What are some VALID reasons why my next new car (most likely a compact) shouldn't be a Toyota or Honda?

Toyota and Honda are very reliable cars.

You shouldn't get one though because a Subaru is more reliable (per recent reports). Plus, if you live in an area with crazy weather (snow), all Subaru's are AWD. Plus, IMO, Subaru sedans look much nicer.

For the record, I drive a Subaru (Forester) and the wife drives a Mazda (3). Very happy with both.

I've owned/leased 6 BMWs and they are just as reliable as the 2 Toyotas I have owned. The difference is they drive much better. If you are enthusiast get the BMW, if you are looking for A reliable commuter car get a Toyota. I agree in general Audis look better than BMWs in the recent years.

Rainy day wrote:

I've owned/leased 6 BMWs and they are just as reliable as the 2 Toyotas I have owned. The difference is they drive much better. If you are enthusiast get the BMW, if you are looking for A reliable commuter car get a Toyota. I agree in general Audis look better than BMWs in the recent years.

So if you are some like myself who honestly does not like to drive but can afford a BMW, should I not get one because I am not an "enthusiast"? wtf does that mean anyways?

The Struggle Continues........ wrote:

the Islamic Freedom Fighters drive Toyota Trucks

Actually they drive humvee's. They are made by AM General, which is an American company.

Signaling. The Toyota and Honda cars don't signal the same as a BMW (or even a VW). That's not to say they're worse (or that the signal is worse), just that signaling is a valid reason to prefer a different brand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signalling_theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signalling_

(economics)

Saul Goodman wrote:

Toyota and Honda are very reliable cars.

You shouldn't get one though because a Subaru is more reliable (per recent reports). Plus, if you live in an area with crazy weather (snow), all Subaru's are AWD. Plus, IMO, Subaru sedans look much nicer.

For the record, I drive a Subaru (Forester) and the wife drives a Mazda (3). Very happy with both.

Subarus get rather lousy mileage for the size of the car and have the hidden problem that you need the tires to wear evenly, so if you get a flat you may need to pay to replace all four tires or risk damaging the differentials.

They are terrific in the snow though.

IMO the small Hondas drive better than the small Toyotas.

DRIVING enthusiast, I assume, as in likes to drive. Someone who appreciates a car that performs well when pushed a bit. They'd put a greater premium on a car's handling, road feel, acceleration, braking, etc., than the average car buyer who usually leans toward reliability/price.

Old Man Runner wrote:

So if you are some like myself who honestly does not like to drive but can afford a BMW, should I not get one because I am not an "enthusiast"? wtf does that mean anyways?

Honda has seen a significant drop in reliability and rise in manufacturing defects (mostly small stuff, like rattles and sun visors that slip, etc.). They are also cheaping up their cars by putting more and more plastic in the interior. Honda is in many ways going the route of GM and Ford back in the day. They acheived a strong position in the market and are capitalizing on that position by cutting back on quality. Back in the day, GM looked at every part to their cars and had engineers figure out the cheapest materials they could use that would last just long enough to get them away from most state lemon laws. Honda isn't that bad, but that is the direction they are going.

Toyota has had similar problems, but on a different scale. Toyota has had design problems, like sticking gas pedals. Those problems have been addressed but the fact that they occurred shows that they are not what they used to be. Unfortunately for you, the Toyota Prius is the best compact car on the market. They are superior in terms of reliability, have excellent gas mileage and are as good to drive as a hybrid will ever be in that price range.

If you are really budget concious, there is an argument to be made for the Ford Fiesta and Focus. Cheaper than the imports by a lot and not bad to drive. Reliability is not as good, but not so bad as to completely make up for the price difference.

buy ONLY honda or toyota, consistently the top quality cars rated worldwide. there's really no other choice.

buy ONLY honda or toyota, consistently the top quality cars rated worldwide. there's really no other choice.

xnet wrote:

Thank you. I can honestly say that I'm not looking for a "fun to drive" car. I want a bulletproof car that will get me from A to B with no frills. But I want it to last for 10-15 years.

