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What Keeps You Loyal To A Brand?

PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
Not arguing brand vs brand here, but just the types of things that make you keep buying the same brand and not switching. (If that's what you do)

We've been buying Datsun/Nissan since 1979, mainly because the cars haven't done anything to us to make us look hard elsewhere. I suppose that falls under reliability.

Maybe it's more along the lines of direction of styling or some other factors.

What keeps you brand loyal?
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Comments

  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Based on brands I have owned in the past:

    - Brands that tune more towards light and nimble (Honda/Acura, Mazda) or solid, hefty and built like tanks (MB)
    - Offering a range of manual gearboxes
    - Proven, high resale values (Honda/Acura, Benz)
    - Past positive ownership

    I'll look past the lack of incentives and higher MSRP if all of the criteria above are met.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    I was going to post the holy grail of posts on that other discussion, one that would change the world for the better, one that would have had people discussing it for eons. but since you closed it down so quickly I guess I won't. :P

    Anyway, I have never been much of a "brand loyalty" type person. I buy what I like if the price is right. All all the new car purchases I have had I never bought two of the same make. With the exception of one car that I replaced with the same model after someone made a left turn in front of me when I only had the car less than two years. Other than that I have brand hopped.

    That being said I currently have a 2000 Elantra as a daily drive. I have had the best experience with it and I do like what Hyundais been doing since then, that may keep me in their fold for the next car. But hopefully my next car purchase won't be for another 3+ years so who knows what will happen by then.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    And a solid safety record, as I experienced first hand a couple of years ago when I got rear ended on the highway in our Acura MDX. Guy in a Taurus hit us at full speed (probably 60mph), actually pushed our SUV off the road from the impact. The fact that we walked away without so much as a bruise sold us on safety being a top priority. Honda's solid reputation for safety and the industry first safety ratings on the window stickers really means something to us.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,092
    Exterior and interior quality, styling, safety, subjective driving feel, low frequency of breakdown (not maintenance, which I have conditioned myself to deal with).

    Of course, I don't know how much brand loyalty means when one doesn't see the point of buying brand new to begin with.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    we closed down several popular threads so we could open up a thread about brand loyalty that every survey says is almost extinct in the year 2006?

    Uh huh, OK....

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    i think you can be brand loyal and never buy a new car. Means the same thing, in my book.

    As far as my loyalty ... I don't think I have any. Up until recently, when I leased my Accord, I had never owned 2 vehicles from the same brand. (unless you count the 2 cherokees that were never more than parts cars and never driven on the road.)

    As snake said, I look for the best car at the best price at the time. I also like trying different things, so 2 from the same brand would probably have to be very different.

    I'd LIKE to own another volvo, but the horrible resale value has kept me away from new ones. Maybe I'll have another used one someday.

    What I look for is I think a combination of things that have been posted here already ... good reliability, good fun, good power, manual transmission, good value, and a good bit of luxury/technology. Good gas mileage is becoming more and more important to me, too.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • nonjth13nonjth13 Member Posts: 91
    Really not much of anything. For me every new car purchase starts off from scratch by identifying my wants/needs and going on from there. Companies change over time as do I. Right now there are brands I don't consider at all either because of poor personal experience or road test info from the car mags. Times change. 30 years ago I wouldn't have taken an Audi for free. I have an A4 now that has been very nice. Most likely I will look elsewhere in a few months when I send it packing. Really good cars I just keep for a long time
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's easier to define why people leave. A bad ownership experience, which could be due to a lack of reliability, poor service, poor resale values, or poor longevity.

    I've had a bad experience with Ford (and Ford Credit), and so did my father, so I doubt I'll be back.

    Mazdas have been mixed for us. Our 626 was problematic but my Miata is perfect.

    Our Subarus have been great, so now there are 5 in my family. It sure helps when you see a pattern of reliable cars in the family. It would probably put Subaru at the top of the list, though any vehicles we shop would still have to meet other criteria.

