Weekly Top 3: Reputations Can Be Deceiving
So much of the car-buying process comes down to brand reputation. "Get a Toyota, it's reliable." "If you want something sporty, go with Honda." "American cars are garbage." Bits of conventional wisdom like these can make or break a deal, even though all three statements are outdated and highly misleading.
Automakers have changed a lot in recent years, and it's time for their reputations to catch up. Here's three examples.
3. "Honda is the Japanese BMW."
Nope. Not anymore. Honda used to be an engineer's playhouse, a hotbed of visionary technology and segment-leading driving dynamics. Now, it's simply another mass-marketer of competent cars. Current Hondas drive just fine, but with rare exceptions, they no longer feel special relative to the competition. Mazda and Nissan have eclipsed Honda here.
2. "Japanese cars are more reliable."
Check out our consumer reviews for the current Toyota Camry. 585 people have commented on the 2007 model as of this writing, and a whole bunch of 'em have spoken out about unexpected maintenance issues. How about the Honda Accord? On the 2008 model, a number of people had issues with the rear brakes. Nissans have been spotty since the 1995-'99 Maxima ended its run. The general impression one gets from our consumer reviews is that the Japanese companies aren't making 'em like they used to in the 1990s, when practically any Toyota or Honda was good for 150-200k trouble-free miles. Cars on the whole are more reliable today than ever before, but Japan no longer enjoys a commanding lead in this category.
1. "American cars are more trouble than they're worth."
In the '80s and '90s, this statement was true, but not anymore. To be clear, Chrysler's still got issues, and while I'd give GM an "Improving" grade, it's not quite there yet. But Ford has made an unqualified return to form in terms of both performance and quality, and GM is close enough to merit full consideration from car shoppers. It's a new millennium, folks -- time to update those stereotypes.
Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor
- Posted by
- Josh Sadlier October 9, 2009, 3:00 AM
- Permalink
- Categories:
- Weekly Top 3
"In the '80s and '90s, this statement was true"
I have a hard time with this. Go back and look at the reliability records for family sedans (Taurus, Accord, and Camry). You'll find the Taurus was very reliable. There's a reason it sold so well!
I suppose it depends on which records you look at. :)
Where the American cars got this reputation was in small cars. The Japanese built solid 4cyls, while the Americans built solid 8cylss. Both built pretty good 6cyls.
my 90's Ford Explorer was a POS.
I would agree with this article, just from personal experience.
I agree with all of these statements. What would keep me from buying American at this point is resale value. American cars haven't caught up with the Japanese when it comes to holding their value. Ford and GM are putting out great products. Once they start holding their value like the Japanese cars do, I'd certainly consider purchasing one.
"I have a hard time with this. Go back and look at the reliability records for family sedans (Taurus, Accord, and Camry). You'll find the Taurus was very reliable. There's a reason it sold so well!"
The Taurus did sell well, I'll give you that... but I had a '90 Taurus that my parents bought new that I eventually inherited that was an absolute POS - workmanship was absolutely awful, it squeaked and rattled worse than a '70s Camaro, I could go on what a real piece of "work" that car was.
I also had a '92 Lumina Z34 that was an absolute serviceability nightmare. I'd pull that thing into a GM service bay and watch all the technicians scatter like roaches with the lights turned on.
Then again, I recently had an '07 Camry V6 that had its share of squeaks and rattles, the transmission slipped noticeably when it was cold and it had that dreaded now-infamous slippery floormats.
Traded it in for an '09 Challenger R/T. 15K miles and absolutely zero issues.
jschaffer: "What would keep me from buying American at this point is resale value."
So if someone is looking for a slightly used car, you'd recommend buying American?
yankeez/kingkhalas, sorry to hear about your experiences. It's just as easy to find such experiences with the imports. Btw: We still have a 90's Explorer (variant) and it's built like a tank.
In my mind the American car companies HAVE changed their image from the clunky rustbuckets of the '80s. I would put Ford, at least, on par with the likes of Honda, GM on par with Mitsubishi or Nissan, and Chrysler... Nevermind.
The point is that the American (and Korean, to be fair) automakers have come a long way in the last ten years in improving their build quality and long-term reliability records.
@yankeez "Traded it in for an '09 Challenger R/T. 15K miles and absolutely zero issues."
I also have an '09 Dodge Challenger R/T. While I don't have the number of miles you do, I've owned my car for almost six months. Zero issues. Best car I've ever owned!
I agree with most of the article but Chrysler was given a bad rap. They have really come a long way IMO. And they're getting better.
The problem with the Big 3 is that they've cried Wolf! too many times. They've been telling the public for decades and decades now that their quality and reliability has improved and isn't like it was before.
Why should we believe them now? They lied before. I am certain in a few years we will have proof that they have lied again.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.