Bolded bit,I’ve just been out and bought a Astra Elite Navi 18 plate for half its original price,theres so much competition the sales man said they have to drop the second hand value to move them.
Clumsy sod…
I’m too old for that sort of thing.
First, you need a discount, then you need to anticipate public demand then, there is no guarantee you can totally offset depreciation, not like the old days.
There is no question that modern cars are far better than older ones.
No more de-coking, valve grinding, gaskets that leak, no greasing dozens of joints and cables, brakes that work even when you reverse, they don’t stop working when it rains, heaters/AC that is not an optional extra, oil changes and services only every 10000km, great fuel economy, more power, more space, 5+ year warranties, fixed price servicing… the list goes on,
And how much cheaper are they (compared to income) for a much better package? Chalk and cheese.
The only spare parts I carry these days are the two fan belts. I would insist on a proper spare wheel in any new car though I guess that is not important in the UK
I think technically cars are better now than they were, you don’t see so many broken down vehicles as you did. I would argue though that in some ways, modern cars are more difficult to drive. They are much bigger than they used to be, much heavier (try pushing a CRV) and more difficult to park because modern seats prevent the driver looking over the shoulder to line up with the already parked car.
My latest car has all round cameras but I hardly use them because I don’t trust them for some reason.
I think there are good and bad things about modern cars.
I would reiterate all that Bruce said in post #25. I think much is down to the improvements in the oil, fuel and materials. Rust is not so much of a problem either. I remember when spark plug gaps had to be adjusted regularly, also the contact breakers in the distributor. Starter motors and dynamos also needed attention. I am maybe going further back than some 
I always remember the points being the biggest PITA along with the condenser. 
At least in those days, which I too remember, there was the choice to actually do those tasks. Now none of this can be done by the owner so the choice is one of pay the extortionate £100 hourly rates charged by main dealer garages or not have a car. I sometimes wonder if these garages know the weekly State Pension is £155 meaning a recent quote for changing the timing belt on my VW Golf (at only 17,000 miles) costing £479 is three weeks pension! Not three weeks’ ‘pocket money’ but what any pensioner on basic State Pension has on which to live in total. 
I hate the way we are ripped off by garages these days. Personally, if my car is running OK, I don’t have it serviced. A service is basically an oil/filter change and can cost £300 or more. I never serviced my last car in the twelve years I had it, just had repairs done if needed.
Really, all a service is, is a piece of paper.
One of my cars, with a Ford V6 Essex engine, was upgraded to electronic ignition, Piranha I recall was the trade name and quite reasonable to buy and have installed. This avoided having points as they were replaced by an electronic beam and if I recall the condenser was obsolete too. (The memory fades, this was back in 1973!) Far better performance as what used to be the ‘points gap’ was always exactly right. I guess that was the early start of ‘electronic ignition’ we now have in the modern car. The next car I had in 1984, the same make but with a later V6 Cologne engine had the electronic ignition as standard, a small silver-coloured box this time, again no points so no problems. 
Same here Longdogs. I have had a 59 reg Fiat Panda for almost 9 years and change the oil and filter myself. All it gets is the MOT. The batteries seem to last longer as well.
That possibly is why people buy Asian cars rather than European, from memory my Mitsubishi Starwagon timing belt was changed at 100000km. The two cars since then have chain timing belts (another Mitsubishi and an Isuzu)
The after sales service for most European cars out here is appalling, they just don’t sell enough. It is hardly surprising the best selling make is Toyota
The maximum mileage requirement for a change of cam belt at 140,000 on my 2014 VW Golf diesel I can understand but with the car having covered only 17,000 miles from new that did not apply. However, then came the next ‘frightener’ – OR five years as “the cam belt is ‘perishable’, if it breaks it can do a lot of expensive damage to the engine”!
They’ve got you whichever way, added to that is the information that “while stripping it all down to replace the cam belt the tensioners and water pump may as well be changed too, because if and when they need changing it will mean paying almost the same amount again”!
Volkswagen service advice:
Just look at these main dealer costs:
OOH nothing like getting hold of “feeler” gauges and selecting the right one for the correct points gap.Still got an old set somewhere. Found them but well rusted up,not used for years
The old man and I copied him,would rip the striker part off a box of swan Vesta matches and use that as a feeler gauge.I’m talking Ford Pops here.
Anyone remember the old Fords whose windscreen wipers slowed down when you pressed accelerator?
yes I had one a Ford Anglia 100e year 1954. Reg 842CMU
I still have a set of feeler gauges, all nicely oiled to keep from rusting. They are needed for checking the sparking plug gap in the lawn mower.
A modern car isn’t difficult to maintain than any other car, you take it to a garage and they will sort any larger maintenance out. As long you check the oil, tyres and windscreen wash that’s all you basically need to do.