While there are few replacements for the nostalgia of classic cars, are modern motors really more functional than their predecessors?
The topic of whether new cars are better than old cars has become increasingly divisive among drivers over the years as modern cars become increasingly packed with mod cons and assistive functionality.
Although the stats suggest that modern cars are far more dependable, such as the substantial 13% fall in the average cost of maintaining a car in the UK between 1997 and 2009, few would argue with the 1,001,385 mileage of a 1989 Saab 900SPG logged by a Wisconsin travelling salesman over the course of 17 years–a feat that few could imagine modern cars having the longevity for.
The reality is that modern cars pose a unique set of problems that can negatively impact their usability for owners. These challenges mean that, although they could require fewer trips to the mechanic, modern cars may be liable to spend less time at their peak for motorists. With this in mind, let’s take a deeper look at some of the issues that are more exclusive to modern car owners:
Lack of UX Upgrade Options
One of the biggest issues that modern cars have stemmed from their onboard infotainment systems. In the past, a car’s UX and features were largely standardized so that drivers could regularly upgrade their tape decks to add CD players, and later buy electronics like Bluetooth capable systems with Apple CarPlay and even a rear-view camera all for a relatively low price just by sliding it into the dashboard.
This helped car owners to upgrade their vehicles over longer time frames to maintain up-to-date mod-cons. However, this particular trend has failed to catch on with modern motors.
Today, almost no cars allow this changing of displays. While your new car may have a great new onboard computer with audio and multimedia capabilities, what will happen when technology evolves and you want an upgrade? Unless your manufacturer is pushing out regular software upgrades, you’re likely to be lost in time as more technologies improve the UX of newer models.
More Electronics Mean More Problems
In a recent survey, one of the most common problems reported in new cars by their owners revolves around failures within a car’s onboard electronics. Although these problems may not be directly related to a car’s ability to function on the road, they can be severe hindrances in assistive technologies or infotainment.
“A much higher proportion of problems these days are electronic in nature, including infotainment, driver assistance, and other features, controls and displays,” said Dave Sargent, vice president of automotive quality at J.D. Power and Associates.
“Although these problems seldom result in a ‘walk-home failure’, they are intensely annoying to consumers who often pay a lot of money for these features, only to find that they are frustratingly difficult to use and often have no remedy”.
Furthermore, these issues can be far more costly to fix. For instance, while a traditional car key can cost an insignificant amount to replace, a replacement key fob can set drivers back a small fortune depending on the type of fob they’re replacing. Although locksmiths can help to lower the price of replacing a car key fob, a dealership may charge in excess of $1,000 for a replacement when a few decades ago a replacement key would’ve set motorists back around $5 or $10.
Problems With Scale
One of the biggest problems with modern vehicles is that they’re simply far larger than most city planners would’ve anticipated.
As we can see between the Fiat 500 manufactured in the mid-20th Century and its 21st Century incarnation, even hatchback cars are growing considerably in size, creating an issue with how modern cars can navigate the small city and country roads that were designed with smaller earlier vehicles in mind.
The same issue has been recorded with the latest generation of Volkswagen Golf hatchbacks, whereby the more modern version of the car is nearly two feet longer and six inches wider than the Mk 1 Golf released 35 years prior.
While this can make it difficult to drive in high-traffic areas on smaller roads, these bulkier modern cars do have a redeeming perk in that many of these thicker panels have been developed with safety in mind, keeping drivers better protected from harm.
Redemption in Supreme Safety Features
While many of the issues with modern cars are frustrating because they largely revolve around technological developments that can be costly when they fail, many modern advancements in later models have been added with safety and security in mind.
Onboard electronic systems can offer better perspectives in terms of parking sensors, while ABS braking systems come as standard in newer cars that can better help to prevent deadly crashes.
In the future, more standardized UX systems can certainly help to deliver a more comprehensive experience for drivers, and regular software updates would pave the way for better longevity among popular cars.
Although older motors will always live long in the memory, for all of the problems that modern cars pose, they’ll remain the best option for drivers seeking a more efficient and safe journey.