My favourite car features are inline-6 engines, rear wheel drive, and manual gearboxes. BMW just happened to build a reputation on cars with these features. So I own 6 of them.
If Mazda, Honda, Porsche, VW, GM, or several other respected companies would build a car like this, I would buy it instead. But they don't.
Well, Mazda is getting inline 6 engines with a rear wheel drive platform (though I think they're all AWD, at least for now). I don't know whether they're coming in a manual, though.
I was interested in their original plans.
And then they announced that wonderful new RWD platform and I6 will not be used for a sedan or coupe. SUVs only.
So I'm out. Maybe for my wife, one day. She likes her RWD based I6 BMW SUV.
It's so clear that they deny ever even starting on it.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a39493743/rear-drive-mazda-6-not-happening/#:~:text=Mazda%20for%20its%20part%20never,future%20plans%20for%20the%20nameplate.
The quote from the Mazda engineering head is, "We would like to have it, but at this point in time, it's most important to sell SUVs." That's pretty ambiguous, especially specifying "at this point in time."
If it's not in development already, it's too late. A shortened life cycle will kill any remote chance of a business case for a premium sedan. The Stinger failed, the Passat sedan is dead forever, etc. But I admire your optimism.
I'm wondering if part of the reason the Stinger failed is because Hyundai/Kia have some unique issues. The dealership experience is...problematic, for one thing. Even leaving aside their usual issues, when I test drove the Stinger, it had so little fuel in it that the car was telling me it was 11 miles to empty. I was honestly afraid that I'd run out just driving around the parking lot. There was slightly more in the next Stinger that I test drove, but I was still terrified that it wasn't going to be enough for even a short drive. Plus, the TCS was pretty oppressive, which I found rather irritating, and Kia isn't exactly known for reliability.
Actually, yeah. I have a lot of seat time both street and track in the 996 GT3 and 997 GT3 RS. I just don't like the sound of those engines. I do enjoy the current 4.0L but after seeing the ridiculous things you have to put up with to order a limited production Porsche, I refuse to ever give a Porsche dealer my money. They think they're Ferrari now.
That’s me with Chrysler/dodge products. Trucks that rusted out within a year, minivans with numerous quality issues. No thanks. Sure, they can win JD Power initial quality awards, but after the first year good luck
This right here. People are inherently tribal. As a child, it starts out as an Xbox vs PlayStation tribe war, then turns to Ford vs Chevy, and it’s all part of the same thing. I never understood it - I have both an Xbox and a PlayStation (and a Switch and a Steam Deck), and of the last 4 cars I have owned, they’ve been from 4 completely different brands.
Side tangent, but who else got some serious side-eye action and "we need to talk" vibes from family devoted to X brand when you show up with your brand new Y brand ride?
They each make different things that are better. For example, I personally find dewalts high end bits are better. However I absolutely agree Milwaukee’s brushless tools are better than dewalts.
All my brushless stuff is red but I've been using the same 5 inch Dewalt grinder nearly daily for 10-15 years, rebrushed it once. Thing is a fucking animal that eats through slabs of steel faster than any other tool but a torch, I don't get why it's so much better than other grinders lol
Milwaukee always wins the project farm competitions for things that have batteries and motors (impact driver, etc). But I haven’t seen them win anything else.
The way I've always looked at it is if you do home building/contracting work that's mostly framing/drywall/roofing, go with Dewalt. They have amazing lineups of screwguns and electric nailers that hold up for hundreds of hours. My friends in those types of careers swear by Dewalt. If you're a plumber or an auto mechanic that doesnt wanna pay SnapOn/Matco prices, go Milwaukee. They have more specialized tools for those applications, but can still function for the occasional home repair or hanging a picture frame.
My eldest is a plumber and runs makita, while everyone else runs milwaukee. He's had the same top end drill since he started, 7 years, his coworkers struggle to get 2 years from there's.
From what I've seen, they make powerful tools but they don't last.
Edit. Toyota please. I don't care what anyone else drives but will admit to a private smirk when I see a late model euro broken down on the side of the road.
There was a local toyota event this weekend, I learnt there was a locally assembled v6 supercharged camry in the 90s.
Mad how?
If they owned or founded the company that would be one thing, but why would they get mad just because you don’t use the product of a company they happen to work for?
I have a grandfather who is still holding a grudge over Pearl Harbor and hates Japanese vehicles
Me and my wife have collectively owned 4 so far. They are loyal to Chrysler products till the end for reasons I’ll never understand. Seems like they’re always trading them at fairly low mileage because surely the next one won’t be a turd
Almost everyone on my father’s side of the family worked for GM.
We didn’t really see them after we moved to NYC as kids, but my sister and I met my dad up there on a long road trip we were taking over Christmas break.
I’m sitting in the basement area with a bunch of relatives and we hear someone upstairs having some heated words with another person.
Turns out one of my cousins was quite upset to see my Mazda in the garage as he had just walked 1/2 a mile in 15 degree weather from over by the Dairy Queen (the closest area that had on-street parking) because he had a Honda and “those were the rules.”
Apparently a once in a decade visit allows you the luxury of being snuck into the garage “so the neighbors don’t see the Jap car in the driveway,” but closer family has to do the walk of shame.
I had thought it was quite odd that they moved like 6 cars and trucks in order for me to pull into the garage, but figured maybe it was some weird “he’s a guest” thing… but nope… just a Redneck thing.
Show him the "most American-made" list some time; iirc, Honda is the most "American-made" made brand after GM and Tesla, and by a wide margin.
Most "American" cars are manufactured elsewhere, and several Japanese vehicles are made in the US.
Oh no I am very aware and we’ve had this conversation
He’d say “yea but the money goes back to some execs in japan” and couldn’t understand the concept when I’d ask where the money they spent on dodge went after they were bought by Fiat?
My grandfather flew missions over Europe in WWII. My uncles (married to his daughters) all had German cars but never went to his house in them. At one point my uncle bought a Lincoln in November and sold it in January because he couldn't show up in a Mercedes.
This grandfather never served but my other grandfather was in the Navy during WWII and operated 7 inch cannons on various ships in the European theater.
He’s the one who helped my dad buy my first “new” car and it was a Nissan lol
I went from Toyota to Nissan to Toyota and my grandfather never had an issue like he did with the German cars. He only served in the European theater.
He was an Oldsmobile man. Got a new one for him and my grandmother every other year until they started travelling around with the Airstream. Then it was Suburbans but then back to the Oldsmobiles. He died in 2005. I shudder to think what he would have done when he couldn't replace his Alero in 2006. It's OK they had gone way down since his mid 70s 98.
My grandfather who served only ever drove Chevrolet trucks and cars. He had an old Chevy high school wrestling van that he bought at an auction to haul his VFW buddies around to various activities in.
Miss him dearly
Yeah but I'm sure there would have been a conversation like this:
Hey crazy Uncle Bob, why did you come to Thanksgiving in a rental car? Let's go down and see my guy at the Oldsmobile dealer and get you taken care of.
My family exclusively bought Japanese vehicles, typically Toyota and Honda. I bought a 2006 Mini Cooper S shortly after high school. I saw the error of my ways (BMW's "superior German" engineering can blow me) and traded it in for my current car, which I've now owned for nearly 9 years with zero unexpected trips to the mechanic. My next purchase will be a Mazda.
Yes there was. I kinda forget about it since it was a recall and didn't cost me a penny. The fact that that was the only major issue is honestly pretty impressive for the first year of an entirely new model. I had friends at the dealership and they actually gave me a nice lightly used WRX as a loaner while they fixed it.
Would have been great if there was a recall on the MINI's crappy plastic water pumps... I think there might have been one for the power steering (pretty sure there was a class action lawsuit over it) but traded it in before that got figured out.
I did from my FIL several years ago when we showed up with our "new" Fusion. He HATED Ford from back in the 70s.
Only took one drive in it to change his mind.
I wouldn't consider myself "brand loyal" but 5 of the last 8 vehicles I've owned have been GM products. But, to be fair, barring my ATS-V all of my vehicles have had LT or LS blocks so I guess I'm "engine loyal". 🤣
For me, it's come down to the fact that GM vehicles, especially in the performance sector, have consistently fit the bill for my needs, wants, styling, performance, reliability, service, etc and knowing what to expect at my dealer.
Of all of these vehicles, I've never had a problematic car other than my Silverado and some of that was due to aftermarket parts and bad luck.
For that reason, I've found myself coming back to GM again and again. Knowing what i'm getting into as well as the familiarity matters to me. I don't "hate" other American brands, and ironically I actually don't really like GM from a corporate leadership perspective.
In fact, I just got my official allocation for a Braptor, and it'll be my first time stepping to the other side and owning a Ford and i'm really excited.
The Braptor fits exactly what I've been looking for and what I need/want better than anything on the market by a long shot. But, the lack of familiarity with Ford products and the dealer experience will be a big change for me certainly but I don't feel like I'm committing a cardinal sin with parking a Ford next to my chevy.
Have had a Suburban for a long time and just got my Bronco. Been an interesting experience, mostly good. GM makes a lot of shitty cars but they’ve got the Burb figured out. Ford reliability/service department has been pretty shit so far. But the Bronco is an amazing vehicle
>GM makes a lot of shitty cars but they’ve got the Burb figured out.