    -juice
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...keep me loyal to a brand. First of all, if I've had a good track record with a certain make, I'll stick with it such as Buick. My first two cars were Buicks - a 1968 Special Deluxe and a 1979 Park Avenue. Both were excellent cars. I currently own a 1988 Park Avenue and my girlfriend has a 2005 LaCrosse. Both are excellent, attractive, reliable cars that deliver phenomenal fuel economy and in comfort.

    Styling also has a lot to do with it. I have always loved the look of Cadillacs. As far as I'm concerned, Cadillacs have always had the best styling of any car in the past or present. I have always desired to own a Cadillac since I was very young and have been fortunate to achieve that goal. Turns out, it wasn't in vain as Cadillac delivers on that promise. I am currently on my 4th Cadillac and am looking forward to a 5th.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    I find it funny when I read about someone who loves Honda, Kia, Toyota, pick your make, and then they say that they've bought 8 (pick your brand) in the past 10 years and they all have been trouble free...well if you buy any car and keep getting new ones every two years you'll probably have really good luck with any make. I'd rather hear about car loyalty from someone who has kept a car for at least 5 years.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I've had my Forester for 9+ years. So it should be no surprise that my wife now drives a Legacy. :shades:

    -juice
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Well, I've had my 1989 Cadillac Brougham for nearly 18 years and my 2002 Cadillac Seville STS is going on its fifth.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You win. :D

    Dad has an '01 Outback, sis has an '03 Forester, and my brother has an '04 Legacy.

    My cousin had a '99 Outback but she was forced to trade it in for a van when they had child #3. :surprise:

    -juice
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...I had a 1994 Cadillac DeVille I drove for 8 years.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    We've avereaged about 175,000 miles per vehicle and my '96 Sentra, purchased new, just cracked 234,000 :P

    That counts, I assume!

    Seriously, in the 27 years we've been with Nissans, all have been manual trannies. Not a single tranny issue over 1.4 milion combined miles. Only major issue I had was a head gasket on my 4x4 at about 80,000 miles.

    if things had started going wrong, if I was being nickel and dimed to death, I'm probably out of there. :P
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    And how much money in repairs/maintenance has everyone put in these cars over the past 5, 10 or 18 years they've owned them?
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    That's good to know. I'm considering a Nissan Versa (over a Honda Fit) but I was concerned over Nissan quality as compared to Honda.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Let's see...mostly just regular maintenance on my '98 Forester. Fluids, brakes, tires, stuff like that. Nothing has ever really broken on it (I'm knocking on wood as I type this).

    There was one recall but that didn't cost me a dime.

    I did have to replace the spark plug wires but that doesn't count because a chip munk actually chewed the wires up!

    -juice
  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    I did not think too much about what I was getting with my first car, which had a manual transmission, no A/C. After a few years I traded it for a higher end car that had an automatic and A/C. The A/C was an automatic climate control system, which I ended up liking so well that I looked for this in the next car. So I did get another car of the same make.

    My third car was bought with fuel prices in mind, and had a diesel engine. It also had a semi-automatic climate control system, which in the long run was not acceptable. My fourth car was a return to the second car's make. The fourth car did have a manual transmission again, a mistake.

    Since then I have drifted from make to make, but have retained the fully automatic climate control system and automatic transmissions.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    I am with you on that. Its much more telling if someone has a car for 10 years then one who has had buys a new car every two years.

    FWIW going on its 7th year with almost 140K miles outside or normal routine maintence had an exhaust manifold replaced at 120k miles (under warranty) and a sensor at the same time that ran me about $200. So far real happy with it.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    I did have to replace the spark plug wires but that doesn't count because a chip munk actually chewed the wires up!

    Now thats a story. Actually I would put spark plug wires under "Fluids, brakes, tires, stuff like that" as they normally need periodical replacement (that is unless your replacing them every 25K miles or something like that).

    But a chipmunk chewing through them is an interesting story (FWIW my mom had a furry little creature storing corn in her car).

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    I usually keep cars I don't like about three years, and cars I do like about 4 or 5 years. So, for the last few cars that I have owned, the original equipment tires have still been good when I traded the car in. My current car has the first cracked windshield ever.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I took pics, this is some of the damage he (she?) did, along with the actual chip munk since I photographed it in my back yard.

