Modern cars are out of $control!

[tmontague]

I agree with Zoidberg. What needs to be realised is the power in lobbying. Most of the new "emissions" or "safety" laws that are failing virtually perfectly fine cars are put in place for interests of car makers under the guise of passenger safety. It's a great way to force people to fix a used car or put that money on a down payment and be strapped to a car loan for the next 8+ years. Makes for an easier sell for the salesman.

Ontario recently changed their safety and now cars can fail for a small tear in a rear wiper blade. Hell it will fail if any single light doesn't work no matter if its redundant like a fog light. If its on the car from factory it has to work period.

Cars themselves aren't too expensive relative to a decade or two ago when you account for inflation. It's the repairs and/or options that everyone feels they need that is expensive.

Want to get a better deal? But a car with a smaller margin, economy cars have the smallest margins and if you buy used even by 1 year old you save a lot of money that someone else had to pay just because it was "new".