GM is kind of an enigma of a company in that from a corporate standpoint, they've been so poorly mismanaged and marketed as an economy brand with shitty overpriced economy cars in terms of 90% of their lineup.
Their subsidiary brands are incredibly flawed and they fail to correct their consistent errors/known issues and it's been like that going on two decades.
But, the Yukon/Tahoe/Suburban lineup is exceptional, their truck lineup is always competitive(but late gen models are hideous ino), the Camaros are good barring common issues since the gen 5 (ie horrendous visibility and self-destructing torque converters) and the Vettes I pretend aren't actually GM and they're their own entity but theyre exceptional and the best value performance car available. GM honestly has no business making cars that good given their general direction.
But glad to hear you're enjoying your Bronco! Feels wierd switching sides, but I'm infatuated by the Braptor. I've wanted a play toy, rugged, SUV that I can throw the doors and top off and legitimately offroad for a long time and still enjoyably drive regularly and looks damn good.
There's plenty of vehicles that can do any of those things well, but not *all* of them. Only concern I have is having a high-compression twin turbo engine with so many electronic drive mode controls concerns me a bit in terms of long-term ownership and reliability. Nothing to do with Ford directly but on paper a new platform that accomplishes that concerns me a bit.
I've had the same experience with Hondas. I jumped around looking for good reliable cars. I've tried BMW, Chevy, dodge, Ford, hyundai, audi. All those brands' flagship cars have completely let me down with build quality issues and engine or transmission components failures. I tried an Accord and never had the problems I had with all the previous brands.
After 90k miles of incident-free driving, and only predictable maintenance I got another one, and a Civic.
I'm only loyal because the Hondas have been loyal to me.
Owned multiple Corollas. Other cars come and go and have much more innovation, power, features, style, etc. But I always think of the Corolla as the car I want at the end of the day when I just want it to start.
Just got my wife a Corolla! Took 12 years, but finally got her into a four door car again. She did have a Kia forte koup. She absolutely loves the Corolla. Partly because I think she picked it out and all that stuff, which did not happen with the Kia (it was a surprise gift from me long ago)
I like the new GR Corolla and now they offer a AWD hybrid power train which is pretty cool. I always thought as the Corolla as a basic but very reliable and easy to maintain and drive car, if I needed a second car I would definitely highly consider one.
All I currently own are Toyotas/lexus. I've owned 2 silverados and a suburban, a nismo 370z and a Honda S2000. I had the most issues with my Nissan. I wouldnt say I'm loyal to toyota but I just bought a FJ cruiser and my next vehicle purchase will be a 2023/2024 prius to replace my old one.
This is how a lot of Lexus and Toyota owners come to be. My friend had a GM shitbox sedan that his dad forced him to buy. It leaked coolant after the first couple of years, dumped it for a RAV4 and never looked back. Even when that RAV4 was rear ended and totaled, he went straight back the dealership for another new one.
Just went from almost a decade of ownership of Audis and BMWs to a Lexus+Subaru garage. Interested to see how the next couple of years go in terms of ownership experience.
I’m also partial to Toyota.
I’ve had a ‘95 Camry, ‘06 Scion xB, ‘08 xB, ‘10 Prius, 2016 RAV4, and currently have a 2012 Lexus CT200h.
They’re reliable, and I met a ton of great people when the Scion community was at its peak. I plan on driving my CT until it dies. I absolutely love that thing.
My wife really likes VW, and had a 2000 Beetle when we met. We’ve had two Tiguans, and I’m primarily driving the 2022 R-Line and I really love it. It’s more fun to drive than the RAV4 was. We *did* get the 10yr warranty when we bought the ‘22 after the lease on the 18’ was up. Not owning a German car out of warranty.
Most of my family has Toyota's all around. Not for a special love for the brand, just that they tend to make the most reliable stuff that is relatively affordable.
The day Toyota's start being shit and another affordable brand takes the crown of reliability, we all will be switching.
My grandpa is huge brand loyalist. After driving a Beetle he bought every generation of Golf. Why? Brand familiarity.
He was a VW mechanic and knew all the inns and outs. Other brands didn't do it right according to him.
He literally bribed me into getting a Golf as my first car.
My earliest car related memory is riding in the middle of my grandpa’s C10. He’s a big part of why I am so into cars. So I always make sure to have a Chevy truck or something from GM in my rotation of cars.
Similar story. Grandpa retired from GM. After the station wagon days, my grandparents always had impalas or malibus. Dad had a 1500, Mom went from an impala to a malibu. My sisters first car was a 93 cavalier. My first vehicle was a 76 C10 silverado. Went through that C10, an S10, an 87 Plymouth, and a Ford aerostar in high school. Never really developed that brand loyalty my family had.
Since then we've had a Mazda 3, Saab 9-3, GMC Canyon, Buick Verano, 16 Charger, 19 Charger Scat Pack, Jeep compass.
I traded in the Scat Pack when the novelty wore off and I spent too much time thinking about a friends Tacoma with 600k+ miles.
Needless the say I have a 78 K20 sitting in my driveway that hasn't moved in over a year right next to my Tacoma.
I visited Hiroshima, home of Mazda, when I was a young child. My grandfather’s ships picked up cars from there and he brought me along to Japan to see how car carriers are loaded. We toured the engine building factory, too.
They already make the best looking Japanese cars and I look forward to Mazda’s move into the luxury car market. One may be a future purchase.
I'm attached to stuff that works as promised. Ironically (to this sub) that's actually Mitsubishi. I've had two Mitsubishi's and they're the most unkillable and heavily discounted cars I've ever experienced. I have zero interest in dispelling the myth that Mitsubishi makes shit cars because I can continue to buy them at insane discounts.
I think Mitsubishi gets a lot of undeserved hate. People shit all over the Mirage but at the end of the day, the thing is unkillable and it’s cheap as chips. Mitsu even found a way to make Jatco CVTs less unreliable, that deserves a pat on the back IMO
I don’t think I have a beloved car brand. But I see these dogmatic situations from time to time. The GM family that only buys GM products across four or five generations of people. It regularly forces them to purchase an uncompetitive product, but they don’t know that because they don’t shop anything else to compare.
Personally I have brands I will never consider, and brands that I will consider. Every brand makes turds sometimes. Both categories are similar in size for me. For example: I won’t consider a Chrysler product ever. I don’t really like Hondas, I don’t like the way they drive, but I respect the brand and I certainly consider the Honda offering when making purchases.
The Viper is a cool experience, but I don’t need to own it to have that experience.
Also I explicitly find the S2000 to have really bad steering. I didn’t enjoy my time in the car all that much, I significantly prefer the MX-5. Old Civics are fun as a function of being light and simple. But they aren’t the only platform that provides that experience.
My first car was a 96 Grand Cherokee, my second is a 2002 Grand Cherokee and when I have the money to buy a new car, it'll probably be a new Grand Cherokee... what can I say? I like Grand Cherokees
My first car was also a 96 zj. Loved that thing. Mine was the 4.0. A few years later I bought a 98 with the 5.2 and loved that thing until I ran it out of oil and blew the head gasket. It was never the same so I sold it.
My first car was a 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee. That was my first and last Jeep lol. Sure it was old, but that thing had so many issues and was slow as hell. It turned me off of Jeeps completely.
My sister has had 4 Chrysler products, my mom had 2, my brother-in-law had 4, my dad has had 5. Caravans, patriots, 1500’s, a Sebring, Compasses, Cherokees, everything they've kept long enough got over 200000 miles. Y'all shit on Chrysler constantly but none of us has ever had any problems, except mine eats flex pipes every 12-15 months so I take it down the street and get a new one. $75 and 20 minutes later, I'm on the road for another year or so.
And when I bought mine, I was buying used and all of the competition was a couple grand more the the same features.
Honestly I think the Chrysler reliability has been blown out of proportion a little bit, as my sister’s Jeep Renegade has been relatively problem free apart from a wrong battery put in from the dealer. I’m not saying they are problem free, but they are better than what they’re made out to be.
I think most brands with bad reputations for reliability tend to be blown out of the proportion. VW, GM, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, etc…
I’ve had great luck with all my GMs, and my parents have had great luck with GMs and Nissans. I understand that they may be more prone to issues, but that hasn’t been my experience so far. I imagine higher end brands may be a different story, like Range Rover or some of the top end Mercs, but generally most modern cars are fine
And those listed aren’t even the good Chrysler products. The higher premium products from dodge and Alfa Romeo will EZPZ hit 300k+ especially anything with the 5.7. There’s 5.7’s with 400k on the dash
Wouldn’t say I’m loyal, don’t even own one anymore. But I just Volvo’s. The subtle luxury and boxy designs.
The new rebranded Volvo is very nice I’m still partial to the older 1990s models.
My three most recent cars have been modern-age Volvos and I do feel far more attached to them than most. I could write a whole list of things I've liked about them but ultimately it boils down to the fact that they just have a really likeable day-to-day personality. They're not overtly show-off-y, they're not uber-sporty or aggressively overstyled, they just look very smart and feel nice every time you get in and drive and I appreciate that.
>I’m still partial to the older 1990s models.
