@@BOI-hh8ywcause donut media is like the fast food of car content would be my guess. And they are hugely popular so putting their name in the title likely gets them more views.
“Biggest grill, smallest bed, for the highest price, with the lowest build quality, to LARP with the other dads at the dog park” Truer words have never been spoken
I still wonder how we went from the 2008 Civic hatchback grille side (nearly EV sized grille) to now gaping grilles on the foglights, between the headlights and all over the bumper
Not to mention the GD headlights brighter than the sun at perfect height to shine right through your rear windshield and all your mirrors into your eyeballs
Can't forget about the planned obsolescence being implemented within said technology. At this point, I'm really starting to entertain the thought of building my own kit car for my next car.
Blame the safety n*zis who demand auto deaths go to zero no matter the cost - something which is entirely unrealistic. It's not like even with all of these fancy expensive sensors they're even getting safer anyway - vehicle fatalities are increasing.
Data backs you up strongly. The past decade have seen an increase in crash rates, worst of all, Tesla. Highest “safety rating” all while having the highest fatality rate of all cars on the road.
90s was good. But when the camaro came back in the late 2000s, the challenger actually looked like the old challenger, mustang had been running their throwback for a few years, that started a new muscle car era that has been legitimately outstanding.
Yep and it has come to an end but left us with the GT350R, the C8 Corvette (mid engine!), and the Hellcat variants from Dodge. We will look back on the 2010s with pride.
The Camaro,and Challenger are fat soccer mom sports car. The Mustang? That's just a fat miata with a crappy engine now. The Mach E isn't even a Mustang. It's an electric escape.
@@NikolaiMihailov1the Camaro, mustang and the SRT mopars are all legitimately impactful tho and will be looked back on. Will a hellcat challenger be as valuable as a nice 70 model 70 years from now? Fuck no but it will still be notable in the grand scheme of things
@BruceLee-xn3nn I'm looking at it from a realistic perspective though. They're difficult to work on. They're poorly built and assembled(Gotta love the chinesium parts. Spend all this money to get a car that shits itself.) The Ecoboost_EcoTech engines are terrible
Late 2000's was i think the end of the greatest era. Still had some 90's stylings and the technology hadn't become so engrained into the vehicle. You can still work on them. And if you want bluetooth, carplay and a back up camera, you can get an aftermarket head unit that only does those things not control the entire vehicle.
Yep. There is a video on utube where a mechanic had a new Ford truck that was "bricked" because of a bad taillight. He replaced both taillights, water got in. Total cost was in the thousands. But a bad taillight locked up the whole computer system. Unbelievable.
@@DavidSmith-tu1nd IIRC it was the now-Vice-President-nominee Tim Walz, where he said scathing truth of Ford's wonky headlight plugs and later giving them advice how to design the plug to be more repairable
That pretty much nails it. I wouldn’t necessarily say the 90s as a whole were the best but the in between period of 1994 to 2007 were without a doubt the best.
Many of Toyota’s best vehicles today were released between 94 and 07. The Tacoma, Highlander, first two generations of the Rav4, Sequoia, Prius, and GX470 were all brand new designs within this period and continue to be extremely popular in their updated versions. This doesn’t ignore past models that improved significantly during this period like the 4Runner and Camry either.
Gotta say early 10s were the last of the best. Cars still had reliable engines but came equipped with some pretty nice creature comforts. Buttons everywhere and only the highest end had sensors
What a great video that just perfectly describes the things I spend my time thinking about all day long. We need a crossover recession, or a technology depression.
I just bought my own piece if the 90s: a 1991 toyota tercel 2 door 5 speed. 100k miles for $1500. It is the most rewarding vehicle to drive and work on. Parts are almost free on ebay, and it is bare bones simple and analog while maintaining modern reliability.
Early 2000s struck a good balance between tech and reliability. Depends on mfg though. I love my Z33. Most reliable car I’ve ever owned, no joke. Just gotta do regular maintenance.
my 07 mustang was one of the favourite cars I've ever owned. All the features you want but nothing you don't, beat the piss out of it for 2 years and never had a single thing break
@@es0x2011-2014 mustangs are basically better versions of the 2005-2009 mustangs. Not to give the “first gen” S197’s shit, they were also great cars but the V6’s were dogs and the whole cars in general werent as sturdy as the 2010-2014. Though god knows i dont like pretending the 2010 mustangs exist. Had an ex that had a 2010 GT and it frustrated her to no end that my 2013 V6 was basically just as fast
@@Angel7black Yeah but coyotes are usually at least double the money of a 4.6 in the same condition. The 11-14's are definitely better cars but I don't really consider them in the same category. Also having owned both gens (had a 2013 gt for about a month) I will still say I like looks of the first gen s197 more. The 11-14 v6's make around the same horsepower but when I was looking at that '07 gt I also test drove a 6sp manual v6 2012 and it definitely didn't feel nearly as torquey in the low end as the 07 gt, which does kinda show on the 0-60. Also holy shit does the 4.6 sound amazing
My theory is that CANBUS tech is actually what ruined things. Suddenly it became very cheap and very simple for manufacturers to integrate electronic systems in the car instead of having different systems function more or less independently of each other. The early CANBUS cars aren't that bad but I think this method of manufacturing paved the way for the electronic shitshow we're left with today. Case in point look at Subaru, the first canbus WRX in 2008 marked the beginning of the end.
I alway get "uncle teaching you important life lessons that your parents don't want you to know" from these netgear videos and I love it. So happy I found this channel.
Netgear is the dad who you feel like is verbally abusing you as a teenager. Then once you mature you realize he was spitting facts and you end up thanking him for all the knowledge and values he passed onto you.
I’m with you Netgear. In 1999 I graduated high school and as I gift to myself I traded my clapped out Bronco 2 and $2500 to my best friend for his cherry clean title 91 240SX SE hatchback with super Hicas. That thing was so damn fast for the time. I beat everything except for a 911 I was stupid enough to race. I was 18 so that’s my excuse. The car didn’t just beat everything around my area, it annihilated them because most people only wanted trucks, mustangs or Camaros. I was an outsider with that car because of you didn’t have what everyone else had you were a loser. I’ve been building ambulances for the past 22 years and I’ve noticed that every new vehicle costs too much to maintain, can’t be worked on by any Tom Dick or Harry, and cost more that homes. Fuck all that man. The 90s cars and trucks were the best of the best. I only invested in cars or trucks that I can work on myself and the build quality is way better than the expensive recycled beer cans with more electronics than a damn supercomputer lab
I know this is a channel that is about vehicles however, this computer tech in EVERYTHING has gotten so out of control. The manufacturers will sell consumers on the enhanced convenience. And a large chunk of average Joes and Jills, without thinking/knowing about the ramifications, allow that to fly. Hence, gadgets with sealed, proprietary computer tech that you don't own, and therefore have no right to be able to repair yourself. F*ck "Smart-Tech"!!!
it pisses me off because the scourge of suvs and crossovers is born almost entirely out of companies not wanting to spend money making their sedans abide by emissions standards, so because the megacorp wants to save some cash we all have to deal with a plague of cars which are far too big and have shit visibility with worse handling and gas mileage
How about telling the governments that their shitty Emissions are too strict? Hell, a modern diesel puts out LESS POLLUTION that it sucks in. At this point, it is a drivable air filter
@@glurak888while I agree with disregarding retarded laws, car companies cannot just do that. And they already made too many poor business decisions to make the cars you want.
@@hesmycat Also, as the recent Fiat-Chrysler into Peugeot-Citroen merger into Stellantis has demonstrated, the automotive industry is increasingly moving towards consolidation.
Americans don't want sedans. They suck for getting in and out of, they suck for car seats, they suck for cargo space, and they suck to maintain if you don't have a lift. Sedans are a niche vehicle.
I almost connect the suv craze as of late with the explosion of “”luxury”” cars, like fluffed up low end models, in the mid 70s. though both came around for different reasons, it seems like we have cars pretending to be something they’re not.
I could argue that the 2000s had some fantastic cars too. The boxster, Cayman, sti hatch, evo 9, sentra ser spec v, 350z, to name a few. Totally agree though 90s era had a lot of personality
The change started happening in 2010-2015. That’s when you saw fly by wire and break by wire start to come into “normal” cars. When the truck became a luxury daily. Even the infinity g35 added it because that’s what the luxury was going to. There where still hold outs that where in the middle mixing tech. I’m a biased as I have a 16 GSF. A computer for gas/brake/differential/intake/DI/screens at least it still has buttons and a 5.0.
