I _hope_ that by average they mean median - the article doesn't really say.
As to reliability, it's not clear to me that newer (post 2010s) vehicles really are better than older ones. Certainly there's a lot of increased complexity (DSGs, CVTs, ubiquitous turbos) and certain parts are increasingly hard to obtain due to reliance on electronics.
The big difference vs. 12 years ago is that general-purpose EVs are available new. With the caveat that they certainly don't cover all use-cases, for commuting/local driving and even longer distance casual driving, they are more than viable, and if you live in a place with sane electricity prices (or produce your own), the cost savings can be massive. This past year I saved $2500 in gas costs (vs. a 30 mpg ICEV at $4.50/gal prices).
As to reliability, it's not clear to me that newer (post 2010s) vehicles really are better than older ones. Certainly there's a lot of increased complexity (DSGs, CVTs, ubiquitous turbos) and certain parts are increasingly hard to obtain due to reliance on electronics.
The big difference vs. 12 years ago is that general-purpose EVs are available new. With the caveat that they certainly don't cover all use-cases, for commuting/local driving and even longer distance casual driving, they are more than viable, and if you live in a place with sane electricity prices (or produce your own), the cost savings can be massive. This past year I saved $2500 in gas costs (vs. a 30 mpg ICEV at $4.50/gal prices).