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My daily driver is a truck I bought new in 2003, so I'm hardly the guy the OP is ranting about. .....but as far as why people are trading things in so often;
- leasing - I think you underestimate the impact of this on new car sales. People are much more likely to get another new car if they are leasing vs. if they purchased IMO. The industry has done a great job of making leasing seem like the best thing since sliced bread.
- complexity; newer cars may have much better built drivelines, etc. than cars of old but the sheer number of extremely expensive computers, gizmos, options, screens, etc. conspire to scare the crap out of many people when it comes to owning a car long term off warranty. Even for those of us that aren't just panicking, the cost of repair for some of this stuff is very high.
I've rebuilt several vehicles from the ground up......but that isn't really even possible for the average enthusiast with a modern car these days.
I've argued that buying a near new vehicle and keeping it until it's 100% done is the most economical form of vehicle ownership.....and I have done that many times with my small fleet.....but sometimes it works out well, other times, I've spent more on repairs than the payment for a new car/truck. you take your chances and roll the dice.
I jut bought a brand new BMW last month.....the plan is to keep it for many years but we'll see.
Dave
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