It's no secret that many motorists love and hate modern ones. And not in vain. Perhaps those times were a unique era in the automotive industry, when the best cars in the history of the car market were created. And we are not talking about any individual models. For example, whatever your budget, from hatchbacks to fast supercars, in those years you could buy a huge number of models that have become classics and are still considered the best in the history of the automotive industry.
And the period from 1982 to 1997 can rightfully be considered the time best cars in the world. As a result, according to fans of old cars, modern vehicles pathetic compared to the old ones automotive achievements. Let's find out the main reasons why many people think that old cars are better than new ones.
1. Styling (Modeling)
It's not often said that 1980s cars are the pinnacle of achievement in car design. Yes, in those years there were some stunningly beautiful cars that, years later, even today look stylish and quite modern. As they say, these cars have stood the test of time.
But most of the cars of those years had a simple design with right angles and had the usual inconspicuous design, which did not cause much feeling even then.
But, nevertheless, comparing the design modern cars mobiles with old vehicles, many will surely still find many advantages of old cars. Especially in the uniqueness of the design of each model.
All automakers are betting on design these days. It is design that is the engine of trade in the automotive industry. That is, unlike old cars, in the production of which the main thing was to provide the consumer with modern technologies, in modern machines ah, the main thing for companies is a successful selling design.
Usually, before designing and creating a design for a car, focus groups are created in each company, which, based on research, decide which design is needed for a particular model.
But since in the ranks of focus groups automotive companies are in principle the same people as you and I (ordinary consumers) in the end due to modern principle in the automotive industry good design- excellent sales "cars different brands became similar to each other.
The thing is that our whole world is subject to fashion trends. Naturally, there is fashion in automotive world. Accordingly, consumers want to buy cars with certain design trends for a certain time. But, and since in our time the main driver of car sales is design, the modern car market has become similar to each other.
Look at modern cars on the road. Have you ever noticed that most of the new vehicles have become really similar to each other? The most amazing thing is that many models can only be distinguished if viewed from a close distance.
Here's an example for you.
Can you tell which is the BMW 1-series and which is the Volkswagen Polo in the photo above?
And sadly, if you compare the BMW 4 Series Coupe with the Audi A5 Coupe, you will also find many similar design elements. The same applies to Ford and Kia cars, which are easy to distinguish only from the front or rear. If you look at many cars from the side, then you can really get confused which brand and model is in front of you.
Ford recently updated some of its models with a stylish car-inspired grille. Aston Martin. Agree a strange decision of the designers of the American brand. After all, all automakers require modern ultra design from designers and designers. Why then designers Ford decided to equip your cars with a radiator grill, the style of which was created in the early 90s of the last century?
Indeed, we have already seen similar grilles on Aston Martin cars. It is noteworthy that for the first time we saw this style of grilles on cars of this brand in 1993 (on Aston Martin DB7 and Vanquish models). Also in the late 90s, some Jaguar cars also had a similar grille style.
Why in the 21st century did Ford need to use old design elements in the exterior of modern products? The thing is that modern automotive design has led to the fact that many cars have become similar friend on a friend. As a result, the American automaker decided to refresh its new cars a little, with the help of old classic car design elements that are still relevant today.
But still modern Ford cars with a new but classic grille did not really stand out from the mass of new vehicles, because in addition to the radiator grille, old cars were not similar to each other in general, unlike modern ones.
For example, you can easily distinguish old cars from each other at first glance, which cannot be said about modern vehicles, the design of which has become narrow and uniform.
size 2
Remember the first generation Volkswagen Golf? This is one of the most influential and most stunning hatchbacks of the era. The Volkswagen Golf Mk1 was 3820 mm long, 1610 mm wide and 1410 mm high.
What do we see in the current generation of VW Golf (7th generation)?
Dimensions of the new VW Golf:
Length: 4258 mm Width: 1790 mm Height: 1492 mm.
That is, over the past 35 years, the length of the VW Golf has grown by +438 mm across the width +180 mm , and in height +82 mm .
As a result, it became so bloated in its size that Volkswagen was forced to create a smaller car - the VW Polo. But even with this model, a metamorphosis took place, as a result of which the mini car has noticeably grown in size.
As a result Volkswagen I had to release another model, which in size resembles the first generation of Golf. We are talking about the model VW Lupo.
Then the fate of gigantomania befell this machine, which has noticeably increased in size over several generations. As a result, the world saw another mini model VW Up. Most surprisingly, the new VW Up is wider and taller than the first generation VW Golf. So most likely, we are waiting for another mini Volkswagen model.
And this development trend is not limited model range Volkswagen. This can be observed on cars of any brand.
For example, the last ford model Focus noticeably more than the first generations. The same applies to most modern models.
