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Kyle_2099@reddit

You're missing nothing except a car debt.

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RagingLeonard@reddit

I mean, 25 years of safety and efficiency improvements. But, let's just keep the narrative that old cars are always better.

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Eh, when it comes to the structural engineering and airbags there really hasn't been that much of a change, especially in the last 10-15 years. There are certainly some outliers when looking at a 25 year history, but an average car from 2001 still had pretty damn good structural design compared to an average car now. Most of the difference comes from the change in average vehicle size, making newer stuff feel safer.

We kinda reached a plateau in terms of the structural engineering where improvements don't make as much of a difference. From what I have seen I'd say that's why manufacturers have spent the last 10 years focusing on driver 'assists' they then market as safety features. In reality, the general public can't be trusted with those 'assists' long term, but with how the world works I doubt they will ever be regulated properly.

When you are someone who knows how to drive safely and have no wrecks you were involved in to consider, then those safety improvements and 'safety assists' become significantly less valuable. None of my cars are newer than a 2006 and I have zero reason to buy into the garbage manufacturers have been selling for the last 10-15 years even if I did consider crash safety to be a major factor. 2015 is the newest I would buy for a typical daily unless I had money to actively burn.

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Fun_Mastodon3230@reddit

Here’s a crash test of a 1998 Corolla and a 2015 Corolla.

The 2015 does so much better that I couldn’t fathom driving a 1998 as a daily driver anymore.

https://youtu.be/xidhx_f-ouU?si=7gfiTErBS-kbHZbu

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InternationalBite690@reddit

Maybe just turn and avoid that accident and save both cars

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RagingLeonard@reddit

Interesting info.

I've been driving for over 40 years and pay attention when on the road. Modern tech makes me a better driver.

Just the other day, my blindspot monitor stopped me from creaming a motorcycle who was passing on my right at 30 MPH above the speed of traffic. I looked in my mirrors and over my right shoulder as I was moving from the middle to right lanes. The icon on my mirror popped up and I stopped finishing the lane change.

That tech saved his life and avoided a shitty for me too.

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InternationalBite690@reddit

Cause no payment so yeah way better. And cars have been safe enough for decades. Garbage tech they toss in cars now and call safety features is in safety, it’s a cash grab while also teaching you how to be lazier. Nothing past airbags is safety.

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Suspicious-Garbage92@reddit

And probable built in surveillance systems, features that will become subscriptions

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EGGWURST@reddit

What do you mean probable, this is a known fact. The car companies have them selling your data collected from microphones, cameras and driving patterns explicitly stated in their TOS. Nissan and Kia specifically mention that they will sell info including info about "sexual habits of the driver"

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jrileyy229@reddit

Here's what OP didn't mention... He or she has a ton of money invested in modding/tuning/painting their OG civic. Which, rock on, it's cool.... But it does negate the financial side of this argument. Instead of spending 20k+ on a new car they put that same money into a 2000 civic.

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MichiganKarter@reddit

Yeah, the steering on every modern car will be awful compared to a 2000 Civic.

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graymuse@reddit

I still have my 2001 Subaru Outback, a fun stick shift car. Last year I bought a 2007 Toyota Sienna, feels like major luxury to me, it even shifts on it's own!

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ofcoursebutmaybeeeee@reddit

At least you can fix it if it goes wrong - civics are bullet proof. I was seeing a girl who ran a Cupra dealership and had one of those Formentors… 2.0 turbo with a 0-60 of about 4.9 I think - expected to blow my socks off when I had a go buy it was dead, no feeling… didn’t feel especially fast, wasn’t fun. Plus they’re so complicated now. I’ve had 4 FN2s… great cars… currently in a K20 ‘03 accord after mistakenly buying a 320d that I ended up returning - so I’m right with you

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Handbrake_yank@reddit

Newer car:

Heavier and stiffer.
Steering on newer cars are usually some kind of fly by wire. So you get synthetic feedback from the road. Adding to the disconnect
Newer cars tend to be much more powerful and quieter which maybe confusing for your brain which is used to certain noise = speed

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jrileyy229@reddit

3 is nonsense. Maybe if you've driven a 2000 civic for the last 26 years.. the first time you drive a modern civic maybe it feels like a rocket ship.. but your brain is going to figure that out quickly and then it won't be an issue

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restfullracoon@reddit

Not really no. I’ve been driving a modern Audi and I still miss my older cars for the feedback.

