Are New Cars Disposable?

Issue #160 

In the past, beater cars were a purchase out of necessity, and we’d drive them till the wheels fell off. Now, we might do that because we have no choice. 

Today, we discuss disposable cars.

Market News

• Are we about to have another so-so year for US automotive sales? This article thinks so. 

• GM regrets killing off the Cadillac CT6. Here’s why. 

• Delinquent subprime car loans remain at historic high. Here’s what it could mean for us. 

• Here’s why hybrids are excellent for performance. So much so, that they are dominating the game. 

• Well, it turns out that plug-in hybrid vehicles aren’t that clean. Here’s more. 

• Is the Hyundai Santa Cruz the perfect truck for pickup haters? This article explains why it could be. 

• Here’s why you won’t be spinning in your Rivian. The company delays one of the coolest features until 2026. 

• Tariffs will impact car repairs soon. Read this article to learn more about how. 

• Stellantis cancelled several EVs, so why will it carry on with the Jeep Recon? This article gives us the answer. 

• Ford and GM get tariff benefits, but one Ram model in particular won’t. Learn more here.

Safety and Recalls

• Ford (again) recalls the Mustang GT with a specific option because of unwanted acceleration. 

• Dodge urgently recalls 298,000 Dodge Darts because they can roll away. Here’s more.

Car Culture

• Read this article to learn why the GM President admits that cancelling the EV1 was a bad idea.

• The most expensive De Tomaso Pantera ever is heading for auction. The last time it exchanged hands was for $300,000. 

• Ford gives the Mach-E the California Special treatment, and here’s the end result. What do you think?

• The BMW XM leads this list of the 10 cars that have shaped the 2020s.

• This driver noticed one thing at her mechanic’s shop: all the cars were GMC. 

• Speaking of GMC and Chevy, here’s why some of them still use column shifters. 

• Ferrari will copy one of the Dodge Viper’s coolest features: this one. 

• This ‘69 Chevelle hides modern DNA and we love it. 

• Kia may be held responsible in deadly car thefts. Here’s why. 

• This Kansas program teaches studends to restore vintage cars.

Video Of The Week

This is a longer video, but a fascinating view into the Brunei Royal Family’s rotting car collection.

In The Know

We’re entering the era of the disposable car (again)

Here’s a challenge for you, car lovers. Find a stock Chevrolet Vega in mint condition. Now, as this article reminds us, the idea behind the Chevy Vega was solid. It was a small, practical car with great handling in an era of land yachts and fuel economy in the single digits. 

It had the potential to be America’s best affordable car. The problem is that not all great ideas end up working out in real life, and the Vega epitomizes this situation. GM rushed it into production, with an extremely limited budget. 

The result was a slow-performing rust bucket that almost disintegrated as soon as you set your eyes on it. Therefore, few stock Vegas remain. Those that do, don’t command a high price, unless someone has injected with growh hormones, as this chart indicates. 

Though GM didn’t plan it, the Vega ended up being disposable, and it’s not the only example. Chrysler’s K-cars also had the automotive equivalent of the lifespan of a fruitfly, as this article recalls. 

Finding them now is a challenge, and you get the idea. But, where am I going with this? 

The Vega seemed like a practical way to get GM into a sector they had never mastered: econoboxes. K-Cars had the mission of saving Chrysler and they did. These disposable cars existed because they had a purpose, and that’s why they’re appealing today. 

Even the legendary Jeep XJ was once considered disposable. (They did make 2.8 million of them), but now, it’s actually very desirable. Here’s a beautiful tribute. 

Now, cars are also becoming disposable but for all the wrong reasons, and it’s a problem that has been increasingly more common. Check out this forum post where a member complains about how expensive cars are becoming harder and more expensive to fix. It was written in 2001!

As vehicles become more technologically dependant, they are also harder to fix. I like to compare them with smart phones. Rarely, if ever, do we send an iPhone for repair; instead, we buy another one. 

It’s not that we want to do this with cars, it’s that we have to. Check out this article that focuses on EVs and repairs. EVs are so complex that even a tiny fender bender can cost you thousands. 

That’s not the only problem. Let’s say your EV has a rust issue. Rust and battery aren’t good friends and if you come upon rust, chances are your insurance will write off your EV, as this article explains. 

One would say that this is a problem exclusive to EVs, but that’s not the case. Granted, EVs and hybrids are more complex to fix, but the technician and part shortage is basically making every new car a money pit. This article by Autoblog highlights the different reasons for overly expensive repairs.   

Where has this taken us? To a massive problem: modern cars are disposable, and not necessarily because they are obsolete (although this is one reason). It’s because the way we consume now has changed entirely. A software update gone wrong can brick your car and a missing spare could make it undriveable. 

We’re not the only ones thinking this way. This article explains why screens and batteries are the main culprits. 

Many of us don’t want to be changing cars ever three years, but we might have to. That is, if we want to buy new. 

So, when we look to answer the preivous question, we realize that today’s technology has taken us, ironically, to the cars that were, once, considered disposable. I’m not saying that you buy a Chevy Vega, but there was once a moment in history where Honda was producing so many Civics, that people considered them dispoisable. 

Now, they are legendary survivors. Here are 18 of them. 

It’s either driving a 90s Geo Prizm or learning how to code to fix your car’s next issue. What will it be?