Brand Loyalty

[SteveSRT8]

I also would wonder how many here actually feel that the dealer has no bearing on how you feel about the car you purchased.

I have bought very poor quality cars from excellent dealers who made the entire experience less galling and gave you an overall good feeling about the whole affair.

Whereas we all know what a truly poor stealership can do to your attitude...

 

[IndyIan]

I think most people can differentiate between how much they like the car, versus how much they like their dealer though.
I guess some people go back for regular maintenance, but if you don't, you may never see the dealer until the next car or a recall. My GM dealer is OK, they seem reasonably honest, but they have to be in a small town. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a car from them again, but only if they have the car I want, not just the Chevy that kind of meets most of my needs.

 

[Doog]

I have had my best luck with Chrysler and Toyota. Two good Hondas but the jury is still out.

Had two Chryslers that the wife totalled with the kids on board and all got out and walked away. (I measure that as part of success as well)

Then they sold the company to Daimler and ruined it. Adolf Boxhead took over the styling department and the wife said NO WAY. Traded the last Durango on a Lexus RX330 and the rest is history.

I sure do miss the old style 1990's Durango with the 3rd seat. 4.7L V8 4wd with the console 4wd lever...could tackle any bad winter we had and keep going. Good power and excellent MPGs. Room for the kiddies and still haul stuff. Roof rack for the carrier on vacations. The 100% perfect family SUV. We had 3 of them.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I also would wonder how many here actually feel that the dealer has no bearing on how you feel about the car you purchased.

I have bought very poor quality cars from excellent dealers who made the entire experience less galling and gave you an overall good feeling about the whole affair.

Whereas we all know what a truly poor stealership can do to your attitude...


Exactly; my BMW dealer and my Mazda dealer always follow up on a service visit by phone or email. They provide excellent service at a very fair price and don't look for ways to pad the bottom line at my expense. For example, the BMW dealer found a seeping PS line during a track inspection of my 3 Series. My service advisor said that he would not recommend replacing it until it actually began to drip- and that would likely not happen for at least another 50k miles...

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I also would wonder how many here actually feel that the dealer has no bearing on how you feel about the car you purchased.


I can tell you, without hesitation, that the dealer experience was a top reason why we did not buy another of the minivan we once owned. Brand isn't particularly relevant in this context, but dealership service certainly weighed heavily with us.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: itguy08
The not-buy list doesn't surprise me at all. People don't repeat buy Chrysler cars. Perhaps that is because of the God-Awful quality? Even the article touched on that point.


I wonder if there's some between-the-lines that can be read into this. EG a 24 year old woman needs a car but has no credit so daddy gets her a Dodge Caliber, because HE likes them. She hates her life, by extension the car, hates the car, barely maintains it, then trades it a few years later on a Nissan. Someone else buys the Omni Caliper on a Buy-Here-Pay-Here lot and hates it too, even though it was never really the car's fault.


That certainly could be...then there are those like me...I bought a new Intrepid back in '98...took very good care of it...3K oil and filter changes using full syn Mobil 1, tranny flushes, the whole 9 yards, and at just 60K miles the engine started burning a qt of oil every 500 miles...that left such a sour taste in my mouth that I'll probably never buy another Chrysler product for as long as I live...

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I also would wonder how many here actually feel that the dealer has no bearing on how you feel about the car you purchased.


I can tell you, without hesitation, that the dealer experience was a top reason why we did not buy another of the minivan we once owned. Brand isn't particularly relevant in this context, but dealership service certainly weighed heavily with us.


Exactly my point, it definitely goes both ways. And of course it could influence your next purchasing decision...

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: grampi
that left such a sour taste in my mouth that I'll probably never buy another Chrysler product for as long as I live...


And of course that is your choice. We all get to vote with our dollar. Can't say I agree or think that an experience back then is even relevant on ONE car, but I would support your right to do whatever you want.

I currently own one Chrysler product but have had several across a 40+ year span. All have been fine, only had one 318 powered van in the 80's that was a disappointment. Had 6 others that were great. But instead of labeling them as "all junk" I fixed it myself and moved on.

Statistics as quoted here are only applicable to the group as a whole. They are NOT applicable to an individual automobile. The folks here with the zealous hate for Chrysler are nearly humorous in their rabid pursuit of that terrible company! Just like the "I hate GM" or "I hate Ford" people...

 

[Malo83]

All my vehicles are GM, Pontiac,Chevy and Saturn, had good luck with all of them, my longest running is my 83 Silverado that I bought new and is still my daily driver with 219K on the clock, Brand Loyalty, so be it! I know what I like and don't like

 

[Volvohead]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Statistics as quoted here are only applicable to the group as a whole. They are NOT applicable to an individual automobile. The folks here with the zealous hate for Chrysler are nearly humorous in their rabid pursuit of that terrible company! Just like the "I hate GM" or "I hate Ford" people...