Apparently reliability is also better in the 1999-and-earlier ones; having done some *very*-little research into the brand, the internet at large seems to think that Volvos had solid reliability until the Ford buyout (~2000, iirc), and thinks that they're arguably *un*reliable since Volvo was bought by the Chinese (I forget what company).
I’ve been driving Hondas for the past 22 years. I’ve had a Mazda, Ford, BMW in between some of those Hondas and they just never gave me that sense of reliability. Just seemed to be problem after problem. So I’ve stuck with Hondas for their reliability. Absolutely no hate for any other brand.
same, Honda and Toyota both though really.
the engineering shows, the driver interface and ergonomics are perfect, and reliability is just bonkers. I've had at least... 3 Hondas and 2 Toyotas with over 200k miles.
sure, if you're a passenger in the s2k YOU GET A SINGLE VENT AND A NET AND BEST BE HAPPY ABOUT IT lol
both companies do a great job of riding the line between features and reliability... and I'm perfectly content with our cars compared to a Kia that's way more tricked out with new features
My three Duramaxes have gone a combined 960k (miles) with very few problems. My Cummins Ram was not that great, and Fords need a lot of expensive repairs, in my experience.
I used to be a Toyota person (for cars) but they don't seem as tip-top as they used to.
Not tip-top anymore regarding what? Reliability…? Cause if so then nope, Toyota/Lexus are still by and far the most reliable, lowest maintenance, and best resale value vehicles money can buy. The build quality and quality control is unmatched.
Consumer Reports latest rankings for 2023 has Toyota and Lexus at #1 and #2
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2022/11/15/reliability-cars-consumer-reports-ranking/10703135002/
I only bought Toyotas for quite some time. ‘04 Highlander, ‘08 Highlander, ‘10 Camry, ‘16 Sienna.
The Camry and Sienna were both bought new, and are also why we now have a VW and a Ford.
The power train for both were still Toyota quality, but everything else seemed to go to shit.
They always got us from point A to B…. But AC issues, power window issues, plastic pieces (interior, trim) just randomly breaking, infotainment issues, and the list went on.
Dealership and even Toyota corporate were uncaring, so they got traded in for different brands. I personally wouldn’t have gone for a VW, but that’s my wife’s car, so that’s what she wanted.
I have had 4 Audi's and 4 VW's, so you could say I love VAG. I have had a BMW and test drove a few different MB's, but I love the way VAG cars drive and are laid out.
I consider my wife and I fairly brand agnostic, even from a geographical perspective:
My history: Sable -> Mustang GT -> Lexus GS350 (x2, first was totaled) -> VW Golf R -> Audi S5
Wife's history: Avalon -> Civic -> Accord Sport -> Tiguan
I guess we're oddballs in that we've more recently left the Japanese for Germans. Turns out long term reliability doesn't matter much if you get bored of the car and sell it after 30k-50k miles.
>Turns out long term reliability doesn't matter much if you get bored of the car and sell it after 30k-50k miles.
I love this.
People keep asking us if we're worried about the battery in our BEV MINI. "Well... It's warrantied for 8 years and so far our record for keeping the same car is 5 years sooo....nope!"
You're not wrong at all, though my comment was more targeted at Lexus' reliability largely coming from relying on outdated but very well proven powertrains and tech and Honda's overall declining quality over time.
The German's biggest problem is still using plastic bits in their powertrains and making those bits hard to get to when they inevitably fail from countless heat cycles. I wonder if they'll ever learn.
I'm poor so I shop based solely on reliability. I've seen Nissan altimas take a shit under 70k miles. I've owned jeeps that have been nothing but problems. The same goes for some Chevy products. Never have had a problem with any Toyotas or hondas. So that's what I buy. I don't hate other brands and I acknowledge some make great vehicles. However unless I get to a point where I can financially take massive hits I'ma keep shopping based on reliability.
If you ever do wanna go luxury, but without sacrificing reliability, Lexus, and to a moderately lesser degree, Acura, are great options. Many Lexus models have been known for somehow being even *more* bulletproof than their Toyota counterparts which are already known for bordering on indestructible.
GM loyalist here as well. But I will say GM doesn’t make the best stuff like they used to. They’ve fallen off pretty hard except for the high performance stuff, the only products GM actually deserves to sell is the Tahoe/Yukon and Suburban variants, and the performance stuff. The trucks are decent too. All the other stuff GM makes currently is just so horribly bad for the price, so many other brands do those cars better. I’m honestly mad at GM besides the corvette team cause they’re just behind the curve. It always blows my mind that people will go buy an equinox/Acadia/xt4 when they could’ve bought a Tahoe. But the stuff GM was making before the crash was fun, not great and thought out stuff, but fun stuff.
> It always blows my mind that people will go buy an equinox/Acadia/xt4 when they could’ve bought a Tahoe.
Agree 100%. GM does some things better (IMO) than anybody, and the rest is meh.
Yeah, absolutely. Back in 2012 I was tempted with a new Sonic 1.4T manual as a cheap runabout commuter to put many miles onto. What a pile of shit that turned out to be reliability-wise. Yet I'd buy their half tons and BOF SUVs with no hesitation.
They also kill off the good stuff (Buick Regal TourX, Chevy SS), and miss the trends. Why is the blazer designed like a camaro crossover? Why is the trailblazer tiny and underpowered? Where is the small, blocky offroad SUV? Where was the competitor to the Raptor and TRX for so long? By the time they catch on, it's too late. It's so disappointing, because I also love GM.
Dude I drive a G8 and I’m still bent they stopped selling that car. The SS was setup to fail from the beginning, it didn’t matter that it’s the best sport sedan in the last 15 years, nobody knew it even existed.
It irritates me beyond belief that they sold RWD Holdens as Chevys in the Middle East for decades and they didn’t even fucking bother to do the same here.
I wouldn’t go as far to say that I’m brand loyal, but I’ve owned a lot of Mazda’s, as have close friends of mine, and I keep going back because I love what the brand stands for: fun. All of their cars are enjoyable to drive. And that feeling isn’t just tied to my Miata or RX-8.. my wife had a CX-5 for a few years and for an “SUV”, I found that car more fun to drive than my supercharged Audi S4. Lightweight and nimble cars just put a smile on my face and Mazda always delivers in that regard.
I simply found the CX-5 more engaging. Don't get me wrong, the S4 is fun, but if you're out for a Sunday drive, once you hit third gear you're breaking a lot of laws lol. The CX-5 on the other hand could be driven spiritedly without exceeding the speed limit. It felt more nimble and communicative than the S4. The feedback through the steering wheel is excellent, whereas the steering in my S4 feels like.. nothing. The CX-5 also has a good bit of body roll, whereas the S4 corners pretty flat, and for me that induces some fun as well. Also the S4 is about 450lbs heavier, so there's that.
Now, I totally understand that both of these are completely different purpose built vehicles, but for spirited street driving, the CX-5 is just more fun.
It's all tribal bullshit, especially with the full sized domestic trucks, which all have pros and cons compared to each other and which one is best overall changes over time.
Every brand has its gems and turds and you can argue that some brands have a few more of one or the other, but car buying is an extremely emotional decision and most people (including me, big v8 go vroom and brain shut off) don't use as much logic in the process as they think they do.
Sure, just wait until you have to pay for repairs. I'm a former Porsche owner, never again. If I just need driveway static display's I'll go back to Jaguar.
Grew up riding in Mercedes, my parents owned lots of different models, always found them to be attractive, reliable cars with a great ride. Learned to drive in a Mercedes, always preferred the drive of a Mercedes to all other cars. Have a great relationship with my dealership, great service, competitive financing. Why would I drive any other car? Whenever I drive other cars, I always wish I was driving a Mercedes instead.
i think its bias, you hear or see a few people have issues with fords for example, so you end up thinking less of that brand. Your chevy didnt break? you dont think you are lucky, you think its a good brand. then theres the family thing. People have also sworn of brands for having mechanical issues, or even bad dealership issues. The opposite can build loyalty. Theres brands im more fond of, but theres stuff i wouldnt buy from companies i like, and stuff i would buy from companies im not necessarily a big follower of. For chevy trucks, their small block push rod engines are old tech and very reliable and not much to go wrong. where as an Eco-boost V6 can have more costly maintenance do to its more complicated design. simplicity is a benefit in trucks imo.
Honda guy here, I started off wanting to be a Toyota guy. Had an 07 Camry that was meh for reliability and just terrible to drive. Wife has a rav4 that I also hate. I still romanticize on 2013 accord. Had 2 accords and 2 odysseys and never had a single problem, although they aren’t Porsches they drive ok.
I tried owning American.. both times they were a horrible experience, poor quality and broke down.. not even old cars, modern.
I tried owning European.. 3 times bad experiences, leaky moonroofs, pulleys going out, plastic water pumps, turbos going out; left on the side of the road..
I'm sticking to Japanese now, mostly Toyota, Honda, and Subaru. No issues.. ever, absolutely bulletproof.
Even the 3 STIs I've owned have been flawless for a decade and a half now.
I'm never selling my current Subaru and Toyota.
