The shiny new paint part was nice, too. But the main thing that mattered was that it worked.

This made it worth paying top dollar for the new car. Is it still worth it?

Arguably, no.

Reliability and durability are decreasing; major problems such as total engine failures in brand-new vehicles are becoming alarmingly commonplace. Two recent examples include the wholesale recall of Toyota's new twin-turbo V6 engine – which replaced the durable and reliable V8 Toyota had been selling for decades in models such as the LandCruiser and Tundra pick-up – and the catastrophic failure of GM's 6.2 liter V8 that comes in prestige models such as the Cadillac Escalade SUV.