    -juice
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    I never had a car I really didn't like, or at least couldn't tolerate. I usually keep cars until they either stop running, to costly to repair or start becoming unsafe. That means I will keep a car well over 150K (used to take me 4-5 years to do that).

    Since I used to travel a lot on gravel roads tires losing tread faster than normal and cracked windshields were a more common occurance.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • sls002sls002 Member Posts: 2,788
    My first car, 1969 GTO (Pontiac, not Holden), was OK and a lot of fun, but the 4 speed manual transmission never shifted very well. Finally, something broke, which the repairman said was my fault, but it did shift better after that.

    I traded for a used 71 Riviera, which was a nice car. I drove it till the radiator needed repaired for the third or fourth time and traded for another Riviera. The second Riv ate oil (1 qt/700 miles), then the coolant started to disappear too, and gas went over 1 $, so I got a used diesel (Olds).
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    I guess I've been worse off.

    I had a '91 Escort that went 180,000 miles before someone totaled it while it was parked on the street. I had to replace a water pump and alternator at about 110,000 miles.

    I currently own a '99 Cougar that has 125,000 miles, and I've put in 3 alternators and an A/C compressor. I also did the normal 100,000 mile maintenance (plugs, timing belt, etc). This is the car I'm planning on getting rid of for a Nissan Versa or Honda Fit as my commuter car and primary car backup. The Cougar is a poor backup car now that I have a family.
  • phinneas519phinneas519 Member Posts: 113
    Price, style and reliability is all that counts to me. I got my Lancer Sportback used with 8k miles on it for $11,200 and that was just right. Not only was it a wagon but I liked the interior, style (wagon!) and overall value. Reliable too. No complaints.

    However, my previous Corolla, though reliable, was very, very boring and cost too much considering.

    My Acura Integra was a total headache and it has ruined the brand for me permanently.

    The Buick before that was great for the money and virtually trouble-free considering, so I'm on decent standing with one of the GM brands I consider worth my time.

    Some day, I'd like to buy a pre-Ford Volvo. The new ones don't really interest me.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    I haven't had a bad experience with a car in recent history. My folks had a K-car that sucked but was redeemed by a Caravan that was fantastic. Haven't had a major issue with Ford, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Honda, Isuzu, Subaru or Pontiac (not saying others are good or bad, just no experience). I will buy the car based on my needs at the time, reguardless of manufacturer.
  • atlvibeatlvibe Member Posts: 109
    I don't have brand loyalty. My purchases are impulse. It's just random choice. For example, last year I purchased two new Fords and then traded them back for two new GM products. In the year prior it was two new Toyota's and Ford. Which means I should be posting this in the chronic car buyers anonymous forum. Styling and appearance are a concern, as is resale. Toyota has treated me better with resale than the domestics. But loyalty to one specific brand does not exist for me. It all about my excitement for the product.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    you sound like a dealer's dream!
  • wale_bate1wale_bate1 Member Posts: 1,982
    zero brand loyalty as well.

    All my automotive purchases have been product specific, and brand has truly been a non-qualifier. I have been extremely happy with my current car, and looked to replace it at the end of its 39-month lease in May, but its "new and improved" redesign went in such the wrong direction, IMO, that I looked at everything else I could think of, only to keep the wee beastie.

    Brand loyalty makes very little sense to me, unless a car company offers exactly what you want (or darned close) every time you're in the market. I have rearely found that to be the case for me...
  • jbjtkbw00jbjtkbw00 Member Posts: 66
    I'm on my 3rd Chrysler product. My first was actually a 1977 Chrysler Newport. That was my first vehicle ever. Got it in HS back in 1986. Went to Pontiac after that and had my 1986 Grand Am stolen and my 1988 Grand Prix GT had a major recall on it. That experience sent me to foreign vehicles.

    I was on a VW/Audi kick for a while going through (in order) a 1991 Audi GT, 1995 VW Jetta VR6, 1991 VW GTI and then, since I was on this pocket rocket craze, I got into 2 Honda CRX's, an '89 and '91 respectively.

