Quote:
Originally Posted by stephend
I hear what you're saying, but bear in mind that a lot of the digitalisation is necessitated by emissions legislation. I think an interesting parallel question is, what would I buy new today that would have the best chance of lasting the way a Volvo 700 has lasted? (Dunno: maybe Skoda or Toyota...?)
I think the idea of keeping an old car going indefinitely works best for a car that was high quality in the first place: RWD Volvos, and Mercedes of the same era, are the two that spring to mind. Both truck-makers, of course: I don't think that's a coincidence. But a lot of modern cars are built to high standards, and should last well if properly maintained. Conversely, neglect will kill any car, irrespective of make, sooner or later.
What worries me - same as you, Jon - is parts such as DMFs, DPFs etc that are almost guaranteed big bills at some point. It's failure of parts like that, deemed as uneconomic to repair, plus the mindset of "running it into the ground", that lead to the colossal wastage that we now have with scrapping otherwise perfectly viable cars.
|
Yes, digitalising cars is largely about emissions (is this actually true?), but a part of it is all about driving cost out of the production process too (and sourcing parts from second or third tier supplies in the far east). And yes, begin with quality, but build quality (and modern cars) does not guarantee the longevity of their digital components - digital cars will not be killed by rust for example, or their interiors falling apart or the short life of transmissions...
Skoda or Toyota...slight bias here I used to work for Inchcape (importer of Toyotas into the UK - and worldwide - at the time I was there), so I'd go for your Avensis: they're boring (I had two), but Toyotas are certainly among the best built* cars in the world...and the Avensis is British built.
I'm also bias, having two 700s, two 1980s Mercedes and a 1970s BMW...sad but true.
Jon.
700/900 Register Keeper VOC.
*still digital though.