Why the quality and reliability of vehicles used to be better

That’s why automakers have turned modern cars in normal kettles.

We would like it or not, everything changes. Something is definitely getting better, something worse. Unfortunately that is the world and its progress. In most cases, the advances have helped humanity to make the world easier. But often new technologies create new problems. So in the modern world the proverb “it is One thing to do, and don’t ruin another…” no longer works. But still in the world the actual proverb, “How to make and wear”. Particularly relevant for the automotive industry, which over the past decades, cars have changed beyond recognition. And it’s not about design, but about their content.

For example, today, the debate continues about which car is better: old or new? In the end, the society was divided into two warring camps. Some believe that modern cars seriously, and evolved, have become much better. Others try to prove that old cars were safer and better. Sorry to argue about this forever. But actually this question you can find the right answer. However, it all depends on how to ask a question. It is logical that the question always depends on the answer. So if you ask the question about reliability and quality of modern machines compared to old classics, you can, after analyzing the market, to make unambiguous conclusions. We decided to try to develop this hot and controversial topic by answering some of the most important questions: “can we rely on modern cars compared to old?” and “What is it the better car?”.

No, we’re not going to bump heads of people from different camps, proving them something. We will just give the facts and to draw conclusions for you. So there you go.

Let’s start from afar. Have you ever thought about why today most home appliances (including regular dummies) has no such terms of service, what was 10 years ago? You will not believe, but today for the younger generation people information about what refrigerator or washing machine can work for 20-30 years, is some incredible. Many young people think that it’s fantastic. But older generation people know that such long-term operation of appliances – not fiction. Surely you have had the experience of owning such equipment. Suffice it to recall the old Soviet refrigerators and washing machines, to marvel at their longevity compared to modern appliances that can break down in the first 5 years of service and completely fail even in the first year after purchase.

So, it turns out that the old Soviet appliances were more reliable and better modern imported? In fact, again depends what to compare and how to put the question. A simple answer to the question, of course, impossible. Each technology has pros and cons. For example, the modern technique is much more complicated from the technological side (lots of electronics). It is also more economical (energy-intensive).

But if you compare with a lifetime, no doubt, many modern appliances can not be compared with the old. And no matter what country it was made. So do not think that in Soviet times our country has produced appliances are better than imports. Believe me, imports were much longer domestic. But if you compare the Soviet home appliances with modern imported, the lifetime of it significantly ahead modern. And the reason is – a clever marketing companies that manufacture appliances.

Today, most businesses makes no sense to do the technique for centuries. After all, in such a highly competitive market, production of durable equipment at affordable prices can bankrupt the company in the short term. Therefore, many companies deliberately shorten the service life of its equipment to support a certain demand for their products. The only way most companies survive on the market.

You will not believe, in many companies, there were even specialists who figure out how to shorten the life of the product. So, in a well-known company that manufactures electric kettles, there is a specialist who is in contact with the engineers and designers of products, invents such a device maker, so he broke through a certain number of inclusions (we are talking about the clever design of the button on the kettle with a plastic element which through a certain number of clicks, bursts).

You say, what about cars? The vehicle is a complex technical device, and they have nothing to do with appliances. Yes, it is. But only at first glance. If you look in details, we suspect that the car companies, there are also professionals that in the design of cars come up with such a device to fail after a certain period of time. For example, at any certain mileage. Why? Yeah the thing is that the brands in our day is also not interested in the fact that you used the car as long as possible. By the way, this is why they release a new generation car every 6-7 years and spend the restyling of the current models every 3 years.

The main goal is to get people to sell used cars and purchase new ones.

In addition, it is no secret that the automakers earn not only on new cars. Not the last article of the plant revenues is the sale of spare parts. Naturally, the more the automaker will sell the parts, the more you will profit not only the dealer performing the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, but also the vehicle manufacturer.

So, today’s questionable quality of new cars is a conspiracy of car manufacturers? Actually not quite true. The fact that we all know that over the last decade cars have become much more complicated in its design and has received many high-tech electronics. Also in the pursuit of efficiency (due to more stringent environmental standards), the car manufacturers have significantly reduced the weight of modern cars. In many respects it became possible thanks to the aluminum engines, the reduction of the thickness of the metal body, the thickness of coating and also the relief of all moving mechanical components of the car.

Meanwhile definitely say that modern cars are better than the old, impossible. First, all modern cars have become more safe compared with their predecessors. And become safer not only for drivers and passengers, but also for common pedestrians. For example, if a car knocks down a pedestrian, they have more chance of staying alive than if he was hit by an old car with heavy metal bumpers. In many ways, the increase in security is made possible by reducing vehicle weight and special design of the body, which upon impact, better absorbs and disperses impact energy from the passenger compartment. Plus in modern cars there are many different bags.

