ronkelley

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Maybe a refurbished Yugo?

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Wilson2000

Do these conversations need to devolve into stereotyping older adults as "cheap, greedy old farts?" CL can do better than this!

All of today's vehicles last longer than those of the 70's and 80's and before, but Toyota and Lexus last the longest in my experience.

The improvement in longevity can be attributed to a plethora of general improvements in the design/build process and the advancements in materials and automotive fluid technology. However, perhaps most significant are the advancements that have led to cleaner-burning engines. While we all hate the extra complexity and cost of anti-smog technology, and the dreaded smog checks, having our engines burning as cleanly as possible has resulted in much longer engine life. We don't have the same amount of "soot" building up in our engines today as we used to. That crap turns to sludge and coke over time and destroys engines!

So, while the automotive industry fought every attempt of the EPA and CA to decrease tailpipe emissions, in the end, it was a huge win for consumers! Our vehicles last longer, we can breath easier, and we can live longer ourselves!

LexBob2

I was being facetious.

ronkelley

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So was I.

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LexBob2

Gotcha....

SW17LS

He's incredibly cheap. Buys used furniture!

Och

iTrader: (3)

Well, I was going to say "cheap old farts", but then decided to substitute it with "greedy people" to make it less offensive.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

hopefully you're in his will.

SW17LS

He has a kid of his own. Darn the luck!

mmarshall

Good post, Wilson. Totally agree.

I agree with most of your comments here, but there were a couple of exceptions (though, granted, few), in the 60s and 70s where components could go 200K or more miles with decent care and service. (90-100K was considered an average lifetime). Dodge / Plymouth 3.7L Slant-six engines were renowned for their durability (they were originally designed to a military spec), and, because of that, were often used in taxicabs. The Dodge/Plymouth 5.2L V8 was almost as durable.....as was the Chevy 4.1L "Stovebolt" Straight-six that was used in Checker Marathon taxicabs. (Remember my write-up on the Checkers). Of course, the engines, or the fairly durable Chrysler Torqueflite and GM Turbo-Hydra-matic transmissions, lasting that long is one thing....the rest of the car, another matter. There, the Checkers had a distinct advantage over the (often) poorly-built Chrysler products....one of its reasons for its widespread use as a cab. The Chrysler products had durable drivetrains, but the rest of the vehicle was often troublesome.