[Closed] What present day car will be a solid and reliable car in 10-15 years time?

So to make it reliable your going to completely strip down a vehicle and change its chassis?

With that thinking you could keep any pre electronics car on the road indefinitely when it has your wallet at its disposal. 😉

The phrase " they don't make them like they used too" has never been so apt today.

It is starting to look like the Mid 90's - Early 2000's were the optimum time for vehicle longevity.

I've just been looking for a new-to-me banger, there seem to be countless suitable vehicles around. Loads of 10-12yo old cars still look pretty stylish, well beyond the traditional tatty A-B banger.

I'm thinking back to my Parents 1972 Ford Cortina which was scrapped at 6 years old, rusted to **** with two perforated wings before that.

Surely the best car for the future is the one you desire, far more likely to look after it and to have a car for a long time is surely better than to demand the natural resources for a new one every few years? If it is what you desire, you will look to fix it at a far higher cost than just a mode of transport. You'd ditch a Prius at every hint of a big bill, but a 911?

Reading this with some sadness as my 52 plate Mondeo TDCi sits forlornly on the street, with symptoms of a failed DMF. (Starter been failing to engage, now its a barely audible high pitched whizz from the starter).
182k miles, still (or did 🙁 )drive lovely.
£600-£700 to fix. 🙁

Fix, good for another 100k then.

Reading this with some sadness as my 52 plate Mondeo TDCi sits forlornly on the street, with symptoms of a failed DMF. (Starter been failing to engage, now its a barely audible high pitched whizz from the starter). 182k miles, still (or did )drive lovely. £600-£700 to fix.

Assuming it *is* the DMF and can be sorted for £700 its worth doing isn't it? Another car will cost you at least £700 plus a couple of weekends sourcing it.

"
So to make it reliable your going to completely strip down a vehicle and change its chassis?

With that thinking you could keep any pre electronics car on the road indefinitely when it has your wallet at its disposal. "

Not really .... how many new/OEM/Pattern parts do you see for sale for a vauxhall chevette ?

I propose a Nissan Micra K10. There are so many compared to everything else of that age. They go on forever, our local garage, a do everything garage and special tuning engineering workshop reckon it's the most reliable car they know of!

k10 ? where are they hiding them ? i have not seen one in the uk for donkeys

in west africa i see them by the bucket load - and nissan bluebirds, corollas , old peugeots ......everyone of them beyond ****ed.

Rarely see old hiluxes despite them being the car of africa in the laymans eyes. - see more old Range rovers - rarely see defenders or series. The most common modern car is the new toyota hilux or the mitsubishi pajero / baby land cruiser.

outofbreath - Member

I'm thinking back to my Parents 1972 Ford Cortina which was scrapped at 6 years old, rusted to **** with two perforated wings before that.

My grandad fixed that problem by replacing all the steel with isopon and chicken wire.

trail_rat - Member

k10? Where are they hiding them?

He'll mean K11.
Or he could have said MkII, like we all used to, when we all knew what we were talking about. 😆

This being stw I swapped my survivor of an A4 (1.9 tdi stil going strong with a new owner) after passed 200k possibly cos I got bored as much as anything for a Fabia which can be serviced with a hammer a pound shop diy kit and to date seems at least as bullet proof as the a4.

The amount of wealthy neighbours running them into double figure years also bodes well.

I have a 21 year old MX5 that I fully expect to still be going strong in another 10 to 15 years time.

I'm still driving around in a 1990 Mk2 Golf GTi. You can open the bonnet and see the engine rather than a plastic plate, it doesn't have a dash-mounted computer controlling its SatNav and air-con because it doesn't have ether. Or self-levelling headlights. Or an electrical sunroof. Or ABS. Because it doesn't have those either.

When bits break, which they do occasionally on a 25-year-old car, you just buy a new one - often a cheap pattern part made by the OE supplier and bolt it on and just carry on driving. If it does break down at the side of the road, the AA can often fix it instead of scratching their heads and transporting it to a garage.

The simpler the car, the longer it's likely to last. Oh, and bodywork that doesn't disintegrate helps too, how many Fiestas or Escorts from the 80s and 90s do you still see on the road?

Porsches and stuff I reckon.

Ive often though an earlyish 911 (galvanized body and air cooled engine) would make a practical bangernoics car if you didn't need the space.

It's been covered up there somewhere, but nothing you can buy today will be reliable in 15 years time, more sensors working to ever tighter tolerances with more legislation around them. (There is a possibility that some of the next gen stuff, sensor failure in the emissions control system will mean the engine is not even allowed to start).

