A case for 2000s cars
I got a new car-- well, I got an old car, but it's new to me. It's a 2004 Toyota Camry, XLE, 4 cylinders, 105k miles.
There's many reasons why I got this car, we'll start with its age.
After doing a bunch of research and video watching and forum reading, I think the best era for a car you will drive daily is between 2002-2007 (give or take a few years (especially on the upper end)).
BUILD QUALITY
Why am I starting in the 2000s instead of the 90s when the 90s had so many good cars? One big reason: airbags, specifically side airbags. This post shows the history of airbags in cars through the 90s, revealing that front airbags weren't prevalent in cars until the late 90s. These airbags became mandatory in the US in 1998. You want front airbags.
Side air bags weren't introduced until 1994, and side protection wasn't mandatory in the US until 2009. All this means that a car made in the early 2000s is much more likely to have side (and front) airbags than one from the 90s. You want side airbags.
We're stopping around 2008 for more subjective reasons. When I was doing my research, I was shopping for a Camry, and the 07-11 models have more engine issues (specifically oil burning from low tension piston rings) and cheaper feeling interiors than the 02-06 models. That said, it doesn't seem uncommon that cars in this range have quality or reliability issues. This isn't too surprising to me because, well, you remember what happened in 2008. That infamous economic crisis heavily impacted the automotive industry. Makers experienced double digit declines in sales, people lost their jobs, and there was plenty of cost cutting (both to spend less and to make a product consumers were more able to afford). Not all the cars from this time period are significantly less reliable than the ones preceding them, some are even better, but... do your research. No one does their best work under stress.
COMPUTERIZATION, REGULATION, AND PROFIT SEEKING
You might find a reliable car after that era has ended, but then we run into a whole slew of new things to consider. Namely increased computerization, manufacturers response to more government regulations, and how both those are used to create profit at the expense of the consumer.
For me, it all starts with infotainment systems. I feel like a stereotypical crotchety old person when I talk about this, but I don't think that screens belong in cars in the way that we see them. No one would say that it's a good idea to have to use a touch screen in order to operate your car's functions while driving. A major merit of buttons and knobs is that they can be navigated through touch, allowing your eyes to stay on the road where they belong.
However, for a variety of reasons ranging from profit maximizing to luxury appearances, touch screen infotainment systems have become a virtual non-negotiable in newer vehicles. I don't think they're all bad, but there's definitely a lot of bad. This is a system that will probably take another 10 years to mature into something elegant and ergonomic, and I'm not particularly enthused about the current state of things.
Alongside infotainment, we have cars becoming increasingly computerized, and while that's something many people are excited about, for me it's a massive turn off (and a real threat to your personal data and privacy). Not only does it take some of the tactile fun out of driving a car, it introduces a new layer to car repairs. The depth and significance of this layer varies from car to car, but for some newer models it can significantly impair an individual's ability to do basic work on their car (think brakes and rotors) without access to complex and expensive tools. The software restrictions also impact which mechanics can work on said car. This video breaks things down super well. Skip to 8:27 for the car specific stuff. Having the ability to repair my vehicle (or easily find an independent mechanic who can) is important to me, and the fact that it's getting harder is not an accident. It makes manufacturers a lot of money.
Profit almost always comes before consumer experience in the list of a company's priorities. Historically a good consumer experience has usually led to profit, incentivizing companies to make quality products, however, in our modern age companies have discovered many ways they can make profit despite neglecting or ignoring user experience.
Planned obsolescence ensures repeat customers, a touch screen for car controls costs less than physical controls (software development is cheaper than designing, manufacturing, and wiring specific buttons and knobs), making a car difficult to repair routes more buyers to the dealership, subscription based features offer new revenue streams, you get the picture. Putting bells and whistles on things is a great distraction from an overall decline in quality, longevity, autonomy, and user experience. They're so shiny.
Government regulations (which I am not trying to argue against) have put obstacles in the way of profit, increasing the amount manufacturers consider cost minimization and loophole stretching and decreasing the amount they consider their customer. Thus, we don't have cars that are good for people, we have cars that are good for the manufacturer's wallet (hello SUV craze (I know I'm throwing it in here in an offhand way, but if you're going to click on any link in this post, this is the one)). Look around. We can do so much better.
It's going to get worse first though. This article published in 2022 talks about in car subscriptions used by BMW, as well as some of the consumer implications of those. This article written by someone in the industry goes into deeper detail. It portrays this direction in a much more favorable light, but it's not hard to see the potential cost.
With all these factors considered, I think I'd rather put 10k towards repairing the right older car than put it towards buying a newer car that's subject to everything I mentioned above. Older cars also cost less, freeing up more money for maintenance and repairs.
BACK TO THE TOP (recapitulating)
so, in your beautiful, sweet, loving, early 2000s car, you have
- adequate safety protection (if you do your homework)
- a higher quality build than the late 2000s and early 2010s
- no invasive computerization
and
- a vehicle the majority of mechanics (and maybe even you) can repair
All you have to do is choose wisely. Buy a car that has had on schedule oil changes and been fixed when it was broken. If you find a model you like, look at the maintenance requirements for it and make sure those have been met at each checkpoint.
As for miles... do your math. The average person puts 10-15k miles on their car in a year. How many miles is the model you're looking at expected to last? I wanted to have the option to drive mine for 10 years, and the model I chose consistently runs until 250 or 300k. So I dug hard for a listing of a well cared for 2004 camry with around 100k miles and I found it and I bought it and I love it.