As a result, modern city cars today have the same dimensions that used to be in large family vehicles, and today's family cars are as large as luxury sedans 90s.
Don't believe? Look at the BMW 7-series in the body of the E32 and compare it with the fourth Ford generation Mondeo.
On the one hand, there is nothing wrong with the fact that cars have become larger. After all, thanks to this, modern cars have become more comfortable. But there is one problem. These are roads and parking lots. After all, they have not grown significantly in size along with cars over the past 30 years.
For example, in the same parking space today you can only place 48 modern Ford Fiesta (new generation) when, as before, you could fit 63 first generation cars in the same parking space.
Also, the dimensions of the garages have not changed. drive today new ford Mondeo in the garage is harder than the big one old SUV Land Rover Discovery.
And of course, do not forget about the roads, which in most cases have not become wider. The thing is that cities are not rubber and cannot expand along with highways. Respectively road lanes on highways cannot become wider.
Given the growth road transport over the past 10 years, the roads have been very difficult to cope with modern cars, which have become much larger. All this causes great inconvenience to all motorists who operate their cars mainly in the city.
Also, along with the increase in size, modern cars, despite new platforms and technologies that make it possible to reduce the weight of vehicles, inevitably become heavier. The reason for the increase in body size. As a result, automakers, due to increasing product sizes, cannot achieve a significant reduction in the weight of their models compared to the first generations of cars.
Why are modern cars heavier than their first generations?
After all, every new model that comes out on modern market usually decreases in weight. Especially when you consider all the latest auto novelties. After all, you have heard reports from automakers more than once that they have managed to reduce body weight by 50 and even 100 kilograms.
Yes it is. Many modern cars are actually becoming lighter than their recent predecessors. But, unfortunately, most new cars are still heavier than their early counterparts. Why is this happening?
The thing is that over the past decades in the automotive industry, the requirement for the safety of produced vehicles has increased significantly. At the moment, there are a huge number of different standards and requirements for modern cars. As a result, manufacturers were forced to equip cars with various technologies to improve the safety of their products, which led to a significant increase in the weight of modern cars compared to older ones.
For example, modern car bodies are designed in this way. To do this, many areas of the body are equipped with multi-layered metal elements that allow the impact energy to be diverted to the side, preventing it from having a serious effect on the driver and passengers. Naturally, much more metal has to be used to make modern cars.
Also recently in modern cars significantly increased the number of airbags. All this has led to the fact that all cars in the modern car market have become much heavier than their early predecessors.
Why is being overweight bad? Everything is very simple. The heavier the car, the more energy is required to move it. Accordingly, this affects fuel consumption. But that is not all. The heavier the car, the slower it accelerates. As a result, manufacturers puzzled for a long time how to solve this problem.
As a result, at one time, manufacturers each time increased engine power by increasing the volume of power units. This led to a significant increase in fuel consumption. Then when the world realized that big engines this is bad for the environment (the more powerful the motor, the harmful substances more in the exhaust) it's time for turbocharged engines. In the end today everything more cars receive turbocharged engines, many of which have been reduced in volume. The main goal of the reforms is to reduce the level of harmful substances in the exhaust gases of vehicles.
This has led to a significant reduction in the fuel consumption of modern vehicles. At first glance, there is nothing wrong with this. But did you know that turbocharged engines have more problems than traditional powertrains.
As a result, owners of turbocharged cars can spend much more money on their maintenance. And it's not just the unreliability of turbo technology. The fact is that turbochargers have allowed automakers to last years significantly increase the power of most vehicles. But power doesn't always have advantages.
The fact is that many components automotive systems are not developing at the same pace as the development of turbo technologies. As a result, in many cars increased power due to the appearance of turbo engines, it affects gearboxes, suspension, etc. increased load. This often leads to more rapid wear many components of modern cars.
For example, did you know that, despite the amazing development of modern brake systems, many new cars have twice as much braking distances than their early predecessors. Do you know what is the reason? In the great weight of modern cars.
The first generations of many stunning models weighed significantly less. As a result, despite simple braking systems, older cars have more efficient brakes.
And what about rubber. We all know how much progress tire manufacturers have made?
For example, modern tires are twice as reliable and better than rubber, which was produced in the 80s and even in the 90s.
But in fact, we have that modern rubber can last less (or a little more) than the tires of those years. Why is this happening? Naturally, the reason for the increase in power.
As you can see, the weight of cars is the main enemy of car ownership cost, power, safety and efficiency.
See what the growth in the size of cars has led to. So, in fact, we are paying for the comfort of modern cars with inconvenient parking, inconvenience on city highways, increased spending on Maintenance and even their safety on the road.
3. Headlights
Many fans of old cars literally hate xenon or LED headlights.
