What makes a car "modern"?

My 1995 C1500 isn't that different from a 1974 model. But with ABS, simple fuel injection, and a simple computer. It still has a five speed manual trans, 350cid SBC, drums/discs, etc. similar frame/body with crank windows, rubber floor mats, recirculating ball steering gear, clutch fork with conventional T/O bearing. Tapered wheel bearings up front, roller bearings on a solid rear axle.

Most of the changes are minor, like electric HVAC door motors to replace the manual heater valve, better electronic gauges and sensors, and the ABS. All just improvements on the same simple systems.

My dad's 1930 Chevy Sedan Deluxe has a complex drivetrain compared to modern cars, whatever that means.

Jumper K. Balls wrote: Cup holders

After driving almost 1900 miles without them in the 78 C10, I'd have to agree. You don't realize just how primitive driving was "back then". I mean, you can excuse the terrible turning radius, lack of dash vents and AC, the cramped cab and lack of lateral seat support.... but no cupholders? What a bunch of damn heathens!

Two airbags.

My '65 SAAB 96 had disc brakes , Radial tires and FWD. No AC.

So anything after that could be called modern ?

Fuel injection and an ECU I can tune and monitor through the CANbus.

I'm so utterly impressed with modern ECU tuning tools I don't have any desire to build or own a car without that ability.

Electronics like infotainment, lane departure, and backup cameras have a tendency to date the car rather than update it considering how fast they're evolving.

An OEM way to get music (or podcasts) from my phone to the car.

In reply to Kramer:

Your 1995 is only 1 generation newer than that 1974 truck.

I find it convoluted to draw a line between classic and modern trucks. To me, classic is 3rd gen GM and D Series/1st gen Ram, but Ford is hard to pinpoint. Modern is GMT800, "New Dodge"/2nd gen Ram, and 10th gen F series. The GMT 400 and 9th gen F are an in between semi modern.

iceracer wrote: In reply to AngryCorvair: Overdrive is not modern but was uncommon until the late 1980's.

C'mon guys. Page two and no Miata yet?

There are two types of cars:

Pre-miata and after introduction.

We should probably just start naming model years relative to 1990 (ie my 1974 MGB would be a 16 P.M. and my 1999 Saab would be 9 A.I.)

What about flush-fitting plastic bumper covers? That was a big step towards modernization.

I think the definition is in constant flux.The C-type was modern as all getout in its day. Although when it comes to diesels, I think computer controlled vs mechanical is gonna be the forever demarcation line on a par with carbs vs fuel injection. To me, "modern" is anything post 2000 or so. Seems like around then, most manufacturers had figured out how not to build crap cars. Mostly..

mazdeuce wrote: Cars that are geared/powered to cruise at 80.

I would pretty much agree with that. While I can do a number of things to my Spitfire to make it a more comfortable and "modern" car to drive around - A/C, cruise control, decent stereo, etc. are all things that can be added, I'm not sure there is really anything I can ever do to make it comfortable for long stints at 80mph. The car simply does not have the basic foundation to do that. I'd like to think the 1800ES does, but it remains to be seen.

Much of it has to do with the great advances in aerodynamics since many of these cars were designed in the 60's and 70's, which has greatly improved wind noise at current highway speeds. It's one thing to re-power and re-gear a car to travel at 80 MPH. Getting a car to do so while not wearing on the occupants is a different and generally more difficult challenge.

There are times when I define a car as "modern" with regards to how it was built. My old 88 E30 was in many ways a quite modern car. It had nearly every trait we'd tag as "modern" short of air bags. Where it really failed in my mind was in the construction - you could tell the car was time consuming and expensive to build. Things just didn't come apart or go back together again with the same "logic" of a car designed today.

As I've said numerous times, while cars like the BMW MINI and VW MkIV have an appearance of extreme complication, there is a certain logic to how they go together (How did this go together quickly on an assembly line?). Once you wrap your head around that logic, the cars become much easier to work on.

Electronic fuel injection.

Appleseed wrote: Electronic fuel injection.

Bosch D-Jetronic EFI has been around since the late 60's. I'm not sure I'd call a Porsche 914 or a Volvo 1800E "modern" cars.

I'd call them more modern than a 32 flathead Ford sucking Ethel through a Stromberg 97.

Any car that drives itself without crashing is modern. Everything else is for luddites!

Seriously, though. Modern cars being produced by a manufacturer right now. If you're looking at a BMW 3 Series, that means the F30 is modern.

The previous models may be viable, but they are no longer modern.

This only applies to cars for the U.S. market. Cars produced for, say, China, may not be modern by our standards.

Anything that I can jump in and drive across the country without a second thought about it, that has the following:

• Air conditioning
• A crumple zone
• At least one airbag
• A spot to plug in a cell phone to charge (i.e. cigarette lighter)
• Will not leak
• Does not need me to do anything other than fill the gas tank during said cross country trip

Today, I can get in a 30 year old car and have all of that. In 1990, a 10 year old car was... well, it was OLD. Today? I have 2 cars--11 and 13 years old. The car before them was 19 years old. And it was fully modern by almost any stretch, except for the OEM iphone to radio thing.

I'll note that I think this is changing again--in 20 years, I think that a modern car will have to be able to plug into your garage outlet to charge.

Robbie wrote: C'mon guys. Page two and no Miata yet? There are two types of cars: Pre-miata and after introduction. We should probably just start naming model years relative to 1990 (ie my 1974 MGB would be a 16 P.M. and my 1999 Saab would be 9 A.I.)

NOHOME said: My MGB GT with all freshly refurbished suspension is still a hair shirt to drive if you had to drive it everyday. 10 minutes in the driveway to warm up, crashy suspension, simultaneously hot and cold and lots of wind and mechanical noise. Cant carry on conversation with passenger and you worry about overheating in traffic. On the other end of the spectrum, A 1990 Miata with "As new" suspension and running gear in average condition would not be a problem to drive every day. By extrapolation I would say that anything built since 1990 is going to feel modern in the way it drives.

I think you and I are singing from the same choir book

In reply to mtn:

That's pretty valid criteria.

What I am getting out of this thread is that the automobile as we know it, and focusing primarily on its transportation duties,might have plateaued right around the time OBDII came out.

NOHOME wrote: What I am getting out of this thread is that the automobile as we know it, and focusing primarily on its transportation duties,might have plateaued right around the time OBDII came out.

But the bar is being raised again with plug in hybrids and full electric cars, and it will be raised shortly after that again with self driving cars.

My definition of modern:

-OBDII and (obviously) EFI

-Two airbags

-Has (or has the ability to have, via stereo swap) Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming

-Good brakes, preferably 4 wheel discs

-Wheels you can actually get tires for

-Can cruise at 75mph on the highway without wanting to rip itself apart