The fact that a 10 year old toyota petrol is still going strong today means nothing, there will be almost nothing in common between the 2005MY car and the 2015MY car. Not even the nuts and bolts will be the same. Probably not even the toyota badge........

After a bit more thought the answer is a kit car.

There are different laws in different territories (Asia/U.S/Europe) but manufactures only have a responsibility to manufacture spare parts for a certain amount of time.

The vast majority of parts can be replaced or refurbished, so the longevity is probably down to the owners willingness to pay. Given that the average shelf life from showroom to scrapyard is 12 years there doesn't appear to much willingness.

I would suspect that one of the killers in the near future will be the big proprietary digital parts that control heating/ac/music/sat nav etc, the head units, not the sensors. These can cost five,six,seven hundred pounds to replace, never mind the labour costs. Then again it's hard to imagine a refurbishment industry around these.

Petrol Toyota
My RAV4 is 20 years old and still going strong.

I would have thought a Tesla Model S would be a safe bet for a fairly future proof car. It's ahead of the game already, mechanically simple and can be updated over the internet. There's a very good chance it will be kept up-to-date with future battery developments too.

Otherwise, something simple, ubiquitous and with a non-turbo petrol engine. Suzuki Jimny? It hasn't changed much since it was introduced in 1998 and lots of the early ones are still about. Mechanically robust, a couple of well documented issues but very reliable. It does mean you have to drive a silly small bouncy thing for 15 years though...

epicyclo - Member

After a bit more thought the answer is a kit car.

Good idea, in 10 years time it'll still be in bits in the garage.

My 20yr old Hilux turbo diesel is still going strong (touch wood), just sold a 16yr old VW T4 with zero faults.

Nothing rotary on the list would be my advice, My old RX7 was getting grumpy at 80k.

It's been covered up there somewhere, but nothing you can buy today will be reliable in 15 years time, more sensors working to ever tighter tolerances with more legislation around them. (There is a possibility that some of the next gen stuff, sensor failure in the emissions control system will mean the engine is not even allowed to start).

You sound like the sort of person who'd start a thread about buying a new car in case the other one went wrong at some uncertain point in the future. 😉 I disagree, it may have a couple of extra lights on the dash but I bet a statistically insignificant number of new cars will have terminal failure within that timeframe.

I didn't say terminal failure, i said reliable. There is a big difference between starting every time as opposed to needing a trip to the garage.

Current cars have a good few systems that might stop the car from running until they are replaced/repaired. Think Crank or Cam position sensors, but a dozen of them, all over the car. Next gen will be another step change (Euro 6C, Euro7 and so on.)

And it's not a "couple of extra lights on the dash" it's several hundred quids worth of emissions equipment (at cost, probably thousands at retail), thousands of hours of test and development all to support a stack of really really badly written environmental legislation (See the VW emissions cock up for evidence of that!).

FWIW, we run a 10 year old VW, not planning to replace any time soon, will wait until it dies, and a company car, which i get no say in the replacement of.

Sadly cars are becoming more and more complex. Soon we'll see idrive failure writing off a perfectly usable BMW. ECU issues etc on other cars.

I see this has gone away from the OP, and become just a list of old cars that have done well. The question is, is there a car you buy today, brand new that will be around in 10-15 years and be considered reliable. The answer.......none. The phrase " they don't make them like they used too" has never been so apt today.

Bull****

Have you ever driven a car from the 70's? I reckon mine costs about 50% more in 'stuff' as it takes in petrol (and by modern standards, it's a lot of petrol too). They were also (by modern standards) appallingly built, and used tech not far removed from a horseless carriage.

Ever driven a car from the 80's? It's not like the roads are still awash with Sierras and MK4 Escorts. The Japanese might have revolutionized reliability, but a lot of that was BECAUSE of EFI and ignition systems, not inspite of it. When was the last time you went out to your car to check the points? People moaned that some forks had 24h service intervals a couple of years ago "they're not fit for purpose, take 'em back", etc etc. Ignition points have a ~30 hour service interval! I kept a spare pair on my keyring!

90's? Maybe PD diesel engines had some kind of golden era if you ignore the health effects, but it's also the era that gave us the Rover/Honda K-series, catalytic converters that shook themselves to bits or got polluted by engine oil, and a whole heap of rust as chassis simply weren't built as well as the Japanese had shown us how to make the mechanical bits.

2000's? no much has changed since, My car's an '06 (an '03 model year) and TBH I can't see it dying of anything other than boredom before 2026 and mechanical the same bit's are still in the new version. 100,000miles killed a car in the 90's, it was bangernomics at that mileage, you can walk into a showroom these days and pay £10k for a car with 150,000-200,000miles on it!

