On: They Used To Last 50 Years

[mrfusion]

On the other hand cars have gotten way better. I wonder why?

I remember in 1990s it would be somewhat remarkable to see a car from the 70s. But in the 2010s it's pretty common to see cars from the 90s.

And the paint in my nine year old car basically looks brand new.

[dredmorbius → mrfusion]

Non-US cars lasted.

Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Honda, Toyota, especially.

American mid-to-low market passenger cars, not so much.

(Pickup trucks somewhat moreso.)

[blt → mrfusion]

1990s cars have a nice mixture of simplicity and modern engineering practices. Cars nowadays are more complicated due to safety/emissions/efficiency goals and buyer preference for electronic gadgets. I'm not sure we'll see as many 2010s cars on the road in the 2030s.

[csours → mrfusion]

Resale value is part of it. People buy Car Brand A because they know they can sell it in 5-6 years at a decent price.

People generally don't look at resale value when shopping for appliances.