I think that for most people, living with an older range isn't much of a problem. My uncle still has a 1954 Frigidaire RT-38C that a neighbor sold him years ago for $20 when the well used 1963 Moffat range he got from his wife's grandmother started to have problems (minor ones that he didn't care to fix). The RT-38C is a more basic 30" model with 4 regular "5 heat" burners.
One time, I did have to get him a replacement burner support for it (and since the support was newer, I had to file it so it would fit!). He thought his wife had lost the original one while she was cleaning a spill, but recently, he found it below the burners so he has a spare now!
My uncle was born in '59 so the range is 5 years older than he is (and 15 years older than his wife) but he had it for over 15 years now and never needed any repair since. Even the clock still keeps time! He and his wife have been together for 20 years now, they have no kids and aren't heavy users but they already had to replace all the other appliances that they got new at about the same time as they got this range. The White Westinghouse refrigerator that they bought around 1994 gave up recently and so did the Kitchen Aid direct drive washer that they got along with the matching dryer as a wedding present from my grandparents in 1996. If I remember well, he told me the pump started to leak for a second time but he opted to replace the set the second time the washer leaked.
Many old electric ranges in very good condition can be bought for cheap and if you treat them well and don't use them too heavily, they can last years without any problems.
I have often seen the 30" French Door version of the 1956 Imperial like the one above for sale at $50-$100 and even at that price, some looked very clean.
Comparing to many of today's ranges with electronic controls, I'd be more confident to use an old one daily (and that's what I do!). Once the circuit boards or the sensors in newer ranges start to act up, often the parts are already NLA or expensive to repair/replace. On some newer models, the switches, the wiring and the burner connectors aren't very high quality either! Even if you're good at repairing stuff or at replacing relays on a circuit board, then you might as well fix the Speed Heat burner on an old Frigidaire if it acts up!
When looking to buy an old range, it's always a good idea to lift the burners to see the condition of the wiring and how clean it is underneath, and to remove the back panel to see if the wiring has been messed-up or burned or if it looks fine. If the oven elements are the plug-in type, remove them and look at the connectors to see if they are pitted/rusted. Often, the old range for sale sits in a basement or in a garage waiting to be sold and can't be connected for further testing but looking at these things can help making a decision or to negotiate the price (if you feel that's needed)... Like anything used you buy, there's always some risk of getting something that needs repairs and that won't be covered by a warranty but most of us can live with that! Finding a clean-looking, complete and cosmetically nice one at the right price and locally is the best thing.
If you're in a hurry or very selective on the model you want, unless you are lucky, you may have to deal with something more complicated and expensive and not ready to use once it's in your home! That's the positive side of buying brand new appliances, they arrive to your door clean, ready to use and warrantied, sometimes before you had to pay anything!
But I don't care much for that!
I like travelling as much as I can afford it (it's often necessary to get the right thing). I like to meet people, to discover new places and I also like when the appliances I get aren't 100% perfect. That allows me to play with them a bit, search for information and parts, talk to others who might know more about the problems and get advises from them. And after a successful repair, even a small one, it makes me happy and proud of the results even if no one around really cares!