Mid 2010s is when I'd argue cars finally started getting worse, right when the engine downsizing trend began. The rise of automatic transmissions, increasing use of complex computerised systems in cars, huge weight increases, lack of steering feel, downsized engines, increasing hybridisation (the Holy Trinity of hybrid hypercars were still pretty cool), EVs being taken seriously thanks to the success of the Tesla Model S etc all led to the decline of cars. The 2000s was the start of the decline but it was a very slow start and the mid 2010s was the turning point.
Completely agree with everything you said. Been saying it myself for years. Clearly consumers agree, that's why people are paying crazy prices for 90s sports cars... cars that are 30 years old. Some of them are fetching more than their original retail price... Manufacturers need to stop trying to force feed us ipads, electric steering (numb driving feel through the steering wheel), electric nannies, electric tailgates, overweight and boring vehicles and get back to making cars that are fun to drive. Cars that have a soul.
This video made me realize why I own a BMW E46, and why I love the E46 and only the E46 from BMW (or earlier). It’s BMWs best of the 90s because it was likely designed in the 90s even though it’s mostly a 2000s car. Luckily the styling seemed to transfer over pretty well too. You wouldn’t see the BMW styling shift negatively until the next iterations in the late 2000s. I love my little 325Ci for every reason he listed. Everything has a tactile button and works without any latency. The reliability of the manual transmission paired with the interesting nature of the stability control seem to work together pretty well. It’s the only driver assist available besides ABS, and I can turn it all off with one button. Not only that, but it’s simple enough for me to work on by myself. Is it a pain? Yeah. Does it leak oil sometimes? Yeah. Is it reliable? That’s questionable. I’m on my second engine after the electric fan failed. But it feels like a car. And 3 years later it is still a joy to ride. I don’t have to worry about my Bluetooth. I don’t have to worry about navigation. I don’t have to think about changing settings because there are none. No touch screens. No driving modes. The car is simple a car and works in its own right. The E46 is not the only car like this and it has its negatives. Plenty of them (falling headliner). But it feels like a car. I can see out of it. It doesn’t beep at me. It isn’t over-styled. And the orange colored glow from the dash and gauge cluster is better than any other car I have ever been in. That ranges from Lexus to Ford to Chevy to Subaru to Mitsubishi to so many other cars I’ve forgotten. It makes every other car, especially newer cars, seem like they are trying a little too hard to be something they are not.
I knew shit was fucked around the early 2000s… I worked at a car audio shop and had to do a head unit and amplifier install in a brand new Chevy Monte Carlo. Once the cars factory radio was unplugged and removed, the Car would No Longer Start!! That’s when I knew, we were fucked.
I made that mistake before. GM decided it was a great idea to put the door dinger and part of security system in the head unit! So, you had to by an aftermarket door dinger just to put in a new head unit!
Cars I’ve owned: 03 Dakota. 01 Lincoln LS V8. 03 Impreza. 98 Mustang GT. I’ve only ever known peak automotive. Sure most were 2000’s cars but they were all still using 90’s tech.
I think he included the 2000s as the modern era. Post modern era is like anything 2010 and onward. I will say there are exceptions because there are some cars who haven't modernized.
@@candles6103 Probably something like a Jeep Wrangler, of which you can get new with manual windows, locks, shifter, vents, and has a basic AM/FM Radio setup. Probably one of the few new cars I can think of sold in the US for that to be the "standard" equipment
@@candles6103 Mitsubishi Mirage, and cars from the MOPAR line like the Journey. Also Masarattis have out dated interiors. I'm talking about 2010s and early 2020s cars. there are Hardbodys being made in Africa if that counts.
I deadass don’t know how to go about it but more people need to hear this video. TOO MANY people think wow new and technology cars SO GOOD WOW and it’s gonna kill us all.
I love the 90s because you could still option a car down to nothing - manual windows, manual transmission, no sunroof, no heated seats Less features meant the cars could be much more affordable while still allowing for the option of some amenities
@@DEIFAN every single car I've had with sunroof has leaked at some point, the drains plug and because they never seal 100% it just provides another place for water to get in
Im a toyota fan and the 2017 camry and 2019 corolla are the last good years. No massive touch screens, no all-digital displays, no beeps and lane assist telling you how to drive, and no electronic parking brake. Reverse cameras are nice only as an aid.
I dwell on many of these points, Net. The newest cars I've owned are an 08 Grand Marquis LS and a 370Z, they're both right where I like for "new cars" with having good safety features while still being mostly analog. My Z's "drive by wire" related problems can be kind of a pain in the ass but it's way easier to work on than any 2015+ car I've worked on, much like an older car. Everything modern has a lot of baggage attached. Example: Windshield broken? Sensors and radar systems need to be recalibrated. Bumper broken? New one is $800-$2000 because of all the laser and camera systems in them. Water leak? Say hello to a ton of electrical work. And the lack of quality in everything made between 2020 and 2022 created a huge slump across the auto industry. And ultimately, for me personally, I just don't like how everything is tailored for the dealer's technicians to take care of (who are also underpaid and overworked to shit).
Saw a video recently of a ford tech who had to work on a late model ford pickup what had its taillights leak. Because it had those sensors in the taillights, it eventually brought down the entire truck. A simple taillight leak ended up costing 5600 dollars. The taillights themselves were 1400 dollars each.
One issue with a grand marquis bro. Light control module. Headlights, taillights, turn signals all run through their own computer. Headlights turned off one night on my 06 grand marquis, wouldn't turn back on until I disconnected the battery, and reset everything, still a few minutes later they went out again. Sold it because even after changing the light control module, I still constantly thought about the headlights quitting at any moment.
As a 2008 subaru impreza owner i agree with everything you said. I don't need a touchscreen, buttons are safer because i can keep my eyes on the road. No cameras, no lane assists and i'm perfectly fine with it.
90s Japanese sports cars are simply incredible, still my favorite(s). Most notably the Mkiv Supra. I’ve owned 3. Simply the most gorgeous sports design that I’ve ever seen. Timeless
I drive a 1982 Firebird, made right towards the end of the Malaise era. It's got a pitiful V8, slushy handling, and more rattles than a pair of maracas, but I still love it because it's almost strictly analog. Analog gauges, a big mechanical lever to shift, and no driver assists. Even with its atrocious blindspot right where the B pillars are, that thing still has more visibility than any postmodern car I've been in. Great first car.
My wife had an 81 Firebird formula with the same chevy 305 V8 and it was painfully slow. I couldnt bring myself to engine swap it due to its originality and good condition. It looked good black with red pinstripes and red interior but i didnt enjoy driving it due to the clunky 4 speed and its lack of performance at any rpm. It was a 1/4 throttle type car anything past that didnt make a difference.
How do i put this in the nicest, most sincere way possible? The lower production quality of this "sit and talk" style video lends itself to the genuineness of what you're saying, (and the quality is still great btw, loved all the footage for every talking point) This video was coming straight from the heart and i love that, don't change a thing!
Back in the days when I saw the digital gauges, I thought that was the coolest thing ever. 90s were the best. I really liked the accords in the 90s. The designs were classic
I'm so happy I grew up learning and shaping my life without needing a car (don't even have the license), now I'm 34 and since money is getting better I'm about to go get a cool 90s one and build it as a personal project and track it for fun & love, and ain't no company in the world who will decide for me how I spend my cash.
That camera blooper at the end got me good lmao Me personally, I really think the homologation specials of the Group B era of rallying are peak automotive design, but I respect anyone who disagrees with that view. I'm also quite fond of Soviet-era Eastern European economy cars, though I can't really explain why.
fully agreed. you gave me a new perspective on how to view these eras of cars, and to me we're going through another 80s right now so the next couples of years *should* be great once more people realize that evs are not good for much too
Daily Drove my 85 Vette for 2 years, the digital dash was rebuilt with modern parts years prior and still works perfect to this day, I've since put 63,000 miles on it before giving it a break to work on restoring it, and yes I drove it as I should of, it's seen the strip plenty of times and more, it's been an amazing car. The old stuff really is built to last.
I'm so glad i found your video's when I was beginning to get into cars. Showing the true reality of cars and the world in general. Your knowledge has definitely shaped my view of the world. Thanks.
As someone that used an 88 vette as a daily, I'd honestly say 80's cars are underrated as a whole. The electronics are typically simple and easy to repair if you have an ounce of soldering skill and more than two braincells, and everything else is just analog. The best upside is that you don't need a code reader to check for problems, just get a goddamn paperclip and jump two pins on the diagnostic port, and then count the blinks on the check engine light.
If you know what you're looking at, modern computer controls can make diag an absolute breeze. OBD1 systems might seem attractive in terms of their simplicity, but they were often too dumb to detect anything but the most egregious systems failures, and they just didn't give you a lot of information to work with. Real-time data was usually a total afterthought. Some diagnostics that could take a great deal of trial and error on those old systems are plain as day with OBD2 controls. Modern misfire detection is a miracle. The abundance of sensors on modern engines also means that you have an abundance of data to work with when something goes wrong. And you can access all of it with your phone and a cheap bluetooth dongle - only the most advanced functionality requires high-end scan tools these days.
