It's been my experience that the a car's last small fraction life, much like a person's, are much worse than the preceding by a huge margin. Seals fail, emissi

It's been my experience that the a car's last small fraction life, much like a person's, are much worse than the preceding by a huge margin. Seals fail, emissions management devices wear out, fluids start to leak, it's terrible. Constant repairs with uncertain outcome. It's worse for cars. There's always a scenario where an old car is a perfectly fine alternative, but there are lots of situations where the older car is less safe and emits substantially more than a newer alternative. "Cash 4 Clunkers" was a disgrace, but mobility and ease of access to transportation are a public good and a utility that should be easily available to all, not just those people who can afford a newer car or people who've got a low mileage volvo 240 in the garage for when they want to go camping.