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June 01, 2006
Automotive heaven or hell: your warranty knows
I'm one of those guys who loves cars -- new, old, classic, funky, sportscar, truck, limo, drop-top, there's something that triggers the wantsies in each and every one.
Except for the lemons, of course. Can anyone say, "Vega"?
But when it comes time to actually buying, the virtue that reigns supreme in my fevered, gasoline-addled brain isn't looks, handling, speed, or luxury features ('though they all matter). Nope, I'm moved by the only indicator of flawless superior engineering, the factor that determines whether in a few years the car will be a pleasure to climb in, or a rolling junk-pile, drawing imprecations and disgusted head shaking when I warily approach it each morning.
That's right, I'm a reliability junkie. I don't care how good looking it is, how many Car&DriverMotorTrendAutomobile Car-of-the-Year awards it gets, if it ain't reliable, I ain't buying.
I helped my mother buy a new car when I was in the Navy, 1984, I think. Mom, bless her heart, wouldn't listen to anything I had to say, insisting on a Buick. Dad went out and got himself a Mazda 626 5-door sedan.
By '89, Dad's Mazda was running great -- and looking good; all the trim and switch-gear worked like new. Mom's Buick . . . well, you could hear it coming a mile away. I have a clear memory of pushing a button on the dash and watching it launch itself into the backseat. Nothing -- and I do mean nothing -- seemed to work right, and it was clear that this example of Detroit's best efforts was destined for the tender ministrations of Fred Sanford & Son.
I've always relied on the reliability index compiled by Consumers Reports to weed out the auto-shop queens, but the biggest drawback to that list is the methodology used to produce it: self-reporting by car owners. Nonetheless, relying upon its stats have helped me enjoy four new cars, and the parents have done well, too, by it.
Someone seems to have compiled a better list, though, one that uses data from its own activities: warranty-related repairs.
The list, compiled by independent mechanical breakdown insurer, Warranty Direct, found that every car in the Top 10, and an amazing 16 out of the Top 20, were Japanese models. The Honda Accord was at number one.
Models were ranked according to the frequency of failure and based on a database of over 55,000 vehicles. Last year, over 7.5m Britons spent £25bn buying a used car - nearly seven times the number of people who bought a new car privately.
The highest placed non-Japanese model was the British built Jaguar X-Type in 13th with the mighty German automotive industry first appearing at number 25 with the sporty executive Mercedes-Benz SLK according to Warranty Direct.
Used car expert, James Ruppert says:
"Volvo's S/V40 was the highest placed Swedish manufacturer in 15th, with the nation's most popular manufacturer, Ford, delivering its best ranked model, the Ka, in 22nd. Hyundai's Lantra was the pick of the Koreans and the Citroen Xsara was the best-placed French model at number 26.
"Obviously reliability is not the main reason why someone might choose one model over another, but it is still an important consideration for the majority," says Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty Direct.
"However, used car buyers are considerably more cautious. Japanese models may not be the most charismatic but you're unlikely to spend a great deal of money and time in the garage keeping it on the road."
Unfortunately, there is no list -- yet -- focused on the U.S. market, but I expect Warranty Direct will analyze their data for North America, too.
In the meantime, people like me will continue admiring the styling of the American marques -- love that Mustang, and the Dodge 300 looks sharp -- while we drive home in our Hondas and Acuras.
Posted by Mike Lief at June 1, 2006 07:12 AM
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Comments
Nothing beats reliability.
It will be interesting to see if the new president at GM can make a difference. The foreign brands' success will never co-exist with union worker demands. That era is over. (Or as someone somewhere wrote, the $26-an-hour job for high school graduates is over.)
Generally, I try to shop mom & pop, American, and union whenever possible.
Posted by: Vermont Neighbor at June 1, 2006 08:58 AM