Mmm-hmm. Yeah.
Point is, a LOT more people have had bad, bad, bad experiences with domestics, whether with the hardware, the customer service or more likely both. They weren’t “duped” into thinking imports were better, they *know* the domestics were often crap based on personal experience.
I would also point out the aftermarket ‘warranty’ market - basically, mechanical breakdown/repair insurance in reality, no matter what the name. The rates are not set by personal preference but by actuaries analyzing real world data and setting rates based on that data, just as with most other forms of insurance. Domestic cars tend to have higher, sometimes *much* higher premiums for the same coverage than most Asian and some European imports. You don’t have to take my word for it - go pick some recent same-year same-class cars from, say, GM and Toyota (I suggest Malibu and Camry) and pick a site like Warranty Direct to get quotes from. Look at the numbers.
There are other statistical agencies covering total cost of ownership over the course of the typical five year loan. One of them quotes the Camry coming in at just over $28,000 but the Malibu costs around $31,500 to run and maintain over the first five years.
It’s not just “opinion” or “anecdotes” - the stats say domestics historically break down more often and will cost the owners/the insurance company more to run/repair over the term of ownership. Want to try to explain that?
I would also point out that attitude like yours (AMERICAN CAR OR NO CAR) is exactly why Britain no longer has a motor industry. There were plenty of Brits that felt the same way about British cars and they kept buying the terrible crap that the British motor industry cranked out, no matter how bad it was. The problem with that is that it is subsidizing failure - and as the Obama Admin recently demonstrated, if you subsidize failure, you get more failure. Eventually the British motor industry’s product quality got so bad they couldn’t make export sales any more - which they didn’t care about. Then their product decline got to the point where even many of their most blind supporters had to buy something else if they wanted something actually reliable. By that point it was already too late - when they lost their export market was the point at which they actually died, they hadn’t realized it yet.
Want to keep American industry? Stop subsidizing failure and shame to force them to make better product. Reward superior product and penalize crappy ones. Your support of American marques also often funds the Democratic Party through the unions - think about that. Buying American cars blindly means you funded Obama.
You seem hellbent on defending the overproduction of foreign cars in the American market. Who are YOU supporting? What do you have to gain? Obviously you have surpassed the norm in your determination to change my attitude toward foreign cars. Sorry, but you will not succeed. AND I don’t waste money on extended warranties which are simply money spent betting against yourself. Wise up! I am one wise old woman who knows her own mind and IS NOT subject to persuasion. For thee last time, I WILL DRIVE AMERICAN CARS no matter what you have to say and YOU WILL NOT CHANGE MY MIND! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!!!!!