    Now, I'm back to Chrysler having had a 2001 Sebring Convertible and currently, a 2005 Crossfire Limited Coupe.

    As you can see, I go through a lot of cars because basically, I like cars. Yes, dealers love me and I'll go looking at cars again next year. While I want to stick with the Chrysler-Jeep brand, I've been looking into Mazda and may switch up for a while yet again. Hey, at least when I go with a brand, I will go through a few of them until I find some reason to switch, so yeah, I do play the loyalty card for a time.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    I don't understand this concept. I would think that if someone bought my car and thought it was good, they would already be inclined to buy another, and it would be important to wow an new customer with cash and the like. Instead, its like saying "we know our cars are sub-par, but we will pay you to buy another one."
    I know everyone does this, it just seems like it sends the wrong message.
  • wonderwallwonderwall Member Posts: 126
    overall, my best car experiences have been with Mazdas. I drive a Hyundai Elantra now only because when my Mazda PR5 was totalled, I couldn't afford a Mazda 3 and there were no used PR5s available in my area at the time. I am VERY pleased with the Hyundai and will likely look to Mazda and Hyundai next time I need a car -- perhaps Toyota. Before my last Mazda, I owned a Volkswagen Jetta and I can say with some certainty: no more VWs for me...
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194
    And how much money in repairs/maintenance has everyone put in these cars over the past 5, 10 or 18 years they've owned them?

    I've always felt that when you keep a car a long time, regular maintenance and even some moderate repairs are nothing to get too upset about. Of course, we're not living paycheck to paycheck, either. ;) And we go YEARS (in the case of our current Villager, we bought with cash and have driven 12 years and 200K without any car payments) without the costs of a newer car. So a $700 repair bill of a few moderate items doesn't cause us to lose any sleep at all.

    Wife and I have owned the following. Relatively few cars because we keep them a long time.

    66 Bug - bought used @63K miles, sold after 18 years @235K miles -- for same price paid!
    71 Bug - drove 35K miles, bought and sold used.
    84 Camry - drove 125K miles
    85 Jetta - drove 135K miles
    92 Accord, drove 130K miles
    94 Villager, still own @212K miles
    98 A4, sold @86K miles
    05 Acura TL, currently @31K miles

    In over 900K miles driven, we've replaced/rebuilt:
    - only one engine (66 bug rebuild @106K)
    - NO transmissions
    - No other major items
    - Moderate items: CV joints, water pumps, timing belts, engine mounts, radiator
    - Minor items: all the usual: brakes, batteries, tires, belts; minor electrical
    - We've only had ONE towing (Camry!) in over 900,000 miles

    Costs go up a bit after 100K but it has not been a big problem. My experiences listed above are why I'm astonished when I hear about tranny failures or serious engine problems in the first 75K of a car's life.
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    The trust you get from a car that takes you to 62,000 miles or more without having to enter your wallet, life savings, and trust funds to keep the car running. Hopefully, you won't have to open your wallet for more than maintenance and gas until 100K miles.

    Distrust is built when you have to spend THOUSANDS by the time you reach 60,000 miles. When you realize each and every year you keep the car, your repair expenses get exponentially higher. If it took 4,000 to keep it running for 60 K. It might take 40,000 to keep it running to 120K. That's been my experience.

    With the car that got me to 62K free of charge, I'd expect (and in my experience has been true and proven and time tested) that since the exponential increase of zero is 0. I'll spend not a penny to reach 120K.
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • tlongtlong Member Posts: 5,194

    I currently own a '99 Cougar that has 125,000 miles, and I've put in 3 alternators and an A/C compressor.


    In our 900K miles on various cars we've NEVER replaced an alternator or AC compressor. I'd dump that :lemon: if I were you. ;)
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    I know the feeling. My '00 Suburban has 71k on it. I had the trans rebuilt at 45k, pitman arm replaced at 50k, fuel pump at 60k, and A/C compressor at 70k. Not to mention many electrical gremlins I live with because it's not worth the trouble. If I turn on the fog lights, the rear washer pump runs. When I turn on the rear defogger, the rear wiper will move about an inch.