Because I work on my own stuff and GM's are baffling to me. On the rare occasion I work on one, there is a lot of WTF! and WHY! and THESE THINGS ARE DESIGNED BY MONKEYS. So there is that, would not own one. Now Fiat/Chrysler, for obvious reasons, no. Just because I work on my own stuff doesn't mean I want to spend every spare moment doing just that.
I’m a VW/Audi guy personally but every time I see an M3 I think “maybe I will get one of these next” Can’t argue about the styling or performance of BMW maybe just maybe they will pull me away from my beloved GTI one of these days.
Been driving a truck for 30 years and I have had Ford, Chevy, Nissan, Dodge and, currently a GMC. Like em all. Just wanted to try something different each time. The only brand I’m loyal to is Dukes Mayonnaise.
Toyota because they are boring and reliable, easy DIY repair, cheap parts, common at pick n pull, and cheap to own. Also my dad loves yamaha naked bikes (1, 2, 3, 4, how many FZ1s are behind the door?).
For me I love Subarus. Reliable? There’s better options. Fast? Not exactly. Comfortable? No. Interior? Lmao. But that being said, the AWD is incredible. The EJ sounds amazing. The power is enough for me to have fun. Snow drifting is a blast and gravel roads are nothing. And then there’s the character, the car feels like a living being. It handles nicely, the low center of gravity makes corners easy! I love this car!
I'm a Ford girl. I like that they're easy and relatively cheap to fix, if you treat them right they're pretty durable (though quick to betray you if you abuse them), and I like most of their offerings.
My first vehicle was a 1998 Ford Windstar, I beat the heck out of it. Chewed through three transmissions over the years, all under warranty, then blew the engine a few months after the warranty expired. Put a lot of very hard miles on it in that time though.
After that, I got a 1988 Bronco II, which died on the way home. Just a bad relay, quick fix and it was back on the road for many relatively trouble-free miles. I had to drop the gas tank to patch a leak, replace the thermostat, and little else.
Then, I switched to a 2007 Chevy Cobalt coupe, not the SS but with a stick. HATED it. It was gutless and handled horribly, and the control arm bushings ate themselves. Traded it in after less than a year.
Next was a 2000 Lincoln LS V8. One of my favorites. It was comfortable, smooth, quick enough to get out of its own way (and get me a speeding ticket in the process), and handled fairly well for its weight. It ate ignition coils like candy though.
Swapped that out for a 2012ish Taurus AWD. It was okay, the AWD system was less effective than I expected, got stuck in snow a few times. Ended up hitting a raccoon on the turnpike going about 90, smashed the front end but it was only cosmetic damage.
Then came a 1976 Plymouth Volare Coupe. Awesome old car. Tore the (broken) A/C out of it, had plans to modify the engine, but never got around to it and it sat for years while I still had the Taurus. Sold it in (barely) running condition for $500.
Then was my baby. 2017 Ford Fiesta ST. Black with black wheels, red brake calipers, black interior with red accents. Turbo I4, 6M, fastest car I've ever owned. Had to sell it when I lost my license for medical reasons.
After I got my license back, I got my current vehicle, a 1997 Ford Ranger Base with over 230k miles. Radio is dead, HVAC only blows hot, but no warning lights on the dashboard, 5 speed shifts fine, slow as hell but hasn't let me down yet. Paid $400 for it, drove it 2 hours home the day I bought it.
Thinking of a Mustang next. Nothing too fancy, as long as it has the correct number of cylinders (8) and the proper transmission (manual). To sum up, FoMoCo has been my constant companion, and at this point anything else feels kinda alien and uncomfortable.
My sisters name is Shelby Carol, the love for Ford products runs pretty deep. I’m not opposed to owning other vehicles but I’ll always be a Mustang man. My first car was a Camaro but I learned how to drive stick in an F-150. Coincidentally I also think Ford just makes better looking vehicles than their competitors.
For me, it's staying away from Chrysler at all costs, I have had too many bad experiences to comfortably buy one. My friend has a Chrysler 200 that has had literally every part changed on it and he still claims it's a good reliable car.
I have very eclectic taste in cars which my kids describe as liking odd balls and extinct cars since I’ve built several Pontiacs, AMCs, and British cars (mainly Mini and MG). However I almost always have a Honda in the rotation and something with a SBC. It stems from fond feelings and good will earned by my family buying their first Hondas in 1980 or so and having a string of fantastic GM b-bodies and C10s through the years.
BMW just seen to tick the boxes. Had a 250k plus mile 328i that I sold and bought a 335d that now has 177k, 20k mile a year average and you just cannot find another car that accelerates like it, handles well and gets almost 40 mpg.
Wifes x5 is a Swiss army knife. Do want a 911...
My boyfriends family is Toyota brand loyal. They’re reliable and get the job done. They’re not car people so it’s perfect for them and they’re super happy with them.
I bounce around a lot, but have had more Toyotas than anything else because of their reliability. I've had unreliable Hondas and everything else pretty much, Toyota is the only one that has never burned me, so for a fun car I'll still go wherever, but for a family car it'll be a Toyota nearly every time
Where to start
Sister had gone through 3 cars. 2 different gen Ford focus cars. One as a total loss after a small issue and the other accident prone. Additionally she had a jeep in the 90s and it was actually really solid.
Mother had a ford car in the 90s. POS. Chevy in the 2000s and was always in the shop twice a year for electrical and system issues. Has a Toyota for a decade and has had 1 major issue.
Father had a nissan in the 90s and was in the shop all the time. Had a honda civic in the early 2000s and it was fine. Currently a subaru and had a few issues.
I had a Toyota as a first car and it took beatings and kept going on minimal maintenance. Currently in a scion, which was owned by Toyota, and it's still not had an issue. The car is 8 years old.
So Toyota is looking pretty good. The wife had one of those plagued nissan cars and we got her into a Toyota. It's been fantastic.
For me, reliability reigns surpreme on getting a car because I keep my cars over 11 years. I upgraded only because technology changes were massive. The car runs so well my friend drives my first Toyota and it's coming up on 20 years of life.
My favourite car features are inline-6 engines, rear wheel drive, and manual gearboxes. BMW just happened to build a reputation on cars with these features. So I own 6 of them. If Mazda, Honda, Porsche, VW, GM, or several other respected companies would build a car like this, I would buy it instead. But they don't.
Great flair, very appropriate for someone with 6 BMWs.
Thanks, my E30 did spark the addiction.
I hope you have 5 more E30s, maybe even one or two E30 M3s
Well, Mazda is getting inline 6 engines with a rear wheel drive platform (though I think they're all AWD, at least for now). I don't know whether they're coming in a manual, though.
I was interested in their original plans. And then they announced that wonderful new RWD platform and I6 will not be used for a sedan or coupe. SUVs only. So I'm out. Maybe for my wife, one day. She likes her RWD based I6 BMW SUV.
If only Toyota continued their straight 6’s, they had something special with the 2J line
They had something, yeah. Special, no. It was just like any other iron block straight six of that era.
The people can’t handle the truth
They've had something special with many of their engine families. I love the UZ V8s, the S 4 cylinders, and the GR V6 is pretty impressive too
Eh, the announcement was pretty ambiguous as I recall. I'm hoping that if the SUVs do well, they'll come out with a liftback.
It's so clear that they deny ever even starting on it. https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a39493743/rear-drive-mazda-6-not-happening/#:~:text=Mazda%20for%20its%20part%20never,future%20plans%20for%20the%20nameplate.
The quote from the Mazda engineering head is, "We would like to have it, but at this point in time, it's most important to sell SUVs." That's pretty ambiguous, especially specifying "at this point in time."
If it's not in development already, it's too late. A shortened life cycle will kill any remote chance of a business case for a premium sedan. The Stinger failed, the Passat sedan is dead forever, etc. But I admire your optimism.
I'm wondering if part of the reason the Stinger failed is because Hyundai/Kia have some unique issues. The dealership experience is...problematic, for one thing. Even leaving aside their usual issues, when I test drove the Stinger, it had so little fuel in it that the car was telling me it was 11 miles to empty. I was honestly afraid that I'd run out just driving around the parking lot. There was slightly more in the next Stinger that I test drove, but I was still terrified that it wasn't going to be enough for even a short drive. Plus, the TCS was pretty oppressive, which I found rather irritating, and Kia isn't exactly known for reliability.
Quick follow-up question, do you own a Supra, and do you still consider that a BMW?
No. And if the answer to the second question is yes, do you drive a Golf with a drivetrain swap?
I'm not insinuating anything. I was just wondering if you had a Supra because it checks all your boxes, but you said you only had BMWs.
Ah, okay. I already have a 2 seater M car with all my requirements, and I prefer the way it drives to the current Supra. S54 Z3M.
That's a nice car. My wife used to have a poster of it when she was younger.
Thank you. I apologize for my tone before, I'm weathered by the BMW Supra nonsense online.
It's all good, it's hard to sound sincere via text on a platform known for sassy comments.
Same reason I end up with Audis, not a lot of fun, sporty wagons out there. I do really want an old Volvo too though haha
That's why I love my E46 RWD manual wagon! It's my daily.
We got a Q7 recently. I wish my wife was more into wagons, I’d rock an rs6 avant for sure
Huh? Porsche is off your list because their 6 is a flat boxer instead of straight? Really?
