We consumers are our own worst enemy. Ignorance is bliss. Sure, there are a handful of us who are mechanically inclined and understand why paying a bit more will sometimes get you a lot more. However, the vast majority of consumers don't know squat. They are the people who should be buying a more expensive/reliable unit because they don't have the ability to repair a less reliable machine. However, that's not how it goes, they know virtually nothing about the product, maybe familiar with a name brand and buy there bottom of the line because of the price point.
Building cheap, less reliable machines is a trend that is becoming commonplace. Manufacturers make their quick profits and service departments are delirious with glee from all of the work pouring in to fix the junk. Everyone wins except the consumer.
This trend reminds me of the auto industry turn around that occurred in the early '70s as a result of the fuel shortages. Government leaned on the auto industries to make more efficient cars. The auto makers manipulated "fuel efficient" to read light and cheaply built. Not necessarily cheaper to buy.
Think of the cars that were built from the 50s through to the late 60s. They were big, solid, well built and on the most part, very reliable. The cars of the '70s on were underpowered, poorly built, unreliable and not a great deal more fuel efficient. The domestic auto industry started that trend and perpetuated it. What they had failed to realize is that the Asians (Japanese) were building and shipping cars to North America. Their first attempts were a little lame but, in short order, they improved their products and made them suitable for North Americans. Slowly but surely, they kept improving their products and fine tuning them to North American tastes. Their reliability was excellent and prices competitive. All the while they're advancing, the domestics kept building lack lustre unreliable vehicles that were beginning to lose the appreciation of consumers.
The writing was on the wall almost thirty years ago for the domestics. Last year, they finally read the message on the wall only to find out that they were on the verge of extinction. Hubris, a false sense of superiority and upper management's head up their a$$es are to blame. There are some that hold the view that the unions contributed to the demise of the domestic auto industry. Being familiar with union/management relations, I have this to say about that line of thought: A union never got anything from a Company that management didn't give to them.
My personal feelings are that there will be one domestic auto manufacturer left within the next two to five years. That will be Ford. I think GM and Chrysler have lost far to much market and have far too little time to bring their products up to par with the competition. If they survive, I will be surprised.
End of rant.