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Superb-Photograph529@reddit

This is false. Almost all cars (maybe all) still have a physical, mechanical connection in their steering. The difference is that the steering is electrically assisted, as opposed to hydraulically assisted.

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jrileyy229@reddit

Well what cars have you driven? Pedestrian consumer cars are mapped in a certain way on purpose.

The first 50% of pedal travel is usually mapped to like 25% throttle... Because people aren't good drivers and 99.9% in a consumer car they care more about MPG than performance.

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Superb-Photograph529@reddit

This is probably a fair point.

So basically, with "normal" cars, they've turned down the throttle mapping to be very sluggish it sounds like? I've driven some economy cars that had pretty great throttle response and their modern counterpart is awful. The only peformance experience I have is with bikes and they're unmatched, for obvious reasons.

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jrileyy229@reddit

Well when there's a throttle body with a cable directly connected to the pedal, it's 1:1... So it is whatever you tell it to be.

All modern cars have digital smoothing for fuel economy and safety. It's not that the car can't respond, it just takes more pedal to do it... Like modern corvettes there are companies that make basically a computer hack to make it more 1:1. People buy them without understanding and swear their car just got an extra 100hp... It didn't.

In an economy car, people just don't care. Ask Aunt Tina in her new Hyundai sonata how she feels about her throttle response. No idea what that means will be 99% of responses. She has no idea the "gas pedal" has anything to do with "throttle"... She doesn't even know what throttle means.

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mastawyrm@reddit

I've never driven a throttle by wire car that I've felt has adequate throttle response

That's just tuning, a good electric throttle can easily open as quickly as your foot can pull a cable but cars are nearly always tuned with a throttle delay in order to smooth out operation. Try out an e46 or e92 m3 some time, individual throttle body per cylinder...by wire. The time is takes for air to move from recently opened throttle to the inside on the cylinder can vary between engine designs quite a bit though

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Gubbtratt1@reddit

My Land Rover D2 has decent throttle by wire. Could be because it's an automatic and never expected to go fast though.

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Leading-Bike6355@reddit

new cars definitely have less soul but they are also a lot safer. i’m not a fan of the tesla-fication of cars in the 2020s though. i think the sweet spot for a daily driver is a late 2010s car that has the modern safety features but isn’t totally overloaded with tech and screens

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averagemaleuser86@reddit

A lot of newer vehicles use electric power steering. They also seem bulkier and have more features and buttons. The older cars just give you more road feel and you also dont feel like you have to treat every surface that you touch delicately.

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Js_cpl@reddit

Get a nice head unit that connects to your phone if you use spotify or maps on your phone. To me thats all i get out of a newer car.

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0peRightBehindYa@reddit

That's one of the reasons I like old cops cars: very little tech compared to their civilian counterparts.

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Distribution-Radiant@reddit

Keep driving that Civic. It'll probably outlive you as long as the timing belt gets replaced every \~90k/7 years.

The safety features aren't going to be as good as a brand new car, but it'll be dirt cheap to keep on the road.

(source: I've owned both a 95 and 96 Civic... the 96 being the same generation as yours)

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FutureHendrixBetter@reddit

You’re missing the repo man

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howrunowgoodnyou@reddit

Nothing. New cars fucking suck and 88-2001 Hondas drive amazing. My 90 civic drives better than my 911.

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Jmunyz@reddit

I'll never get a new car or fall into a car payment.

Always used, and buy with cash.

My last car was a buick rendezvous that I put 365k on. It was in great condition, they guy said if I could get it running I could have it. Only took me $400 to figure it out. Had it for 5 years. I probably should've kept it because it was going strong but I sold it to a scrapyard when I found the car I drive now.

1996 buick park avenue. Just hit 200k on it. Drives like a dream. Got it for $1200.

Both of em were in great condition. No rust. Or dings.

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piibbs@reddit

You're missing adaptive cruise control. Thats about it.

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qkdsm7@reddit

Double wishbone , but OBD2 era, Civic--- I'd still take as a driver. If I'd have started my highway courier route \~6 months sooner I could have bought a 4 door \~00-01 Integra LS for pennies from BIL and would have loved to have that as an option....

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muscle_car_fan34@reddit

Your car definitely has terrific fuel economy compared to newer cars. Maybe not hybrids but definitely among the gas only counterparts

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TheBarnard@reddit

I just upgraded 2013 to 2025. The majority of new "features" are dumb, but there are a few good

Lane assist and adaptive cruise are solid.