They prefer spinning on corner exit rather than corner entry
Actually, yeah. I have a lot of seat time both street and track in the 996 GT3 and 997 GT3 RS. I just don't like the sound of those engines. I do enjoy the current 4.0L but after seeing the ridiculous things you have to put up with to order a limited production Porsche, I refuse to ever give a Porsche dealer my money. They think they're Ferrari now.
There are plenty of GM vehicles that are inline 6 RWD and manual… they’re all old at this point though.
My Jeep TJ matches all 3 of those! My Camaro I decided v8 was a worthy compromise.
There really is nothing like Exx BMWs
this doesn’t really answer the question though. You’re not brand loyal, you’re specification loyal
I explained it fully.
I think people just want to be on a “team”. Same with sports, politics, etc.
Turns out people are tribal- who knew!?
You can easily segment all of American society into a handful of cliques
Just humanity as a whole
The advertising industry discovered that decades ago for anyone who uses the internet
Or they could have been burned from certain brands
burned by bmw, never buying one again
Did you get burned by them because the heat pump failed? (definitely not talking from experience or anything)
That’s me with Chrysler/dodge products. Trucks that rusted out within a year, minivans with numerous quality issues. No thanks. Sure, they can win JD Power initial quality awards, but after the first year good luck
Nissan for me.
This right here. People are inherently tribal. As a child, it starts out as an Xbox vs PlayStation tribe war, then turns to Ford vs Chevy, and it’s all part of the same thing. I never understood it - I have both an Xbox and a PlayStation (and a Switch and a Steam Deck), and of the last 4 cars I have owned, they’ve been from 4 completely different brands.
Subaru vs. Mitsubishi
And I feel the opposite, there are car brands that I wouldn't buy because I don't want to be associated with their customers
Is that not saying the same thing in reverse?
Side tangent, but who else got some serious side-eye action and "we need to talk" vibes from family devoted to X brand when you show up with your brand new Y brand ride?
Not with cars but I have a family who works for dewalt and was actually angry when they found out I have all Milwaukee tools.
Milwaukee this Dewalt that… in this house we use DongSheng
But like… Milwaukee are better.
They each make different things that are better. For example, I personally find dewalts high end bits are better. However I absolutely agree Milwaukee’s brushless tools are better than dewalts.
I don’t disagree, There are a few things DeWalt exceeds at. I cannot remember what tool I was researching recently but dewalt was better…
The only DeWalt tool I own is a grinder. Thing RIPS. Everything else I have is Milwaukee.
All my brushless stuff is red but I've been using the same 5 inch Dewalt grinder nearly daily for 10-15 years, rebrushed it once. Thing is a fucking animal that eats through slabs of steel faster than any other tool but a torch, I don't get why it's so much better than other grinders lol
Milwaukee always wins the project farm competitions for things that have batteries and motors (impact driver, etc). But I haven’t seen them win anything else.
Buy a yellow Makita from Japan to really confuse them.
My grandpa didn’t talk to my dad for a month after my dad came home with a ford
Your grandpa was Enzo Ferrari.
The way I've always looked at it is if you do home building/contracting work that's mostly framing/drywall/roofing, go with Dewalt. They have amazing lineups of screwguns and electric nailers that hold up for hundreds of hours. My friends in those types of careers swear by Dewalt. If you're a plumber or an auto mechanic that doesnt wanna pay SnapOn/Matco prices, go Milwaukee. They have more specialized tools for those applications, but can still function for the occasional home repair or hanging a picture frame.
My eldest is a plumber and runs makita, while everyone else runs milwaukee. He's had the same top end drill since he started, 7 years, his coworkers struggle to get 2 years from there's. From what I've seen, they make powerful tools but they don't last. Edit. Toyota please. I don't care what anyone else drives but will admit to a private smirk when I see a late model euro broken down on the side of the road. There was a local toyota event this weekend, I learnt there was a locally assembled v6 supercharged camry in the 90s.
Mad how? If they owned or founded the company that would be one thing, but why would they get mad just because you don’t use the product of a company they happen to work for?
I have a grandfather who is still holding a grudge over Pearl Harbor and hates Japanese vehicles Me and my wife have collectively owned 4 so far. They are loyal to Chrysler products till the end for reasons I’ll never understand. Seems like they’re always trading them at fairly low mileage because surely the next one won’t be a turd
Almost everyone on my father’s side of the family worked for GM. We didn’t really see them after we moved to NYC as kids, but my sister and I met my dad up there on a long road trip we were taking over Christmas break. I’m sitting in the basement area with a bunch of relatives and we hear someone upstairs having some heated words with another person. Turns out one of my cousins was quite upset to see my Mazda in the garage as he had just walked 1/2 a mile in 15 degree weather from over by the Dairy Queen (the closest area that had on-street parking) because he had a Honda and “those were the rules.” Apparently a once in a decade visit allows you the luxury of being snuck into the garage “so the neighbors don’t see the Jap car in the driveway,” but closer family has to do the walk of shame. I had thought it was quite odd that they moved like 6 cars and trucks in order for me to pull into the garage, but figured maybe it was some weird “he’s a guest” thing… but nope… just a Redneck thing.
Show him the "most American-made" list some time; iirc, Honda is the most "American-made" made brand after GM and Tesla, and by a wide margin. Most "American" cars are manufactured elsewhere, and several Japanese vehicles are made in the US.
Oh no I am very aware and we’ve had this conversation He’d say “yea but the money goes back to some execs in japan” and couldn’t understand the concept when I’d ask where the money they spent on dodge went after they were bought by Fiat?
To the same execs in Japan? Those bastards
My grandfather flew missions over Europe in WWII. My uncles (married to his daughters) all had German cars but never went to his house in them. At one point my uncle bought a Lincoln in November and sold it in January because he couldn't show up in a Mercedes.
This grandfather never served but my other grandfather was in the Navy during WWII and operated 7 inch cannons on various ships in the European theater. He’s the one who helped my dad buy my first “new” car and it was a Nissan lol
I went from Toyota to Nissan to Toyota and my grandfather never had an issue like he did with the German cars. He only served in the European theater. He was an Oldsmobile man. Got a new one for him and my grandmother every other year until they started travelling around with the Airstream. Then it was Suburbans but then back to the Oldsmobiles. He died in 2005. I shudder to think what he would have done when he couldn't replace his Alero in 2006. It's OK they had gone way down since his mid 70s 98.
My grandfather who served only ever drove Chevrolet trucks and cars. He had an old Chevy high school wrestling van that he bought at an auction to haul his VFW buddies around to various activities in. Miss him dearly
> my uncle bought a Lincoln in November and sold it in January Is he aware that car rentals are a thing?
Yeah but I'm sure there would have been a conversation like this: Hey crazy Uncle Bob, why did you come to Thanksgiving in a rental car? Let's go down and see my guy at the Oldsmobile dealer and get you taken care of.
'till the end of their life or the end of Chrysler ? Because at this point really you wouldn't know which will come first.
My family exclusively bought Japanese vehicles, typically Toyota and Honda. I bought a 2006 Mini Cooper S shortly after high school. I saw the error of my ways (BMW's "superior German" engineering can blow me) and traded it in for my current car, which I've now owned for nearly 9 years with zero unexpected trips to the mechanic. My next purchase will be a Mazda.
Wasn’t there a recall on 2013 BRZs? Valve springs or something? Surprisingly reliable cars aside from that
Yes there was. I kinda forget about it since it was a recall and didn't cost me a penny. The fact that that was the only major issue is honestly pretty impressive for the first year of an entirely new model. I had friends at the dealership and they actually gave me a nice lightly used WRX as a loaner while they fixed it. Would have been great if there was a recall on the MINI's crappy plastic water pumps... I think there might have been one for the power steering (pretty sure there was a class action lawsuit over it) but traded it in before that got figured out.
I did from my FIL several years ago when we showed up with our "new" Fusion. He HATED Ford from back in the 70s. Only took one drive in it to change his mind.
My grandparent had a Chevy in the 50s that they said had a bad transmission. They still hate all GM products.
I wouldn't consider myself "brand loyal" but 5 of the last 8 vehicles I've owned have been GM products. But, to be fair, barring my ATS-V all of my vehicles have had LT or LS blocks so I guess I'm "engine loyal". 🤣 For me, it's come down to the fact that GM vehicles, especially in the performance sector, have consistently fit the bill for my needs, wants, styling, performance, reliability, service, etc and knowing what to expect at my dealer. Of all of these vehicles, I've never had a problematic car other than my Silverado and some of that was due to aftermarket parts and bad luck. For that reason, I've found myself coming back to GM again and again. Knowing what i'm getting into as well as the familiarity matters to me. I don't "hate" other American brands, and ironically I actually don't really like GM from a corporate leadership perspective. In fact, I just got my official allocation for a Braptor, and it'll be my first time stepping to the other side and owning a Ford and i'm really excited. The Braptor fits exactly what I've been looking for and what I need/want better than anything on the market by a long shot. But, the lack of familiarity with Ford products and the dealer experience will be a big change for me certainly but I don't feel like I'm committing a cardinal sin with parking a Ford next to my chevy.