First time viewer. YOU ABSOLUTELY NAILED THAT!!! Cold hard truth. As a motorcyclist and driver, I need to feel connected to the vehicle. Not the internet! Electronically controlled cars of the mid 2000’s to now have completely failed the driver. You could remove all “driver aids” and it would be a far better driving experience. The chassis dynamics of some modern cars are incredible. So good in fact, that one day of quality driver training would replace all electronics on them. 🏍💨😜
I leased a 2021 Audi SQ5 with 350 turbocharged horsepower, 360 camera, adaptive suspension, and all the bells and whistles and when the lease was over, I went out and bought a low mileage 2006 RSX Type S. And its better. With way less of everything, it’s better. It makes me feel very old to say it, but there’s just a six speed and a couple knobs on the dash and it’s still perfect almost 20 years later.
This video spoke directly to my soul. Every pre-2000 car I owned lacked convenience and comfort features, sure, but nothing ever broke. Every “nice” car I’ve owned in the last 10 years has spent as much time at the dealership being serviced as it spent being driven because a shitty plastic part or an unnecessary electronic component failed.
The 3000GT VR-4 is the perfect car to use for this video because it was easily the most technologically advanced car you could buy in the 90s but it was still analog. It's the car that best fits the theme of this video.
I had a 92 Eagle talon TSI and learned a lot about the mitsubishis at the time when i was upgrading my talon. I heard many people say how much of a PITA the stealth/3000s were. Made me steer clear of them for sure even though i always liked their style
I have a 2004 Pontiac Grand AM GT. 420,000 miles and still going strong. Driven across the country multiple times. No fancy electronics, no stupid sensors that will eventually fail, just simple dials. Everything still works well. And if anything breaks I can find parts at any auto wrecker. At this point, it is not worth selling because of how high mileage it is, but it is still a great car and does its job - gets me from point A to point B while being zippy enough to pass anyone on the highway. American auto manufacturers were at their peak in the early 2000s.
What a fine, fine video. Entertaining, well-thought-out, organized, and an irrefutable argument that the '30s, '60s, and '90s were the best automotive years. And at thirty years apart, can we expect that the 2020s will also be really good? Nope! Love your pickup truck summary -- 'big grille, short bed' -- and recognition that there are few car guys coming up. Am subscribing after writing this. Thanks for the insights!
A lot of cars nowadays cant even be properly diagnosed or aligned without brand specific software which is so expensive that it is more cost effective to just tell the customer to go to the dealer rather than pay for the program. My shop has been getting hounded about alignment numbers when in that same day we tried to sell 4 alignments that we could not do without specialty tools or software.
My neighbor told me that he needs to access to the online service (paid of course) to delete error of broken side mirror and make it work. It's told that's "anti theft of stolen parts" policy. Mhm right...
0:59 -- *Back then there were no "automotive designers" or "automotive design" programs. They were just Designers, artists who studied art, design and ergonomics. The men who designed cars could also designed furniture, home appliances, office equipment or fixtures for buildings. A Designer was an artist, regardless of the assignment or the medium. They had aesthetic knowledge and taste. That's why they made such beautiful cars -- they didn't limit themselves to preconceived notions of what a "car" is and isn't. The world is very different now.*
90's was peak car greatness in my opinion. 4runner, Supra, Impreza RS, Legacy GT, RX7, 993 911, 3000gt, all DSM's, Corvette, IROC Camero, Civic R, Integra R, 355 Ferrari, 575 Ferrari, etc... All my favorite looking cars of all time and all are great to drive(I'll just have to imagine the Ferraris)
I have always felt we peaked as humans in the 90s.. amazing cars and amazing music. Offspring is my favorite band,; love Korn, 311, Blink 182, Bush, Deftones, Sublime, Tool.. the list goes on.
Lol I personally thought music tanked in the 90's with the abandonment of synthesizers. I feel like most 90's music sounds to cheesy ( in a bad way ) or angry unlike the 80's were synths made everything sound great.
90s up to perhaps the mid 2000s which tbh were 90s hanger ons… are generally easy to maintain, have everything you need on them, fairly rust resilient compared to earlier stuff. Best era to daily.
And Gear’s kids will be praising the mid to late 2000s as their “90’s” cars. I’m staying tuned for that story arch. Although I do agree with you to a certain extent, I can only imagine what the next generation will say. The tech is very cool! But the tech is also very annoying because it’s ALMOST there but not quite. I think within the next few years, it might balance out in certain aspects. Let’s see! Nice opinion piece Gear, great work as usual 👍
Here in Australia it was 2002 with our made vehicles the Holden and the Ford Falcon. This video you did so well is exactly what I have been saying for about 10-15 years as a mechanic for 30 years now. I wish this could be played on prime time TV because it’s so true mate, bloody good job 👍🏻
Youre wrong about one thing. Car manufacturers arent putting the giant screens in cars to save on switches. Its to create recurring revenue from subscription based services. Dodge said it themselves, that they are shifting from a car company to a software company, to move customers upmarket not in hardware but services. Thats the big con. Some idiot paying 10 bucks a month for heated seats, or for connectivity to his phone or watch, to get live weather updates block to block, and who knows what other garbage they will try to sell people. And worst of all, its a continuous data collection stream, where you go, what you drive, how many people in the car, what phones they have, how fast you drive. And they sell that to companies like Adsense and bam. Sell the car for 50k, and make 20k off your date over the term of the lease (lets face it, the normie wont keep a car to pay it off. The new stuff wont even last, just because its no longer required to make parts for 10 years. They can claim its obsolete after 3 years). The only cars I see reaching old age are the Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, Charger, and maybe some of the very iconic imports, where third parties will make parts, or upgrades (in the form of touch screen deletes, without all the software of the 4G stuff that wont even work soon). But if its a car that may be cool or awesome but without the cult following, its SOL.
As a flat rate tech at a dealership, I've decided that I'm going backwards in car age for my next daily. The amount of warranty work we do on these new pieces of shit is more frequent than ever. Brand new cars with less than 100 miles coming in with cracked pistons. Transmissions kicking the bucket far before their 100k service. More shit coming from the factory wrong. I would daily a '81 Chevy Citation before I'd buy anything new off any lot. And while the malaise era of cars were slow, the interiors were comfortable! The '78 Cougar I had was very comfy to drive!
You are speaking facts. I work in an automotive environment and I can confirm that when some of these infotainment screens go bad you lose a lot of functionality with the vehicle. Also I agree that folks really do rely too much on the safety alerts and other features rather than possessing the skill of actually operating a vehicle.
youve managed to put everything i bitch about in one video and i love it, especially with how well you put it. I think the 90s/early 00s was the pinnacle of automotives even for American cars. Sure, plastic isn't the best in the interiors but why would i care when the buttons look cool and WORK? excluding my vette, 90s vehicles are a lot easier to work on just on the fact that computers arent there to get in the way of things like replacing your lights or window regulators and stuff. the design aspects suck a lot too, as you mentioned. everything is angry, everything has gigantic beltlines, everything is an egg.....
Absolutely agree with this. The CAFE standards are govt mandates for average fuel efficiency based on wheelbase alone, not coefficient of drag or cross sectional area. So small trucks that can fit into the footprint of a large sedan have to get the fuel economy of that sedan. The fuel economy requitements get arbitrarily more strict year by year too. The larger the wheelbase, though, the less stringent the efficiency requirements are, so manufacturers have had to make American trucks bigger and bigger. Reliable brands have had to resort to BS add-on tech and water-thin oil to meet these emission standards (Honda grenading their j-series v6 reliability with cylinder deactivation comes to mind). Government intervention has always had the opposite effect of the original intent because these laws are largely made by morons who know nothing about the subject they're trying to legislate. They just arbitrarily set goals for auto manufacturers to meet that are becoming near impossible to meet while creating a reliable car.
I've experienced six decades of cars now, and after trying to find lots of examples to prove you wrong, I really can't. 90's vehicles (and moving into the 2000's) were the apex of cars and trucks.
2500/3500 pickups from 1994-2007 were some of the best especially for a diesel engine. Pre emissions simple interiors sturdy chassis and still fetching crazy prices for a low mileage one
Super video, he nails it! The 90s were the perfect blend of tradition and technology in cars. You could still get a stick shift runabout sedan for low price.
Another thing that sucks with modern cars is the desire to make everything way too power assisted. Modern cars do a great job of making the breaks,throttle and steering feel like mush. On many cars it’s hard to feel the road or how much you’re pushing the car which actually makes it harder to drive since I don’t have a feel of what the car is doing as a result of my inputs.
