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> like the Focus In the US, the Focus isn't held in high regard. It's a lower class commuter car or a middle class teenager starter car. They have poor qualit

> like the Focus In the US, the Focus isn't held in high regard. It's a lower class commuter car or a middle class teenager starter car. They have poor quality finishes and cosmetically look like ass after a year or two. That's generally how most American cars are, they look all shiny and new the first year but the finish is superficial and wears off quickly. This is especially true of vehicles that win JD Power's "Highest in initial quality" awards.

xeromal 5y ago
Yup, what people think of as high quality and rugged American "cars" would be the truck. Used widely across the states, durable, functional, and built in the US for the most part.
throwaway0a5e 5y ago
The fit and finish on these cars is fine. Their cost of ownership is fine. The true difference between brands is very, very small. That said, the internet fanboy talking points you're parroting are exactly why your first sentence is spot on. The new car market is chock full of feedback loops that make perception more important than strict "by the numbers" reality.
- cptskippy 5y ago
  Your comment is an interesting, you've correctly identified the phenomenon at play but misattributed. > The new car market is chock full of feedback loops that make perception more important than strict "by the numbers" reality. I can only assume you put "by the numbers" in quotes because you're referring to something other than actual numbers and statistics. When you look at something like the Consumer Reports Reliability Index for the last 30 years you will find the 3 most unreliable brands are the big 3 US automakers. If you look at CR's used cars to avoid list, guess who dominates? The same 3. Most people don't have access to CR but there are plenty of sites that make their info available. This one is a little dated but it does a good job showing historical data: http://autooninfo.net/ http://autooninfo.net/
  - bsanr2 5y ago
    Thank you. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. It's not just a perception that American cars of the last few decades tend to have more maintenance issues and therefore tend to end up totaled earlier; it's, like, the truth.

xeromal 5y ago

Yup, what people think of as high quality and rugged American "cars" would be the truck. Used widely across the states, durable, functional, and built in the US for the most part.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago

The fit and finish on these cars is fine. Their cost of ownership is fine. The true difference between brands is very, very small. That said, the internet fanboy talking points you're parroting are exactly why your first sentence is spot on. The new car market is chock full of feedback loops that make perception more important than strict "by the numbers" reality.

cptskippy 5y ago
Your comment is an interesting, you've correctly identified the phenomenon at play but misattributed. > The new car market is chock full of feedback loops that make perception more important than strict "by the numbers" reality. I can only assume you put "by the numbers" in quotes because you're referring to something other than actual numbers and statistics. When you look at something like the Consumer Reports Reliability Index for the last 30 years you will find the 3 most unreliable brands are the big 3 US automakers. If you look at CR's used cars to avoid list, guess who dominates? The same 3. Most people don't have access to CR but there are plenty of sites that make their info available. This one is a little dated but it does a good job showing historical data: http://autooninfo.net/ http://autooninfo.net/
- bsanr2 5y ago
  Thank you. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. It's not just a perception that American cars of the last few decades tend to have more maintenance issues and therefore tend to end up totaled earlier; it's, like, the truth.