Headlights play one of the important roles in cars. Headlights allow us to see the road at any time of the day, and protect us from danger, as well as protect all road users from an accident. Especially at night.
For optimal illumination of the road, as a rule, there is a certain limit on the range of illumination. That is, the limit in which we should see the illuminated road. As a rule, this limit is based on the minimum amount of time within which we must see something on the road and have time to take action in case of danger.
In fact, the road should be illuminated by the headlights of the car in such a way that we have time to react to an obstacle in front of the car. Moreover, we must react in such a way as not to provoke other road users into any dangerous actions.
According to studies, in order to calmly react on the road at night, it is enough for the driver to illuminate the section of the road that the car overcomes in about 5 seconds.
For example, at a car speed of 50 km / h, this is a road section of about 69 meters.
It is approximately this section of the road that is illuminated by the usual halogen headlights of many cars (60-75 meters). According to research, there is no point in lighting the road further.
As you may have noticed, in the last ten years . Today, many cars have received both xenon and LED lightening near and even high beam. As a result, xenon light or LED headlights can be seen even from Mars.
Also, the brightness of the light of modern front optics, like X-rays, blinds pedestrians when cars are at traffic lights.
Seriously, modern LED and xenon optics are really very bright and, in fact, do not make much sense yet. The fact is that it has an increased range of illumination compared to halogen headlights.
But as we said, the range and halogen optics are quite enough for safe operation cars in dark time days.
Also, the main disadvantage of many xenon and LED headlights is their flicker, which at first glance we do not see. But in fact, there is flicker, and it has a very bad effect on our vision.
But sometimes this flicker can be seen in complete darkness. Especially in rainy weather. The fact is that moisture in the air refracts LED or xenon light. As a result, we will be able to catch an unpleasant flicker.
Including LED or Xenon light is very bright. It really blinds all road users. Moreover, even if the front optics have appropriate safety features that allow you to protect oncoming drivers from the bright light of LEDs or xenon, anyway, at a certain angle of the beam of light on the road, at least for a short time, most oncoming drivers or pedestrians can be blinded. As you can see, the bright light of modern vehicles is not only harmful, but also unsafe.
But if at night it still has some of its advantages, then in daytime these lighting technologies only interfere with others.
Old cars in this regard annoyed us less with their lighting. Especially those with folding headlights, which not only looked amazing, but were practical. Unfortunately, these cars are not produced these days. It is also rare to meet old cars with retractable headlights on the road.
Although some studies have shown that headlights turned on during the day reduce accidents on the roads, nevertheless, xenon or LED optics that work during the day are very annoying with their brightness. Especially those who are true fans of old cars.
4. Driving pleasure and informative
If you spend two consecutive test drives on the track of two generations of cars (for example, sit in and then in its old counterpart), you will immediately notice several differences (in addition to the exterior design and interior decoration).
First, you will immediately notice that the steering of a modern car is very light. That is steering wheel can be rotated with one finger. On the one hand, this is good. But in an old car, you will be much more confident behind the wheel, as you will feel the car much better.
The thing is that older cars have much better steering information compared to most modern vehicles. Do you know why? In older cars, the steering was virtually directly connected to the wheels, without the many intermediate devices in the steering system that is currently used in new cars.
Naturally, this gave the owners of older cars a special confidence behind the wheel. Today, modern steering systems are usually equipped with electric amplifier steering wheel and other intermediate devices that affected the information content of the steering.
In particular, in many modern cars you will notice that the braking system is surprisingly at the same level as in the old ones. You can also find old cars that are even better in terms of braking performance than some modern ones.
In addition, due to the large amount of electronics, modern cars have become literally suffocated. For example, pressing the gas pedal on a modern car will immediately turn on traction control, which often upsets many experienced motorists.
If you brake too hard on the road, various braking assistance systems will turn on.
Power steering will not allow you to feel the true behavior of the car in a modern car, especially when the car can lose stability on the road.
So you can continue to list for a very long time about all the systems of modern vehicles that do not have the best effect on the feeling behind the wheel for the sake of modern safety requirements in the automotive industry.
The saddest thing is that in the pursuit of the safety of drivers and passengers, our society has raised a new generation of drivers who do not really know how to drive a car without all sorts of safety and assistance systems.
They can't really feel the gas pedal, the steering, or the entire car. Yes, modern cars are literally crammed with electronics that constantly interfere with the operation of all systems, which allows even beginners to make small mistakes. But, unfortunately, no one has canceled the laws of physics and can not always help on the road.
In particular, do not forget that modern cars have good sound insulation, which has led to the fact that we often do not feel the speed while driving a car. That's what's dangerous, not old cars without various security systems.
