Does Perception matter with Manufacturer Origins?

"Jonathon Klein" (jonathon-klein)
07/10/2014 at 15:14 • Filed to: car conceptions

A few months ago Doug's column told the tale that !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! are very unreliable even though they are often touted as the savior of all mankind. Doug even made a sliding scale that uses a German car as a baseline for utter shit, and said that a car made out of Chimpanzees would be a better option. However, I will now attempt to argue that his argument is a load of the Chimpanzee poo. In addition, where he used his hyperbolistic facts, I will use truthful misdirection to show that actually most of our current perceptions of cars are grounded in nothing more than windswept sand!

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Some of you will remember my article from a while ago on my very own !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! adventure, and will likely start to get the pitch forks and torches. However, if you would have read the rest of the article, as many that commented didn't, I actually liked the car. What that car showed me was that my perceptions were wrong. However, while that perception is wrong, it wasn't unfounded, and can be used to illustrate a greater point.

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We all have preconceived notions of what we'll get when a car is from a certain country. From Asia, the cars will most likely be built well, if a bit dull. From Germany, they will last a lifetime, and only come in black if you are a sensible individual with a modicum of foresight when it comes to resale. And from America, the cars will always be one upped by the rest of the world, except when it comes to going fast in straight lines. Or so these perceptions go.

However, this doesn't take into account factors that need to be when analyzing actual reality. For instance, American cars aren't usually made with the best of materials, and have a habit of feeling cheaper than some of their competitors. But long has it been since American manufacturers have produced cars like they were producing in the mid 80's.

Today's modern American cars last, and last well. Even cars from the early 2000's last which were on the cusp of American manufacturer's building better and better cars. Most importantly, American engines last.

My !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that I had to part with not to long ago had 207,000 miles on the clock. Now if any of you have seen a Durango on the road lately, most are covered in rust and the early 2000's weren't the pinnacle of manufacturing for Chrysler. Their engines are why these cars are still on the road, some with many more miles than I had on it. My friend has a Ranger with half a million miles and it's still going. It's also why when a new supercar, or sportscar manufacturer builds a new car, they usually use some form of GM V8 engine. They will just go and go, like the Energizer Bunny.

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( I power EVERYTHING! )

Ze Germans are very neat, polite, and very organized. They meticulously take care of their cars and build their cars to exacting specifications, and it's exactly that which is the problem. Those specifications are so exact and the tolerances are so small that if one thing goes the entire car begins to shake like it's Miley Cyrus twerking! However, that isn't to say that Ze Germans don't make fantastic cars, they do.

But here's the rub, pretty much every manufacturer makes a decent car. The issue with all cars is actually maintenance.

Now some of you will bitch and moan that you've read this long and this post is actually about proper maintenance of your car. It actually isn't, it's still about perception. German cars are viewed as cars that are bullet proof, or they are viewed in the complete opposite light as Doug's article points out. But here is the kicker; every car would be bullet proof so long as you actually take care of it.

Our perceptions are based on those individuals that don't take care of their cars, which beat on them, and then sell them to us later on after the warranty is up. Of course we will think American cars fall apart, or that German cars always break down, it's because the used car market is full of non-car people. People like my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that did nothing in the form of preventative maintenance on her G6 and now the car has major issues. Any car will fall to pieces if you let them sit and rot.

Our perceptions waiver based on our experiences. However, in today's car market, no automaker really makes a car that won't last quite a long time. Now that isn't to say they make great cars, or cars that don't have issues. Some do, like the Jeep Cherokee with its wonky 9 speed, and GM's whole recalling every car they ever produced, but the vast majority of auto manufacturers all make cars that will last at least 200,000 miles. But it's our perception of certain brands or certain manufacturing countries that do little to help us make informed decisions on cars, and do little to bring us enthusiasts together.

Doug's article showed us that even today, even in the enthusiast community, we can be wrong about cars. And we shouldn't be, we are some of the most knowledgeable individuals on cars. We can spout off engine numbers, chassis configurations, and a whole host of other items. We should know that perceptions are crap, except about Doug, he can suck it. Especially with his fancy Ferrari! That will burn to the ground! Have fun driving Doug!

You can find both !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on Twitter! We Tweet shit.

DISCUSSION (11)

485 on the 405 > Jonathon Klein
07/10/2014 at 15:43

We bought German for the long haul. At less than 30k miles, our 2008 4-matic C lost a bearing in the front transfer case, warranted expired. MB USA couldn't help as the car was no longer within the country; as a result we had to spend $7k to fix the car. Odds of us buying German again are slim, I might as well buy Italian; folks will understand the repair costs, and applaud us for buying form over function.

BigBlock440 > Jonathon Klein
07/10/2014 at 15:47

Some do, like the Jeep Cherokee with its wonky 8 speed,

What problems is the Grand Cherokee having? I haven't heard of any.

Jonathon Klein > BigBlock440
07/10/2014 at 15:56

The new 8 speed trans has a few glitches.

BigBlock440 > Jonathon Klein
07/10/2014 at 16:02

Is the Ram having the same problems?

Jonathon Klein > BigBlock440
07/10/2014 at 16:03

I haven't heard if it is. I think it just the software that's in the Jeep. I know they halted production for awhile. They may have fixed it by now.

BigBlock440 > Jonathon Klein
07/10/2014 at 16:05

I know the 9-speed in the Cherokee did, but I haven't heard anything about the 8-speeds having any problems. Curious as to what they were and if the other manufacturers had them too.

Jonathon Klein > BigBlock440
07/10/2014 at 16:17

Was it the 9? I thought it was the 8, I may be wrong.....Let me check on that.

Jonathon Klein > BigBlock440
07/10/2014 at 16:18

It was the 9, my bad.

BigBlock440 > Jonathon Klein
07/10/2014 at 20:59

Ok, that makes more sense, the 9 in the Cherokee did have some issues that delayed deliveries/production. I thought I missed something with the 8 speed issues, but I guess not this time.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Jonathon Klein
07/11/2014 at 02:28

I bought my car with 33k miles, shortly before the warranty was to expire. A few years later, I happened to meet the previous owner while he and a friend were looking at my car in a parking lot. It turns out that it was his college car in Florida. Both him and his friend seemed surprised that I hadn't had any issues with it, and mentioned that, "That car rips!" I'm now at over 121k miles, and still have had no issues bigger than rear wheel bearings. GM built in Australia, where does that even figure in?

Jonathon Klein > jdrgoat - Ponticrack?
07/11/2014 at 07:57

Holden's are sick, that's where that figures!