What happened to good ergonomic interior design. The Mk4 Supra faced everything towards you like a fighter jet. You didn't need to take your eyes off the road just to change the radio or climate control. The tablet screens where singlehandedly the worse thing to happen to cars next to the gas crisis.
Wow this video HITS HARD!! 👊🏼👊🏼 Amen brother! Couldn’t have said it better myself, and I’ve been preaching this for more than a decade now! This needs to go viral!!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🦅🇺🇸
I agree and disagree with you at the same time. We just ended the 2nd muscle car golden era and European and Japanese cars are still in their golden era to a degree. 800 horsepower sedan with a factory warranty? Sounds good to me. But, because of how much tech is in cars, they’re difficult and expensive to work on. So post modern cars are great to drive when they work but a pain to maintain when things go wrong.
Modern performance cars are absolutely fantastic. The issue is they’re all far too expensive to the point that even seeing them in the wild is like finding a needle in a haystack. The haystack being the ocean of fat cookie cutter crossover SUVs that plague every single block of modern American society.
800hp sounds nice and all, but we're in an age where every car is fast, and nobody cares. Like who fawns over a Tesla going 0-60 in 2.5 sec? I sure as hell don't care.. At the end of the day reliability is king and modern cars just don't have it.
Great video everything I feel about cars post 2008 in one video. You nailed it man. Only thing Id disagree is early 2000s (up to '05, also 06 and 07 in other country markets) was just as good 90s. Same 90s analogue tech with even better styling and perfect use of some new tech. To name afew, e46 m3, r34 gtr, evo 9, s15 silvia, s2000, svt cobra.
Agree with you 100%. In fact I told my brother a few weeks ago that I think he and I lived through the golden age of cars 90's - early 2000's. Sadly I dont think it will ever go back to the way it was. The tech will win the day...
Subbed. This was funny asf but also spitting facts. Thank you for making a long form talking about the absurdity that we live in. This new era of EV's is going to be such a rough transition that 15 years from now, we'll look back in disgust. Still holding out hope I can snatch myself a gen v Viper 🫣😊
I love my 1997 chevy silverado, used to have a 94' gmc sierra but the trans grenaded on the way to work one day sold it to someone who wanted to fix it and got 1500, only paid 1k for it so i wasnt too broken up, but i missed driving a truck and small cars like a civic or something like a 2022 elentra cause problems with my back, so i bought the 97' for 1k, fixed up the brakes and it drives like new, just passed 370k on it with original engine and trans, with both being in good health. All thats left is replacing the rocker panels since it decided to do some weight reduction.
Can't agree more! I was lucky to be in my teens in the 90s. All the coolest imports (and American muscle cars and pony cars were cool, too, come on) that are sought after today were on dealer lots when I was 12-19 years old! Great video, on the spot with every point!
As a honda guy my favorite is the mid 00s. The perfect mesh of mechanical reliability and decent tech. Arguably the era of the best CRV, Accords, TLs and Pilots, not to mention long lasting legends like the Element.
I’d also like to point out that while the 60s was incredible for Muscle cars it was also the first “real” genesis for juggernauts everywhere. Companies like Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Jaguar, Toyota, and Datsun, came out with cars like the 911, 300SL Gullwing, 250 Europa, E Type, 2000GT, and 240Z, laying the foundation for what is now legendary heritage. The 60s really were an incredible period for auto manufacturers everywhere not just in America…
The postwar era is more than a stepping stone. The first muscle cars like the Hornet and Rocket 88 were born. And hot rod culture became a thing, when car hobbyists chopped up old model-Ts, and put in performance engines in aging old brass era cars to make them fast and fun to drive. The post war era gave rise to the car guy
Calling the 20s to 30s the pre war era for cars is the most American thing I’ve heard in a long time. The cars built in Europe before the Great War were pioneers, the people who built these probably had the biggest commitment to the concept of cars of all, because the idea hasn’t caught on, they had to figure out how to even build a car. These were the OG car guys.
I personally love the beige era of cars. "What colour do we make the dash?" "Beige" "What about the seats?" "Beige" "Okay now what about the carpeting and headliner?" "B E I G E"
You also forgot that simulation technology has lead to engineers stress testing parts to better determine its point of failure, leading then to build weaker parts to save money. Where as in the 90s before they had those simulations, they just had to build the part as strong as they could because they had no clue it’s point of failure. So they “over engineered” stuff so to speak.
i drive a base model E100 Corolla. nothing has broken down yet. everything works, gets me to work and home no problem. and this thing got flooded by a typhoon in 2009, yet the only maintenance done on it was oil change and fuel tank cleaning.
I couldn't agree more, and I'm so glad you mentioned 2008. My "car guy" journey started a little late -- at about age 38, and boy do I wish I had broken that entry-barrier sooner. I currently own a 2008 3.5 Pontiac G6 and a 2008 3.5 Nissan Maxima, and I do nearly all of my own work with a 230pc Gearwrench set and a handful of various specialty tools, and although I occasionally run into a computer problem, I'm generally comfortable with the level of trade-off between mech and digital in these cars. That being said, I am very skeptical of newer, more computerized vehicles where I lose more and more agency for what? A few more mpg? A radar? An outdated nav system? Part of me wishes I got into cars sooner, I had an 86 Ford Tempo 5-speed that would've lasted forever had I known anything about cars in my early adulthood.
Donut Media been real quiet since this dropped
Was this video a reaction to the cars coming to 2024 video?
@@DEIFANcomplete coincidence
2 whole hours of sweating bullets. Will they even recover?
What do they have against donut lmao I love this channel but I never understood why they sneak diss donut and other car channels lol
@@BOI-hh8ywcause donut media is like the fast food of car content would be my guess. And they are hugely popular so putting their name in the title likely gets them more views.
“Biggest grill, smallest bed, for the highest price, with the lowest build quality, to LARP with the other dads at the dog park” Truer words have never been spoken
I still wonder how we went from the 2008 Civic hatchback grille side (nearly EV sized grille) to now gaping grilles on the foglights, between the headlights and all over the bumper
@@falcongamer58the 2008 cicic was ugly tho
@rustinpeace770 I used to hate its egg shape, but now I love it
@@falcongamer58I still hate the shape, nothing reminiscent of its sporty past
Not to mention the GD headlights brighter than the sun at perfect height to shine right through your rear windshield and all your mirrors into your eyeballs
Can't forget about the planned obsolescence being implemented within said technology.
At this point, I'm really starting to entertain the thought of building my own kit car for my next car.
They’ll probably end up banning that too
@@kd_76 The real question for how long should we keep obeying?
Blame the safety n*zis who demand auto deaths go to zero no matter the cost - something which is entirely unrealistic. It's not like even with all of these fancy expensive sensors they're even getting safer anyway - vehicle fatalities are increasing.
Theyve ALWAYS designed them to fail for service revenue its just some are worse than others.
this is exactly why i wanna be an engineer
Man just sat there and preached for twelve minutes and six seconds. HALLELUJAH
Amen!!!
LaWDDDD have MERCYY can I get a SWITCHHH MA BROTHAS??!!
He's doing god's work 🙏
your right, also I swear all the modern electronics specifically driving aids are making the average person a worse driver.
That's what they're supposed to do
just more distractions from eyes on the road @@EmoDKTsuchiya
I'm so glad my new Cadillac belts you turn all that shit off
Data backs you up strongly. The past decade have seen an increase in crash rates, worst of all, Tesla. Highest “safety rating” all while having the highest fatality rate of all cars on the road.
I'm glad that this channel doesn't have any bs and is straight to the point
90s was good. But when the camaro came back in the late 2000s, the challenger actually looked like the old challenger, mustang had been running their throwback for a few years, that started a new muscle car era that has been legitimately outstanding.
Yep and it has come to an end but left us with the GT350R, the C8 Corvette (mid engine!), and the Hellcat variants from Dodge. We will look back on the 2010s with pride.
The Camaro,and Challenger are fat soccer mom sports car.
The Mustang? That's just a fat miata with a crappy engine now.
The Mach E isn't even a Mustang. It's an electric escape.
@@NikolaiMihailov1the Camaro, mustang and the SRT mopars are all legitimately impactful tho and will be looked back on. Will a hellcat challenger be as valuable as a nice 70 model 70 years from now? Fuck no but it will still be notable in the grand scheme of things
@@NikolaiMihailov1boomers use to say same thing about muscle cars from the late 60s and 70s . They were just cars, nothing special.
@BruceLee-xn3nn I'm looking at it from a realistic perspective though.
They're difficult to work on.
They're poorly built and assembled(Gotta love the chinesium parts. Spend all this money to get a car that shits itself.)