    I won't even start with squeaks and rattles.

    It occasionally loses power steering assist when cold at parking lot speeds. I'm monitoring the situation and I will probably be replacing the power steering pump this winter.

    So obviously, GM has failed to convince me of their quality/reliability.
  • carlisimocarlisimo Member Posts: 1,280
    Manufacturers also tend to instill a certain feel in their cars that runs through the line.

    Someone who's used to BMWs might never have thought of what steering feel is, but notices the difference when they drive a Benz and just don't feel right. An owner of old large domestic cars may be scared in any car without much free play in the steering wheel. Same goes for clutches; my first was in a Toyota Tercel and I had trouble getting used to the Sentra and Miata that I've had since.

    My girlfriend bought an RSX after trying a Mazda6, and said she just didn't like the 6's feel... it drove too similarly to a Focus she had bad memories of. I thought it'd be a good thing for it to feel like a Focus, but at the time I didn't know she had been turned off on Focuses forever.

    Ergonomics count too. I'm used to Japanese cars... I've driven cars of different Japanese brands but the controls all tend to be in the same place and work the same way. If I jump into an American car or a German car I feel lost sometimes. That feeling of comfortable familiarity scores points on a test drive even if we logically know that there are more important things to think about.
  • dieselonedieselone Member Posts: 5,729
    I agree that each manufacturer has certain traits that seems to be engineered into every vehicle.

    I've always found GM cars to have a heavy disconnected feel that I've never cared for, while others like it.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    All used from wrecking yard I worked in after school
    1947 Pontiac Convertible FUn Car
    1954 Ford 4 door kept a week and traded for
    1953 Mercury 2 door hard top good car
    1948 Cadillac 4 door fast old boat used lots of oil
    1953 studebaker coupe with Packard V8. Very fast traded for
    1955 Studebaker hardtop. Good looking really liked that car
    1956 Ford PU great truck should not have traded it in on
    1964 Toyota Landcruiser (new) fun vehicle with LOTS of problems
    1987 VW bug (Used)drove to AK Great in snow hard to keep warm
    1970 Datsun PU (New) Very reliable too small
    1973 Subaru coupe (new) fast good mileage in shop more than on road. Horrible in snow.
    1974 Dodge Van (new) Lasted 9 years then rusted away.
    1976 Datsun PU (new) would not start at 0 degrees got rid of it.
    1978 Honda Accord (new) Nothing but trouble from the first day. Hated it
    1982 Toyota coupe (Used) OK car traded it after 3 months on
    1984 Ford Bronco (New) Maybe my favorite vehicle of all
    1982 Ford F100 PU (used) good truck wife totalled and walked away.
    1983 Ford Escort (used) Even my wife and kids could not destroy it. tough little car. They put 130k miles on it.
    All new from here on.
    1988 Chevy 3/4 ton 4X4 extended cab. Great on ice and snow. No trouble. Drove to Alaska sold for what I paid 2 years prior
    1990 Chevy 3/4 ton 4X4 extended cab. Another great truck and did well driving it to Alaska and selling after 3 years
    1993 Chevy 3/4 ton 4X4 extended cab. I loved that truck. Hit a deer in Idaho. Too much damage to drive home. Traded it on
    1999 Suburban K1500 4X4. Kept it 7 years with virtually no trouble. Should have kept it. Sold and bought current
    2005 GMC Sierra Hybrid. OK truck tinny build compared to last 4 GM trucks. Will probably sell it and look for older better built truck.
    2005 VW Passat TDI fun to drive no trouble sold after 13 months for 3 grand over what I paid new.

    1994 Toyota PU truck. Son drove it and had nothing but problems. Warranty did not cover clutch with 9000 miles. POC

    I think there were others that I cannot recall.
    Overall my Dodge, Fords and Chevys were the best. Toyota, Subaru and Honda had way too many problems.

    Brand loyalty goes to BIG 3
  • mek0123mek0123 Member Posts: 33
    My 1st free car was dad's backup car, 1977 Plymouth Grand Fury V8. Alternator at 90K. Nothing else but routine maaint items. Drove to 132K when dad sold it for $800.

