Is there any logical reason for cars to change yearly?

[kranky]

Is there really any good reason for car manufacturers to change every car every year? The billions spent in retooling and related costs could be saved and prices could be lowered. There are always incremental improvements that could be made, but they aren't typically essential or compelling.

If a car was built essentially unchanged for three years, priced at $20,000 initially, $17,000 the next year, and $15,000 the following year because of cost savings, wouldn't it be worth it? Quality would probably improve, parts would cost less because of higher volume, maintenance would be easier.

Seems to me that if such a thing was planned out, a very nice car could be made for a lot less. They can still make new cars each year for people who want that, while also making a "standard" car that would stay the same for a number of years because it could cost less. Something for everyone.

 

[Gunslinger08]

$$$

It's all about the money. Keep making pointless revisions with more gimmicky features, people will keep upgrading every couple of years.

 

[Ladies Man]

most cars aren't changed every year

sure they might put another engine in to increase performance, or offer different colors but most of the time it's the same car for 5ish years

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
$$$

 

[Chronoshock]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: joshsquall
$$$

 

[Garet Jax]

Manufacturers do not want cars to last. Nor do they want a $15,000 car to compete with a $20,000 car. Most buyers think that the $20,000 must be better than the $15,000 even though it may not be the case.

 

[kranky]

I guess I know too many people who can't afford to buy new cars - or can't afford a new car which is as nice as some two-year-old used cars. If I wanted to sell new cars, I'd be looking to get the prices down to where more people can afford them. More volume is better in the long run.

 

[TheNinja]

Think of all the R&D people they could fire too!

 

[SuperTool]

This could work in developing countries where so few people have cars you are mostly selling to first time buyers. Like in Russia for example, you have 20 year old design Volgas and Ladas, and how long was the VW bug built in Mexico. If you are selling to people upgrading their previous cars, you need to keep offering new features and changes to get them to upgrade.

Like this 1980 Lada design still sold in Russia If all you want is a car as affordable as possible, then this fits the bill precisely because the amortize the investment over so many years.

 

[Ranger X]

Not always the case but I would think car companies would redesign their cars if it doesn't sell well by generating interest with the new design.

 

[Cattlegod]

Originally posted by: Staley8
Think of all the R&D people they could fire too!

That is a big thing. Huge loss of jobs if that is the case.

The billions spent in retooling and related costs could be saved and prices could be lowered

Its actually a few million.

But the biggest reason is to stay competitive. If one company releases a car in 2000, 2003 and 2006 and you are looking for a new car in 2005, why get a 2003 version when you can go to another company and get a 2005?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Most are changed on a 4 year refresh->4 year redo schedule. Like videocards, just 8 times longer. Model years are used to determine what standards a car does or will have to follow for safety and emmisions. And a yearly schedule allows for the manufacturer to keep up with running changes without getting overly confusing.

 

[kranky]

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
But the biggest reason is to stay competitive. If one company releases a car in 2000, 2003 and 2006 and you are looking for a new car in 2005, why get a 2003 version when you can go to another company and get a 2005?

As I said, for some people that would be important. Others might prefer to save 25% of the cost of a new car. The car is still new. It's still a "2005" car. It just hasn't changed from the year before.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Ladies Man
most cars aren't changed every year ... sure they might put another engine in...

That doesn't count as a change to you?

 

[3chordcharlie]

Car companies have to keep interest in newer cars; otherwise most of us would go on longer upgrade cycles. Lots of good designs get replaced for no reason other than to speed up the consumers perception of an appropriate upgrade cycle. Look how little changed in the original beetle over the course of several decades; and it is still a perfectly competent city run-about. Because in the end it was targetted at markets too poor to be fooled into accelerated upgrades, there was no need to change a good design.

Think about it - how many of you haven't had at least one car in your life that is now 'hopelessly outdated' but that you would buy again in a second if they made the exact same car, brand new (I guess meeting emissions standards and stuff):

Fox-body mustangs (especially the hatchbacks)
older pickup trucks that didn't push $40k just to get a decent motor for hauling and towing (probably $25K American, but the same deal)
1995-2000ish honda civics, and even more so replacing the integra with the rsx (hey, at least the motor spins in the opposite direction now...)