Moreover, one should not forget that excellent sound insulation does not allow us to hear how the engine, transmission, suspension and other components of modern cars really work. As a result, often the owners do not notice a malfunction in their car at the wrong time, which turns out to be unnecessary significant expenses for repairs for motorists.
5. Economy: New cars vs. old ones
Recently, the topic of fuel economy has acquired a special meaning in the automotive industry. Especially when they appeared on the market electric cars, which, according to some experts, should soon replace vehicles equipped with traditional powertrains. But most likely, electric cars of this next temporary fashion, like crossovers.
After all, you must admit, they have already tried to take in the automotive industry key role as early as the beginning of the 20th century. But, alas, electric cars could not compete with gasoline ones. Do you know why? It's all about the power reserve and the lack of technology to store enough energy for long trips.
Today it is not surprising, despite modern technology, there is the same problem with modern electric cars. And mind you, more than 100 years have passed since the advent of electric cars.
Yes, of course, some electric cars have a significantly longer range than those that were produced at the beginning of the last century.
But in general, most electric cars today have a very small power reserve. And at the moment, it is impossible to say that very soon the capacity of batteries will become much larger.
Apparently, even in 10-15 years, the world is unlikely to see mass production cars with electric motors, having a power reserve comparable to the power reserve on one tank of gasoline cars.
In the meantime, electric cars will not have large stock course, they are unlikely to massively become popular all over the world.
So, for at least another 20 years, the world will predominantly use gasoline and diesel vehicles.
This is naturally understood not only by automakers, but also by various regulatory authorities. different countries which are constantly tightening environmental requirements to the exhaust of modern cars.
As a result, automakers are constantly improving technology and updating their powertrains.
That is why turbochargers appeared, which, in fact, saved modern cars from losing power due to a decrease in the number of cylinders in many engines of famous models.
Yes, of course, the turbines helped not only to at least keep the same engine power with a decrease in the number of cylinders, but also to reduce the fuel consumption of many car models.
But these savings, unfortunately, are not significant compared to many small and feeble cars.
Also modern systems cleaning exhaust gases Together with a reduction in fuel consumption, they have generally reduced the level of harmful substances in the exhaust of new cars. But, nevertheless, even with an expensive catalyst, all cars emit carbon dioxide. So it is unlikely that the appearance of turbines will save the ecology of the planet.
Also, due to the trend to reduce the number of cylinders, many car models have lost their unique sound. Surprisingly, the trend to install engines with fewer cylinders in cars has affected even powerful sports models of popular brands.
For example, in order not to disappoint fans powerful models the company began to equip some of its cars with an engine sound amplification system and exhaust system by transmitting sounds to the car's audio system.
Let's see how the engine has changed
And so, the M5 in the back of the E39 had a power of 400 hp, which was achieved by the V8 engine. Then the M5 entered the market in the back of the E60, which was heavier than the E39 due to the 500 hp V10 engine.
Then the M5 came to the market in the back of the F10, which instead of the V10 due to environmental standards received a V8 engine with a capacity of 560 hp. Unfortunately, the sound of the engine and exhaust of this model was artificial and not very aggressive. It was here that the engineers of the BMW M division came up with the idea to amplify the sound of the exhaust and the operation of the engine on the audio speakers in the cabin, so that owners would not be disappointed in the modern M5.
Many of us own used cars, some of which, by the year of manufacture, can already be considered quite old by today's standards. However, having the opportunity to buy yourself, new car we continue to drive old cars, considering them to be the best and most reliable compared to modern cars.
When operating a used car that is already more than 5-7 years old and driving a new modern car, many are amazed at how much.
But still understanding this, many of us remain adherents and fans of old cars, believing that new modern cars are poor in quality, low-powered and spineless.
Ours invites you to dispel the prevailing stereotype about modern machines. We have collected ten misconceptions about modern cars for you.
1) New cars without character and ambition
As bitter as it is to hear for fans of old cars, quite the opposite is true and equipped with various electronics and amazing gadgets.
Although it is worth recognizing that all the same, new cars have lost some of the character and feeling of mechanical technology. But compared to the fact that they bought new cars, you can forget about it.
It should also be noted that the development of new automotive technology does not stand still. The evolution of the automotive industry will develop faster and faster every year, as the competition between manufacturers becomes more and more every day.
This confirms that these days the gap between most automakers has become very minimal. Eg Korean cars, which literally in some 5-7 years did what many auto companies did for 20-25 years.
2) Modern cars are not as strong as they used to be
The most common misconception fans of old cars. Every automaker dreams of making his car the most reliable and safe from the very beginning of the auto production of his line of cars. Back in 1970, a Hungarian company for Mercedes developed a technology that makes Mercedes cars one of the safest.
New cars are much safer than their predecessors due to the use of special alloys in the body, special body design and modern airbags.