    My 1st new car was my ordered black '83 Mercury Lynx GS, driven to 247K on original motor 5speed close ratio trans., no A/C., but cracked head about 1,000 miles earlier.
    2nd car a 1988 Dodge Shadow ES, w/A/C and 5speed. Drove to 159K miles and got divorced from car and wife. Only occasional problem was idle speed motor replaced three times.
    3rd car 1989 Dodge Shadow ES, w/A/C and 5speed. Drove to 175K miles when brother got hit head on and totalled car. No problems except for clutch cable at 115K. Ran excellent and quick for 4cyl.
    4th car 1981 Nissan 210 w/A/C and auto trans. Problems starting it when it got below freezing. Alternator at 71K.
    4th car, 1986 Plymouth Duster w/A/C and auto trans. Timing belt at 105K, and trans failure at 156K. Junked it.
    5th car, 1992 Grand Caravan LE, loaded with all options. 3.3L V6. Replaced transmission at 147K & 265K with Chrysler remanufactured trans which included 3/36 warranty from dealer. Currently A/C and outside temp don't work. All else is well at 331K. Same motor but replaced timing chain at 229K. Runs and rides well.......still.
    6th Car, Ordered a 2001 Grand Caravan ES, loaded with all options too. Water pump and transmission lines replaced at 52K under warranty. Last weekend I replaced rear wiper motor. Besides routine maintenance, this 175K Dodge minivan is running great. Crestwood Dodge hasn't seen me in a while.
    In summary, I do and have always driven my vehicles hard. Also, I've always changed the fluids and filters in a timely fashion. Tuneups are performed every 20-24 months as I have extended range remote start and extending idling times burns out plugs. The following, I was convinced a longgggg time ago, is the secret to longevity on almost any decent vehicle. Routine maintenance should include transmission fluid and filter at 35K mile intervals, motor oil/filter 4K miles, clean air filter, pwr steering flush every 36 months, brake fluid flush every 36 months, alignments and tire rotation at least every six months. That's my secret. My favorite vehiclea behind my Lynx are the two minivans. Driving is 1/3 city, 2/3 highway usually. Routine maintenance is EVERYTHING and Detroit still makes excellent, reliable products that I will continue to buy.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    To a brand: A car that fits me like a suit does, comfortable, looks good on me, durable.

    More importantly though, is the dealer. If I get treated well in service, have a free loaner when I need it, even for oil changes, I'll stay loyal to that dealer, and ergo; the brand for decades, even if I lose some interest in the brand - I'll keep buying them as long as I can if the dealer and I are getting along. The service is #1 with me, the car second.

    Will I drive a Kia if the dealer is good to me, no. But that's not going to happen anyway. I only buy from people I know, I'm never a stranger in a showroom, and I usually get what I want.
  • boomchekboomchek Member Posts: 5,516
    is to Honda. I am on my sixth honda right now, and even though when I shop for cars I look at everything, it's the safest bet for me because of the low gas consumption, reliability and resale value.

    I do like other brands as well and I have a wish list of cars I want to own in my lifetime, but ultimately when it comes to dollars and cents I somehow end up with Hondas.

    My cars I have owned since I started driving in 1996:
    82 Honda Accord,
    86 Chevy Celebrity
    97 Honda Civic
    83 Honda Accord
    84 Honda Accord
    93 Honda Civic
    05 Honda Civic (which I currently drive)
    77 Chevy Impala (which I sold)

    2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX

  • atlvibeatlvibe Member Posts: 109
    Agreed on that fact. The dealer goes along way into the purchase. I have switched brands but stayed with the same dealership group. The main reason is that I am able to count on quality service and a level of personal recognition. Deep down I know the manufactors' don't care about me, but the dealer cares. It's his lively hood and he wants to ensure that I'm a repeat buyer. That's a lesson a couple of manufactors' could learn. It's the face to face service that brings me back not the make.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Deep down I know the manufactors' don't care about me, but the dealer cares.

