First car - 10 year old 1961 Ford Anglia. Optional heater and wind up windows. Most DIY jobs done with 2 spanners and 2 screwdrivers. Needed decoking every 10-20k miles..
Roll on 20 years - company Ford Sierra. Heater, electric front windows, sunroof, AM/FM with 2 speakers. Quieter, faster, bigger and more economical than Anglia.
Another 20 years pass - mid range 2011 Octavia. Central locking, electric windows, aircon, variable speed wipers, CD/radio, 6 speakers, seat height adjustment, car computer, power steering, power brake discs etc. 93k miles and only two faults - water pump replaced under warranty + coil pack fault (£100). Faster, quieter, more economical than Sierra.
Will probablty change car next year - mid range hatch. Will likely have built in sat nav, bluetooth, climate control, xenon lights, parking sensors.
All this complexity has not reduced reliability as production processes work to increasingly fine tolerances, in cleaner factories using better designs (generally). They are like white goods and electronics - we just expect to "plug and go". Driven with some mechanical sympathy and serviced properly expect 10 years or 150k+ of fairly hassle free motoring.
Contrast this with the 60s or 70s - frequent repairs, 60-80k before engine replacement and 6-8 years before teminal rust.
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