I doubt most people care much. Things like reliablity and comfort are in the equation. The point comes up in these discussions here but I'm pretty sure most people don't factor more safety into trading in an otherwise functioning car.

>Cars more than about 10-15 years old just aren't as safe as newer ones.

Can you give some examples? The only safety innovation I can think of recently the side airbags. The backup camera, which is a huge improvement to backing up accidents was probably over 15 years ago.

Side cameras, automatic braking, person avoidance, lane keeping?

I had a vehicle with lane keeping and if I were a cop, I'd think I was drunk the way it weaved back and forth. It was a 2017 though, I hope it's improved but it seemed like a gimmick. I've never experienced the others, are they legit safety features, or just stuff to bullet point?

I've turned off lane keeping on my 2023 Audi A4. However, everything else is useful including and especially the passive improvements.

It's not just active stuff - the passive stuff has improved as well (crumple zones for instance): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TikJC0x65X0&t=19s

That's really only true if you consider within the same class or model of car, where the technology has advanced... but old cars are so affordable you can get a much higher end and much safer car. Do you think a 2024 Chevy Trax is safer than a 2012 Audi Q5? Both are compact SUVs but you can buy 3-4 nice condition low mileage Q5s for the price of the Chevy.

Regardless of tech like changes in crumple zone design, you also can't negate the safety benefits of substantially better brakes, handling, driver comfort, and road visibility from a better designed car made with higher end parts and materials.

Whatever you save on the upfront cost of a used Q5 you'll pay on the backend the first time it needs service.

It’s a Volkswagen under the hood. Besides some “performance” components most are going to be exactly the same as a Volkswagen.

Depends on what engine you choose… you can get a base model that has an identical simple and reliable drivetrain to a Jetta or Golf, or some exotic engines that are very costly to maintain- like the V6 TDI.

Maintenance on an older Audi is expensive compared to, say, a Japanese economy car, but you're talking maybe $1k/year to maintain on average, vs $500/mo payments for the cheapest new car.

For the occupants, at least. They might be safer for pedestrians, cyclists, other drivers, etc.