3) Diesel engines in modern cars are underpowered and noisy
The most important misconception of many Americans who hate. Also not very popular, these engines are in demand among Russian cars lovers.
Despite this, people's misconceptions that the diesel engine is dirty, noisy and underpowered are largely to blame. However, it is not. In new modern cars, a new generation is installed diesel engines, some of which are sometimes superior in power to gasoline engines. Most modern diesel engines become more environmentally friendly. Car exhaust running on diesel fuel on modern cars, does not differ at all from gasoline engines. The sound of modern diesel power unit not the same as it was 10 years ago.
4) Rear wheel drive car is better
One of the most common misconceptions among older car owners is that new, modern front wheel drive vehicles inferior in their handling characteristics to older rear-wheel drive cars. But this is also not true.
Fans of old cars with rear wheel drive make the argument that it is safer to drive through corners and the like in rear wheel drive with good driving skills.
Front wheel drive - understeer. Rear drive- oversteer. If you lose control of your vehicle, you will find yourself on the side of the road or in a ditch with any wheel drive system.
New modern cars have a lot of innovative electronics that help you avoid getting into a ditch or the like when skidding. It is noteworthy that in any drive, these systems make the car equally safe.
5) Modern cars are less adapted to winter
In new cars, as a rule, there are many electronic systems security such as, ABS, system exchange rate stability, traction control system, etc. and so on.
These days, many automakers therefore recommend that owners use all-season tires on their vehicles. Many fans of old cars make the argument that all-season tires on modern cars are more dangerous to drive than on old car on studded winter tires.
But this is also another misconception that has developed among fans of old cars. Remember that even a four-wheel drive car on studded winter tires does not make you a winter rally racer.
The laws of physics have not yet been repealed. The difference between new and old cars is that new cars have a variety of electronic safety systems that help you deal with unexpected skids or accidents. emergency braking in winter time.
6) It is necessary to buy only Russian cars
Strange as it may seem, but in our country there are many people who still remain adherents Russian cars such as Lada, Volga, UAZ and others.
Despite the fact that most people who own used cars of Russian auto brands can afford to buy a new foreign car, they still remain fans of the Russian auto industry. Many of them think that in this way they support Russian auto industry. This is also a delusion.
Buying a new modern car foreign production, You also support the Russian automotive industry, since most foreign cars sold on Russian market produced in our country.
Buying, for example, Korean, German, Japanese, you support the Russian car market, giving it an impetus for future development.
7) New cars are hard to maintain on your own
Indeed many modern engines in new cars are sealed and covered with various panels from access to important systems car. Access requires special tools.
But to check the oil level in the engine, in the transmission, to check brake fluid and other vehicle systems You can still do without special devices. The main thing is to service your car in a timely and regular manner in accordance with MOT.
8) Manual is more efficient than modern transmissions
It is more dynamic and efficient, but only in one case if you are a professional driver and know how to use it for all possibilities.
But modern boxes with dual clutch, which are now installed in many cars are much more efficient, dynamic and reliable. Even a person who finds it difficult to drive a car can drive on this gearbox.
9) Young people do not want to buy new cars
Yes indeed a large number of young people are not bought. But this reason is not that young people believe that new cars are not reliable and bad.
The reason is a lack of funds or lack of driving experience, because of which they do not want to damage it by buying a new car.
But as soon as young people gain driving experience and find a permanent job, they are happy to buy new cars. Most often on credit, obviously realizing that they are losing money due to overpayment on the loan.
10) New cars still need to warm up the engine
In many older cars, in order to drive, it is necessary to warm up the engine, especially in the autumn-winter period.
As a rule, warming up occurs from 5 to 10 minutes. It's a crazy waste of time and extra fuel. (most) warming up the car on a cold is practically not required.
New engines, new oil and injections have allowed many automakers to recommend to buyers of modern cars not to warm up the car even in the cold season.
Even in very coldy, just turn on the engine, wait less than a minute and hit the road. The only limitation is the engine speed, which should not be high until it reaches working temperature engine.
You never know what chance will prompt you to new thoughts. This time, my friend's illness was an accident. When I visited him in the hospital, he complained to me for a long time that he began to get sick more often, his body was failing him, and earlier he could even go barefoot to meet New Year to Red Square and not even sneeze. He became less reliable.
Recently, I have been hearing more and more phrases from people around me, the meaning of which boils down to the fact that the grass used to be greener. Never liked this phrase. I believe that it is used by people who cannot enjoy the present, but live on past idealized memories. But what annoys me the most is when people talk like that about cars.