Was driving the wife's '09 Kia Rio and had a bit of a Eureka moment. It exactly what we're talking about. Simple, no electric toys, loads of access space round the engine.

So far in 60k I've only done oil and brakes but both were trivial. No plastic tray hiding the engine.

Mind you, don't buy ours. The wife has no mechanical sympathy and regards driving it into things as perfectly aceptable.

Well, all things considered, I'm about to push the button on a Honda Jazz - initially for my wife and then as our only car when I look to go self-employed and become a one car household.

2013 Si model, 1.4i petrol engine, 5 speed manual box, pretty lacking in electronic wizardry really, 9500 miles on the clock and £7500.

I reckon that should see us through the next 10 - 15 years although, as pointed out by others, boredom of staying in one car terrifies me! Especially as I like changing my every 6 months or so (SH each time before someone cries "MintedJim" again).

I'm pretty good with a spanner and enjoy it too, but then as the mechanic I use to help me says "there's no loyalty from cars".

You know a clutch is a wear item, don't you?

Yes dear. I'm also aware the last two I had replaced cost closer £200 than £1500 (other work as well, but the clutch and DMF was a reasonable chunk of that). Most of my other cars I'd have scrapped at that, but it's low mileage and decent nick so still worth a bit for resale or as a driver.

Sounds like a decent choice Jim. If you don't need grunt to haul stuff (or kids) about the small petrol engines seem the best balance of economy and service/repair costs.

[b]push the button[/b] on a Honda Jazz

'push the button' is a phrase that usually makes my teeth itch, but about a Honda jazz, a contender for the most sensible grey car imaginable .... 😀

edit - hang on, you can actually do it...

[img] [/img]

I didn't even know it had a button! Result!

Bloody Touran has died again, fault code is stating P0321 which is the crank speed sensor implausible speed - which I replaced 300 miles ago. Gutted as it's actually a really good car.

I've spent the last 10 years working in Automotive Tier 1 manufacturing so cars are my bread and butter but god they're frustrating!

The phrase " they don't make them like they used too" has never been so apt today.

You're right - modern cars are so much better. There was a reason why Ford odometers only went up to 100,000 miles...

Bloody Touran has died again, fault code is stating P0321 which is the crank speed sensor implausible speed - which I replaced 300 miles ago. Gutted as it's actually a really good car.

ransos - Member

The phrase " they don't make them like they used too" has never been so apt today.

You're right - modern cars are so much better.

Incorrect.

There's no reason why they can't be though.
As is the modern way things don't last because they are designed not to. There's no money to be made if things last forever.
Planned obsolescence.

Defender, last chance

The fact they are still making the same model 30 years on means it should last

Bull****

Have you ever driven a car from the 70's? I reckon mine costs about 50% more in 'stuff' as it takes in petrol (and by modern standards, it's a lot of petrol too). They were also (by modern standards) appallingly built, and used tech not far removed from a horseless carriage.

Ever driven a car from the 80's? It's not like the roads are still awash with Sierras and MK4 Escorts. The Japanese might have revolutionized reliability, but a lot of that was BECAUSE of EFI and ignition systems, not inspite of it. When was the last time you went out to your car to check the points? People moaned that some forks had 24h service intervals a couple of years ago "they're not fit for purpose, take 'em back", etc etc. Ignition points have a ~30 hour service interval! I kept a spare pair on my keyring!

90's? Maybe PD diesel engines had some kind of golden era if you ignore the health effects, but it's also the era that gave us the Rover/Honda K-series, catalytic converters that shook themselves to bits or got polluted by engine oil, and a whole heap of rust as chassis simply weren't built as well as the Japanese had shown us how to make the mechanical bits.

2000's? no much has changed since, My car's an '06 (an '03 model year) and TBH I can't see it dying of anything other than boredom before 2026 and mechanical the same bit's are still in the new version. 100,000miles killed a car in the 90's, it was bangernomics at that mileage, you can walk into a showroom these days and pay £10k for a car with 150,000-200,000miles on it!

Lot of truth in this I think. First car I ever had was 10 years old and became so dangerous to drive because of the severe deterioration of structural points (namely the suspension struts, which moved literally inches when going into corners) that even my stupid 17 year old self took it home and never drove it again. These days 10 year old cars don't seem all that old, and the fact that you can still pay thousands for fairly average ones reflects that.

