I think I'm gonna keep my by now 13 year old car for a LONG time. Nothing is locked down, no complicated gearbox, no electronic parking brake, no remote control, no subscriptions, plenty of room in the engine bay (can even swap utility belt rollers without having to take out the radiator), and it's all mine and nobody else's. Yes it will cost in maintenance but at least I can at least work on it myself if need be without a computer. And by now the car is unattractive anyway, nobody is going to steal it so I don't need to worry too much about it.
This definitely resonates, for all old cars designed to be maintained with simple tools and common parts.
That said, I have (lease) an Ionic 5 and it's the best freaking car I've ever driven by a mile. Some of the features on these things should have been on ICE cars a decade ago -- they're not unique to EVs -- but car companies thrive on product stagnation until someone raises the bar and they're forced to "me too".
> And by now the car is unattractive anyway, nobody is going to steal it so I don't need to worry too much about it.
Think you’ve got that backwards. Typically it is older cars that get stolen. 13 years old is new enough it should be harder to steal, but for joyriding or as a vehicle for doing other crimes the thieves are not looking for a new car.
you gonna pay for it either new or brand-new but they don't have that kinda nonsense.
my only gripe with toyota | lexus is they keep raising prices yet offering the same product year in year out cz they know people looking for a reliable car don't really have alternatives.