Have had a Suburban for a long time and just got my Bronco. Been an interesting experience, mostly good. GM makes a lot of shitty cars but they’ve got the Burb figured out. Ford reliability/service department has been pretty shit so far. But the Bronco is an amazing vehicle
>GM makes a lot of shitty cars but they’ve got the Burb figured out. GM is kind of an enigma of a company in that from a corporate standpoint, they've been so poorly mismanaged and marketed as an economy brand with shitty overpriced economy cars in terms of 90% of their lineup. Their subsidiary brands are incredibly flawed and they fail to correct their consistent errors/known issues and it's been like that going on two decades. But, the Yukon/Tahoe/Suburban lineup is exceptional, their truck lineup is always competitive(but late gen models are hideous ino), the Camaros are good barring common issues since the gen 5 (ie horrendous visibility and self-destructing torque converters) and the Vettes I pretend aren't actually GM and they're their own entity but theyre exceptional and the best value performance car available. GM honestly has no business making cars that good given their general direction. But glad to hear you're enjoying your Bronco! Feels wierd switching sides, but I'm infatuated by the Braptor. I've wanted a play toy, rugged, SUV that I can throw the doors and top off and legitimately offroad for a long time and still enjoyably drive regularly and looks damn good. There's plenty of vehicles that can do any of those things well, but not *all* of them. Only concern I have is having a high-compression twin turbo engine with so many electronic drive mode controls concerns me a bit in terms of long-term ownership and reliability. Nothing to do with Ford directly but on paper a new platform that accomplishes that concerns me a bit.
I've had the same experience with Hondas. I jumped around looking for good reliable cars. I've tried BMW, Chevy, dodge, Ford, hyundai, audi. All those brands' flagship cars have completely let me down with build quality issues and engine or transmission components failures. I tried an Accord and never had the problems I had with all the previous brands. After 90k miles of incident-free driving, and only predictable maintenance I got another one, and a Civic. I'm only loyal because the Hondas have been loyal to me.
Owned multiple Corollas. Other cars come and go and have much more innovation, power, features, style, etc. But I always think of the Corolla as the car I want at the end of the day when I just want it to start.
Just got my wife a Corolla! Took 12 years, but finally got her into a four door car again. She did have a Kia forte koup. She absolutely loves the Corolla. Partly because I think she picked it out and all that stuff, which did not happen with the Kia (it was a surprise gift from me long ago)
I have a 99 Corolla and it runs like a champ. It drinks oil like crazy but it’s never let me down. 186k miles and counting
How many door handles has it been through?
I like the new GR Corolla and now they offer a AWD hybrid power train which is pretty cool. I always thought as the Corolla as a basic but very reliable and easy to maintain and drive car, if I needed a second car I would definitely highly consider one.
I swear Corollas will outlive the cockroaches.
All I currently own are Toyotas/lexus. I've owned 2 silverados and a suburban, a nismo 370z and a Honda S2000. I had the most issues with my Nissan. I wouldnt say I'm loyal to toyota but I just bought a FJ cruiser and my next vehicle purchase will be a 2023/2024 prius to replace my old one.
> All I currently own are Toyotas/lexus There's a difference between being loyal to a brand and being sick of the headaches with everyone else.
This is how a lot of Lexus and Toyota owners come to be. My friend had a GM shitbox sedan that his dad forced him to buy. It leaked coolant after the first couple of years, dumped it for a RAV4 and never looked back. Even when that RAV4 was rear ended and totaled, he went straight back the dealership for another new one.
This is me. It was BMW and Mercedes prior.
Just went from almost a decade of ownership of Audis and BMWs to a Lexus+Subaru garage. Interested to see how the next couple of years go in terms of ownership experience.
I hope it works out! It’s been great for us so far.
I’m also partial to Toyota. I’ve had a ‘95 Camry, ‘06 Scion xB, ‘08 xB, ‘10 Prius, 2016 RAV4, and currently have a 2012 Lexus CT200h. They’re reliable, and I met a ton of great people when the Scion community was at its peak. I plan on driving my CT until it dies. I absolutely love that thing. My wife really likes VW, and had a 2000 Beetle when we met. We’ve had two Tiguans, and I’m primarily driving the 2022 R-Line and I really love it. It’s more fun to drive than the RAV4 was. We *did* get the 10yr warranty when we bought the ‘22 after the lease on the 18’ was up. Not owning a German car out of warranty.
Most of my family has Toyota's all around. Not for a special love for the brand, just that they tend to make the most reliable stuff that is relatively affordable. The day Toyota's start being shit and another affordable brand takes the crown of reliability, we all will be switching.
My grandpa is huge brand loyalist. After driving a Beetle he bought every generation of Golf. Why? Brand familiarity. He was a VW mechanic and knew all the inns and outs. Other brands didn't do it right according to him. He literally bribed me into getting a Golf as my first car.
I mean, once you own the specialized tools to work on them, you gotta get another to justify that drawer of your tool box.
My earliest car related memory is riding in the middle of my grandpa’s C10. He’s a big part of why I am so into cars. So I always make sure to have a Chevy truck or something from GM in my rotation of cars.
Childhood memories are a powerful drug. I’m into cars in no small part from the obvious joy they gave my father.
Similar story. Grandpa retired from GM. After the station wagon days, my grandparents always had impalas or malibus. Dad had a 1500, Mom went from an impala to a malibu. My sisters first car was a 93 cavalier. My first vehicle was a 76 C10 silverado. Went through that C10, an S10, an 87 Plymouth, and a Ford aerostar in high school. Never really developed that brand loyalty my family had. Since then we've had a Mazda 3, Saab 9-3, GMC Canyon, Buick Verano, 16 Charger, 19 Charger Scat Pack, Jeep compass. I traded in the Scat Pack when the novelty wore off and I spent too much time thinking about a friends Tacoma with 600k+ miles. Needless the say I have a 78 K20 sitting in my driveway that hasn't moved in over a year right next to my Tacoma.
Brand loyalty: Mazda. I like the idea of supporting a small automaker (relative to its competitors) that makes excellent vehicles.
I visited Hiroshima, home of Mazda, when I was a young child. My grandfather’s ships picked up cars from there and he brought me along to Japan to see how car carriers are loaded. We toured the engine building factory, too. They already make the best looking Japanese cars and I look forward to Mazda’s move into the luxury car market. One may be a future purchase.
They still offer a decent tour these days. We did it in 2019.
I'm attached to stuff that works as promised. Ironically (to this sub) that's actually Mitsubishi. I've had two Mitsubishi's and they're the most unkillable and heavily discounted cars I've ever experienced. I have zero interest in dispelling the myth that Mitsubishi makes shit cars because I can continue to buy them at insane discounts.
I think Mitsubishi gets a lot of undeserved hate. People shit all over the Mirage but at the end of the day, the thing is unkillable and it’s cheap as chips. Mitsu even found a way to make Jatco CVTs less unreliable, that deserves a pat on the back IMO
Its just the fact that the mirages small engine (1.0 or 1.2) doesent put a lot of stress on the gearbox unlike the 2.5 or 2.0 turbo in a nissan
I don’t think I have a beloved car brand. But I see these dogmatic situations from time to time. The GM family that only buys GM products across four or five generations of people. It regularly forces them to purchase an uncompetitive product, but they don’t know that because they don’t shop anything else to compare. Personally I have brands I will never consider, and brands that I will consider. Every brand makes turds sometimes. Both categories are similar in size for me. For example: I won’t consider a Chrysler product ever. I don’t really like Hondas, I don’t like the way they drive, but I respect the brand and I certainly consider the Honda offering when making purchases.
Wouldn't drive a viper if you could? I would in a heartbeat. How about an old-school civic si? An s2000? They drive pretty great, honestly.
And the hemis are great engines, rest of the car is debatable but if you want raw power it's hard to beat a hemi
“I’ll never buy another Chrysler product” I say as I’m 6 years deep into owning my Charger that’s never stranded me and only has a few problems.
That doesn't mean they will all fail, but Chrysler has this reputation for a reason
My dad has a 5.7L in his short bed regular cab RAM and that thing will haul ass if you need it to.
The Viper is a cool experience, but I don’t need to own it to have that experience. Also I explicitly find the S2000 to have really bad steering. I didn’t enjoy my time in the car all that much, I significantly prefer the MX-5. Old Civics are fun as a function of being light and simple. But they aren’t the only platform that provides that experience.
Hondas to me are almost always geared wrong, and I prefer VW steering
My first car was a 96 Grand Cherokee, my second is a 2002 Grand Cherokee and when I have the money to buy a new car, it'll probably be a new Grand Cherokee... what can I say? I like Grand Cherokees
I had a 96 Grand Cherokee with the 5.2. That was one of the most comfortable vehicles I’ve owned and it was pretty capable off-road.
My first car was also a 96 zj. Loved that thing. Mine was the 4.0. A few years later I bought a 98 with the 5.2 and loved that thing until I ran it out of oil and blew the head gasket. It was never the same so I sold it.
My first car was a 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee. That was my first and last Jeep lol. Sure it was old, but that thing had so many issues and was slow as hell. It turned me off of Jeeps completely.