Blind spot monitoring is important

Oil level monitoring is great

Android Auto is on the whole a better experience than aux cord and navigating via phone

My passenger mirror drops down when I go in reverse to see curbs/lines better

But really that's it. Big touch displays suck, removal of physical controls is a massive downgrade/distraction/safety issue. We need regulations against shit like this

Car interiors today have less soft touch material, it's becoming popular to remove spair tires

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reidft@reddit

I drive a 37 year old economy car and it gets the same mileage as my 14 year old economy car. I absolutely hate new cars and after cycling through newer models I'm going back to classics. I don't like constantly fighting with the technology or shit not working because the car wants it that way. In an older car I choose if something is active because I turned it on, and the only way it won't work is if it's broken.

Don't upgrade just because your coworkers tell you do, they just want to feel justified with their decision to keep up with the Jones. Are they paying your car payment?

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Gubbtratt1@reddit

I daily a 59 year old sports saloon. It gets slightly worse mileage than my 18 year old economy car, but it gets the value back in maintenance.

Thanks to 13 inch wheels decent tyres are about as expensive as the absolute cheapest shit you can get for 15s or 16s. If you settle for slightly smaller (175/70 instead of 175/80, works just fine but looks a bit silly) you can get them for half of that. The suspension bushings seems to be invincible, the wheel bearings are serviceable, spark plugs are 3€ a piece, and insurance is about 3/4 of the price.

For all of that you get something that is the size of a Miata on the outside and a full size sedan on the inside, with comfort unheard of in any remotely modern car, fantastic visibility in all directions, electrohydraulic overdrive, quarter windows, and an absolutely fantastic engine noise that can actually be heard over the tyres and fan but without being obnoxious.

It's old enough that people realise that a modern car isn't an upgrade in any way. They don't realise that it's my daily though.

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FlashlightBattle@reddit

One thing is hydraulic steering vs electric steering. You lose feeling.

There are good examples of electric steering, though usually on expensive, sporty cars.

As far as safety tech, there’s a big difference. I was hit pretty hard in my new car, and I came out completely unharmed. The same crash may have messed me up in my old Honda.

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reidft@reddit

Safety is the only thing I'll give new cars over older ones. I love my car but it's a tin can, I acknowledge that I'll get flattened in any accident involving a newer truck.

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HardwareSwap-3050s@reddit

just about anything will get flattened in an accident with a newer truck...

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mantasv@reddit

This, and increased weight.

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KoalaGrunt0311@reddit

This is due to crumple zones. Vehicles are designed to destroy everything around the passenger cabin while reinforcing protection of the passenger cabin itself. There's less injury to people, but a greater chance of totaling the vehicle instead of just needing to replace a bumper and quarter panel.

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kkicinski@reddit

Two reasons to get a newer car:

Better Safety; this is real. You are far less likely to be injured in a newer car.
Go Electric; save on gas money, save on gas emissions, fun to drive.

Reasons not to get a newer car:

Money. Only you can decide if it’s worth it and if you can afford it.

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platypus_farmer42@reddit

Newer cars have so much technology to make driving effortless, it’s actually a bit of a backfire. You need to be able to feel how your car is behaving so you can correct it. You can’t feel much driving new cars. You’re not connected to the road, it’s more like just a transport bubble that you can provide some input into

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MammothUnique4147@reddit

Oh no you are DEFINITELY missing the most important features which are the safety ones. Massive jump in cars after 2005 and 2006..

You should upgrade your car just for that alone.

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TerribleShape1740@reddit

“Upgrade”

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MammothUnique4147@reddit

I'm not saying buy a 2026 for 40K but why not a 2012 or newer ?

I'm talking about SAFTEY.

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reidft@reddit

Just don't crash, easy

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MammothUnique4147@reddit

Good point, I stand corrected

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Unfair-Peace-165@reddit

They shrunk all the windows so you can't see out the back as easily. That was my experience and what I noticed. I hate it.

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LXLuther08@reddit

I daily drive a 17 year old car and my wife's is from 2011. I know exactly what you mean. I rented a newer car last month and it felt like driving an iPad. New cars have no soul. Also older cars were built with the driver in mind. Today cars are built with shareholders in mind.