Thousands of Internet specialists shout at every turn that modern cars are unreliable, and manufacturers break their own cars so that you buy their parts and fill their wallets with gold. Worldwide conspiracy of automakers: sell you a car and force you to buy parts. Pure paranoia. It so happened that we do not trust anyone, we are always waiting for a dirty trick, and those who are richer than us are necessarily deceivers and thieves. Funny? Yes, for me. Dispelling such claims is easy, which I will do, with your permission.
Once, at a major auto forum, I came across a discussion about the need for car maintenance. Dozens of people shouted that it was pointless to conduct maintenance, because it was just extortion. The arguments were excellent. The dirtier the filter, the better it filters. Change oil? Why, if you can just top up when the level drops. Replace pads and discs? Not worth it if the car slows down and on old parts. The last time I laughed like that at the hosts of the famous TV program Top Gear.
The saddest thing is that then such people complain about their car, because it began to drive slowly, consumption increased, and it smells of burnt dust from the stove. And so one of the myths about the unreliability of cars appears.
Another example is the experience of communicating with customers (the author of the article is an employee of one of the Mercedes-Benz dealer services - ed. note). Let me tell you one case from my practice. Once, a client told me about the unreliability of the front axle on the Gelendevagen. I was more surprised by this statement than by the victory of a woman with a beard in a prestigious music competition. But the unreliability of the bridge turned out to be as delusional as the bearded man in the guise of a woman. Cutting through the winter fields of our vast Motherland, my client managed to crash into a snow-covered stump at a decent speed. He was extremely angry because front axle looked like a banana. As you understand, this "unreliability" is caused only by the incompetence of the car owner.
The third "pillar" of my defense against modern cars is that reliability is a loose concept, and everyone understands it in their own way. For some, a click in the cabin at a speed of 200 km / h is a malfunction, but for someone a fallen muffler is the norm. My friend believes that a malfunction is something that cannot be fixed on the track.
These were just three of the main reasons for the myth about the unreliability of modern cars, but in fact there are many more. Car services have been around for as long as cars themselves, which means that cars have always broken down. There are still people who are surprised by the place of my work, because Mercedes, by all accounts, are super reliable.
Unfortunately, everything breaks down in our world, especially cars. Can you name me a thing that will never break? Even an ordinary knife becomes dull over the years, and its handle can fall off. What could be easier than a knife? You can object to me that you still have a thirty-year-old Soviet knife that you inherited from your grandfather at home. But I have a different story: my wife, who is "in position", managed to break an expensive, seemingly eternal German knife, which frankly frightened me. Now I try to stay away from the kitchen.
Have you ever noticed that the same thing can serve one owner for years, and another will break it in a day? It all depends on the relationship of a person to things. My wise father used to say that every mechanism has a certain amount of use built into it. It depends only on our attitude how long the mechanism will live.
People also break down - health fails a person more than once in his life. Every person dies sometime. It turns out ... a disposable person? But you don't get rid of your wife if she often has a headache, do you? So why then do we complain about the car when it has a malfunction? It would seem that comparing living people with cars is reckless, but I was taught at the university that electrical diagnosticians live in their own world. Therefore, I talk to machines and consider them alive, so this comparison is logical for me.
Yes, and try to ask yourself the question: do you really need reliability? You run to the store for a new phone model, although the old one works properly, you change clothes because you are tired of it and you are unlikely to be upset by a broken knife. I understand your indignation, because the car is many times more expensive, but why would a manufacturer make a car reliable when a new model comes out in two years and most people run to fill the pockets of dealers?
It's time to open your eyes, we no longer live in the Soviet Union - the time has passed when one car was for life. Life and people change, cars change. Cars have become more complex, there are more devices, the chances of a breakdown are higher. We no longer want a gluttonous carburetor, we need a turbocharged injector and a bunch of electronics to ensure comfort. Society demands something new, and fashion dictates its own rules. Disposable items are everywhere. Disposable tableware, clothes, razors and even food. There is nothing wrong with that, this is how our world is built.
I waited a long time for my friend to get better. And you know what? He recovered and remained the same reliable partner for me. Likewise with the car. Now think: Are you reliable yourself?
There is a common misconception that new cars are not the same anymore. Not as strong as before. Here in the old days ... Stop! Stop being nostalgic for made-up reasons. In some ways, the cars really deteriorated, but certainly not in terms of safety: both active and passive. Yes, the technical complexity and rich equipment of modern cars makes any body repair many times more expensive than even ten years ago. But today the chance that after the accident there will be someone to do the restoration at all is incommensurably higher. At this rate, there will soon be no casualties in road accidents at all. Can't believe it? Here are the facts backed up by visual videos.
To evaluate the safety of cars, nothing better than crash tests has yet been invented. Every year they become more and more realistic. Including for skeptics who prefer not to count the "stars", various organizations in the field of security sometimes conduct demonstrative crash tests from the "before and after" series. That is, they break a new one head-on and old cars. Naturally comparable in class.