Second, modern cars have become much more comfortable old. And that’s a fact. Of course, don’t forget about the various electronic helpers and entertainment system to be installed on new cars. In older machines, much of what is today, you will not see.

Unfortunately, this progress there are a lot of minuses. For example, due to the thickness of the metal body, the car manufacturers were forced to reduce the thickness of paint in order to use paint with other properties. As a result, modern car paint is more susceptible to damage. That is why today you can meet even a 1.5 year old car with low mileage with numerous chips on the body.

Including do not forget about the very fragile plastic light weight bumpers, which are equipped with almost all modern cars. On some machines these bumpers are cracking one just touching the snow in the winter. Imagine something like that on older cars was just unreal.

But the main disadvantage of modern machines – the complexity of their design and availability of different technologies. This led to the fact that new cars have become in complexity of the device is the same as the first satellites launched into space in the 20th century, and even more difficult than Apollo, launched Americans to the moon.

Alas, the more complex the technique, the more chances of its failure due to various faults or due to wear of some components. And this is natural: the more parts, the greater the risk of breakdowns.

You look at what has become modern even cheap cars. Then you and the multilink suspension, and robototekhnike transmission, and rear-view camera, satellite navigation, various transducers/sensors and electronic assistants. Or look at a modern brake systems in cars. Their design and technology comparable to that of many sports cars of the last century.

Understand that this will inevitably lead to reduced service life of many components. In some cases, the repair of modern cars has become much more difficult. This has led to an increase in service time and repair that, of course, is reflected on the price tags in the workshops.

But the most significant disadvantage of modern machines is not the complexity of their self-service or service from a private master in the garage. The fact that most modern cars today require to service connection sophisticated diagnostic equipment. Unfortunately, neither car owners nor private senior can’t afford to buy such electronics for diagnostics. In the end, more and more owners of new cars are forced to turn to major technical centers, leaving for the diagnosis and repair of big money.

Many questions arise today and to the manufacturers of gearboxes. Note the modern powertrain that turned into the incredible high-tech Assembly under computer control. Naturally, with such complexity of the device, transmissions from the owners of modern cars have new problems appear.

For example, modern automatic transmissions have become so complicated that specialists who know how to repair them can be counted on the fingers. But, alas, new technology made the modern powertrain is more sophisticated and effective, led to the fact that the service life of the transmission significantly reduced. Sometimes this is due to simple miscalculations design of the powertrain in the design process. But sometimes it seems that the automaker has specially created a box so to reduce its service life.

For example, in some gear boxes of automobiles BMW M-series is, surprisingly, cardboard small parts that wear out in a short time. As a result, owners of these cars periodically have to carry out a partial repair (overhaul) automatic transmission.

What is it? Does the automaker have not done this on purpose? Would you believe the engineers and designers of the BMW made a mistake in the design process of powertrain?

You like the CVT in modern cars? Still, how could he not like it when this continuously variable automatic transmission, the car actually becomes more economical and more dynamic. But this box has one major disadvantage, which negates all the advantages. It is, as a rule, are practically non-repairable and has a small lifetime (150 000-200 000 km). And to blame the metal shavings, which is formed in the transmission due to the constant mechanical contact between the driving and driven cones, between which rotates the chain or belt. And believe me, magnetic traps help capture chips only half.

And how do you like modern turbo engines? Yes, cars with such engines much faster and more economical. But did you know that the resource of turbocharged engines is much less usual voracious atmosferico? And the fact is that you cannot change the laws of physics. I must admit that with the turbine pressure inside the combustion chamber significantly more (and thus temperature). In engines with a turbocharger more exhaust pressure, which of course, is reflected on the resource of the motor. And, of course, do not forget about the small resource of the turbine, which will please owners of “attractive price”.

Well, you like a description of modern cars? As you can see, in the pursuit of progress and the increase in profits the car company, to equip modern cars with the latest technology, have spawned new challenges never faced the owners of older machines.

It is exactly the same as modern Keyless entry system in a car that unlocks the car without a key and start the engine with buttons. We have repeatedly written about the fact that this system has become a Holy Grail for thieves, who now, to steal a car, do not use different master keys and knob for locks. Today to steal a car with Keyless entry is sufficient to use a cheap radio repeaters which amplifies the signal a keychain alarm. In the end, the hijackers with the help of such equipment can steal cars in 20 seconds. Something like that could not even be imagined 10 years ago. As you can see, progress has significantly increased the safety and comfort of modern cars, but created a new, more serious problems. But, alas, such is the modern world, which has changed under the pressure of globalization. Automotive companies today live in an environment of fierce competition where survival can only be due to trickery.

So, unfortunately, the cars that passed without problems 1 million km, it is necessary to forget.