Cars, Better Then or Now? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skippy · #1 11-25-2011, 09:23 PM

Slide show of six recent redesigns. I picked the old one 5 out of 6 times. The one upset was the 991 over the 997.

Cars: Better Now Or Then? | Fox News

What say you?

The Clk Man · #2 11-25-2011, 09:25 PM

Older styles for sure.

spdrun · #3 11-25-2011, 10:47 PM

Preferred the 90s -- at least the door sills were still low enough to rest your arm on in a normal car (not a fake-SUV piece of dog excrement). Now the safety nancies with their side-impact standards have all but mandated high sills and small side windows.

Hatterasguy · #4 11-25-2011, 10:49 PM

Nah new cars are much better, more power, better MPG, and they can go 100k miles between tune ups or any kind of service other than fluid and filter changes is required.

I can take a sharp corner at 40mph in a 12 C300 that would send my old W126 into the ditch at 25.

As far as looks, well sometimes you have to pay the price of old technology for style.

MTI · #5 11-25-2011, 10:57 PM

When you consider that a new Corvette gets the same mpg on the hwy as the original VW Beetle did, then you get a sense of how much better cars have gotten. From a safety standpoint, again there is no comparison. Nostalgia is overrated most of the time.

spdrun · #6 11-25-2011, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Nah new cars are much better, more power, better MPG, and they can go 100k miles between tune ups or any kind of service other than fluid and filter changes is required.

Give me an aerodynamic '90s car with a modern engine, then. Though I'm content with 0-60 in about 10s -- really don't give a rodent's anus about having 250+ hp.

spdrun · #7 11-25-2011, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

When you consider that a new Corvette gets the same mpg on the hwy as the original VW Beetle did, then you get a sense of how much better cars have gotten. From a safety standpoint, again there is no comparison. Nostalgia is overrated most of the time.

Yeah, but can't we have safety without feeling like we're driving around in a mother-freakin' bathtub, as well as being totally isolated from the outside via sound insulation crap and NVH reduction?

Hatterasguy · #8 11-25-2011, 11:08 PM

Everything is different. Suspensions are so much better and body's so much stiffer.

Time and technology marches on.

Saying a 1990 car is better than an equivalent 2012 is no different than claiming a 1990 Mac is better than a new one, or a 1990 cell phone is better than an Iphone 4.

MBeige · #9 11-25-2011, 11:08 PM

Ultimately, still the same. Just different priorities in their design.

I like my youngtimers for what they are, and I like my '11 Forester for what it is.

spdrun · #10 11-25-2011, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Everything is different. Suspensions are so much better and body's so much stiffer.

Time and technology marches on.

Saying a 1990 car is better than an equivalent 2012 is no different than claiming a 1990 Mac is better than a new one, or a 1990 cell phone is better than an Iphone 4.

You can actually see out of a 90s car, unlike modern safety boxes with their f***ing wide pillars and high windows, where you can't even rest your arm on the sill like a proper redneck. If I bought anything made after 2005 or so, it would have to either be a Kia Rio or a convertible.

Oh, and unless it's hybrid or electric, give me a manual, not an automatic flappy paddle limpbox. I really don't care it it can shift in 0.00001 sec.

Hatterasguy · #11 11-25-2011, 11:14 PM

Really? I have not had that problem in any late model car except the CTSV coupe. OTOH the CTS wagon has fantastic sight lines.

I drove a 2012 A4 today and can't complain about the window height or site lines, I could hang my arm out the window without any issue.

spdrun · #12 11-25-2011, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Really? I have not had that problem in any late model car except the CTSV coupe. OTOH the CTS wagon has fantastic sight lines.

I drove a 2012 A4 today and can't complain about the window height or site lines, I could hang my arm out the window without any issue.

Audis may be OK - I've driven quite a few newer cars and wasn't happy with that one (significant to me) aspect. A4 is nice, agreed, and still available with a manual at least in sedan form.

The Clk Man · #13 11-25-2011, 11:32 PM

My 89 300E was way better than my 02 clk 320. imho.

retmil46 · #14 11-25-2011, 11:44 PM

I'd argue that while the technology and safety equipment may be improved, what about the QUALITY? Seems that in too many cases these days, the bean counters have sharpened their pencils such that the vehicles are purposely designed to only last thru the warranty period.

I've one relative that worked for an OEM supplier. Back in the mid-2000's, their customers started requesting reduced specs and cheaper prices on the parts they were supplying. When he queried his counterpart with one OEM about this, telling him with the reduced specs they were requesting the parts weren't going to last anywhere near as long, the answer he received was "We don't give a s### as long as it makes it out of warranty, reducing costs and increasing profit is our main concern".

That particular OEM is now owned by a certain Italian company.

Skippy · #15 11-25-2011, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retmil46

"We don't give a s### as long as it makes it out of warranty, reducing costs and increasing profit is our main concern".

That particular OEM is now owned by a certain Italian company.

Ironic that that attitude got them bought by Fix It Again Tony.

When will corporate managers start caring about long term profit and keeping a company going over periods of decades?