Old cars

One of the blogs I frequent says that cars have gotten much higher in quality in the past twenty years. Well I suppose they have gotten better in quality, but the fact that the average age of vehicles has nearly doubled in the US is explained by a couple other factors as well.

Computers running things instead of people. Not long ago, it took a mechanic to set the timing and other settings one a vehicle. Now computes make a bajillion calculations from dozens of sensors every second to keep the car in tip top shape. Keeping the car properly timed and primed does a lot to prevent unnecessary wear on parts and thus makes the overall vehicle last longer.

Bad times means people fix their cars rather than buying new ones. We have been in bad times for quite some time now.

The internet has made it easier to advertise used cars over a larger area more cheaply. People who do not specifically need or want a new car are more likely to sit at the computer and browse used cars looking for a gem in the rough. The fact that you have to go to specific car lot web pages to look at what new cars are available is barbaric. The online used car market is primed to change how new cars are made available to the public.