MEX, reliability between old and new cars has been proven ad nauseam. This is not up for debate nor anecdotal. New cars are an order of magnitude MORE reliable than old one's. AND they continue to get even MORE reliable. I never heard of thousands of parts needed for ECU troubleshooting. Sounds like a hack shop to me. My GM and previous Nissan's only require one portable piece of equipment for ECU code reading AND flashing. Both of those cars could be flashed in the parking lot. KJ, is most correct, parts substitution is long gone. Codes tell me exactly what's wrong with the car and if the description is cryptic, off to the internet I go. I fixed my thermostat and a sensor (both super cheap parts) with a simple code read and forum search (sensor required the search as I didn't know where that sensor was located).
PS - Yes the in tank fuel pump is PITA but cars have been running aftermarket performance in tank fuel pumps for 30 years now. There are SO many cars nowadays that can be modified WELL beyond stock performance its ridiculous. And a lot ot this can STILL be done by guys in their garages. How does a 1000hp 4 cylinder sound to you? There MANY in existence believe it or not. Hot rodding is definitely not dead or even close. IMO, it's better than ever.