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kkicinski@reddit

I mean no, Honda was not building with the driver in mind in 2000 any more or less than today. I was driving a 1992 Honda Civic when my parents bought a new Accord in 2005 ish and it was the same feeling- the new car felt all ‘fancy’ and ‘techy’ compared to my barebones hatchback. But that same 2005 Accord if it were still on the road today is now built ‘with the driver in mind’?!

No.

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sobi-one@reddit

You’re replying to someone who takes issue with technology and gadgets rather than the actual driving experience. “Drives like an iPad” says everything you need to know.

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LXLuther08@reddit

2005 is over 20 years old. Not exactly new. But yes, definitely built more for the driver. Now it's more for the shareholder. I drove an 88 accord coupe in 1995. It was one of the funnest cars I ever owned. Also owned an 89 Mazda rx-7, a 91 Mazda 626, an 87 MR-2, an 88 Mitsubishi Precis, a 93 Jeep Cherokee, a 90 Acura Integra and last but not least a 95 Lexus LS 400. So yeah, older cars were built for the driver, not the shareholder.

So yes. lol

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kkicinski@reddit

That 92 Civic CX had a 1.5L engine and 70hp. It got great gas mileage and it was manual transmission. I had a lot of fun with that car. But it was an econobox meant to be a cheap way to get from A to B. Not a driver’s car.

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DilapidatedPlum@reddit

You're only missing out on safety which leads to shitty viewing angles. You can always add a new head unit with apple car play/Android Auto that's touch screen and cameras for a 360 view of your car.

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theeaggressor@reddit

I drive an 04 tahoe & I agree… they don’t make cars the way they used to

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Fonzdj@reddit

Other than modern tech not much. A car is a car and is supposed to get you from point A to B. Sure are they nice yes but the truth is you don’t need them. People have been driving cars for years without them. The days of having to get rid of a car cause it is 10 years old and has 100K miles are over. Cars from the 2000’s are still on the road today.

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Ch0singRnN@reddit

I've transitioned from a Golf 5 to a Hyundai i20N because my Golf was toast. It rusted away, and the broken transmission was the last thing that put it in the coffin. I had it for 8 years and loved it, even though I always longed for a sportier car. I'm still happy. Despite being a modern car, the overall driving experience in the i20N is pretty raw and engaging, which is no surprise because it's a hot hatch. But that's not a given with every modern car.

But honestly, I'm still overwhelmed by the overall feel of everything in the cockpit, which is just digital. It even dings if you're not fast enough and the car in front of you drives off when the lights turn green. I mean, it's nice, but kind of unnecessary.

All the stuff you can do within the menus is nice but kinda too much for someone who just had a radio and AC in their car. I love the non bullshit approach of older cars. Turn your key, start your engine, drive off.

They also have a certain feel that I can't describe. Maybe it's the analogue gauges or the materials used... I don't know. I'm probably also trying to describe nostalgia here, but they feel warmer, and because of that they make you feel more at home than a modern car does, at least in my opinion.

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Nodirectionn@reddit

Older cars have soul. Keep it.

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Mid_Night_Blackbird@reddit

You're not missing anything. Most cars newer than 2015 are junk (with some exceptions) and it's better to drive something that is reliable and paid off. Put the money saved into a total market fund or S&P 500 fund and retire earlier than your coworkers.

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Butt_bird@reddit

I wish I still had my 98 Civic. It was manual so it would have run forever.

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Superb-Photograph529@reddit

electric steering and the additional weight of new cars makes them have really shitty feel.

everytime i drive a new car, it feels like i'm playing a (not-very-good) car simulator game.

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Toucan2000@reddit

You're missing out on the turbo they're putting in the new civics. DM me where you're looking for a basically new and cheap civic.

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Nearby_Knowledge8014@reddit

A 2000 civic might be the perfect car.

The odds of a twin turbo, hybrid battery, 10 speed trans, zero button dash vehicle being on the road 26 years from now are zero.

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JamieAmpzilla@reddit

You have rack and pinion steering in your car, so direct connection between your hands and the road. New cars have an actuator in the steering wheel shaft, with no physical connection to steering box actually turning your wheels. It’s lighter and potentially safer, so that’s why cars have switched. My Alltrack allows me to increase turning resistance to simulate greater road feel, but my Acura TSX with rack and pinion steering has far better road feel

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JCDU@reddit

Some folks want the new shiny thing so they can boast about it to feel better about themselves, some folks just want the peace of mind of something with a warranty, some folks believe that old cars are much more problematic than they really are...

u/Kyle_2099 is pretty much right though - in exchange for maybe slightly ~~higher~~ more regular repair bills you're missing out on thousands in debt/finance and of course depreciation.

