Are you saying that the # of cars sold = better quality? So you're saying that the VW beetle is one of the best cars built? Because it sold a huge number of them. And we should then suggest Lanny by a Ford F150.
consumer reports agrees with me....lots of folks shop after doing the research..and you can buy a running used Toyota because...well....it's still running
Vehicle dependability surveys over the years show that Toyota products are very good while Mercedes are about industry average (they were worse during the dark DaimlerChrysler days) - it does not matter what years you are looking at, Toyota products are up there. They simply make good, simple cars. What is interesting to see if you look at the progression over the years is how good the South Korean became, they were the laughing stock of it up to 10-15 years ago - and they are slowly going up, with both Hyundai and Kia being very good nowadays. Here is a link for the 2018 survey: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/jd-power-2018-us-vehicle-dependability-study If you want to be certain you buy a dependable, good daily driver today - a Toyota or Hyundai/Kia product is likely to be very good to you. Of course, there is more to life than just reliability and dependability. BTW - Consumer Reports is a "biased" survey (because they have subscribers which are a self selecting group as the sample) - where JD Powers is an unbiased survey (They are doing an SRS for their sample). I suspect that Consumer Reports is pretty accurate as well simple because the sample size is very big, but I like to look at JD Powers dependability surveys because the math of an SRS appeals to my engineering side. Just for fun, here is the 2008 survey - see how far Kia and Hyundai have come: http://www.autonews.com/assets/PDF/CA5253288.PDF
those have dropped off the map....do the parking lot test again..how many VW bugs are on the road now?
My view of them isn't a story....it's observation and experience...I've driven both and had this conversation with owners of both...but if you like em...enjoy
Again, depends on what you want to spend and what you want to buy. For example, a 1500 Toyota will be a good purchase. A 1500 Mercedes would be a pile of shit. It's kind of like this. If you pay @HCP to mow your lawn, he'll be able to do it in 15 minutes. Sorry, there is no more to this analogy, I just wanted to make a joke about him and mowing lawns.
I didn't say I liked them, I said if you get one that is well maintained, it's a good car. but that's true of every car. Which is what I said.
When I bought my Acura through Carmax they tried to sell me a warranty to go with it. It actually sounded pretty good and the price was (I thought) very reasonable. After doing plenty of research on it, I eventually declined because the car only had 35K miles on it and, being a Honda product, they were rated extremely high in reliability. But while doing the research I checked out what Carmax was charging for warranties on other brands of cars. I was blown away by just how much more they were charging for warranties on Mercedes. It was significant. My understanding (offered by the Carmax guys) is that it was because Mercedes weren’t as reliable and were expensive to repair and maintain. It also explained why there were so many Mercedes (and Beemers) on their lots and why the purchase prices were so reasonable. The people I know who had or have Mercedes always rave about the ride but complain bitterly about reliability and cost to repair. My cousin just spent $800 to have 4 spark plugs changed out.
No offense, but your cousin is a fucking idiot then. I helped my brother change his plugs. Literally took 10 minutes.
There's a guy who buys carmax cars with the warranty and writes about it. He bought a Land Rover and the warranty was super expensive but it needed front air suspension soon after and the cost was more than the warranty. Something like that....
I bought my son a honda civic lx when he was in high school....my opinion...great engine, cheap body and hardware quality...engine was not easy to work on and really cramped...the oil filter was in a ridiculous position to get to....Toyota makes an all around better car in my view. I do however recommend getting higher end models...less cramped, more comfortable and spacious inside.
No offense taken. The dude makes me look like a mechanical genius....which is really saying something. And anyone who continues to take their car to a dealer for repairs/maintenance after the warranty expires rather than a good local mechanic (assuming one exists nearby) is also a fucking idiot......
Benz's seem fine and comfortable to drive. You feel more of a baller in a german car. The thing with German cars is that they have all these weird electrical shit go wrong with them. And something like a transmission module or some shit will be like 2 grand since they have to replace the whole fucking thing. There's a simple pleasure though in driving a Japanese car knowing shit really isn't going to go wrong with it, and if it does, its usually a cheap fix.
