Do automotive brand stereotypes still exist?

[Year's_End]

I think it's fair to say that most brands had a clear-cut image that represented them a mere five or ten years ago; Hondas were the go-to for cheap yet fun thrills, BMWs were obviously the driver's pick of the competition, AMGs were nuclear powered luxobarges, American cars were cheap and lacked any real polish, etc.

Over the course of the past half-decade, the automotive universe has entered an era of refinement. Now that most of the critical technological breakthroughs have been implemented (ESC, DTC, variable rate suspension and steering setups, electronic steering pumps, and so on), we've seen many brands lose their weaknesses and cars are becoming jack-of-alls. Design has been refined to the point that nearly everything looks upscale and interesting, reliabilty is always improving, and efficiency is always moving forwards. It's getting difficult to pinpoint a car's weakness unless we're looking on the lowest end of the pricing spectrum.

Of course, there are some brands that have taken on new stereotypes, but to explain what I'm trying to say, I'll use relatable terms that most people on this forum should understand: remember the distinct roles Audi, BMW and Mercedes played against each other? You had the mix, the sporty pick, and the comfy pick. Now we've got three brands that exhibit nearly identical characteristics in each class. I know this is obviously a good thing, but don't you think it sort of takes the fun out of the equation when you're arguing about brands (should you ever happen to do so)?

Would like to hear peoples' thoughts.

[Impervious]

Apart from a few exceptions they are as strong as ever in my opinion.

[hks786]

Over here I would say stereotypes still exist but not as much as before and only apply to a few brands. BMW is still a drivers car. Mercedes still has a more luxury/comfort edge, although the new C-class is really popular here. People take it more seriously as a 3 series rival. Audi are also very popular now too. I know a lot of people personally that would now take some Audis over BMWs.

Another example is the new Civic (hatch). It might not be to everyones taste but it now has a much more upscale design and features. Same with the Accord too actually. So I would say here at least the old image Honda used to have of just being a cheap daily driver has changed.

[blue2fire]

Brands i wont consider, even if they sold a mini M3 for 30k:
1. Hyundai
2. Ford
3. VW
4. GM
5. Volvo
6. Nissan/Toyota etc.....

This will go on forever so i will just say everything except 4-5 companies.

Why? I can find some reasons but i just basically don't like them. So stereotypes still exist to me.

[CJ421]

I actually had a tough time with the poll. Went with this:

are pretty much non-existant by this point.

All automotive brands have improved across the board drastically in recent years, most noticeably the American brands like Chevy but also Korean brands including Kia and Hyundai, who are providing *serious* competition to the Japanese.
Even Suzuki is getting good reviews.

My parents bought a Kia SUV a few months back to replace an older 06 model of the same make/model. Improved in every direction, no doubt. Interior quality is drastically better as are the exterior looks. Safety, handling, and the stereo is even better.
I travel a lot with my job and am in a rental car two weeks a month. Even the rental cars I drive have pretty decent quality. Just got out of a Nissan Versa, you know, the $14k barebones from Nissan. It felt pretty good to drive and was relatively solid.

If there's an exception to this rule, I'd point at VW, perhaps ... the new Jetta is terrible next to the old one. But cars like the Jetta are rare exceptions. Overall VW probably has better average quality than it did a few years ago.

People of course still think there are stereotypes, they're not going to be erased out of people's heads anytime soon. I answered your poll based on whether I personally thought the stereotypes held any water. They don't.

[NewYearsBoy]

Originally Posted by blue2fire

Brands i wont consider, even if they sold a mini M3 for 30k:
1. Hyundai
2. Ford
3. VW
4. GM
5. Volvo
6. Nissan/Toyota etc.....

This will go on forever so i will just say everything except 4-5 companies.

Why? I can find some reasons but i just basically don't like them. So stereotypes still exist to me.

I sort of agree they would make Great daily drivers...