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BuckeyeGentleman@reddit

Convenience features and all the crap needed to support them. Back seat detection, rear view cameras, lane assist, bullshit, sensors for shit.

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espressocycle@reddit

Upgrade to a 2015 while you still can. Then keep is forever.

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Ithar87@reddit

I now have a much newer vehicle, but I regularly long for the days of my 2000 Civic with hubcaps and a 5-speed. Simple, reliable, and efficient. I think the only modern feature I really care about is Apple CarPlay, but that is pretty easy to add to something old anyway. I am a car enthusiast, and love my toys, but people spend way too much money on their daily driver. It really does keep people poor.

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bmiller218@reddit

One reason I'm sticking with my 2020 Tiguan is it's new enough to have blind spot warning and Car Play but still has tactile buttons on the steering wheel and knobs for HVAC.

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xpk20040228@reddit

probably the airbags and crumple zone design, also ESP/ABS and all other electronic stuff that keep it under control when shtf. Find a 2010s car if you want these extra safey feature without iPads on the dash. Be warned that these stuff as they are electronic fail much earlier and cost more to repair tho.

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Fair-Huckleberry2187@reddit

"Get a new car because of new screen/feature" is the equivalent of buying a new home because you didnt like the couch in the living room. You have a fully paid off car thats plenty reliable. If youre gonna make payments for the next 2-4 years, make it on a home or some long term investments to make money rather than lose it on a depreciating car. If you want carplay, its available on $50-100 screens on Temu. Same with rear parking sensors/camera. Maybe even some nice rims or spoiler/lip. All of these would add up to a couple hundred dollars and save you tens of thousands in car payments

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Suspicious-Garbage92@reddit

My car is a 22 year old Odyssey, so there's a lameness factor, especially since I don't have kids. I drive a brand new van at work. Really the only features I want at home are the backup camera, the map screen, which, my fault for getting the plain stereo, and the blinkers where you don't have to click it all the way and it does three blinks for you. That's it.

Driving around with a map is awesome, the last stereo I upgraded with a touch screen didn't have Android Auto, so when I got the van I didn't care to spend the extra for another useless in my mind touchscreen. Maybe I'll upgrade that and get a backup camera... But I'm lazy so I probably won't

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SaveDMusician@reddit

I have a 2025 civic, and have owned a 2006 Si and a 1992 civic hatchback. I would happily revert to either of my older cars, which were fun to drive (also manual transmission)

The new car is extremely boring and enormous and heavy. It does that stupid thing of turning off the engine when I stop. It has all kinds of crazy options that I usually keep off.

I don't know about the safety features, all I can say is that I personally am a much worse driver in my new civic. I don't have to pay attention so I don't pay as much attention

Why are you listening to those goons? Old civics are gold

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badlocalhardcoreband@reddit

You're not missing out on anything. My 2006 Renault Twingo is still going strong. My girlfriend has a new bmw 318 that she got from het work. And it also feels weird to drive it. The only good thing about it is the ac and cruise control. But other than that i don't miss anything

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CattlemanSlick@reddit

I drive a 2004 civic, and yeah sometimes I wish I had a newer car just so I didn’t have to worry about stupid things breaking but honestly I get over it quickly when I remember I paid 400 bucks for this thing. I also bought a 2009 Crown Victoria that I love to death.

Newer cars can be awesome sometimes but I don’t like the thought of payments and debt. If your civic is working for you, don’t listen to other people say it doesn’t man

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AstronomerDry7581@reddit

Yes, newer cars feel like they have an infinite amount of grip and balance. Very comfortable ride, but you miss the feeling you get from the road in some older cars.

If you enjoy luxury sedans, newer is better. If you want fuel efficiency, same thing. If you want to have a fun daily that you can also work on, I prefer older tech cars.

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Turbulent_Deal_3145@reddit

I feel like society has done an incredible job convincing everybody that they need to aspire to have at maximum a 5yo car which is absurd. These things last 20\~ years for the most part. Do you throw out your shoes after 3 months? Do you go around replacing light bulbs on a timed schedule? Of course not. You wear them down, and *then* you replace them. If you have lots of money and $40k is nothing to you then by all means, go get a new car. But for the 99% of us, a car is something we should be taking to the 15 year point *minimum* before incurring a new massive expense.

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