You must be unaware of all the recent safety improvements in cars: things like anti-lock brakes, collision avoidance, and traction control have saved countless lives, and they're being improved on even today.
"The things cars had in them when I was first driving are all they should ever need; everything else is frivolous, planned obsolescence, or fashion" is a very tempting position to hold, but it doesn't actually hold up to reality.
> You must be unaware of all the recent safety improvements in cars: things like anti-lock brakes, collision avoidance, and traction control have saved countless lives, and they're being improved on even today.
First, those are almost all in the 2010 Toyota that I used as an example. Other than those things (which are in the 2010 model), what did the post-2010 models bring?
Second, none of those require an entire new model to be designed that shares no parts with the previous model.
> "The things cars had in them when I was first driving are all they should ever need; everything else is frivolous, planned obsolescence, or fashion" is a very tempting position to hold, but it doesn't actually hold up to reality.
Please go back and re-read my post - I was not comparing cars from 1990 (when I first started driving). You are doing that comparison, and it's a strawman.
Collision avoidance in a 2010 Toyota? Pretty sure that didn't become a mainstream feature until a few years later, along with lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control.
Regardless, many features that existed in some form in 2010 that time have improved since then. Maybe just slow incremental improvement, but over time it adds up.
A few other new/much improved features since 2010 that come to mind: backup/turn signal cameras, carplay, hybrid engines.
"The things cars had in them when I was first driving are all they should ever need; everything else is frivolous, planned obsolescence, or fashion" is a very tempting position to hold, but it doesn't actually hold up to reality.