[Occasionally6]

Cars are more expensive and smaller? Not from where I sit. If I look back at the price lists (in real terms) from 30 years ago, matching cars of similar size and weight, they have definitely become less expensive to buy. Not only that, they have as standard those "luxuries" (like A/C, ABS, ESP, power steering and airbags). Lower price and more content.

What has happened is that the same model name has been applied to cars that have progressively gained size and weight, presumably because people have been able to afford to do so.

Apart from the peak immediately prior to the GFC, fuel prices are lower and the ubiquitous powertrain electronic management means they use less of it.

Maintenance costs are lower because no longer do things like ignition points replacement and ignition timing and carburettor adjustments have to be done as part of regular servicing. Service intervals are longer; typically 10000 miles against 5000 miles.

Yes, they do cost more to repair when things do go wrong but they - the major things at least - are much less likely to do so.

That they have become more difficult for the untrained person to repair or modify may have had some affect on how 'connected' people can be to their cars. Where there are competing (electronic) means by which social status/cleverness can be demonstrated, particularly by young people, that aspect of car culture has less value anyway.

Automatic transmissions are just as likely to be standard because they are easier to make meet emission levels as they are because few people want to buy manual transmissions or the higher amortised cost of testing. Most of the contemporary automatic transmissions use comparable, even less, fuel too.

The automatic transmissions and electronic aids do make driving less involving. Stronger law enforcement, less tolerance of 'risky' behavior and higher population densities may limit somewhat the kind of fun that could once have been had in cars.