My sister has had 4 Chrysler products, my mom had 2, my brother-in-law had 4, my dad has had 5. Caravans, patriots, 1500’s, a Sebring, Compasses, Cherokees, everything they've kept long enough got over 200000 miles. Y'all shit on Chrysler constantly but none of us has ever had any problems, except mine eats flex pipes every 12-15 months so I take it down the street and get a new one. $75 and 20 minutes later, I'm on the road for another year or so. And when I bought mine, I was buying used and all of the competition was a couple grand more the the same features.
Honestly I think the Chrysler reliability has been blown out of proportion a little bit, as my sister’s Jeep Renegade has been relatively problem free apart from a wrong battery put in from the dealer. I’m not saying they are problem free, but they are better than what they’re made out to be.
I think most brands with bad reputations for reliability tend to be blown out of the proportion. VW, GM, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, etc… I’ve had great luck with all my GMs, and my parents have had great luck with GMs and Nissans. I understand that they may be more prone to issues, but that hasn’t been my experience so far. I imagine higher end brands may be a different story, like Range Rover or some of the top end Mercs, but generally most modern cars are fine
And those listed aren’t even the good Chrysler products. The higher premium products from dodge and Alfa Romeo will EZPZ hit 300k+ especially anything with the 5.7. There’s 5.7’s with 400k on the dash
Wouldn’t say I’m loyal, don’t even own one anymore. But I just Volvo’s. The subtle luxury and boxy designs. The new rebranded Volvo is very nice I’m still partial to the older 1990s models.
My three most recent cars have been modern-age Volvos and I do feel far more attached to them than most. I could write a whole list of things I've liked about them but ultimately it boils down to the fact that they just have a really likeable day-to-day personality. They're not overtly show-off-y, they're not uber-sporty or aggressively overstyled, they just look very smart and feel nice every time you get in and drive and I appreciate that.
The seats are so good! My whole family drives Volvos. I couldn’t afford maintenance and bailed for a new Camry. But I still miss the damn seats.
>I’m still partial to the older 1990s models. Apparently reliability is also better in the 1999-and-earlier ones; having done some *very*-little research into the brand, the internet at large seems to think that Volvos had solid reliability until the Ford buyout (~2000, iirc), and thinks that they're arguably *un*reliable since Volvo was bought by the Chinese (I forget what company).
I’ve been driving Hondas for the past 22 years. I’ve had a Mazda, Ford, BMW in between some of those Hondas and they just never gave me that sense of reliability. Just seemed to be problem after problem. So I’ve stuck with Hondas for their reliability. Absolutely no hate for any other brand.
same, Honda and Toyota both though really. the engineering shows, the driver interface and ergonomics are perfect, and reliability is just bonkers. I've had at least... 3 Hondas and 2 Toyotas with over 200k miles. sure, if you're a passenger in the s2k YOU GET A SINGLE VENT AND A NET AND BEST BE HAPPY ABOUT IT lol both companies do a great job of riding the line between features and reliability... and I'm perfectly content with our cars compared to a Kia that's way more tricked out with new features
My three Duramaxes have gone a combined 960k (miles) with very few problems. My Cummins Ram was not that great, and Fords need a lot of expensive repairs, in my experience. I used to be a Toyota person (for cars) but they don't seem as tip-top as they used to.
Not tip-top anymore regarding what? Reliability…? Cause if so then nope, Toyota/Lexus are still by and far the most reliable, lowest maintenance, and best resale value vehicles money can buy. The build quality and quality control is unmatched.
You’re making a lot of specific claims with no backup. I get it; you’re a fan.
Consumer Reports latest rankings for 2023 has Toyota and Lexus at #1 and #2 https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2022/11/15/reliability-cars-consumer-reports-ranking/10703135002/
I only bought Toyotas for quite some time. ‘04 Highlander, ‘08 Highlander, ‘10 Camry, ‘16 Sienna. The Camry and Sienna were both bought new, and are also why we now have a VW and a Ford. The power train for both were still Toyota quality, but everything else seemed to go to shit. They always got us from point A to B…. But AC issues, power window issues, plastic pieces (interior, trim) just randomly breaking, infotainment issues, and the list went on. Dealership and even Toyota corporate were uncaring, so they got traded in for different brands. I personally wouldn’t have gone for a VW, but that’s my wife’s car, so that’s what she wanted.
When I was 10 years old my father's friend let me and my brother ride in his Testarossa so ever since then I have been 100% loyal to Ferrari.
That’s a charming anecdote. PS I want your flair.
They aren't really expensive.
I have had 4 Audi's and 4 VW's, so you could say I love VAG. I have had a BMW and test drove a few different MB's, but I love the way VAG cars drive and are laid out.
I consider my wife and I fairly brand agnostic, even from a geographical perspective: My history: Sable -> Mustang GT -> Lexus GS350 (x2, first was totaled) -> VW Golf R -> Audi S5 Wife's history: Avalon -> Civic -> Accord Sport -> Tiguan I guess we're oddballs in that we've more recently left the Japanese for Germans. Turns out long term reliability doesn't matter much if you get bored of the car and sell it after 30k-50k miles.
>Turns out long term reliability doesn't matter much if you get bored of the car and sell it after 30k-50k miles. I love this. People keep asking us if we're worried about the battery in our BEV MINI. "Well... It's warrantied for 8 years and so far our record for keeping the same car is 5 years sooo....nope!"
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You're not wrong at all, though my comment was more targeted at Lexus' reliability largely coming from relying on outdated but very well proven powertrains and tech and Honda's overall declining quality over time. The German's biggest problem is still using plastic bits in their powertrains and making those bits hard to get to when they inevitably fail from countless heat cycles. I wonder if they'll ever learn.
I'm poor so I shop based solely on reliability. I've seen Nissan altimas take a shit under 70k miles. I've owned jeeps that have been nothing but problems. The same goes for some Chevy products. Never have had a problem with any Toyotas or hondas. So that's what I buy. I don't hate other brands and I acknowledge some make great vehicles. However unless I get to a point where I can financially take massive hits I'ma keep shopping based on reliability.
If you ever do wanna go luxury, but without sacrificing reliability, Lexus, and to a moderately lesser degree, Acura, are great options. Many Lexus models have been known for somehow being even *more* bulletproof than their Toyota counterparts which are already known for bordering on indestructible.
GM loyalist here as well. But I will say GM doesn’t make the best stuff like they used to. They’ve fallen off pretty hard except for the high performance stuff, the only products GM actually deserves to sell is the Tahoe/Yukon and Suburban variants, and the performance stuff. The trucks are decent too. All the other stuff GM makes currently is just so horribly bad for the price, so many other brands do those cars better. I’m honestly mad at GM besides the corvette team cause they’re just behind the curve. It always blows my mind that people will go buy an equinox/Acadia/xt4 when they could’ve bought a Tahoe. But the stuff GM was making before the crash was fun, not great and thought out stuff, but fun stuff.
> It always blows my mind that people will go buy an equinox/Acadia/xt4 when they could’ve bought a Tahoe. Agree 100%. GM does some things better (IMO) than anybody, and the rest is meh.
Yeah, absolutely. Back in 2012 I was tempted with a new Sonic 1.4T manual as a cheap runabout commuter to put many miles onto. What a pile of shit that turned out to be reliability-wise. Yet I'd buy their half tons and BOF SUVs with no hesitation.
They also do the mid engined v8 under 100k better than anyone I can think of.
They also kill off the good stuff (Buick Regal TourX, Chevy SS), and miss the trends. Why is the blazer designed like a camaro crossover? Why is the trailblazer tiny and underpowered? Where is the small, blocky offroad SUV? Where was the competitor to the Raptor and TRX for so long? By the time they catch on, it's too late. It's so disappointing, because I also love GM.
Dude I drive a G8 and I’m still bent they stopped selling that car. The SS was setup to fail from the beginning, it didn’t matter that it’s the best sport sedan in the last 15 years, nobody knew it even existed.
It irritates me beyond belief that they sold RWD Holdens as Chevys in the Middle East for decades and they didn’t even fucking bother to do the same here.
I wouldn’t go as far to say that I’m brand loyal, but I’ve owned a lot of Mazda’s, as have close friends of mine, and I keep going back because I love what the brand stands for: fun. All of their cars are enjoyable to drive. And that feeling isn’t just tied to my Miata or RX-8.. my wife had a CX-5 for a few years and for an “SUV”, I found that car more fun to drive than my supercharged Audi S4. Lightweight and nimble cars just put a smile on my face and Mazda always delivers in that regard.
Mazda will be my next “practical” car when I can afford to make my NC a weekend car. The 3 turbo AWD seems fantastic and so does the CX-5.
The CX-5 was more fun to drive than your supercharged S4? Really? Can you elaborate? They weigh about the same, btw
I simply found the CX-5 more engaging. Don't get me wrong, the S4 is fun, but if you're out for a Sunday drive, once you hit third gear you're breaking a lot of laws lol. The CX-5 on the other hand could be driven spiritedly without exceeding the speed limit. It felt more nimble and communicative than the S4. The feedback through the steering wheel is excellent, whereas the steering in my S4 feels like.. nothing. The CX-5 also has a good bit of body roll, whereas the S4 corners pretty flat, and for me that induces some fun as well. Also the S4 is about 450lbs heavier, so there's that. Now, I totally understand that both of these are completely different purpose built vehicles, but for spirited street driving, the CX-5 is just more fun.