Id just shoot myself if it ever came to that. If I am going to drop 20K on something....it damn well better be something I *want* not something "no frills to get me from point A to B".

Now, nothing wrong with Honda or Toyota but if you are going to lay down the $$ for a new car, buy something that excites you or is in someway useful.

Even a RAV4 or crv over a corolla or civic would be *something*.

If I ever buy a Camry, civic, etc..it means I hate life and please put me out of my misery.

Thanks for all of the feedback. I respect your opinion but you're an idiot. Respect that.

Precious Roy wrote:

. . . Unfortunately for you, the Toyota Prius is the best compact car on the market. They are superior in terms of reliability, have excellent gas mileage and are as good to drive as a hybrid will ever be in that price range.

If you are really budget conscious, there is an argument to be made for the Ford Fiesta and Focus. Cheaper than the imports by a lot and not bad to drive. Reliability is not as good, but not so bad as to completely make up for the price difference.

For what it's worth, I have a 2007 Prius (the wife's car) and a 2006 Focus (4 door hatchback variant), so essentially the capability except the Focus is called on to pull a trailer which isn't recommended for the Prius. There's no doubt the Prius is a more refined vehicle by most any measure but I believe the Focus is the better value if one is simply looking for a transportation appliance. My "enthusiast" vehicles have two wheels.

I've had a 1997 Toyota Camry, 2007 Honda Civic, and a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT.

The Camry had 148,000 miles on it before the transmission went. Original MSRP = 21,500

2007 Civic EX Coupe, Manual Transmission- MRSP 21,600 Traded in with 61,000 miles on it. No problems, but the interior wasn't anything special. Hood paint chipped pretty easily too.

2013 Elantra GT, Style Package, Manual Transmission - MRSP 22,100. No problems thus far (1,500 miles in), the interior is great. Leather seats, panoramic sun roof, bluetooth audio etc. Feels like a much more expensive car than it is.

Looked at the new Civic and Toyota Matrix... interior was cheap in comparison. Liked my 07' Civic better than the 12'

Ford Focus was a close second to my Elantra

God. Don't buy Korean, Amer, or Eur. Buy Japanese. Ask around you'll hear the same opinion.

worst poster wrote:

Id just shoot myself if it ever came to that. If I am going to drop 20K on something....it damn well better be something I *want* not something "no frills to get me from point A to B".

Now, nothing wrong with Honda or Toyota but if you are going to lay down the $$ for a new car, buy something that excites you or is in someway useful.

Even a RAV4 or crv over a corolla or civic would be *something*.

If I ever buy a Camry, civic, etc..it means I hate life and please put me out of my misery.

How is a Camry nothing and a Corolla something? They are the same car, the Camry is just a little bigger.

xnet wrote:

Just looking for someone to play devil's advocate. Thank you.

They aren't a Range Rover.

The British experience:

Honda has returned to the top of our reliability tables for 2012. It produces the highest scoring cars, over the longest period, and boasts the best reliability rating for both new and older cars.

It’s testament to a few rock-solid models in the Honda range, especially the Jazz supermini and large hybrid Insight.

Both the current and previous Jazz appear close to the top of the table for reliability of all models. The existing car received very few breakdown reports and costs on average just £23 a year to repair.

But that’s not to say all Hondas are bulletproof.

Owners of the current Accord report ECU (engine control unit), engine and fuel system problems, all of which are considered to be serious faults.

It’s not surprising to see that the list of the top five most reliable carmakers features a strong Japanese presence.

To date, Lexus, Mazda and Toyota have always been there or thereabouts when it comes to producing solid workhorses.

Kia’s overall third placing for newer cars is yet another sign of the inexorable rise of the Korean carmaker.

The Sportage SUV and recently replaced Cee’d and Picanto models are proving that the budget-friendly manufacturer can offer reliability alongside value for money.

And with 2012’s Cee’d and Optima models already impressing us, we fully expect Kia’s meteoric rise to continue into 2013 and beyond.

Honda & Toyota have the most effeminate cars in each class. Some like this though & you may be one who does.