One area the newer cars generally win out on is interior design, dashboard layout and ergonomics. As much as I loved my old 1999 SX8 Honda City 1.5, I definitely agree that its front footwells could be too restrictive, its switch layout crude, and its driving position imperfect. That's because it's a recycled EF Civic from the late 1980s.

There's a point however where cars can be TOO new, TOO good, TOO pampering. I consider myself a proper driving enthusiast, and I want the feeling of honesty and participation in the act of driving - that there was my own contribution in doing a fast lap time, or just a fun drive through my favorite roads. To that effect, I don't want things like slop in the steering, voodoo in the throttle modulation, or dullness in the suspension's responses. Unfortunately that's where new cars can interfere with the pleasure of driving and reduce it to a task you do with an appliance.

I think cars in the late 1990s were generally the best. They played that blend of new and old, mechanical and cushy quite well - without excessive nannying or isolation. They were modern, but still felt organic.

But that's just me.