The two things will be much better in a new car. Firstly, safety technology like ABS, EBA, stability control etc. which help avoid accidents.
Secondly, much better crash survivability - better crumple zones, curtain airbags, active head restraints etc.
The downside is the added complexity, although if you pick the best manufacturers that isn't a worry, and added weight.
I think diesels have gone backwards in reliability although much improved in emissions.
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My car is ten years old. What am I missing?
REPAYMENTS!
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I've wondered the exact same thing. I remember these changes from previous decades:
First 1980s car (Sierra): Decent headlights (compared with the yellow candles in my 1970s cortina).
First 1990s car (Toyota MR2): Fuel injection and electronic ignition. Much more reliable than the carburetor and dizzy on my previous cars.
First 2000s car (Jag S-Type): ABS, traction control, airbags.
But I can't see any groundbreaking improvements for a 2009 car.
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mine was 10 yrs old in June. It has most of the gadgets anyway e.g. dynamic stability control, (incorporating ABS and Traction control); cruise control; electric sunroof; etc
but....it doesn't have:
- keyless entry
- rain sensitive wipers*
- a button to press to start it
- flappy paddles to change gear
- tin of goo instead of a spare.......
all of which are a 100% no-no to me.
* I'll put up with them if I have to, but would rather not. James May once wrote "why does the faintest bit of cuckoo spit set them off, but .......a decent shower of spray does not" (or something similar.... he said the first bit, I can't remember the second bit, what i've posted is the gist of it).
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> Hope to run it to 100,000+ with no problems.
Can't see why not. My Focus is 8 years old with 108,000 on the clock. It has aircon, ABS, traction control (useless), lots of airbags, QuickClear...doesn't lack much really.
The radio/cassette is a bit antiquated now! Many people have replaced them with an after-market CD/MP3 player (which I think usually spoils the original appearance of the dash). We bought a Sony iPod cassette adaptor which works very well.
If you want your Focus to last, use it regularly, avoid very short runs and keep the oil clean. The main enemy might be rust - if you have a fully stamped service book, then remember the Focus has a 12-year anti-perforation warranty. (Only if you have complied with the service schedule).
Off topic, I was recently looking for an early MkII Focus for my daughter. I gave up hope of finding one with a full set of bodywork inspection stamps, even at 4 years old . Bye bye 12 year bodywork warranty :-(.
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My car is ten years old. What am I missing?
Depreciation!
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USB or other port for ICE.
I've yet to have a car with one.
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One thing I am missing is sound quality. I think modern cars have better ICE as standard. My Corsas original CD player and 6 speakers sound awful but then I am an audiophile. I don;t listen to music when driving so it dosn't bother me.
The problem is my HIFI system is probably worth more than my car so I can't really expect to sound any good! My headphones cost as much as some people pay for thier cars.
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I've never seen the point of putting expensive audio reproduction equipment into a tin box that's inadequately insulated against engine noise, road noise, wind noise and other extraneous intrusions over which you have no control.
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I've never seen the point of putting expensive audio reproduction equipment into a tin box ..
Absolutely, Tom. I almost never turn on the radio in my car, tho SWMBO keeps a few CDs available for when she drives on her own. Very occasionally I operate it with the car stationary and am pleasantly surprised by the quality. But I can't enjoy the quality with all those noises you mention.
The optimistic previous owner of my 205 had put 5-inch speakers in the rear parcel shelf, which I removed, believing that at the very least a speaker should be mounted in a rigid support.
Edited by Andrew-T on 25/10/2009 at 00:26
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Agree with all the above, the car I had 9.5 years ago (Volvo V40 2.0T) had everything my current car (Mondeo IV 2.0 TDCI) has in terms of equipment and features.
Although the Mondeo goes 50% further on a gallon of fuel, and has a quickclear windscreen. But I could have had both of these back in '99 too.
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...I've never seen the point of putting expensive audio reproduction equipment into a tin box...
Yes, except the compromised sound of the expensive unit is much better than the compromised sound of the cheaper one.
The CC3 has the next step up model radio/CD from my previous Focus hatchback.
The difference is enough to be enjoyed.
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What are you missing?
1) Chronic depreciation
2) Extra weight
3) Engines and electronic systems that you can't service or repair properly outside of a £100p/h main dealer with the necessary tools and equipment.
4) Engines and electronic systems that all too often defeat £100p/h main dealer techs when they do go wrong (see the Citroen C3 ECU thread in Technical as just one example)
5) Lots of gadgetry that you won't ever use beyond the initial "playing" session that we all do when we get a new car.