    Exactly!! If my Lincoln dealer had taken on Mercedes, Lexus, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar I'd have stayed with him, and switched brands. Hyundai, probably not, even though I like Hyundai and respect them for building great cars these days, I don't want to drive one. But the manufacturer doesn't care about me, the dealer is their customer. It goes no further than that with them. Otherwise, Ford would have given me a free Lincoln after I spent about $300,000 buying their products over the years.
  • whittakerrwhittakerr Member Posts: 1
    Learned to drive on a Datsun 710. No probs other than the radio broke.
    Also learned on a '70 Porsche 914 1.7. A blast, great mpg, but rust. Totaled.
    Got a used '73 914 2.0. A greater blast! Blowout at 115mph.
    Got a used '76 Bug. Put on KYB gas shocks, wider Semperit tires, and a great stereo. Loved the car. Gasket failed, hole in the engine. Got a new engine. Lent to a friend who turned it into an accordian.
    Got another '73 914 2.0. Used. Heavy duty shocks, anti-sway bars, lowered, a/c removed. Stolen and vandalized. I always wanted to do something else to it.
    Ended up with a Ford Grenada. Gross. It lived up to the acronym for Ford - Fix Or Repair Daily. After six months sold it and got
    1987 Honda CRX-HF 5-speed. New. So much fun. Outstanding mpg. replaced the brake pads for the first time at 133K. Drove it all over from PEI to the Smokeys and back. No problems. Put a phenomenal stereo in it and PIAAs. Gave it away at 176K and 14 years due to growing family. It had two owners after me. Was developing rust on the rear fenders. I could always count on it. No recalls.
    Got a new 1991 Honda Accord EX 5-speed for my wife after her used Ford Mustang nearly bankrupted us. Never ever a problem. Traded it after 13 years and 143K. still had the original brake pads, shocks, etc. - everything but tires and muffler were original, other than the usual maintenance stuff. Never a problem. Great mpg. 1 recall for the seat belts.
    Got a new 2001 Honda Odyssey LX to fill the absence of the CRX. we still have it with nearly 90K and no problems. It's an outstanding family vehicle. we've drivien from the East coast to west coast and back three times, as well as many other shorter trips. Great mpg. Outperforms all other minivans of it's era. Other than regualr maintenance we've only needed to replace the EGR switch, which was covered. No recalls.
    Got a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid 5-speed after the Accord. Still have it. Over the 17K of its life it has average 52.6mpg. On the previous tank I filled up at 667 miles with an average og 59.8mpg. 5% of that was highway. 56+ in Eastern NC driving. Highway driving returns 65+mpg under normal conditions. Driving from MA to NC at the speed limit with the a/c on in a heavily laden car we got 58.2mpg after about 1,100K. It's a serene car to drive and has a great stereo. for me it's like a spa treatment every time a take it out. It handles quite well and consistently corners faster than the cars behind it. It has PIAAs, and Honda gave us all-season floor mats, splash guards all around, Honda car cover, and a break on the 6-disc in-dash CD player. No recalls. One product update. Service bulletin for squeaky dash. Free service. All Honda dealerships have treated us so well it's almost impossible to describe. to say we've been treated fairly is the understatement of the past two decades.
    It'll likely be 5+ years before we replace the Odyssey, probably with another Odyssey, but who knows what other Honda products will be available at that time.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    I agree a dealer can make a big difference. Our local Honda dealer where the car was purchased (not where I am now) was poor. The passenger side door never worked (the outside door handle)...I have 6 service receipts for this.

    When I replaced the power window motor in that door (for the second time, the dealer did it the first time), I tightened the turnbuckle on the door handle and low and behold it works again. That same dealer also failed to re-install the drain plug in another vehicle... it was picked up and driven 280 miles until it locked up on the freeway, so that might be an especially bad dealer. It would take alot for me to buy a car from that dealer, or a car I knew would be serviced there.

    I am much happier with the service of my Honda dealer where I live now, except they said they aren't that happy with me. The 3 times its been in, it was on a hook (failed radiator, failed distributor [2nd time], failed master cylinder). Their parts department was relatively helpful when I needed to replace the main relay (every 80s or 90s Honda at about 10 years/100k, $75 part, takes 20-30 min).