The Ecoboost_EcoTech engines are terrible
Late 2000's was i think the end of the greatest era. Still had some 90's stylings and the technology hadn't become so engrained into the vehicle. You can still work on them. And if you want bluetooth, carplay and a back up camera, you can get an aftermarket head unit that only does those things not control the entire vehicle.
Yep. There is a video on utube where a mechanic had a new Ford truck that was "bricked" because of a bad taillight. He replaced both taillights, water got in. Total cost was in the thousands. But a bad taillight locked up the whole computer system. Unbelievable.
@@DavidSmith-tu1nd IIRC it was the now-Vice-President-nominee Tim Walz, where he said scathing truth of Ford's wonky headlight plugs and later giving them advice how to design the plug to be more repairable
That pretty much nails it. I wouldn’t necessarily say the 90s as a whole were the best but the in between period of 1994 to 2007 were without a doubt the best.
100 percent agree
yup. 2000s were dope. I've got a 2008 mercedes. All the convenience of modern cars, none of the bullshit safety sensors or wiretaps.
Many of Toyota’s best vehicles today were released between 94 and 07. The Tacoma, Highlander, first two generations of the Rav4, Sequoia, Prius, and GX470 were all brand new designs within this period and continue to be extremely popular in their updated versions. This doesn’t ignore past models that improved significantly during this period like the 4Runner and Camry either.
300zx TT came out in 89. FD3 rx7 91. SR5 toyota truck 89. Just a few examples. The whole 90s were killer.
Also the weed was better.
Gotta say early 10s were the last of the best. Cars still had reliable engines but came equipped with some pretty nice creature comforts. Buttons everywhere and only the highest end had sensors
Completely agree.
The last of the great cars was anything from the early to mid 2000’s.
Yea like 2012 is the cutoff year
What a great video that just perfectly describes the things I spend my time thinking about all day long. We need a crossover recession, or a technology depression.
Approaching solar flare be like
CUV and SUV simply need to be ban..
Simple…
Technologie is good.. just like plastic… but it need to be use properly just like plastic…
Someone will die before I buy a crossover.
We gotta force the car companies
the internet needs to crash hard one day
I just bought my own piece if the 90s: a 1991 toyota tercel 2 door 5 speed. 100k miles for $1500. It is the most rewarding vehicle to drive and work on. Parts are almost free on ebay, and it is bare bones simple and analog while maintaining modern reliability.
Mine was a 4 speed. Great car! I have very fond memories of it.
Early 2000s struck a good balance between tech and reliability. Depends on mfg though. I love my Z33. Most reliable car I’ve ever owned, no joke. Just gotta do regular maintenance.
The 370 is still plenty analog for me
my 07 mustang was one of the favourite cars I've ever owned. All the features you want but nothing you don't, beat the piss out of it for 2 years and never had a single thing break
@@es0x2011-2014 mustangs are basically better versions of the 2005-2009 mustangs. Not to give the “first gen” S197’s shit, they were also great cars but the V6’s were dogs and the whole cars in general werent as sturdy as the 2010-2014. Though god knows i dont like pretending the 2010 mustangs exist. Had an ex that had a 2010 GT and it frustrated her to no end that my 2013 V6 was basically just as fast
@@Angel7black Yeah but coyotes are usually at least double the money of a 4.6 in the same condition. The 11-14's are definitely better cars but I don't really consider them in the same category. Also having owned both gens (had a 2013 gt for about a month) I will still say I like looks of the first gen s197 more. The 11-14 v6's make around the same horsepower but when I was looking at that '07 gt I also test drove a 6sp manual v6 2012 and it definitely didn't feel nearly as torquey in the low end as the 07 gt, which does kinda show on the 0-60. Also holy shit does the 4.6 sound amazing
Came to the comments to say this. Bang on the money Zfren
My theory is that CANBUS tech is actually what ruined things. Suddenly it became very cheap and very simple for manufacturers to integrate electronic systems in the car instead of having different systems function more or less independently of each other. The early CANBUS cars aren't that bad but I think this method of manufacturing paved the way for the electronic shitshow we're left with today. Case in point look at Subaru, the first canbus WRX in 2008 marked the beginning of the end.
I alway get "uncle teaching you important life lessons that your parents don't want you to know" from these netgear videos and I love it. So happy I found this channel.
Netgear is the dad who you feel like is verbally abusing you as a teenager. Then once you mature you realize he was spitting facts and you end up thanking him for all the knowledge and values he passed onto you.
I’m with you Netgear. In 1999 I graduated high school and as I gift to myself I traded my clapped out Bronco 2 and $2500 to my best friend for his cherry clean title 91 240SX SE hatchback with super Hicas. That thing was so damn fast for the time. I beat everything except for a 911 I was stupid enough to race. I was 18 so that’s my excuse. The car didn’t just beat everything around my area, it annihilated them because most people only wanted trucks, mustangs or Camaros. I was an outsider with that car because of you didn’t have what everyone else had you were a loser. I’ve been building ambulances for the past 22 years and I’ve noticed that every new vehicle costs too much to maintain, can’t be worked on by any Tom Dick or Harry, and cost more that homes. Fuck all that man. The 90s cars and trucks were the best of the best. I only invested in cars or trucks that I can work on myself and the build quality is way better than the expensive recycled beer cans with more electronics than a damn supercomputer lab
I know this is a channel that is about vehicles however, this computer tech in EVERYTHING has gotten so out of control. The manufacturers will sell consumers on the enhanced convenience. And a large chunk of average Joes and Jills, without thinking/knowing about the ramifications, allow that to fly. Hence, gadgets with sealed, proprietary computer tech that you don't own, and therefore have no right to be able to repair yourself. F*ck "Smart-Tech"!!!
it pisses me off because the scourge of suvs and crossovers is born almost entirely out of companies not wanting to spend money making their sedans abide by emissions standards, so because the megacorp wants to save some cash we all have to deal with a plague of cars which are far too big and have shit visibility with worse handling and gas mileage
How about telling the governments that their shitty Emissions are too strict? Hell, a modern diesel puts out LESS POLLUTION that it sucks in. At this point, it is a drivable air filter
@@glurak888 but but muhhh black smoke killin de enviromenttt
@@glurak888while I agree with disregarding retarded laws, car companies cannot just do that. And they already made too many poor business decisions to make the cars you want.
@@hesmycat Also, as the recent Fiat-Chrysler into Peugeot-Citroen merger into Stellantis has demonstrated, the automotive industry is increasingly moving towards consolidation.
Americans don't want sedans. They suck for getting in and out of, they suck for car seats, they suck for cargo space, and they suck to maintain if you don't have a lift. Sedans are a niche vehicle.
I almost connect the suv craze as of late with the explosion of “”luxury”” cars, like fluffed up low end models, in the mid 70s. though both came around for different reasons, it seems like we have cars pretending to be something they’re not.
Spot on
I could argue that the 2000s had some fantastic cars too. The boxster, Cayman, sti hatch, evo 9, sentra ser spec v, 350z, to name a few. Totally agree though 90s era had a lot of personality
The change started happening in 2010-2015. That’s when you saw fly by wire and break by wire start to come into “normal” cars. When the truck became a luxury daily. Even the infinity g35 added it because that’s what the luxury was going to. There where still hold outs that where in the middle mixing tech. I’m a biased as I have a 16 GSF. A computer for gas/brake/differential/intake/DI/screens at least it still has buttons and a 5.0.
Mid 2010s is when I'd argue cars finally started getting worse, right when the engine downsizing trend began. The rise of automatic transmissions, increasing use of complex computerised systems in cars, huge weight increases, lack of steering feel, downsized engines, increasing hybridisation (the Holy Trinity of hybrid hypercars were still pretty cool), EVs being taken seriously thanks to the success of the Tesla Model S etc all led to the decline of cars. The 2000s was the start of the decline but it was a very slow start and the mid 2010s was the turning point.
E92 m3, c63amg etc etc
@@CyanRooper hit the nail on the head
@@CyanRooperfalse
Completely agree with everything you said. Been saying it myself for years. Clearly consumers agree, that's why people are paying crazy prices for 90s sports cars... cars that are 30 years old. Some of them are fetching more than their original retail price...
Manufacturers need to stop trying to force feed us ipads, electric steering (numb driving feel through the steering wheel), electric nannies, electric tailgates, overweight and boring vehicles and get back to making cars that are fun to drive. Cars that have a soul.
I'm so bummed about the direction donut has gone (super corporate) I liked the "old" explanation videos and stuff like that.
Because they got bought out by a corporation. I make it a point to not watch anything on UA-cam that’s not owned by the people making the content
@@trahar6257 thats the way to do it i suppose.
I haven’t really watched Donut Media in a while. What’s going on with them? How’s their quality gone down?