6) A hole in your savings or finance, depending on how you buy a new car.
7) The feeling of worry when you leave it anywhere you don't know, or in a public car park.
Diesel engines are fabulous today compared to where they were even a decade ago, but even these, with the introduction of Euro IV now have usage limitations that weren't even a consideration a decade ago, and stories of struggling to better 40 mpg are quite common. I am not a luddite - I think modern common rails are fabulous things, but without the DPF gubbins, please.
Dynamically there have been improvements if making limits higher and making beyond limit handling "idiot proof" are your main definition of improvements. For sheer fun and driver engagement though, I don't think anyone has matched, let alone improved upon the small-medium sized front drivers that Peugeot were knocking out in the 80's and 90's.
Clarkson drove a 205 GTI 1.9 in Wales a couple of years ago and reckoned in the right hands on those kind of roads, it would still hand out a pasting to pretty much anything made since at anything like the price. That car was designed a quarter of a century ago now.
The most compelling reason I can think to buy a new car is for the "iron clad" manufacturers warranty, which does at least in theory give you worry free motoring for the first three years. Also the enhanced crash safety if you carry a young family about, although my 8 year old Volvo still has a 4 star NCAP score. The thought that nobody has driven your car but you is a nice one, but I've worked in a main dealership, and trust me, your car has almost certainly seen its rev limiter by the time you even get the keys. The idea of a factory collection option as Mercedes and others offer is a very nice one though, and would be a very memorable experience.
New cars for me, are for when other people are paying the bills. :-)
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I don't think anyone has matched .. the small-medium sized front drivers that Peugeot were knocking out in the 80's and 90's.
That is part of the reason why I like to keep a 205 in my garage for old time's sake. As I also have a 207SW, I can make direct comparisons, for example on the chicanes into Hawarden from the south (for those who know that road). Both cars can take them comfortably at 50, but as the 207 is much heavier and sits higher, it feels less secure somehow.
Incidentally, although it is nominally a 2-series car, it is the same size as a 306, which was itself an enlarged 205; and not much smaller than the 307.
Edited by Andrew-T on 25/10/2009 at 11:02
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cheaper road tax because of the batty government taxation policy to pre y registered cars under 1450cc
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I think the newer Peugeots are an excellent example of the trend. They still handle well, but the "edginess" that made the older ones so exciting to drive hard has been dialled out. Almost anyone could drive a 207/308 to the limits of its capabilities. The older stuff demanded some commitment and skill to get the best out of, but rewarded in spades when you gave it.
I have never owned a 205, but I did have a 1999 306 XSi for a while, and it was an absolute joy to drive hard. You could use the throttle to steer it almost as effectively as the steering wheel, and it could be driven at "11/10ths" in a way the newer stuff can't be. Modern Peugeots reach the limit and understeer. Older ones reached the limit and understeered, but then gave you a whole wealth of options to play with once you got there. You could lob it into a corner too quickly, and sort it out on the throttle. No electronics, no stability programmes, just a chassis set up by enthusiasts for enthusiasts.
Admittedly, barrelling into a tightening corner and having to lift in the 306 could be a nappy filling experience! :-). I spun my XSi the evening I picked it up! :-(
The other thing that seems to have been lost since this era is the ability to set a car up to handle well, but also ride well. That's another fond memory of my 306. It rode the bumps comfortably, but there was very little roll in hard cornering. I believe Peugeot actually used to manufacture their own dampers at the time.
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This is a bit of an eye-opener.
tinyurl.com/yk48anm
While I love old cars (I do a thousand or so miles in a Minor each year), if you're going to have a 'modern', have as new as you can afford. IMHO of course.
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... and the 306 had (I believe) built-in passive rear-steer?
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I don;t listen to music when driving so it dosn't bother me.
Don't you get bored? The radio is the favourite thing in my car.
Only thing I miss in the Passat is cruise control, and that can be added for about £70. If I was changing the car, I wouldn't swap it for one without ESP having seen the Fifth Gear demo of the Bosch system. And it was a god-send for when it snowed, you just plant your foot to the floor in 2nd and let the computer do the hard work.
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If I did a lot of country driving then I think ABS and EPS would be essential but all I am doing is potting round the city doing 20,30,40.
The busy city roads don't really give time to be bored because it requires so much planning ahead. If I get stuck at lights for ages I might put XFM on for a bit but the sound quality is so bad....
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