EV's More Reliable?, Maybe to Modern Cars But Older Cars!

[eliotcole]

I generally have found the opposite to be true regarding GENERAL (not EV specific) new cars vs 'mid-old' (mid 80s onward) cars. But next to 70s or older, then ... it's no contest ... with a bit of oil and petrol many of them will start after being covered in weeds in a forest for 20 years! 😅

Anyway, yeah, modern cars do (for sure) have a lot more that CAN go wrong with them ... but I haven't had / nor have my parents (heavy car users) any serious issues with modern cars. But the old Mondeo I had? Awful. Cars I had in the 90s/00s? At least one major issue each year ... Japanese or not.

Most modern cars seem to have a more 'it's just fine' thing going on ... none of them are particularly amazing (at my level, not your porschey mercs, etc) ... but they are quietly reliable in that way.

I mean ... this is all just my lived experience ... but to touch on the EV side of things ... I have MANY friends who have EV'd for a long time now ... and I have brought up such stuff ... they only ever have real issues on the 'software' side of things. That ... that I kind of think is more serious ... but equally, it's the beginning of the journey for mass-production EVs ... hopefully someone, somewhere, is making THE OPEN SOURCE EV PLATFORM ... 😏

 

[Kev A]

I'm on the other end of the spectrum, prefer to buy something sub 1k, knowing if anything big goes wrong I can just throw it out.
Been tooling about in an absolutely battered £300 Dacia Sandero for the last 6 years, had 2 new tires and a thermostat housing, not even changed the oil, do have a couple of nicer weekend cars tho, just cant get excited about modern stuff to spend on something decent🤷‍♂️

 

[Alpha1]

Slightly OT.

I asked ChatGPT how long it estimates batteries will be half the size and provide twice the capacity for EVs based on the current innovation in battery technology.

To sum up a very long and interesting answer, 5-10 years.

 

[pooman2084]

BMW have had "regenerative braking" on cars with "Efficient Dynamics" since 2007. They use braking to charge the 12v battery and when the 12v battery is full they just shunt the power to cause electrical braking.

Just changed the brakes on my 13 year old BMW M5 for the first time. Had about 50% front pads left and the discs were just getting too heavily corroded

That’s amazing. I had to change my old V40’s pads every 15k or so living in a very hilly town!

 

[John Bennett]

I think the original Prius used to use the brakes so infrequently during sedate driving that they would rust-up and need replacing.

The front discs are ridiculous Mountune Alcon £1000-a-disc jobs on my 508, so I'm rather glad they don't get so much wear thanks to regen braking (can't really get aftermarket alternatives either).

 

[Bods]

My cars list

1979 Mk4 Cortina, 1983 Mk5 Cortina, 1988 Rover 213 (3 years old) 101k miles (Honda engine/gearbox) 1986 Jaguar S3 XJ 4.2 5/6 years old, 1988 Rover 216EFI , 1989 Montego at 3 years old and then I had Company cars for about 18 years

So all my cars, Fords not engine issues other than starting in winter, Rover with Honda 100% reliable, never had issue considering already 101k and when we traded it in, guy few streets away bought it from the garage it went to minus about 30k they took off the clock as you wouldn't know it had done that miles and me brother told the new owner but he wasn't bothered, he had that for years, exhaust, tyres and Battery was all it had.

Rover 216EFI, used to cut out when stop at lights or junction but hey its rover engine but then Montego I had for 1992 till about 1996 and I never did anything too it, don't know what mileage was on it when I bought it or sold it, was quite a lot as it was ex company car with telephone, I never even changed the oil or spark plugs, I just did nothing at all and only issue was timing belt that failed and non interference engine so new belt, tensioner and was good again till I had company car in 1996, yeah 96 as I had that before buying house in 1997

So all those cars engine wasn't issue really and least expense, Worst company cars, Vauxhall, engine that leaked all the oil out, brakes that intermittent worked, spark plug leads knackered in 2 years, because the components are crap, my cars ranging from 25 to 40 years still original leads, fuel injectors and non failed

Best is the Suzuki I got the other half, now 24 years old, okay it was on 19k when I got it off ebay 14 years ago and still under 30k now. whats been changed, 2 Airfilter 2 Battery, Tyres not due to wear but cracking, I changed front discs and pads not due to wear but because it sits side of dual carriage way with all the lorrys, buses, cars constantly passing all day/night water splashing on discs and MOT they put advisories of Discs as it doesn't get used enough, she can't even turn it around so it's always drivers side.

It's had one oil/filter change I'm ashamed to say coz I'm always busy, it's never not started, it's never missed a beat running, never failed an MOT yet and it's still got the original Exhaust which looks nearly like new and I paid £1300 for it and because they want old cars off the road it's been wrote off 3 times non her fault, driven into twice, once when she wasn't in it by drunk neighbour, 2nd by some mental person in hospital carpark and by another guy that wouldn't give breath test to police at scene, I repaired it twice and shes had about 2k back from insurance claims so find me cheaper motoring than that and she's had a least 3 people ask if she want's to sell it

This weekend we've seen loads broken down, all newish stuff. Mostly German cars Mercs, Skoda, Seat, and worst Range Rover 6 of them, I didn't even get make it to M6 before first Range Rover causing queues at the motorway island and then discovery on M6 that was just Friday. Worst always seems to be M40, it's every few miles there is something broken down

Keeps us entertained anyway

 

[tronads]

Range Rovers have a terrible reliability rating. I honestly don't know what people see in them when they lease them (the vast majority are leased these days). German standards are slipping as they rush to reduce costs like everyone else. My previous car, a 2022 Seat Ateca was shocking for electronic niggles. None that would keep it off the road, but all annoying things like the media system randomly rebooting, steering wheel buttons registering as being touched when you know you were nowhere near them, stuff like that. Ultimately Seat's inability to properly fix the media system and refusal to replace it led to me selling the car.

 

[chubsta]

But wouldn't you all sooner have saved loads of money and be retired by now?

To me that's the ultimate life, no more work unless I had a job that I would do as hobby for free and got paid then it's different story. If i'd made right decisions I could have retired now, I do less than 30 hours over less than 3 days and that's too much

Guy I work with is 40 this year and still living home with his mum he wastes so much money, never stops going out, he's working 2 nights in week also, if it were me It would have been buying house years back, paid off, have kids in 30s then enjoy going places and taking them with you, not getting mortgages in 40s if he ain't renting for ever that is

I know we all want to do things different. Mate bought his Anniversary Countach years back for £30k and whats that worth now probably £350k gotta be honest if it was me and it was my ultimate car I'd still be selling it and buying a New Replica that you could actually use more and be retired.

hate working

I saved as much as I could when I reached 50, retired at 57 with zero debt and a decent amount of savings which provide income each month from interest.

Didn’t realise until I retired how tired I always was, will never work again as long as I live, having a fantastic time with plenty of money and all the time in the world to do anything I want. I drive a 2016 Kia Sportage which will hopefully last forever, no wish to spend a fortune to buy tax and ensure a new car.