Toyota Corolla: yesterday and today
So, just the other day, the Australian agency ANCAP decided to hit each other with two Toyota Corolla- 1998 and 2015 release. Frontal collision at a speed of 64 km / h - everything is like with a barrier. There are no airbags in a 20-year-old car, but in a brand new car there are as many as seven. But it's really not even worth paying attention to. On the video and without comments from experts, it is clear that the driver of the "old woman" had no chance of surviving. Fresh "Corolla" literally "flashed" the interior of the "ancestor". Although the test was "out of standings", the Australian experts still placed the scores. The car of 1998 received 0.4 points out of 16, and 2015 - 12.93.
The goal of the “fight” was to visually reinforce the statistics – according to ANCAP, in Australia, deaths in cars older than 2000 are four times higher than in cars younger than 2011.
Chevrolet Bel Air vs. Chevrolet Malibu
Not impressed? Here is another similar crash test. Only this time, two completely distant releases of the car took part in it. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the IIHS (American Insurance Institute road safety) crashed a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and Chevrolet Malibu 2009. Oldtimer is longer, heavier and generally gives the impression of more strong car. No matter how! At that time, engineers cared little about the safest deformation of the body and units. And therefore, despite the equally deplorable appearance of sedans, the dummy in Bel Air suffered much more. Well, how it hurt ... The steering column and other protruding interior elements simply "kill" the driver of a vintage car.
Rover 100 vs Honda Jazz
The most authoritative European security organization - Euro NCAP- This year, also on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, it was also marked by a kind of anthem of progress. The committee issued comparison video two crash tests: a 1997 Rover 100 and a 2017 Honda Jazz.
Needless to say, with a frontal impact on the barrier, a modern japanese car secure the driver and passengers. But the elderly "British" ... In general, no comment.
Nissan: Tsuru vs Versa
Another informative crash test and again from the IIHS. Last year, the Americans decided to draw the attention of automakers to the fact that it is time to get rid of the remnants of the past in all markets, and not try to cash in on old models in poor countries.
So two nissan sedan: Tsuru and Versa. The first is nothing more than a converted Sentra from the 90s. It is still sold in Mexico as a new car. The second is the most budget car stamps on American market but modern. The impact occurred at a wild speed of 129 km / h with a 50 percent overlap. As a result, in the Tsuru half of the car was literally soft-bodied up to the middle pillar, while in the Versa the driver and passengers survived.
Renault Modus vs Volvo 940
There have been many variations on the theme of “new versus old” in recent years. In 2008, British journalists from the TV show Fifth Gear scheduled a head-on “meeting” at the test site of a fresh Renault Modus compact van and an ancient Volvo 940 station wagon from the early 90s. It seemed that the Swedes have always been leaders in the field of security, and the result could be deplorable for the modern Frenchman at that time. But no matter how! Reinforced struts and a high-strength steel body at Renault have done their job. Yes, the Volvo passenger did not die, but he received severe leg injuries due to the deformation of the front panel. But in the compact van, no one was hurt. Maximum scratches.
Many more similar comparative crash tests can be cited as an example, but I think this “tin” is already enough for correct conclusions. No matter how you deservedly scolded modern cars for weak resource, low reliability or abstract "spirituality", the fact remains that every year they become safer.
Here are the facts from the unclassified materials: accidents still happen and road deaths are high, as if we are still traveling by troughs of the VAZ-2107 system. Even in Europe, with all the numerous and expensive road safety measures, from tightening regulations on cars to polished infrastructure, it is not possible to radically reduce the number of accidents. Moreover, according to the report of the European Transport Safety Council dated March 31, 2016, the decline in road deaths has slowed down significantly in recent years, and even increased in 2015.
Why? First, the cars, albeit sheathed around the perimeter with airbags, have become too complicated. So much so that people generally do not understand them, and this can be seen even from the outside. There, Lexus drove with the headlights off, because the driver forgot to switch the light selector to automatic mode, stares at the dashboard, which is burning both day and night, and does not even suspect that he is driving in the dark without light. Him, like owners of Mercedes-Benz, BMW or Range Rover, manufacturers offer to independently deal with the detailed parameters of the operation of the gas pedal and the engine, the stiffness of the shock absorbers, the sharpness of the steering, the severity of the stabilization system and even the breaths of climate control. At least one of the owners of the new Mercedes, without outside prompts, Internet forums and instructions, was able to understand the difference between the climate control modes under the names Diffuse, Medium and Focus? But the Germans stopped even putting manuals in the glove compartment so that you could take them to read at your leisure in the restroom: now they are wired into the multimedia menu in the form of complex anime and diagrams, which you also need to figure out first! But even then, until you start moving, at speed the “book” is turned off for the sake of safety. But what does it actually lead to? Any normal person is furious and has a desire not to obey the system, but to continue “hacking”, distracting from the traffic.