@@trahar6257who bought donut??
Demolition Ranch sucks and has sucked for a long time ,shilling for Democrats I.E. Black Rifle Fags Coffee.
The best years in my opinion were 1985 through 2005. There was so much innovation in the auto industry in this span of time both domestic, and import.
Now it’s also developing quickly. The problem is that we are facing the issues that electronics had been suffering for ages: planned obsolencense
Yuuuup! Nothin beats a 2005 cts v in my book
This video made me realize why I own a BMW E46, and why I love the E46 and only the E46 from BMW (or earlier). It’s BMWs best of the 90s because it was likely designed in the 90s even though it’s mostly a 2000s car.
Luckily the styling seemed to transfer over pretty well too. You wouldn’t see the BMW styling shift negatively until the next iterations in the late 2000s.
I love my little 325Ci for every reason he listed. Everything has a tactile button and works without any latency. The reliability of the manual transmission paired with the interesting nature of the stability control seem to work together pretty well. It’s the only driver assist available besides ABS, and I can turn it all off with one button. Not only that, but it’s simple enough for me to work on by myself.
Is it a pain? Yeah. Does it leak oil sometimes? Yeah. Is it reliable? That’s questionable. I’m on my second engine after the electric fan failed. But it feels like a car. And 3 years later it is still a joy to ride.
I don’t have to worry about my Bluetooth. I don’t have to worry about navigation. I don’t have to think about changing settings because there are none. No touch screens. No driving modes. The car is simple a car and works in its own right.
The E46 is not the only car like this and it has its negatives. Plenty of them (falling headliner). But it feels like a car. I can see out of it. It doesn’t beep at me. It isn’t over-styled. And the orange colored glow from the dash and gauge cluster is better than any other car I have ever been in. That ranges from Lexus to Ford to Chevy to Subaru to Mitsubishi to so many other cars I’ve forgotten. It makes every other car, especially newer cars, seem like they are trying a little too hard to be something they are not.
yep pretty much everything after that era of BMW looks so sterile
The E46 is a horror show… so many issues…
@@aygwm its such a shame since theyre so sexy and fun
Far more eloquent than I expected 10/10
I knew shit was fucked around the early 2000s… I worked at a car audio shop and had to do a head unit and amplifier install in a brand new Chevy Monte Carlo. Once the cars factory radio was unplugged and removed, the Car would No Longer Start!! That’s when I knew, we were fucked.
I made that mistake before. GM decided it was a great idea to put the door dinger and part of security system in the head unit! So, you had to by an aftermarket door dinger just to put in a new head unit!
Cars I’ve owned: 03 Dakota. 01 Lincoln LS V8. 03 Impreza. 98 Mustang GT. I’ve only ever known peak automotive. Sure most were 2000’s cars but they were all still using 90’s tech.
I think he included the 2000s as the modern era. Post modern era is like anything 2010 and onward. I will say there are exceptions because there are some cars who haven't modernized.
@@DEIFANwhich cars havent been modernized yet?
@@candles6103 Probably something like a Jeep Wrangler, of which you can get new with manual windows, locks, shifter, vents, and has a basic AM/FM Radio setup. Probably one of the few new cars I can think of sold in the US for that to be the "standard" equipment
@@candles6103 Mitsubishi Mirage, and cars from the MOPAR line like the Journey. Also Masarattis have out dated interiors. I'm talking about 2010s and early 2020s cars. there are Hardbodys being made in Africa if that counts.
The challenger charger and 300 as well @DEIFAN , especially pre 2014
I deadass don’t know how to go about it but more people need to hear this video. TOO MANY people think wow new and technology cars SO GOOD WOW and it’s gonna kill us all.
I love the 90s because you could still option a car down to nothing - manual windows, manual transmission, no sunroof, no heated seats
Less features meant the cars could be much more affordable while still allowing for the option of some amenities
What's wrong with sun roofs
@@DEIFAN every single car I've had with sunroof has leaked at some point, the drains plug and because they never seal 100% it just provides another place for water to get in
drains clogging is the big one
@@hopingforthebest1.9 what did you own. My civic EX never had that issue.
Im a toyota fan and the 2017 camry and 2019 corolla are the last good years. No massive touch screens, no all-digital displays, no beeps and lane assist telling you how to drive, and no electronic parking brake. Reverse cameras are nice only as an aid.
I dwell on many of these points, Net. The newest cars I've owned are an 08 Grand Marquis LS and a 370Z, they're both right where I like for "new cars" with having good safety features while still being mostly analog. My Z's "drive by wire" related problems can be kind of a pain in the ass but it's way easier to work on than any 2015+ car I've worked on, much like an older car. Everything modern has a lot of baggage attached. Example: Windshield broken? Sensors and radar systems need to be recalibrated. Bumper broken? New one is $800-$2000 because of all the laser and camera systems in them. Water leak? Say hello to a ton of electrical work. And the lack of quality in everything made between 2020 and 2022 created a huge slump across the auto industry. And ultimately, for me personally, I just don't like how everything is tailored for the dealer's technicians to take care of (who are also underpaid and overworked to shit).
Saw a video recently of a ford tech who had to work on a late model ford pickup what had its taillights leak. Because it had those sensors in the taillights, it eventually brought down the entire truck. A simple taillight leak ended up costing 5600 dollars. The taillights themselves were 1400 dollars each.
One issue with a grand marquis bro.
Light control module.
Headlights, taillights, turn signals all run through their own computer.
Headlights turned off one night on my 06 grand marquis, wouldn't turn back on until I disconnected the battery, and reset everything, still a few minutes later they went out again.
Sold it because even after changing the light control module, I still constantly thought about the headlights quitting at any moment.
As a 2008 subaru impreza owner i agree with everything you said. I don't need a touchscreen, buttons are safer because i can keep my eyes on the road. No cameras, no lane assists and i'm perfectly fine with it.
I agree with 90s cars as the start of the peak, but I feel like it didnt end until late 2000s with many great cars in that era as well.
Except after 1995, ODB-II can say you can't drive your car even if it runs perfectly.
so happy this channel is getting the recognition that it deserves, u explained the situation thats going on right now excellently, keep it up 👍
11:12 this part actually goes hard as fuck
90s Japanese sports cars are simply incredible, still my favorite(s). Most notably the Mkiv Supra. I’ve owned 3. Simply the most gorgeous sports design that I’ve ever seen. Timeless
I drive a 1982 Firebird, made right towards the end of the Malaise era. It's got a pitiful V8, slushy handling, and more rattles than a pair of maracas, but I still love it because it's almost strictly analog. Analog gauges, a big mechanical lever to shift, and no driver assists. Even with its atrocious blindspot right where the B pillars are, that thing still has more visibility than any postmodern car I've been in. Great first car.
Imma be real: you can have all that in a VW Golf MK3. And you get the same power while drinking half the fuel and being faster.
@@glurak888fwd 🤮🤮
Flipping the air cleaner lid will open it up quite a bit. I did that on my '78 Cadillac and it made a huge difference.
305 or V6? I had an 82 Cutlass with a 260 V8 and it couldn't pull a finger out of a but hole.
My wife had an 81 Firebird formula with the same chevy 305 V8 and it was painfully slow. I couldnt bring myself to engine swap it due to its originality and good condition. It looked good black with red pinstripes and red interior but i didnt enjoy driving it due to the clunky 4 speed and its lack of performance at any rpm. It was a 1/4 throttle type car anything past that didnt make a difference.
How do i put this in the nicest, most sincere way possible? The lower production quality of this "sit and talk" style video lends itself to the genuineness of what you're saying, (and the quality is still great btw, loved all the footage for every talking point) This video was coming straight from the heart and i love that, don't change a thing!
The actual cutoff is about 2007, but most of the tolerable cars at that point had their design roots in the 90s so the point still holds up.
cutoff is 1995 for me. ODB-II is no go where an onboard computer can say you can't drive your car
"LARP as a contractor" I'm dead 😂
Back in the days when I saw the digital gauges, I thought that was the coolest thing ever. 90s were the best. I really liked the accords in the 90s. The designs were classic
I'm so happy I grew up learning and shaping my life without needing a car (don't even have the license), now I'm 34 and since money is getting better I'm about to go get a cool 90s one and build it as a personal project and track it for fun & love, and ain't no company in the world who will decide for me how I spend my cash.
That camera blooper at the end got me good lmao
Me personally, I really think the homologation specials of the Group B era of rallying are peak automotive design, but I respect anyone who disagrees with that view. I'm also quite fond of Soviet-era Eastern European economy cars, though I can't really explain why.
I mean they still made a Manly SUV with bolt on headlights. and it was simple.