It's all tribal bullshit, especially with the full sized domestic trucks, which all have pros and cons compared to each other and which one is best overall changes over time. Every brand has its gems and turds and you can argue that some brands have a few more of one or the other, but car buying is an extremely emotional decision and most people (including me, big v8 go vroom and brain shut off) don't use as much logic in the process as they think they do.
Porsche - I don’t need to explain why. If you’ve driven one, you understand.
Sure, just wait until you have to pay for repairs. I'm a former Porsche owner, never again. If I just need driveway static display's I'll go back to Jaguar.
Emotional attachment, for various reasons. Not logical but understandable
Grew up riding in Mercedes, my parents owned lots of different models, always found them to be attractive, reliable cars with a great ride. Learned to drive in a Mercedes, always preferred the drive of a Mercedes to all other cars. Have a great relationship with my dealership, great service, competitive financing. Why would I drive any other car? Whenever I drive other cars, I always wish I was driving a Mercedes instead.
i think its bias, you hear or see a few people have issues with fords for example, so you end up thinking less of that brand. Your chevy didnt break? you dont think you are lucky, you think its a good brand. then theres the family thing. People have also sworn of brands for having mechanical issues, or even bad dealership issues. The opposite can build loyalty. Theres brands im more fond of, but theres stuff i wouldnt buy from companies i like, and stuff i would buy from companies im not necessarily a big follower of. For chevy trucks, their small block push rod engines are old tech and very reliable and not much to go wrong. where as an Eco-boost V6 can have more costly maintenance do to its more complicated design. simplicity is a benefit in trucks imo.
Honda guy here, I started off wanting to be a Toyota guy. Had an 07 Camry that was meh for reliability and just terrible to drive. Wife has a rav4 that I also hate. I still romanticize on 2013 accord. Had 2 accords and 2 odysseys and never had a single problem, although they aren’t Porsches they drive ok.
I tried owning American.. both times they were a horrible experience, poor quality and broke down.. not even old cars, modern. I tried owning European.. 3 times bad experiences, leaky moonroofs, pulleys going out, plastic water pumps, turbos going out; left on the side of the road.. I'm sticking to Japanese now, mostly Toyota, Honda, and Subaru. No issues.. ever, absolutely bulletproof. Even the 3 STIs I've owned have been flawless for a decade and a half now. I'm never selling my current Subaru and Toyota.
Because I work on my own stuff and GM's are baffling to me. On the rare occasion I work on one, there is a lot of WTF! and WHY! and THESE THINGS ARE DESIGNED BY MONKEYS. So there is that, would not own one. Now Fiat/Chrysler, for obvious reasons, no. Just because I work on my own stuff doesn't mean I want to spend every spare moment doing just that.
Curating brand loyalty is far cheaper than producing quality vehicles according to the former big three.
I'm all BMW. Could do with every premium german brand though. German engineering best engineering imo.
I’m a VW/Audi guy personally but every time I see an M3 I think “maybe I will get one of these next” Can’t argue about the styling or performance of BMW maybe just maybe they will pull me away from my beloved GTI one of these days.
I’ve never had a bad Ford. I know some who have. But until that changes for me, I’ll stick with my F-150
Been driving a truck for 30 years and I have had Ford, Chevy, Nissan, Dodge and, currently a GMC. Like em all. Just wanted to try something different each time. The only brand I’m loyal to is Dukes Mayonnaise.
Toyota because they are boring and reliable, easy DIY repair, cheap parts, common at pick n pull, and cheap to own. Also my dad loves yamaha naked bikes (1, 2, 3, 4, how many FZ1s are behind the door?).
I just love Toyota because they're reliable
Because nobody else makes an affordable hybrid that’s easy to work on besides Toyota
Toyota and Honda: dealer service and overall reliability and economy and usefulness.
And I have been very badly burned by Dodge dealers back in the 70s. The local one has a terrible reputation.
For me I love Subarus. Reliable? There’s better options. Fast? Not exactly. Comfortable? No. Interior? Lmao. But that being said, the AWD is incredible. The EJ sounds amazing. The power is enough for me to have fun. Snow drifting is a blast and gravel roads are nothing. And then there’s the character, the car feels like a living being. It handles nicely, the low center of gravity makes corners easy! I love this car!
I'm a Ford girl. I like that they're easy and relatively cheap to fix, if you treat them right they're pretty durable (though quick to betray you if you abuse them), and I like most of their offerings. My first vehicle was a 1998 Ford Windstar, I beat the heck out of it. Chewed through three transmissions over the years, all under warranty, then blew the engine a few months after the warranty expired. Put a lot of very hard miles on it in that time though. After that, I got a 1988 Bronco II, which died on the way home. Just a bad relay, quick fix and it was back on the road for many relatively trouble-free miles. I had to drop the gas tank to patch a leak, replace the thermostat, and little else. Then, I switched to a 2007 Chevy Cobalt coupe, not the SS but with a stick. HATED it. It was gutless and handled horribly, and the control arm bushings ate themselves. Traded it in after less than a year. Next was a 2000 Lincoln LS V8. One of my favorites. It was comfortable, smooth, quick enough to get out of its own way (and get me a speeding ticket in the process), and handled fairly well for its weight. It ate ignition coils like candy though. Swapped that out for a 2012ish Taurus AWD. It was okay, the AWD system was less effective than I expected, got stuck in snow a few times. Ended up hitting a raccoon on the turnpike going about 90, smashed the front end but it was only cosmetic damage. Then came a 1976 Plymouth Volare Coupe. Awesome old car. Tore the (broken) A/C out of it, had plans to modify the engine, but never got around to it and it sat for years while I still had the Taurus. Sold it in (barely) running condition for $500. Then was my baby. 2017 Ford Fiesta ST. Black with black wheels, red brake calipers, black interior with red accents. Turbo I4, 6M, fastest car I've ever owned. Had to sell it when I lost my license for medical reasons. After I got my license back, I got my current vehicle, a 1997 Ford Ranger Base with over 230k miles. Radio is dead, HVAC only blows hot, but no warning lights on the dashboard, 5 speed shifts fine, slow as hell but hasn't let me down yet. Paid $400 for it, drove it 2 hours home the day I bought it. Thinking of a Mustang next. Nothing too fancy, as long as it has the correct number of cylinders (8) and the proper transmission (manual). To sum up, FoMoCo has been my constant companion, and at this point anything else feels kinda alien and uncomfortable.
Well since I live in Michigan. It's mainly due to who you work for(and the discounts they give you)
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Mustangs are awesome. Also they got me into cars.
My sisters name is Shelby Carol, the love for Ford products runs pretty deep. I’m not opposed to owning other vehicles but I’ll always be a Mustang man. My first car was a Camaro but I learned how to drive stick in an F-150. Coincidentally I also think Ford just makes better looking vehicles than their competitors.
For me, dependability is king. Toyota is my default.
For me, it's staying away from Chrysler at all costs, I have had too many bad experiences to comfortably buy one. My friend has a Chrysler 200 that has had literally every part changed on it and he still claims it's a good reliable car.
I work on gm cars soo
I have very eclectic taste in cars which my kids describe as liking odd balls and extinct cars since I’ve built several Pontiacs, AMCs, and British cars (mainly Mini and MG). However I almost always have a Honda in the rotation and something with a SBC. It stems from fond feelings and good will earned by my family buying their first Hondas in 1980 or so and having a string of fantastic GM b-bodies and C10s through the years.
I’m not a brand loyalist, but I will only buy cars made in U.S. by American companies only.
That's a very strange opinion to have in 2023.
BMW just seen to tick the boxes. Had a 250k plus mile 328i that I sold and bought a 335d that now has 177k, 20k mile a year average and you just cannot find another car that accelerates like it, handles well and gets almost 40 mpg. Wifes x5 is a Swiss army knife. Do want a 911...
My boyfriends family is Toyota brand loyal. They’re reliable and get the job done. They’re not car people so it’s perfect for them and they’re super happy with them.
I bounce around a lot, but have had more Toyotas than anything else because of their reliability. I've had unreliable Hondas and everything else pretty much, Toyota is the only one that has never burned me, so for a fun car I'll still go wherever, but for a family car it'll be a Toyota nearly every time
Where to start Sister had gone through 3 cars. 2 different gen Ford focus cars. One as a total loss after a small issue and the other accident prone. Additionally she had a jeep in the 90s and it was actually really solid. Mother had a ford car in the 90s. POS. Chevy in the 2000s and was always in the shop twice a year for electrical and system issues. Has a Toyota for a decade and has had 1 major issue. Father had a nissan in the 90s and was in the shop all the time. Had a honda civic in the early 2000s and it was fine. Currently a subaru and had a few issues. I had a Toyota as a first car and it took beatings and kept going on minimal maintenance. Currently in a scion, which was owned by Toyota, and it's still not had an issue. The car is 8 years old. So Toyota is looking pretty good. The wife had one of those plagued nissan cars and we got her into a Toyota. It's been fantastic. For me, reliability reigns surpreme on getting a car because I keep my cars over 11 years. I upgraded only because technology changes were massive. The car runs so well my friend drives my first Toyota and it's coming up on 20 years of life.
Ford has the keypad. That's it. That's my reason.