In October 2014, the American Consumers Union published the results of another study: the vast majority of car owners who overpay when buying a car for cool bells and whistles do not use them even by 20%. Many are not even aware of the possibilities multimedia systems and driving assistants.
We don’t guess about the chips, but we get a bunch of reasons to be distracted from the road in the most everyday trip. And this is the second reason for persistent accidents. Take the interior of any modern car: than more expensive car and the more options it has, the more it looks like the cockpit of a passenger plane. The only difference is that pilots have been trained for years to respond to every warning from electronic security systems, and drivers who do not always manage even to turn on the turn signal are lost in an environment of flashing lights, beeping gauges, text warnings and beautiful virtual multimedia systems.
Not at all the stress scourge of the 21st century, but multimedia touch monitors in Nissan Almera And touch everything in Tesla Model S. Even in a quiet environment in the parking lot, it is not always easy to set up the radio, especially if there are no normal buttons on the center console at all, and you can only use the built-in tablet or incomprehensible, also touch-sensitive levers and touchpads. And already in motion... By the way, in the cockpits of the same aircraft, ordinary physical keys and toggle switches are still used, as psychologists say: a person does not perceive the touch control of systems, especially by touch. Looking for a track at a speed of 70 km / h is not for you to wallow on the couch with a smartphone.
Okay, multimedia - and if most of the car's functions are hidden in touch panels? There are many of these now! Even the temperature on the go can not be added without taking your eyes off the road - in the Lexus IS, for example, you have to run your finger along the sensor strip. And then you still have to be distracted by navigation with traffic jams, answer SMS, turn off the heated steering wheel and seats. Here is a car in the next row moving slowly and confidently to the right - the driver's head is lowered while his fingers rummage around the central display.
Many consumers who love mobile gadgets, dissatisfied a similar interface in cars - that's the disappointment that automakers have faced in the polls. Ford was one of the first to repent: back in 2013, after the release of the Explorer, where even the button was touch-sensitive alarm(!), the American company announced its intention to return some of the functions to ordinary keys, and just in updated Explorer they reappeared.
Sometimes, even without touch panels, dangerous “setups” happen due to automatic assistant systems: the lever is touched adaptive cruise control in Mercedes-Benz, accidentally when you turn on the wipers, and now the car set the speed limiter to 30 km / h. You will be stupid and even get into emergencies until you find the disable button.
Here, the driver, who is just entangled in his own music tracks and sophisticated comfort systems, should be saved by assistants who modern cars no worse than spaceships. Themselves taxiing away from the marking line, pressing the brake pedal when a KAMAZ appears in front and noticing road signs. They help, but sometimes they do it very stupidly: in Acura MDX cruise control works only with the distances set to the cars in front, so in the equal rhythm of our chess players, the crossover slows down quite sharply (and therefore dangerously) all the time. And active steering in a turn can scare even an experienced street racer.
And driver assistance systems bombard the poor fellow with a billion warnings, to which the brain, due to inevitable adaptation, stops responding. Burned the monitoring sensor dead zones, a dangerous proximity signal flashed, an alarm squeaked about the end of the washer or the approach of the camera - all this is equally important for the car, so it constantly panics and displays dashboard rapidly changing clues, try to follow. They would introduce at least voice alerts - it has been like that in films for a long time. In the meantime, automakers are only working on voice commands, trying to defeat touchscreens at least this way, but not on warnings.
The security systems themselves have side effects. Of course, they help to feel more confident in snowstorms on the Third Ring Road or in a sharp turn than on the antediluvian Volga, but Einstein did not cancel the laws of physics. resistance to high speed works up to a certain limit, 190 km / h only seem to be smooth and safe on some Audi - no airbags will save you in an accident at such a speed. The later the limit of possibilities comes, the less fear and the more terrible the consequences.
Apparently, they tried to say about something similar the other day in Rosavtodor, which caused a hellish bathert: accident rate is growing because of... good roads. Like, on highways with high-quality coverage, drivers often violate the speed limit and drive into the oncoming lane, that is, they relax and allow themselves more, which is why they fight.
Yes, at modern driver less likely to fly off the icy road into a ditch or smash your head on a counter and break your chest on steering column in an accident. Motorists began to fight and die for other reasons. It’s time for the traffic police to include new points in the accident analytics: due to correspondence in Viber, setting the concert sound of Valeria’s fresh hit, recklessness at the limit of the stabilization system or a frightening signal about a drop in temperature overboard to +4 degrees.
