Rust has become almost a non-problem. Reliability is a given.

The internal combustion engine has been refined to near perfection; the huge gains made in the past – from flatheads to overhead valves, from carburetors to fuel injection – are no longer being made.

Hard-starting/stalling, hesitation and surge – these are things which haven't been "features" in new cars for at least 25 years.

All new cars are largely maintenance-free for the first several years of driving. Most will run for 12-15 years before anything major requires repair. This has been true since at least the early 2000s – almost 20 years ago.

It's been hard to buy a new car without standard air conditioning since Bill Clinton was president.

It is not possible today.

Power accessories which were regarded as luxuries once upon a time –  e.g., cruise control, intermittent windshield wipers, climate control AC and electric seats – are commonplace and generally standard equipment in most new cars and have been for at least the past five years.

Power windows and locks are givens.