Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
IMHO the golden age was early 2000s, although I disagree that a 20 year old car (ie 1996) is likely to have blown up by 100k miles. Reliability, NVH all massively improved over earlier generations, but without the gratuitous electronics complexity we now seem to have. Judging new cars is misleading - they bloody well should be reliable. More interesting is whether they continue to be economically viable to run between 10 and 20 years old. I'm far from convinced a 2015 car will be worth owning as a daily drive in 2030.
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
Fair point and I wonder if my 16 year old MX5 would still be going with all the present electronic wizardry?
Has it survived simply because it hasn't got any?
I should say that if the the MX had not been looked after no lack of electrics could have saved it. The rust would have killed it years ago! Mine failed an MOT for it at six, yes six, years old! 1980s build quality and an extra light one at that
Has it survived simply because it hasn't got any?
I should say that if the the MX had not been looked after no lack of electrics could have saved it. The rust would have killed it years ago! Mine failed an MOT for it at six, yes six, years old! 1980s build quality and an extra light one at that
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Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
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Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
At a guess, your MX-5 will have electronic ignition and injection controlled by an ECU, potentially electric windows with an electronic brain, ABS with another control computer (not sure about this), intermittent wipers with another electronic controller, electronics in the instruments - e.g. the speedo, engine temperature, crank position, oil level sensors, and possibly some other stuff as well. It's been going on for a long time!
Nick
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
it has been going on a while, but it is the increasing complexity which is the issue - e.g. on a modern LR product the suspension / brakes / wheels / cameras / gear box / transmission / engine / terrain response system / etc. etc. are all linked - a minor issue with one can affect them all, and on a friend's even at the dealership they can't find the issue - and they simply play an expensive game of lets replace this and see what happens... the best one she had was an error which is believed to be transmission / etc. related makes the car start to vibrate, then the controls on the steering wheel (audio visual system select & volume) switch to each other's role - slow the car below 10 mph and the vibration stops and the controls go back to normal!
that is the modern curse of cars - over complexity and no-one having a clue what the issue might be - that is a long way from the relatively simple electronics in an early MX5
Alasdair
that is the modern curse of cars - over complexity and no-one having a clue what the issue might be - that is a long way from the relatively simple electronics in an early MX5
Alasdair
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
On our old Ibiza, one of the pins on a connector on the loom burnt out, disconnecting the throttle - indeed making it act randomly.
AA dragged it to the dealer. It was then taken the SEAT's GB base for a week so they could sort it - they wouldn't allow the dealer to try!
AA dragged it to the dealer. It was then taken the SEAT's GB base for a week so they could sort it - they wouldn't allow the dealer to try!
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
Maybe I should go with my plan to buy a 924 / 944 ...
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
dvenman wrote:Maybe I should go with my plan to buy a 924 / 944 ...
/pats Caterham
I regularly swap messages with a german colleague who runs a 944 daily and has a classic 911 for weekends.
Our day job? Looking at next generation automotive electronics
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
jont- wrote:/pats Caterham
I regularly swap messages with a german colleague who runs a 944 daily and has a classic 911 for weekends.
Our day job? Looking at next generation automotive electronics
I think that sums it up
Alasdair
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:At a guess, your MX-5 will have electronic ignition and injection controlled by an ECU, potentially electric windows with an electronic brain, ABS with another control computer (not sure about this), intermittent wipers with another electronic controller, electronics in the instruments - e.g. the speedo, engine temperature, crank position, oil level sensors, and possibly some other stuff as well. It's been going on for a long time!
It's a basic model with no electric windows or ABS but of course every time I turn the key and it starts, first time, then the electronics are what causes this.
Last edited by sussex2 on Mon Jan 11, 2016 4:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Modern cars are more reliable than those in the past.
akirk wrote:jont- wrote:/pats Caterham
I regularly swap messages with a german colleague who runs a 944 daily and has a classic 911 for weekends.
Our day job? Looking at next generation automotive electronics
I think that sums it up
Alasdair
I feel the bottom of line is, more than mostly likely, not the idea but the quality of the bits of plastic and wire used.
The devil will as always been in the, small, details
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