I've been looking for a new car but all this new fangled tech puts me off, I can't help but think cars with stuff like direct injection, cylinder deactivation stop/start ect will last as long as older simpler cars, Should I forget looking for a new car and stick with my 11 Grand Marquis 58k miles, It dosent have and real issues, I just wanted something newer but am now reconsidering.
If you aren't having any problems, I'd keep what you have. Those cars can go a long, long time.
All this technology they put into a vehicle now some of it could actually be helpful in most cases. The reason a lot of these vehicles are garbage now is because the manufacturing process is crap. Bad engineering and use of cheap electronic components keeps all these vehicles from being 200k mi plus kinds of vehicles. Keep in mind this is mostly a problem with American made vehicles but you have the Korean, Italian, Chinese, and European markets as well that make plenty of real crap too. The car world is driven all of profit. The cheaper these companies can go and cutting corners it’s more money in their bank accounts.
it will take time to iron out the kinks , just like we had to with fuel injection and electronic ignition.
they do still make cars without the things you mention, though.
The Grand Marquis is still going strong and has low miles it is a solid built car so I'd keep it. But if you do need a car, its smarter to get a 3-5 year old one with low miles instead of a new one and the higher trims would still be significantly less expensive than the new base model. If its a case like that, you would consider the used car in good mechanical condition so you would get better value, and would know common problems as its been out a while. A tip for buying a new car though, even if its a Toyota or Honda, get a car where the generation has been out for at least 2 ideally 3 years.
I’d keep rolling in the Grand Marquis until I absolutely needed another car. That’s one sweet land yacht of a ride. Assuming everything’s cool with the car.
Many of new technologies themselves are good things to push the automotive industry move forward.
However many car manufacturers don’t know how to use those techs properly.
For example someone uses microwave to cook wagyu beef steak.
If someone gave me a new car, I would sell it and buy an old car and make it perfect without all the electronic crap that does nothing but go bad in a short period of time. Stick with the Lead Sled that you have. You're not missing anything with drive by wire, rear view cameras and start/stop technology.
I would just keep driving what you got. If it’s not broke, why fix it. But if you decide you want something newer and you also plan to keep for a long time, just go with a Toyota and get a vehicle a few years into the generation (usually the kinks will have been worked out). Realize every automaker including Toyota has made missteps over the years.
