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FWIW, I sit in a building with over 600 ASE certified technicians including the largest collection of World Class Techs in the world. If I look around the parking lot I see about 70% domestic and 30% foreign makes.
Fleet vehicles are also driven by emotion, because the decisions are still being made by people. My organization, for example, will only buy domestic.
It's not an emotional thing as you seem to believe, but a support and option thing. The domestic truck makers absolutely dominate the fleet market because they offer the flexibility of spec, competitive pricing and wide ranging dealer and fleet support that none of the foreign brands have.
Toyota is looking to test these waters by offering a basic work truck version of the Tundra. Of course, it costs about $8k more than what a fleet can by a comparable F150 or Silverado for.
Additionally, these trucks have long proven themselves to these fleet buyers who rely on them to run their businesses. If the trucks sucked, they wouldn't keep buying them. Plain and simple, Ford and GM put together a hell of a truck for the money.
One other thing to ponder. When Toyota started racing the Tundra in the Craftsmen Truck Series they used a Ford F350 as their tow vehicle...why, because Toyota doesn't make a truck that can do that kind of work.
Not really. I work for a fleet management company. These guys comprise the "technical resource team". They review all repairs being conducted on customer vehicles and develop repair solutions for repeat problems. I work as an analyst, helping fleets improve their overall performance and save money. Everything from picking the right vendor network, to speccing the right vehicles for the job to determining proactive part replacement schedules.
I'm just trying to picture a garage where people bring Kias and Lamborghinis too.
3 Different dealers and a couple of high end private shops. I got tired of swapping brakes, oil changes and other routine maintenance at a toyota dealer and actually wanted to work on something once in a while so I went to Dodge then Porsche. From there I went to privates shops so I could actually make some money.
For me price and the badge on the hood have nothing to do with my buying decision. I simply buy the best car I can afford that will cause me the least headaches during ownership. If GM, Ford or Dodge ever figure out how to built a decent car I would buy one in a heartbeat. I personally would love a new camaro or challanger but I need to be able to rely on my car daily and they haven't figured out how to build that kind of quality yet.
How sad for you that as a mechanic you can only own one car at a time and have to have an appliance that gets you to and from work as that only car.
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Toyota (Lexus, Scion), Subaru, Honda, Acura, Infiniti, Nissan, hyundia, Kia, Ford, Dodge, Jeep, GM brands, Mercedes, BMW, VW, Other German brands, and finally all things from Italy.
My daily driver is a BMW 740iL. It's only been down and unriveable for more than a couple hour scheduled maintenance session once in the 4 1/2 years I've owned it, and that was because a cheap replacement water pump I had installed locally (and the only repair I dindt originally do myself) as a preventative repair (as it was 8 years old at the time and I was replacing the cooling system to pre it for long term ownership, due to there being no repair records with the car) failed a couple years back. I ordered an OEM one online for the same money, and installed it myself, and it's been fine ever since.
My other daily driver is an '01 Range Rover HSE that has needed $50 in repairs in the two years I've owned it (spark plug wire failed causing a misfire, so I replaced the entire set). Any other cost is normal maintenance for it's age (replaced the original tires and battery, as well as doing oil changes)
And I did a restoration on this Fiat and was electriacally and mechanically reliable afterward : '81 Fiat 2000 Spyder
And now I'm doing a similar restoration on an MGB:
I had a customized Toyota pickup years ago, and before that an AE86 Corlla GTS, but you couldn't pay me to have a soulless appliance modern Toyota product (though I will use a Toyota engine in other things, liek the Lexus LS400 1UZ-FE V8 I have in my garage for use in my '63 Mercury Comet... )
I honesty am tired of the people trying to act like they are high and mighty b/c they have tried or might try different brands. Good for you. That doesn't make you any better than someone happy with a particular brand, especially if the brand is that damn good.
There is nothing wrong with favoring a brand. Some people like certain brands of watches, clothes and even home builders. They are comfortable with the brand, they know about the brand and the brand has done right by them. Makes no sense in a lot of ways to leave if you are a happy customer just to say "oh I also owned this other brand".
Its disgusting to me how some try to leverage that they are somehow superior b/c they tried different brands and someone that doesn't is a fool or blind. Different strokes for different folks. Some people might check out other brands but not need to own them.
We also live in an era where brands are expanding their linesups where you might not have to leave. A great example is Porsche as of late. A die hard/happy Porsche owner could only have a sports car 20 years ago. If they loved the Porsche brand and its principles they still have to leave to buy a sedan or SUV.
Well today that is no longer the case. A happy Porsche owner who identifies and loves the brand and would prefer to stay with the brand being they are happy with it could now buy a Cayenne SUV. No longer did they have to jump ship. Today they can now also buy a Panamera sedan. No more having to jump to a 7 series or S-class.
There is nothing wrong with that, especially if the brand STANDS FOR SOMETHING. Porsche, BMW, LExus, Mercedes, etc come to mind.
A lot of brands struggle with average lineups that offer maybe one good product or two but overall the brand means nothing, it stands for nothing. So people see no reason to jump to that brand.
Its great some of you have diversity in your vehicle choices but don't look down at others who are happy with sticking to a particular brand or two.
In some ways brand names carry an assurance of certain attributes:
Ford-great trucks and service vehicles
Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche-world class performance
BMW-maybe the best sports sedan available
Corvette-best sports car bang for the buck
But that doesn't mean that any brand or model is without problems.
I would never buy based on a brand or model name. I buy based on that individual model's attributes. For instance, when I was lookign for a car in 2004/2005, I drove dozens of various vehicles. I was hooked when I drove a 2005 GTO. I brushed up on it, decided it was the best car for me based on what I was willing to spend, and bought it. Sometimes people tell me "well, it's not a real GTO" to which I respond "if it was named the Pontiac Fred I would have bought it. I wanted the car, not the name".
I'll buy the best option based on my needs and wants at the time I'm looking. Although I weigh the the assumed attributes of a make and model in my decision, I base the final decision on specific facts. I will, however, quickly rule out a brand if I can see they don't have anything I'm interested in.
I will give domestics (or cars made predominantly in the US) the first look but am otherwise open-minded to brands.
However, since I know a lot about the various vehicle reliabiltiy, costs etc. I do have some preconceptions about certain makes and models but it's still going to boil down to WHAT I need and then comparing the various offerings that meet that need.
I've bought 2 toyotas a ford and a Chevrolet so far in my life and I'm pleased with all of them.
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