KBB Exec Indicates Styling Is The Primary Concern As Reliability Reaches Parity

There is not one single Japanese car, van or SUV I would buy for styling, only for reliablilty.

I concur. On the other hand, I like the styling of MB's CLK cab, though reliability is an issue.

With reliability becoming a non issue, than please explain to me why millions of people buy Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Nissan and Infiniti.

And geez! I wonder how did Toyota become the world's largest automaker? Let me guess, could they have the higest standard in reliability and quality in the auto business.

Do a search on this website, "the king of recall for 2006" is GM and the German brands did really bad themselve. Toyota is number #1 in reliability and quality.

Toyota has always been known first and foremost for VALUE, quality second. That's the reason people bought them in the first place. Value first, quality second.

Oh, and you're a moron. Thanks for telling me to take my head out of my "German ass". You're one of the most biased and non-knowledgeable idiots on these boards. Moron.

Reliability is perception. It's all about perception. People percieve Toyota to have the best reliability- that's why, if you really want to know.

Parity in reliability is not good enough. It just means that everyone can afford to slack off in reliability improvements and all will end up mediocre in the longer run. What it takes for a manufacturer to leap ahead of the pack is continuous improvement in reliability by adopting better materials and fasteners year after year. To say that we have now caught up with the leaders and will rely mostly on styling spells defeat in the longer term. We also need to focus more on making cars simpler. Needless complexity without aerospace reliability results in excessive computerization of automobiles, unreliable warning systems that illuminate warning lights for no good reason, BMW cars with the hated iDrive, and useless electronic frills that are packaged with stuff you can actually use in overpriced packages (another form of blackmail marketing).
Instead of, or, better still, in conjunction with warning lights, cars should indicate a digital code on the instrument panel to pinpoint the problem by referencing the code in a booklet supplied with the car. I once had a 1981 Cadillac (the one with the infamous 4-6-8 engine) that displayed the trouble code on the digital radio readout by simply depressing two specific buttons on the radio. I did disable the 4-6-8 engine function by the way.

Actually reliability differences are pretty much acedemic now a days. Even JD Power admits that.

"With reliability quickly becoming an non issue in the new car market..."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice Jag, BTW.

One more thing...

My list:

Sports Cars-

1. Porsche
2. Jaguar
3. Mercedes-Benz

Trucks-

1. GMC
2. Nissan
3. Ford

Minivans-

1. Honda
2. Toyota
3. Chrysler

Luxury SUVs-

1. Audi
2. Mercedes-Benz
3. BMW

Normal SUVs-

1. Mazda
2. VW
3. GMC

Luxury Sedans-

1. Mercedes-Benz
2. Audi
3. BMW

Normal Sedans-

1. Mazda
2. VW
3. Honda

WHAT'S TRULY SAD IS THAT MANY OF YOU SEEM TO BE HAPPY ABOUT QUALITY BECOMING A NON-ISSUE FOR CONSUMERS. I PITY THE DAY BMW AND TOYOTA ARE ON PAR IN RELIABILITY. TOYOTA HAS GOTTEN WHERE THEY ARE TODAY BECAUSE OF CUSTOMERS VALUING RELIABILITY. THIS WILL NOT JUST CHANGE OVERNIGHT.

ALSO, THE THING ABOUT TOYOTA HERE (SINCE THEY'RE ALWAYS THE SUBJECT AT HAND ANYWAY) IS THAT BELIEVE IT OR NOT REGARDLESS OF ITS SIZE, IT IS AN EXTREMELY ADAPTABLE COMPANY. IF THE DEMAND SUDDENLY SHIFTS FROM RELIABILITY TO FUN/SPORTY (WHATEVER) TOYOTA WILL OBLIGE. WE'LL START SEEING SUPRAS/MR2s/TRUENOs AGAIN.

Ford as #1 for SUV's? Wow...ugliest most bland SUV's on the market.

But that shouldnt bother me, and my comment shouldnt bother you, because styling is 100% subjective.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" ...however, most of us will agree when a car looks good or looks plain awful, just like with women.

With BMW getting kudos for styling, I must be the only guy who thinks their cars are hideously misformed. Amazing the change that five years can bring (since the current 7 debuted to a universal cringes).

No, I don't think so.