 

[clamum]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
$$$

 

[Doggiedog]

Originally posted by: kranky

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
But the biggest reason is to stay competitive. If one company releases a car in 2000, 2003 and 2006 and you are looking for a new car in 2005, why get a 2003 version when you can go to another company and get a 2005?

As I said, for some people that would be important. Others might prefer to save 25% of the cost of a new car. The car is still new. It's still a "2005" car. It just hasn't changed from the year before.

Just keeping the basic architecture of the car unchanged is not going to save you 25% a year. Cars are not like the semi market. An engine is not going to go from $400 one year to $300 the next.

Car manufacturers would be completely against lowering the MSRP of a car because it would give them a huge hurdle to overcome when they eventually replace it with another model. When cars go unrefreshed, most of the savings go to the manufacturer, not the consumer. Look at the Crown Vic for example, that is a huge money maker for Ford bc they haven't remodeled it in years and it is probably cost reduced as far as it can go.

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
$$$

It's all about the money. Keep making pointless revisions with more gimmicky features, people will keep upgrading every couple of years.

bingo

 

[Chello02]

Money.... agreed

Every car company is out to outdo the next car company. If one company comes out with a "new" car then it forces all the other companies who wish to remain in business to do the same if not better than the other companies. Which in turn creates competition, which leades in to a simple but not so simple topic of Economics.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie
Look how little changed in the original beetle over the course of several decades; and it is still a perfectly competent city run-about. Because in the end it was targetted at markets too poor to be fooled into accelerated upgrades, there was no need to change a good design.

Yeah, a car with a top speed of about 70 mph that gets 25 mpg on the freeway. Why would anyone want anything different?

The original Beetle got piss-poor fuel mileage for the performance and weight (I get 26-27 mpg on the freeway from my 280 hp V8, 3,800 pound Lincoln with the A/C on), was uncomfortable, had a heater that wasn't worth jack, and was a terrible polluter.

Yeah, there's no reason to upgrade from that. Anyone who wants something better must have just been fooled by the auto companies.

ZV

 

[3chordcharlie]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: 3chordcharlie
Look how little changed in the original beetle over the course of several decades; and it is still a perfectly competent city run-about. Because in the end it was targetted at markets too poor to be fooled into accelerated upgrades, there was no need to change a good design.

Yeah, a car with a top speed of about 70 mph that gets 25 mpg on the freeway. Why would anyone want anything different?

The original Beetle got piss-poor fuel mileage for the performance and weight (I get 26-27 mpg on the freeway from my 280 hp V8, 3,800 pound Lincoln with the A/C on), was uncomfortable, had a heater that wasn't worth jack, and was a terrible polluter.

Yeah, there's no reason to upgrade from that. Anyone who wants something better must have just been fooled by the auto companies.

ZV

I'm not saying you could keep a design around that long without major updates - obviously it stayed in certain markets for a long time for one reason - initial purchase cost/cost to manufacture.

Given a modern small-displacement engine, suspension, and tires, the beetle could probably be as 'nice' as it's potential competition (the suzuki swift comes to mind).

I guess I overstated things by using the word 'fooled' wrt this car, and I certainly have no trouble believeing it can't beat your lincoln's highway mileage (which itslef isn't very good except for being a powerful engine). But I stand by the position that a lot of change in car models is practised for one reason - to make something newer and make the car you're driving now look older.

 

[Shawn]

My car (Miata) has only been changed once in the 15 years of it's existance........

 

[vshah]

dude its competition. if every car company was like you said, one would start making improvements etc, and the others would look bad. they're constantly trying to one-up each other

-Vivan

 

[LeadMagnet]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
$$$

It's all about the money. Keep making pointless revisions with more gimmicky features, people will keep upgrading every couple of years.

 

[gigapet]

Please do yourself a favor and dont go into business as a profession...

first rule of business, a business is in business in order to........MAKE MONEY

the only reason is Money....built in obscelesence = money