Because they’re badass that’s why. Gotta get me a Wartburg, preferably in VoPo trim
fully agreed. you gave me a new perspective on how to view these eras of cars, and to me we're going through another 80s right now so the next couples of years *should* be great once more people realize that evs are not good for much too
Daily Drove my 85 Vette for 2 years, the digital dash was rebuilt with modern parts years prior and still works perfect to this day, I've since put 63,000 miles on it before giving it a break to work on restoring it, and yes I drove it as I should of, it's seen the strip plenty of times and more, it's been an amazing car. The old stuff really is built to last.
I'm so glad i found your video's when I was beginning to get into cars. Showing the true reality of cars and the world in general. Your knowledge has definitely shaped my view of the world. Thanks.
As someone that used an 88 vette as a daily, I'd honestly say 80's cars are underrated as a whole. The electronics are typically simple and easy to repair if you have an ounce of soldering skill and more than two braincells, and everything else is just analog. The best upside is that you don't need a code reader to check for problems, just get a goddamn paperclip and jump two pins on the diagnostic port, and then count the blinks on the check engine light.
In the US*
Rest of the world doesnt get that check engine light and we have to fucking pull out the oscilloscope and measure shit.
@@glurak888sounds like a you problem then
@@glurak888That's fucking rough.
@@JCDenton95 spoken like a true American. JFC.
If you know what you're looking at, modern computer controls can make diag an absolute breeze. OBD1 systems might seem attractive in terms of their simplicity, but they were often too dumb to detect anything but the most egregious systems failures, and they just didn't give you a lot of information to work with. Real-time data was usually a total afterthought. Some diagnostics that could take a great deal of trial and error on those old systems are plain as day with OBD2 controls. Modern misfire detection is a miracle. The abundance of sensors on modern engines also means that you have an abundance of data to work with when something goes wrong. And you can access all of it with your phone and a cheap bluetooth dongle - only the most advanced functionality requires high-end scan tools these days.
First time viewer. YOU ABSOLUTELY NAILED THAT!!!
Cold hard truth. As a motorcyclist and driver, I need to feel connected to the vehicle. Not the internet! Electronically controlled cars of the mid 2000’s to now have completely failed the driver. You could remove all “driver aids” and it would be a far better driving experience. The chassis dynamics of some modern cars are incredible. So good in fact, that one day of quality driver training would replace all electronics on them. 🏍💨😜
I leased a 2021 Audi SQ5 with 350 turbocharged horsepower, 360 camera, adaptive suspension, and all the bells and whistles and when the lease was over, I went out and bought a low mileage 2006 RSX Type S. And its better. With way less of everything, it’s better. It makes me feel very old to say it, but there’s just a six speed and a couple knobs on the dash and it’s still perfect almost 20 years later.
This video spoke directly to my soul. Every pre-2000 car I owned lacked convenience and comfort features, sure, but nothing ever broke. Every “nice” car I’ve owned in the last 10 years has spent as much time at the dealership being serviced as it spent being driven because a shitty plastic part or an unnecessary electronic component failed.
I love how you use the 3000gt vr4 as one the best cars. I love my vr4 but man it is can a pain to work on.
The 3000GT VR-4 is the perfect car to use for this video because it was easily the most technologically advanced car you could buy in the 90s but it was still analog. It's the car that best fits the theme of this video.
I just saw one last weekend, the exterior still holds up 👍
Those cars used to be everywhere with weeds growing up around them. You can still buy fixer uppers for 1,000
I had a 92 Eagle talon TSI and learned a lot about the mitsubishis at the time when i was upgrading my talon. I heard many people say how much of a PITA the stealth/3000s were. Made me steer clear of them for sure even though i always liked their style
@@tabbott429 Compared to a DSM, yes 3000GTs are pretty difficult to work on.
I have a 2004 Pontiac Grand AM GT. 420,000 miles and still going strong. Driven across the country multiple times. No fancy electronics, no stupid sensors that will eventually fail, just simple dials. Everything still works well. And if anything breaks I can find parts at any auto wrecker. At this point, it is not worth selling because of how high mileage it is, but it is still a great car and does its job - gets me from point A to point B while being zippy enough to pass anyone on the highway. American auto manufacturers were at their peak in the early 2000s.
Yup. Early 2000s aight too.
What a fine, fine video. Entertaining, well-thought-out, organized, and an irrefutable argument that the '30s, '60s, and '90s were the best automotive years. And at thirty years apart, can we expect that the 2020s will also be really good? Nope! Love your pickup truck summary -- 'big grille, short bed' -- and recognition that there are few car guys coming up. Am subscribing after writing this. Thanks for the insights!
A lot of cars nowadays cant even be properly diagnosed or aligned without brand specific software which is so expensive that it is more cost effective to just tell the customer to go to the dealer rather than pay for the program. My shop has been getting hounded about alignment numbers when in that same day we tried to sell 4 alignments that we could not do without specialty tools or software.
EXACTLY. I hate it
My neighbor told me that he needs to access to the online service (paid of course) to delete error of broken side mirror and make it work.
It's told that's "anti theft of stolen parts" policy. Mhm right...
0:59 -- *Back then there were no "automotive designers" or "automotive design" programs. They were just Designers, artists who studied art, design and ergonomics. The men who designed cars could also designed furniture, home appliances, office equipment or fixtures for buildings. A Designer was an artist, regardless of the assignment or the medium. They had aesthetic knowledge and taste. That's why they made such beautiful cars -- they didn't limit themselves to preconceived notions of what a "car" is and isn't. The world is very different now.*
Love these videos especially the terrible car classified. Thank you for the laughs!
To this day I still own my 2002 s2k, e46m3 and 2006 lexus ls430. The late 90s,early 2000’s was the golden age of automotive design and engineering
Love the art deco styled cars. Makes me think of 90s Batman and Bioshock.
90's was peak car greatness in my opinion. 4runner, Supra, Impreza RS, Legacy GT, RX7, 993 911, 3000gt, all DSM's, Corvette, IROC Camero, Civic R, Integra R, 355 Ferrari, 575 Ferrari, etc...
All my favorite looking cars of all time and all are great to drive(I'll just have to imagine the Ferraris)
I have always felt we peaked as humans in the 90s.. amazing cars and amazing music. Offspring is my favorite band,; love Korn, 311, Blink 182, Bush, Deftones, Sublime, Tool.. the list goes on.
Lol I personally thought music tanked in the 90's with the abandonment of synthesizers. I feel like most 90's music sounds to cheesy ( in a bad way ) or angry unlike the 80's were synths made everything sound great.
90s up to perhaps the mid 2000s which tbh were 90s hanger ons… are generally easy to maintain, have everything you need on them, fairly rust resilient compared to earlier stuff.
Best era to daily.
And Gear’s kids will be praising the mid to late 2000s as their “90’s” cars. I’m staying tuned for that story arch.
Although I do agree with you to a certain extent, I can only imagine what the next generation will say. The tech is very cool! But the tech is also very annoying because it’s ALMOST there but not quite. I think within the next few years, it might balance out in certain aspects. Let’s see!
Nice opinion piece Gear, great work as usual 👍
Here in Australia it was 2002 with our made vehicles the Holden and the Ford Falcon.
This video you did so well is exactly what I have been saying for about 10-15 years as a mechanic for 30 years now.
I wish this could be played on prime time TV because it’s so true mate, bloody good job 👍🏻
Youre wrong about one thing. Car manufacturers arent putting the giant screens in cars to save on switches. Its to create recurring revenue from subscription based services. Dodge said it themselves, that they are shifting from a car company to a software company, to move customers upmarket not in hardware but services.
Thats the big con. Some idiot paying 10 bucks a month for heated seats, or for connectivity to his phone or watch, to get live weather updates block to block, and who knows what other garbage they will try to sell people. And worst of all, its a continuous data collection stream, where you go, what you drive, how many people in the car, what phones they have, how fast you drive. And they sell that to companies like Adsense and bam. Sell the car for 50k, and make 20k off your date over the term of the lease (lets face it, the normie wont keep a car to pay it off. The new stuff wont even last, just because its no longer required to make parts for 10 years. They can claim its obsolete after 3 years).
The only cars I see reaching old age are the Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, Charger, and maybe some of the very iconic imports, where third parties will make parts, or upgrades (in the form of touch screen deletes, without all the software of the 4G stuff that wont even work soon). But if its a car that may be cool or awesome but without the cult following, its SOL.
As a flat rate tech at a dealership, I've decided that I'm going backwards in car age for my next daily. The amount of warranty work we do on these new pieces of shit is more frequent than ever. Brand new cars with less than 100 miles coming in with cracked pistons. Transmissions kicking the bucket far before their 100k service. More shit coming from the factory wrong.
I would daily a '81 Chevy Citation before I'd buy anything new off any lot.
