France.I own both a Mini and a Jeep, both purchased within the last six months
The Mini I actually somewhat regret - luckily it's actually a lease, so I'll be out of it within 3 years. Minis are "quirky", but I can't say it's actually a poor quality car. It just doesn't work in the ways I expect a car to work and I suspect many people freak out about a lot of the weird little things Mini cars do. I did too, initially, though now I suddenly feel a weird compunction to defend it. For one thing, it is actually almost entirely a BMW at this point - the only thing separating it from any other BMW is that final assembly takes place in England. (And that's just so they can say that it's "built in England", even though all the components are shipped over from Germany.)
Interesting. You seem to be the exact sort of buyer the article is describing.Minis are "quirky", but I can't say it's actually a poor quality car. It just doesn't work in the ways I expect a car to work and I suspect many people freak out about a lot of the weird little things Mini cars do. I did too, initially, though now I suddenly feel a weird compunction to defend it.
BMW's are by no means considered dependable and their repair costs are in the stratosphere, just like Minis.For one thing, it is actually almost entirely a BMW at this point - the only thing separating it from any other BMW is that final assembly takes place in England. (And that's just so they can say that it's "built in England", even though all the components are shipped over from Germany.)
I've driven a half dozen Hondas into the ground but never seen one spew coolant. Then again where I live roads are extremely common. Maybe you live where there are no roads and have to drive down dry riverbeds and up steep cliffs to make it to the nearest convince store.It was unstoppable even in the worst northeast blizzard, and the only time it let me down was just about 2 months ago, when it started spewing coolant all over the street.
I was really interested in a Passat at one point. All the dealer had to do was keep his mouth shut and take my money. Unfortunately that was just a bit too much to ask and I ended up having to walk. The more he tried to manipulate my words and play his silly mind the games the more he pushed me away. By the time I walked out I was certain I would never buy a Volkswagen for as long as I lived. Dealerships must be one of the most pointless and annoying inventions ever created. It's amazing how many of them have managed to talk their way out of a sale even when I had cash in hand.We hated our Jeep dealer so much that we kept saying to each other just one more misstep on their part and we'd be buying an Xterra. They barely kept us long enough to take delivery.
This is so incredibly true! So much so that these days when I walk into a dealership I tell them up front that their best chance of selling me a car is to keep their sales pitch down to zero, and just let me decide on my own. Any peep from them and I am out of there. Usually I have done enough research to know well enough when they are bulshitting, which happens to be more often than not.I was really interested in a Passat at one point. All the dealer had to do was keep his mouth shut and take my money. Unfortunately that was just a bit too much to ask and I ended up having to walk. The more he tried to manipulate my words and play his silly mind the games the more he pushed me away. By the time I walked out I was certain I would never buy a Volkswagen for as long as I lived. Dealerships must be one of the most pointless and annoying inventions ever created. It's amazing how many of them have managed to talk their way out of a sale even when I had cash in hand.
That is not the engine in my Mini. The engine in my Mini is a B38, assembled in England from German parts. (btw, my sticker lists the parts content from each country, as is required in the US.)
By "driven into the ground" you mean what, exactly? Presumably all six of the Hondas you drove died somehow, if you "drove them into the ground".I've driven a half dozen Hondas into the ground but never seen one spew coolant.
Concur.This is so incredibly true! So much so that these days when I walk into a dealership I tell them up front that their best chance of selling me a car is to keep their sales pitch down to zero, and just let me decide on my own. Any peep from them and I am out of there. Usually I have done enough research to know well enough when they are bulshitting, which happens to be more often than not.I was really interested in a Passat at one point. All the dealer had to do was keep his mouth shut and take my money. Unfortunately that was just a bit too much to ask and I ended up having to walk. The more he tried to manipulate my words and play his silly mind the games the more he pushed me away. By the time I walked out I was certain I would never buy a Volkswagen for as long as I lived. Dealerships must be one of the most pointless and annoying inventions ever created. It's amazing how many of them have managed to talk their way out of a sale even when I had cash in hand.
Saturn had far more issues than that. For one, many realized that the no-haggle pricing often meant that the price wasn't that good. Another is that the supposed residual value compared to MSRP didn't really compare well to other cars where one didn't typically pay MSRP.When Saturn ( GM) first came out they had no Dickering Pricing, and they consistently finished on top of Customer Satisfaction ratings! Soon as GM reverted to the old Shell Game @ Dealerships, Sales went into the toilet and now Saturn is gone to the auto graveyard to join such other brands as Studebaker, Packard, Pontiac,Olds,Mercury,Plymouth, Desoto etc. etc.
By drove into the ground I mean the suspension was shot. Those cars could still get you where you needed to go but it was a bumpy and jarring ride after having been through 150,000+ miles of rental car style driving. The suspension could be repaired but that's usually when I decided it was time for a new car. We don't have many potholes where I live but we do have an ever growing number of oversized speed bumps, many of which I simply ignore at this point. I'm not talking about speed bumps in school zones or quiet neighborhood streets where they might make sense. I'm talking about literally thousands of humongous speed humps located along major thoroughfares, sprinkled throughout parking lots, and infesting nearly every business park. I guess I just don't see the point of going out of our way to save people too clueless to stay out of the road of their own free will.By "driven into the ground" you mean what, exactly? Presumably all six of the Hondas you drove died somehow, if you "drove them into the ground". The one Honda I owned died due to its suspension literally falling apart prior to 70,000 miles, if we're going to trade anecdotes. It would have been a far more expensive fix than replacing a radiator hose in my Jeep cost. On the other hand, that Honda was dead in the snow - I may as well have not owned a car. And it clearly was not able to handle NYC potholes.
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