    I have no issues with the car, it has been about the same as every other car I have owned, and repair cost has been similar. If it leaves me stranded again, though, its gone.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...I started driving:

    1968 Buick Special Deluxe
    1975 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
    1979 Buick Park Avenue
    1979 Ford LTD
    1979 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency
    1985 Chrysler Fifth Avenue
    1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
    1988 Buick Park Avenue *
    1988 Ford LTD Crown Victoria LX
    1989 Cadillac Brougham *
    1989 Mercury Grand Marquis LS
    1994 Cadillac DeVille
    2002 Cadillac Seville STS *

    *Cars I currently own.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    GM cars were my favorite, probably because of my Dad and my Granddad on my Mom's side of the family. Both of them had a GM preference, and taught me to hate Ford products at a very young age. I don't think either one really hate any feelings about Chrysler though, good or bad. I think the movie "Smokey and the Bandit" turned me on to Pontiacs, but being a weird child, it was a 1977 LeMans I wanted, not a 1977 Trans Am!

    When I was 13, the movie "Christine" came out, and it made a big impression on me. It really got me turned on to old cars in general, but late 50's Mopars specifically. I wanted a '58 Plymouth back then, but once I saw a picture of a 1957 DeSoto I KNEW I had to have one!

    Well, my first car ended up being Mom's old 1980 Malibu coupe, which she gave me in early 1987 soon after I got my license. It was an okay car, but I really wanted something older. In 1989 I found a 1969 Dodge Dart GT hardtop at a used car lot, drove it, and it endeared itself to me so I bought it. It was kind of an ironic choice though, because prior to that I used to rag on Darts. One of my friends, who didn't actually have his own car but had his pick from a variety of family cars, often drove a beat-up '72 Dart that could barely go over 50 mph. And my grandparents once had a 1975 Dart Swinger that they swore was the worst car they ever owned!

    Anyway, I tended to develop a preference towards Mopar products, because they seemed to have a better seating position than their GM/Ford counterparts. Usually they were bigger than their competition and just felt bigger and more comfy inside. Also, Mopars just seemed easier and cheaper to work on than GM cars.

    Just about all of my cars have been either purchased used (sometimes VERY used) or handed down by relatives who no longer wanted them. And whlie I still have a Mopar preference, I try to stay open-minded. Here's a rundown of everything I've had...

    1980 Malibu coupe
    1969 Dart GT hardtop
    1957 DeSoto Firedome hardtop coupe
    1968 Dodge Dart 270 hardtop
    1969 Pontiac Bonneville 4-door hardtop
    1983 Olds Cutlass Supreme coupe
    1967 Pontiac Catalina convertible
    1988 Chrysler LeBaron turbo coupe
    1979 Chrysler Newport
    1986 Chevy Monte Carlo
    1989 Plymouth Gran Fury
    1985 Buick LeSabre
    1967 Chrysler Newport hardtop coupe
    2000 Dodge Intrepid
    1979 Chrysler New Yorker 5th Ave
    1985 Chevy Silverado
    1976 Pontiac Grand LeMans coupe

    I still have the '68 Dart, Catalina, DeSoto, 5th Ave, LeMans, Silverado, and Intrepid. Eventually the Intrepid and Silverado will wear out an need to be replaced. When the Intrepid's time comes, if I go brand-new it would probably be an Altima or Charger, but I might consider something like a slightly used Lucerne, Park Ave, Bonneville, etc. And I'm also kinda curious about the new Saturn Aura.

    If the pickup goes, I'll probably just get a cheap, basic new one to replace it, and don't really have a Ford/GM/Dodge preference there. I guess that's kinda odd too, considering that standard-sized pickups are about the only market left where brand loyalty really runs rampant. I've also thought about getting an old 60's GMC or Chevy pickup to replace it though. One that's still solid, but not a showpiece. I'd consider a Ford or a Dodge too, but with these older ones I think the GM's look the coolest.
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