And while the malaise era of cars were slow, the interiors were comfortable! The '78 Cougar I had was very comfy to drive!
I’m early also this channel is underrated asf UA-cam give it a boost
You are speaking facts. I work in an automotive environment and I can confirm that when some of these infotainment screens go bad you lose a lot of functionality with the vehicle. Also I agree that folks really do rely too much on the safety alerts and other features rather than possessing the skill of actually operating a vehicle.
Hell yeh - all my thoughts in one cohesive rant
youve managed to put everything i bitch about in one video and i love it, especially with how well you put it. I think the 90s/early 00s was the pinnacle of automotives even for American cars. Sure, plastic isn't the best in the interiors but why would i care when the buttons look cool and WORK? excluding my vette, 90s vehicles are a lot easier to work on just on the fact that computers arent there to get in the way of things like replacing your lights or window regulators and stuff.
the design aspects suck a lot too, as you mentioned. everything is angry, everything has gigantic beltlines, everything is an egg.....
Absolutely agree with this. The CAFE standards are govt mandates for average fuel efficiency based on wheelbase alone, not coefficient of drag or cross sectional area. So small trucks that can fit into the footprint of a large sedan have to get the fuel economy of that sedan. The fuel economy requitements get arbitrarily more strict year by year too. The larger the wheelbase, though, the less stringent the efficiency requirements are, so manufacturers have had to make American trucks bigger and bigger. Reliable brands have had to resort to BS add-on tech and water-thin oil to meet these emission standards (Honda grenading their j-series v6 reliability with cylinder deactivation comes to mind). Government intervention has always had the opposite effect of the original intent because these laws are largely made by morons who know nothing about the subject they're trying to legislate. They just arbitrarily set goals for auto manufacturers to meet that are becoming near impossible to meet while creating a reliable car.
And automakers are basically forced to cheat to meet these ridiculous standards
I've experienced six decades of cars now, and after trying to find lots of examples to prove you wrong, I really can't. 90's vehicles (and moving into the 2000's) were the apex of cars and trucks.
that means a lot coming from an old gear head
2500/3500 pickups from 1994-2007 were some of the best especially for a diesel engine. Pre emissions simple interiors sturdy chassis and still fetching crazy prices for a low mileage one
Emissions for diesels started in 1998
Love it! Straight talk and no sugarcoating of what is happening.
6:40 that goddamn smile
Super video, he nails it! The 90s were the perfect blend of tradition and technology in cars. You could still get a stick shift runabout sedan for low price.
TLDR we are in a second malaise era
This is one of the best rants, honest explanations that I have heard in a long time.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Preciate u
Fuck it calling it early congrats on 65k subs
Another thing that sucks with modern cars is the desire to make everything way too power assisted. Modern cars do a great job of making the breaks,throttle and steering feel like mush. On many cars it’s hard to feel the road or how much you’re pushing the car which actually makes it harder to drive since I don’t have a feel of what the car is doing as a result of my inputs.
What happened to good ergonomic interior design. The Mk4 Supra faced everything towards you like a fighter jet. You didn't need to take your eyes off the road just to change the radio or climate control. The tablet screens where singlehandedly the worse thing to happen to cars next to the gas crisis.
Wow this video HITS HARD!! 👊🏼👊🏼 Amen brother! Couldn’t have said it better myself, and I’ve been preaching this for more than a decade now! This needs to go viral!!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🦅🇺🇸
I agree and disagree with you at the same time.
We just ended the 2nd muscle car golden era and European and Japanese cars are still in their golden era to a degree. 800 horsepower sedan with a factory warranty? Sounds good to me.
But, because of how much tech is in cars, they’re difficult and expensive to work on. So post modern cars are great to drive when they work but a pain to maintain when things go wrong.
The problem with the second muscle car era is that it excludes Everyman
Modern performance cars are absolutely fantastic. The issue is they’re all far too expensive to the point that even seeing them in the wild is like finding a needle in a haystack. The haystack being the ocean of fat cookie cutter crossover SUVs that plague every single block of modern American society.
800hp sounds nice and all, but we're in an age where every car is fast, and nobody cares. Like who fawns over a Tesla going 0-60 in 2.5 sec? I sure as hell don't care.. At the end of the day reliability is king and modern cars just don't have it.
Great video everything I feel about cars post 2008 in one video. You nailed it man. Only thing Id disagree is early 2000s (up to '05, also 06 and 07 in other country markets) was just as good 90s. Same 90s analogue tech with even better styling and perfect use of some new tech. To name afew, e46 m3, r34 gtr, evo 9, s15 silvia, s2000, svt cobra.
It is true the newer the car the shlttier
Agree with you 100%. In fact I told my brother a few weeks ago that I think he and I lived through the golden age of cars 90's - early 2000's. Sadly I dont think it will ever go back to the way it was. The tech will win the day...
Man, you deserve more spotlight, have a sub&like, proper car enthusiast right there.
Subbed. This was funny asf but also spitting facts. Thank you for making a long form talking about the absurdity that we live in. This new era of EV's is going to be such a rough transition that 15 years from now, we'll look back in disgust. Still holding out hope I can snatch myself a gen v Viper 🫣😊
I love my 1997 chevy silverado, used to have a 94' gmc sierra but the trans grenaded on the way to work one day sold it to someone who wanted to fix it and got 1500, only paid 1k for it so i wasnt too broken up, but i missed driving a truck and small cars like a civic or something like a 2022 elentra cause problems with my back, so i bought the 97' for 1k, fixed up the brakes and it drives like new, just passed 370k on it with original engine and trans, with both being in good health. All thats left is replacing the rocker panels since it decided to do some weight reduction.
Can't agree more! I was lucky to be in my teens in the 90s. All the coolest imports (and American muscle cars and pony cars were cool, too, come on) that are sought after today were on dealer lots when I was 12-19 years old!
Great video, on the spot with every point!
As a honda guy my favorite is the mid 00s. The perfect mesh of mechanical reliability and decent tech. Arguably the era of the best CRV, Accords, TLs and Pilots, not to mention long lasting legends like the Element.
You remind me of an old friend. We lost him a few years ago to the Big Ghey. I saw him driving a Tesla last year. RIP to a real one
I’d also like to point out that while the 60s was incredible for Muscle cars it was also the first “real” genesis for juggernauts everywhere. Companies like Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Jaguar, Toyota, and Datsun, came out with cars like the 911, 300SL Gullwing, 250 Europa, E Type, 2000GT, and 240Z, laying the foundation for what is now legendary heritage. The 60s really were an incredible period for auto manufacturers everywhere not just in America…
The postwar era is more than a stepping stone. The first muscle cars like the Hornet and Rocket 88 were born. And hot rod culture became a thing, when car hobbyists chopped up old model-Ts, and put in performance engines in aging old brass era cars to make them fast and fun to drive.
The post war era gave rise to the car guy
Calling the 20s to 30s the pre war era for cars is the most American thing I’ve heard in a long time. The cars built in Europe before the Great War were pioneers, the people who built these probably had the biggest commitment to the concept of cars of all, because the idea hasn’t caught on, they had to figure out how to even build a car. These were the OG car guys.
I personally love the beige era of cars.
"What colour do we make the dash?"
"Beige"
"What about the seats?"
"Beige"
"Okay now what about the carpeting and headliner?"
"B E I G E"
You also forgot that simulation technology has lead to engineers stress testing parts to better determine its point of failure, leading then to build weaker parts to save money. Where as in the 90s before they had those simulations, they just had to build the part as strong as they could because they had no clue it’s point of failure. So they “over engineered” stuff so to speak.
i drive a base model E100 Corolla. nothing has broken down yet. everything works, gets me to work and home no problem. and this thing got flooded by a typhoon in 2009, yet the only maintenance done on it was oil change and fuel tank cleaning.
I couldn't agree more, and I'm so glad you mentioned 2008. My "car guy" journey started a little late -- at about age 38, and boy do I wish I had broken that entry-barrier sooner. I currently own a 2008 3.5 Pontiac G6 and a 2008 3.5 Nissan Maxima, and I do nearly all of my own work with a 230pc Gearwrench set and a handful of various specialty tools, and although I occasionally run into a computer problem, I'm generally comfortable with the level of trade-off between mech and digital in these cars.
That being said, I am very skeptical of newer, more computerized vehicles where I lose more and more agency for what? A few more mpg? A radar? An outdated nav system?
Part of me wishes I got into cars sooner, I had an 86 Ford Tempo 5-speed that would've lasted forever had I known anything about cars in my early adulthood.
I thought my 2005 was too old, only to spend $50k to realize my 2024 is too new.
90's are still my favorite cars. 3 of my 4 current vehicles are 90's. 92 mustang hatch, 96 ram 12v cummins and 92 ford ranger.