At this point I can honestly say I've owned almost all of the big makers, mostly new, but a few not. Ford, GM, Chrysler, VAG, Volvo (many), MB, Nissan, Toyota. No Koreans, and no BMWs (it's a personal thing). Have to deal with family members' Hondas pretty regularly. Been too close to too many other Europeans over the years. Next will probably be a Jag (I never got around to getting the Mrs. that XJ6 Vanden Plas). Cars, trucks, all the variants in-between, big and small. Most all have been generally GOOD vehicles.

But ALL the makers run in product quality cycles. Right now, Volvo, Ford and Chrysler are not on the top of my list. But in the late-80s, I would take a Ford or Chrysler over a GM. The Japanese were magnificent then. Now they're merely very good. Jag was really bad then. Now they are excellent. MB was terrific up until around 2000. Not quite so much since. Volvo until Ford was the car you gave your kids for college after 10 years, and then they gave it back 4 years later. Now it's in uncertain transition.

But I can understand someone having a hard case against a particular maker, especially if they've been badly burned by one. GM probably has the worst history at that. But I drive a solid Chevy truck as a DD anyway.

Fanboys doing it are another story, however. Big difference.

 

[leeharvey418]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
But I can understand someone having a hard case against a particular maker, especially if they've been badly burned by one.

What if I refuse to buy from certain carmakers because I've had to deal with them as customers?

They say that after you've seen politics and sausage being made, you lose all taste for either one. I might add cars to that list.

 

[doitmyself]

If you try to choose a car brand based on moral integrity of said companies, the list is very short, maybe non-existent. The problem being that corporations are made up of human beings and, well, the rest is history.

Those who bash one brand while holding another to cult status can easily dig into their own closet to find a few skeletons.

 

[Volvohead]

Originally Posted By: leeharvey418
. . . What if I refuse to buy from certain carmakers because I've had to deal with them as customers? . . .


You can buy or not buy from any carmaker for whatever reason you like -- that's a consumer's inalienable right, at least around here.

Who is anyone to quibble with you?

Like I said, I have a very personal thing with BMWs, and it has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the car. My right, my choice.

 

[rjundi]

A few folks I know who had 4-6 year old Chrysler minivans liked them. However were so unhappy with resale/trade in value jumped over to new Toyota and Honda. That is a hard one to fix!

 

[thrace]

Originally Posted By: lovcom
A quality dealer is a silly reason to buy that makers car because if the car is dependable you would not need to care about the dealer. Also you don't have to take your car to the dealer you bought it from. You can take it to any dealer of that make.
Not Silly. IF dependable. You don't know until you own it. Big "IF". Bought a Honda. Thought it would be durable and reliable so I thought which dealer not very important. Wrong. Had customer satisfaction issues from day 1 only corrected near day 365. Not many yrs later things acutally broke like the doors, transmission, engine mounts and more. Not durable or dependable and found dealer service to be bad.
Quote:
I have had mostly Hondas and toyotas and I never cared anything about how good the dealer was. When you buy a great car, the dealership never matters.
Only if you are lucky. Was not lucky with Honda. Bad experience did influence my next purchase.

 

[Lapham3]

Long ago business (in general-not necesarily cars)decided that the 'stupid public' is generally fickle anyway and they pretty much gave up any loyalty to customers=give a better deal to the 'new guy' (not always just a 'starter price')than the decades long customer. Businesses as well as people move up and down and may deserve loyality, but not blindly.

 

[wander2039]

Am I brand loyal? .. Perhaps.. I've had mostly Ford's and Chevy's and I can tell you the Chevy in the driveway will be the absolute last. Gave the brand one last chance. Ford's isn't perfect but least the problems they have are easy to fix and be done with it. The only other I would buy is Toyota. Don't care for how Dodge's drive, Honda's-Nissan and few others nothing appeals to me. At least my wife thinks the same. I'd like to get a Toyota Tacoma or 4 Runner next but she wants a Ford product so we'll see in another 3-5 years.

 

[CharBaby]

I am not brand loyal though I have had more GM vehicles than any other make.

I do have my favorite vehicles that I like to look at! (old "F" bodys)

My favorite vehicles that I like driving better than other makes!(Chryslers & Hondas)

My favorite vehicles that, even though I didn't particularly like driving so much but, were friggen reliable as heck! (Toyotas)

And my favorite vehicle that I found to be so usefull overall for people or luggage/stuff but, not a great vehicle overall to drive!(SUVs/minivans)

Then, I have my favorite vehicle to look at, drive, holds people/luggage(but not lots of STUFF) and has been quite reliable! (My current '04 Altima). I'd like to stop driving this car in the winter just so I can keep'er longer!