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Do you keep up with the latest gadgets and technology in your vehicle? A new
study shows that Americans would trade in their cars for a new one every 2 years
– as often as we get new cell phones! A large motivation for this trend is the vast
technological changes between new and old (or even less new) vehicles.

With increasing changes in technology, like Bluetooth, GPS, audio inputs, USB
connections, and more, it takes time for car manufacturers to develop platforms
for the latest technology in vehicles. There are also new technologies specific to
driving, like self­parking, heated seats, rear cameras, and more. New cars often
feature vastly superior technology to their older counterparts.

At the same time that technology is increasing, people are keeping their cars
longer than ever before. Vehicles now have an impressive average age of nearly
12 years. With advances in preventative maintenance and repair, cars are able to
keep running smoothly through the years.

This blog from Jim Motavalli at Car Talk explore this topic further:

“If wishes were horses, we’d all be equestrians. A new study shows that
Americans would be happy trading in their cars as frequently as their mobile
phones, and that’s pretty often.

According to Swapalease.com, the typical life of an American cellphone is just
21.7 months. By then, it’s hopelessly outdated, right? And there’s a big parallel
with cars, which struggle to incorporate the latest technology into platforms that
take years to develop.

The Swapalease.com survey finds 59.5 percent of men and 60.7 percent of
women wanting to trade in cars as often as phones. More than 10 percent of
either sex would actually want to do it more frequently. What I find telling is that
31.4 percent of men and a whopping 39.5 percent of women say their primary
reason is to have “a vehicle with the latest features.” What they’re talking about,
largely, is infotainment, which is moving at lightning speed.

Chances are, you’re swapping out a car that doesn’t even have an audio output,
let alone a USB connection. Still rockin’ cassettes? The cars coming onto the lots
now may not even have CD players. There’s lots of other cool tech, too, including
self­driving and parking features, lane departure warnings, heated steering
wheels and traction control. You can’t get any of that stuff in a 2003 Honda Civic.

Scott Hall, an executive vice president of Swapalease, concurs with my analysis:

Our cars are becoming feature­rich vehicle devices, with technology that evolves
much faster than in years past. As such, people want to always stay current with
this latest technology, similar to what’s happening in the mobile phones industry.

Ah, but there’s a big gap between our wish lists and our actual purchases. That
11­year­old Civic may not be “feature­rich,” but it’s durable, and trading in cars
every two years is really expensive in this economy—the darned thing
depreciates as soon as it’s out of the showroom door.
In actual fact, we’re keeping cars longer than ever, with the average age in 2013
an impressive 11.4 years (just like that Civic). Since 2007, the average age has
gone up two years, says Polk research. The number of cars going to a scrapyard
in any given year is down 50 percent. Hall thinks this trend is going to reverse
itself as we come out of the recession, and people have money again to make
their fantasies come true.
Since I always consider the green angle, I’d have to say that keeping cars longer
is basically good for the planet, since according to the Environmental Defense
Fund, 11 percent of a car’s lifecycle emissions is in its manufacture. That
percentage is going down as automakers clean up their plants, with a special
emphasis on the paint process.
The downside, as Janet Wright of SellMart points out, is that older cars can
become gross polluters. You’ve seen the Bondo specials trailing a cloud of blue
smoke—they’re doing a lot of damage. Owners of beaters, Wright said, “really
need to consider whether it is worth shelling out on repairs time and time again or
whether they should just bite the bullet, sell their old car, and invest in something
newer.”
It’s funny that Swapalease asked people if they’d want a new car “assuming cost
was not an issue.” When is cost not an issue when we’re talking about cars?
Incidentally, most cited as objects of desire in the poll were (in this order) BMW,
Mercedes, Audi, Cadillac, Lexus and Acura.”
What do you think? Would you rather keep up with the latest technology, trading
in for the latest and greatest cars? Or would you rather keep your current car
running as long as possible with regular care? With so much to consider, come in
to talk with our mechanics to discuss all of your options!
To keep your vehicle running smoothly, bring it to our shop for regular
preventative maintenance. If you are considering buying a used car, bring it in for
a pre­purchase inspection and evaluation. To talk to our professionals or schedule
an appointment, call us at (585) 242­2360!