Ever stopped at a dealer to confim how great your current car is?

[Frank Lee]

Ah yes, the sschmafety aspect.

'90s cars with non-collapsable steering columns? In the U.S.A.... or India?

Came across an article on keeping cars longer yesterday, I think it was on AOL; it said a drawback of the "older" car was that it didn't have the latest safety gear.

Seriously?

Really?

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

But the newer cars are much safer.

That + GPS, Dual Climate Control, and everything else
thats new is part of the reason why our MPG has lessoned


But yes, it generally is safer.

[Gasoline Fumes]

I stopped at a Honda dealer in the '91 Civic Wagon to check out the Fit a few years ago. The salesmen were gathering around the old Honda, asking questions about it.

I don't like new cars. Give me a harsh-riding, noisy old ****box and I'm happy.

[Frank Lee]

^Amen to that!

Except I like my noisy old ****boxes to be quiet and smooth.

I did buy a new vehicle once, to see what the big fuss was all about. And, as one who must have at least a couple genes in common with the rest of humanity (I think?) I felt the allure of having a new car (and still do from time to time, although it is quite weak). The payments/costs outlasted the thrill by a long shot.

Too bad the alien moniker is taken here; there are times when I feel like an alien looking in on this strange foreign species called humanity, from the lack of having anything in common or any understanding of them. When did people get so hung up on "safety" that the idea of being in a vehicle more than 10 years old was somehow "risky" or unacceptable? Seriously?

Look, I'm not advocating for solid steering columns and sharp spikes on all interior control knobs, but COME ON. People... society... gummint agencies... law enforcement... it wasn't like this before... before when? I dunno exactly... certainly not before the late eighties, and not later than 2000... I think before 9/11 so it isn't that... WTF happened? Was there a mass conspiracy to turn the nation into chicken ****? Did they do it by putting something in the water? What???

http://autos.aol.com/article/small-car-owners-unhappy

[almightybmw]

nah frank, they became stupid. Thus big corps stepped in with "ideas" to save them.

darwinism was adverted.... sad.

[Lazarus]

The main issue I have with new cars is the price. Very few people can afford to pay cash for a new car. Most of the population becomes in a state of servitude from the time they are 20 with a $200-300+ note that they keep renewing every 3-5 years all in the interest of supposed reliability. Just think were you could be with an extra $300 in your pocket. Transportation costs should not be 1/4 of more of the cost of your house if you have one.

[Dave's Civic Duty]

I hear you Lazarus,

The cost of new cars........yikees!

I'd **** a brick every time I hit a pothole. Not to mention all the road chemicals down on the roads this time of year.

I'm glad someone started making patch panels for my Honda's now. I love trying to keep an old car nice. Anyone car keep a new car nice, I have the most respect for someone that is trying to keep an old car sweet looking & running longer. My newest vehicle is a 98.

Having no car payments lets the wife & I have more toys, ATV's, Jet ski's, tools,
man cave, you get the idea!

Dave

[SentraSE-R]

My dad sissified me back in the '60s by insisting on having seat belts installed in our car. The mfrs fought mandatory seat belts for years, insisting they'd cost too much. And meanwhile, there were plenty of people buying into the myths that real men didn't wear seat belts, and seat belts would keep you from escaping from your burning/drowning car in an emergency. Ten thousand fewer deaths/year, despite increases in traffic volume, says the sissies were right.

Old cars have a mystique about them. We'd all love to own a classic '57 Chevy, '65 Mustang, etc. But when the rubber hits the road, reality isn't so pretty. They had long-throw, slow, three-on-the-tree transmissions, didn't handle worth a d*mn, rode like boats in a molasses ocean, and they're pretty coffins before they crush you.

What do we get with '93 Geo Metros, '92 Saturn SL1s and '87 CRX HFs? Twenty year old technology. Nice to save a few bucks with, but you're giving up major compromises in safety in return. Safety isn't that big a deal, and a fancy new car doesn't make you immune from stupidity. But the new stuff does have some advantages to offset the weight and price.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

My dad sissified me back in the '60s by insisting on having seat belts installed in our car. The mfrs fought mandatory seat belts for years, insisting they'd cost too much. And meanwhile, there were plenty of people buying into the myths that real men didn't wear seat belts, and seat belts would keep you from escaping from your burning/drowning car in an emergency. Ten thousand fewer deaths/year, despite increases in traffic volume, says the sissies were right.

Old cars have a mystique about them. We'd all love to own a classic '57 Chevy, '65 Mustang, etc. But when the rubber hits the road, reality isn't so pretty. They had long-throw, slow, three-on-the-tree transmissions, didn't handle worth a d*mn, rode like boats in a molasses ocean, and they're pretty coffins before they crush you.

What do we get with '93 Geo Metros, '92 Saturn SL1s and '87 CRX HFs? Twenty year old technology. Nice to save a few bucks with, but you're giving up major compromises in safety in return. Safety isn't that big a deal, and a fancy new car doesn't make you immune from stupidity. But the new stuff does have some advantages to offset the weight and price.

I don't think anybody was saying go get a 57 chevy.

Not trying to be a wise guy but what added safety features are in a 2010 model that are not in a 2000 model or the early 90's? Safety features that really add to safety?

[shovel]

Count me in as another enthusiastic advocate of keeping old cars on the road. Keeping old equipment in service is the best form of recycling, and what jobs it may not support in the new car industry it does support in the aftermarket industry, I still buy bits and pieces for all my old cars to keep them maintained and safely serviceable.

I get disgusted at certain people (not all, and nobody specific on this forum) who obsess over the "safety" that a new car's rating promises, but then do little or nothing to participate in that safety - driving aggressively or distracted, insisting on a 5-star-rated car to drive to work but then riding a quad at 80mph with no helmet on the weekends, having poor diet/exercise habits that put them at serious risk of cardiac failure, sleeping around with anyone who'll participate, sans condom... BUT THEIR CAR HAS TO BE SUPER SAFE!!!11!!!

We somehow managed to survive all the "unsafe" cars we all grew up in... I have nothing against safety equipment, and eagerly use what is available... but let's face it there's more dangerous stuff we all do than hop in a 20 year old car. I can do a lot of living with the $10,000/yr I save vs. buying a new car, at only a tiny % greater chance of dying because of my vehicle choice.

Now if I was in charge of a company like AutoZone or Napa, I'd start hosting low-cost classes for the public on evenings and weekends for how to perform basic repairs to your own car, to keep them safe and on the road. Gear the class to be friendly to both genders, and focus on the types of repairs that can be done with simple tools in a driveway or carport - and offer a discounted model of code reader for OBD2 cars to attendees. That'd pay itself off pretty quickly I'd guess, with those same freshly empowered individuals feeling confident enough to lift the hood and at least check their own oil and tire pressure once in a while. The challenge of course would be in reaching non-gearheads to get them in the door in the first place. Ah, well, I'm just rambling anyway