A mid 00's car likely lacks Bluetooth connectivity, backup camera, forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assistance, other infotainment features, LED headlights, and is probably slower and less efficient than the modern model.
Those things all improve the experience imho.
Yes, a well tuned engine sounds nice. I'll take the instant torque and acceleration of a Tesla instead of engine noise though.
So of those things:
- I love my bluetooth (Plex server at home streams music to the phone which I bluetooth to the car stereo - it's fucking lovely) but that's quite an easy fix spending a few quid on Amazon for a bluetooth to mic input adapter thing
- Backup camera - don't have one and don't need it and I've never hit anything reversing
- Forward collision mitigation? Not sure I follow.. beepers or something? Again, not something I particularly need as I leave safe distances. I drive like an asshole on a track, but like a sensible person on the road.
- Lane keep assistance - never needed it, never had it, I suspect it would just end up being annoying
- infotainment - well my car has satnav but tbh it's a pain in the balls to update, rather use my phone. Indeed most in-car stuff has appalling software.
- LED headlights - Yay I can blind people.
- Less efficient yes but probably not slower. Car speeds outside of the hypercar bracket have plateaued somewhat -car tech has been completely stagnant for a good while outside of in-cockpit toys. In a way I suspect that's what partly pushed the drive to electric, so people actually have a reason to change because of a big change in tech. Honestly I'd be perfectly happy driving a well-maintained car from the 80s.
On the engine sound.. it's not nice, it's a religious experience in the right car.