Australians adopt new electronic technology the moment it hits store shelves but retain one of the world’s oldest ‘car parks’. A climate which delays the onset of rust is a major factor and Government moves recently, and during the 1990s, to discourage older-car ownership were strenuously resisted.

However, hanging onto an older car for too long doesn’t make economic sense. Nor does buying a vehicle that is so tired that its low purchase price will quickly be overwhelmed by repair costs.

Here are a few points to consider before deciding to keep fixing ‘old faithful’ or buy something that may have been born before you were:

Safety
Virtually every vehicle built today has at least two air-bags. Those built 15-20 years ago may have provided one for the driver or none at all.

ABS anti-lock braking began to appear on cars available to Australia during the 1980s but wasn’t commonplace until the mid-1990s.

Prestige models were once the only cars to seriously apply ‘controlled crumple’ engineering which absorbed energy from a crash to cushion occupants from the full impact.

Chassis Engineering
Until Holden in 1977 introduced ‘Radial Tuned Suspension’, this country’s family cars didn’t steer, handle or stop too well at all. Later vehicles use more sophisticated suspension and lower-profile tyres that suffer less distortion when cornering. Most today will have disc brakes on all wheels.    

Comfort
When was the last time you saw a new car without power steering, air-conditioning, central door locking and electric operation of at least the front windows? Today, even low-cost models come with features that, 20 years ago, were options or not available at all.

Parts Availability
Manufacturers will generally guarantee spare parts supply for 10 years after a model is discontinued. Mechanical spares for most pre-2000 models remain available but body and interior components often need to be found on the second-hand market. New spares for 1970s and earlier cars are frequently easier to find than those from the 1990s due to the many specialist suppliers in the market.

Electronics
Until the 1980s and the general adoption of fuel injection to replace carburettors, automotive electronics were confined to high-performance and ultra-luxurious models. By the early 1990s, virtually every new car carried an array of sensors and an Engine Management System. Replacing a major electronic component can cost more than many lower-priced vehicles are worth.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site…