than my first car, a 1981 Mitsubishi Mirage/Plymouth Colt. Cars start with one turn of the key even parked on the street in winter. Car bodies don't routinely rust anymore - even when the bodies aren't galvanised. And my folks just got a new Honda to replace their 1996 Mazda 323i (22 years old, with all the electronics, airbag and ABS) which is still in running condition. Never been overhauled, no rust taken out. Cars are very different now, but I can't really say they've gotten worse compared to the 10-year old overhauled-motor rusted junk cars from not too long ago.