That said, once one commits to spending above X-amount on a car, the principle use of the car (getting reliably and safely from A to B) becomes superflous and transforms into a pleasure device who's purpose (and incremental value) is in the eye of the beholder (or owner).
Some very interesting posts here and thank you.
The above in a way encapsulates what I was attempting to describe, contrast and question.
The pragmatic approach of the engineer, in that because cars are CAD/CAN designed & manufactured, produced by robots and have to satisfy similar safety standards etc, the ulimate (parts) quality, and hence also reliability of a car should be broadly the same, regardless of brand.
Contrasted with the approach of the car enthusiast, and brand 'perceptions' that say that a Mercedes for example is a much 'better' car than say a Toyota.
Beyond personal opinion, is there any way to qualify 'better' in this instance?
Not that I can tell.
Certainly a Mercedes will give you more comfort than the Toyota; a BMW more sportiness yet again, and so on and so forth, but as to the sheer quality of parts such as say gearboxes, engines, differentials, and body shell components, whether there is really somthing better on offer from the more expensive brands, I really don't know as there is so little objective information to be found on such matters.
Cars sell on acceleration times, fuel consumption, style, safety features, and features generally etc, along with notions of exclusivity and prestige with certain brands, but at a fundamental engineering level, it seems very difficult to discern any meaningful differences as regards basic engineering/component quality between them. As an example, a 'common garden' Ford Falcon here, uses the same ZF auto as found in a 5 series BMW as well as other 'prestige' brands. Early 190 Mercedes sourced their springs from BHP steel in Australia.....
I used to own Naim Audio, on the basis of it's superior design and sound quality over alleged 'lessor' mainstream products; at the end of the day, it was outdone by ES Sony - a sound that was closer to the original tenets of HiFi - that of the closest approach to the original sound, - and with an interior/exterior build quality, and parts list that exceeded the 'quality' of the Naim. I see a loose parallel here between 'prestige' motor vehicles and so called 'high end' audio... perceptions...can be exceedingly deceptive in lieu of facts.
My thinking at this stage, is that prestige brands of automobiles, like so called 'high end' HiFi, are in fact just so called luxury goods, where one is paying more for certain qualities seen as being desirable over and above the basics - performance, comfort, style etc, and that at the end of the day, my pragmatic engineering friend may be more or less on the money with his views.
Not that there is anything wrong with having luxury goods! - I would much rather drive a Mercedes than his Nissan, and I'd rather own B&O than ES Sony - but as to the actual verifiable quality being any better, I am in serious doubt at this stage.
Looking forward to being proven incorrect in this present thought/assumption though!
Best Regards
John... 😐