It seems that cars now are more refined and more reliable than ever. More than a decade ago many people were complaining cars were becoming too complex and impossible to work on with all their electrical gubbins. This hasn't really been the case in my experience. Having a car that is capable of telling you exactly what is wrong with it is a huge advantage.

I've no idea about current cars. It seems cars are becoming less serviceable, favouring fast and effective manufacturing processes over the future maintainability. But what product hasn't suffered from that over the years, and for many a car is a disposable item. I'm sure there'll still be some reliable motors around in 10 or 15 years time, but like always, they'll be from models and manufacturers lucky (or well engineered) enough not to experience any major common faults.

If anything kills ageing old motors, I reckon it'll be the law. Tightened regulations on emissions and safety. Especially in an age were we may be seeing the introduction of autonomous vehicles.

Just for balance...

[img][url= https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5684/22475587523_517b391413_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5684/22475587523_517b391413_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Af6g8H ]image1[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/46022382@N08/ ]wagendeal[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Evening. Are you blaming a car for a battery?

My old Subaru lost its battery. The battery was 6yrs old and though Batteries are consumable and add ons. Anyway So I hoped in a taxi to Halfords and back.

That's the only time that JAPANESE and PETROL car failed on me. Well, the battery.

BTW I've never had 'AA' or other breakdown coverand that's on French or Japanese cars. If I owned a German car I probably would (being honest) but then I wouldn't buy German..

a 15plate civic.

batterys probably fine- gremlins draining his battery id reckon .

a 15plate civic.

batterys probably fine- gremlins draining his battery id reckon

Nah, battery was goosed

Stuff reliable cars that will outlive you, what you need is a big gas guzzler of a two seater sports car, something antisocial, that farts large clouds of black smoke every time you start, crawls along the road creating a walking pace traffic jam that can be seen from the moon while you drive 400 yards to the nearest theme pub to dribble over the bar with a shandy in one hand and a viagra in the other.

It will need to rot at the same rate you do, so as you breath your last breath, the four wheels parked at your retirement home will collapse into a pile of red rust dust, so leaving your offspring nothing but a huge bill to shovel the remains into a skip!

Theres no reason any modern simple well designed car shouldnt provide 20+ yrs good service if boredom doesnt see it off.

The comparison with older cars reminds of that recent dealer service thread, when I was doing my apprenticeship a service was a days work with points, plugs, dist cap and leads, filters fluids and tappets adjust the brakes test drives brin it back fettle a bit more etc and even if you did look after them well the cars werent galvinised so soon dissolved back into the earth.

A modern car needs little more than a change the oil every year and the occasioanl new part itll keep you mobile indefinitely.

Don't most main dealers now avoid retailing anything over 5-7yrs+. Not exactly encouraging is it.

Incorrect.

There's no reason why they can't be though.
As is the modern way things don't last because they are designed not to. There's no money to be made if things last forever.
Planned obsolescence.

Err, no. If a Cortina made it to 100k without major surgery, you'd break out the champagne. My cheap Ford is well past that with no rust and routine servicing. It's a total fallacy to suggest cars don't last as long - they last far longer.

It's a total fallacy to suggest cars don't last as long - they last far longer.

Just the number of parts they need (we did not need ABS units, AC compressors, DMF, DPF, engine management computers etc 15 years ago) and the cost of those parts has/is rather higher than we would like with the rise of 'oh, you cant just replace a wheel bearing sonny, you need the whole hub...' approach to modern cars.

Just the number of parts they need (we did not need ABS units, AC compressors, DMF, DPF, engine management computers etc 15 years ago) and the cost of those parts has/is rather higher than we would like with the rise of 'oh, you cant just replace a wheel bearing sonny, you need the whole hub...' approach to modern cars.

Whilst it's true that an AC compressor is an expensive item should it break, my car doesn't need an oil change every 5,000 miles, valve clearances resetting, fuel mixture setting, points, etc, etc.

Pretty much any car will last 10yrs plus if its looked after properly.

I bought a car I want to keep forever and that's a blooming Fiat 500 which is pretty much the softest engineered car you can buy.

But I figured as long as I kept the basic spec its the 'extras' that cause trouble rather than the basics.

1.2 petrol engine which is pence to fix or replace
No Air Con
No Auto gearbox
No sunroof
No gadgets other than the electric windows & mirrors.
Waxoiled from new and has been claybarred 3 times in 3 years.

Its gonna do 5,000mls per annum. Its going to be handed to my kids at about 7yrs old to be the car they learn to drive in. If and when I get it back I will put it in the garage and have it as my toy car.

I have access to some very nice cars with my day job but I always get a huge smile on my face when I take the wifes car out for a drive.