A car expert contends that because new cars aren’t built the way that old cars are, you’ll never have to drive an old car again—because cars being built now won’t get a chance to get old.
The video in question comes from creator Thomas (@carsrme), whose takes on various cars have made him a popular Daily Dot read in recent months. This video, which went up last Dec. 1, garnered nearly 84,000 views as of this writing.
“My favorite part about these new cars and trucks,” he begins, “it’s not the nice infotainment system, the digital dash, all the hand controls, or I mean, I think this one looks pretty good, especially with the grandpa topper on the back. But it’s the fact that you’re never gonna have to keep it forever. You won’t have this car for 10 years. They’re built so cheap now you’re just gonna have to keep replacing it.”
“If you love driving new cars all the time, it’s great,” he quips before showing some old cars that he and his father had that logged impressive numbers of miles and years.
“That V-8,” he said, pointing to the front of a black Chevy Silverado truck, “my dad put half a million miles on it. Mine has almost 300,000.”
He then contrasts it with a Jeep, saying, “This Jeep is a perfect example. It only has about 70,000 miles. It’s already starting to shake again, and he’s already replaced the front … stabilizer bar twice. So I was joking with him, I guess every 30,000 miles you got to replace the stabilizer bar.”
How reliable are Silverados?
Silverados are generally deemed reliable trucks. An article from Municibid, however, says that some are more reliable than others.
The article actually dubs trucks from 2019 to the present to be among the most reliable Silverados out there. It also likes models built between 2005 and 2007.
It does say, however, that the 2002 model “is notorious for engine and brake malfunctions,” while the 2012 and 2013 models drew complaints from drivers about “transmission, engine, and interior accessory problems.”
A Reddit forum dedicated specifically to Silverados hosted a discussion on which models were reliable. One swore by a 2018 edition, saying, “I’ve had my early model 2018 Silverado LTZ Z71 6.2L since Oct 2018. Had 9k miles on it from original owner. Came GM Certified pre-owned, and all the warranties rolled over to me, as well as me purchasing additional 3 year on top of it.
“Only issue I’ve had was the transmission was shifting hard and needed to get reset electronically from what I was told,” said another. “This was spring of this year. Covered under warranty, so no cost. No other problems.”
Another swore by a 2013 Silverado 1500 LS, noting, “I took it in for some tune-ups and new tires. I apologized for the high mileage. And the dude climbed into the truck saw the over 100,000 mileage looked me dead in the eyes and said ‘sweetheart you just finished breaking her in’.”
@carsrme They dont build them like they use too #silverado #chevy #gmt800 #newcar #trucks ♬ original sound – Thomas
Commenters weigh in
What did commenters think?
“You can keep it for a long time,” one said, disagreeing with Thomas. “The difference is they require more frequent maintenance.”
“Ya,” Thomas began in response, “but like I did a video on the door handle is part [of] the whole door panel. It will be too expensive to keep long term.”
“That’s why leasing is the best option for any modern new car,” another recommended. “If you drive a lot there are high-mileage leases. New cars are not made for longevity.”
“I only put 5k miles a year on my ’18 F150,” another asserted. “She’ll last a long time.”
“Back when Z71 meant something,” said another, lamenting the good old days, getting agreeance from Thomas.
Finally, one took issue with Thomas, charging, “Some cars didn’t even have odometers going over 100k until the 2000s. Cars are on the road longer than ever before.”
Car and Driver agrees, saying in an article, “Cars these days are made to last much longer than those produced even a few decades ago. This is because car parts are now constructed to withstand more wear than in the past. That also means fewer repairs and lower overall maintenance costs.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Thomas via TikTok direct message and Chevrolet via email.
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