Aside from the nonsense the author tried to insert about blaming the rising cost of average cars on increased gov regulation (while simultaneously acknowledging that engines that don’t melt down is a good thing), there is an interesting point about people simply buying too much car. The point I take away for this is that we probably need to rethink 6-year car loans.
Well, there *is* some truth to the government regulation part. Stricter safety and efficiency standards require more numerous and complex systems to be engineered and installed in every car. Backup cameras, for example, are required from model year 2018 and onwards. Engineering and installing the cameras, wiring, and displays doesn't come free.
<puts on grumpy old guy hat>And those new displays are leading manufacturers to ruin the ergonomics of their cars. The term "infotainment" needs to die in a fire. HVAC controls should be physical buttons and should in no way require any sort of touch screen to operate. Head units should fit in a single or double DIN form factor, so that when technology inevitably changes, owners can upgrade their sound systems, rather than be stuck with a terribly-designed and outdated system.
The need for backup cameras is at least partially a result of other government regulations--higher fuel efficiency requirements mean that cars are more streamlined, which forces rear windows to be smaller, which reduces backward visibility, and so you need a camera to see behind you. My '95 Corolla, on the other hand, has a comparatively
huge rear window, and I have
excellent rearward visibility. It's glorious!