Brand Report Card - Ouch!

[gato]

Via autoblog.com
https://www.autoblog.com/2023/02/16/consumer-reports-2023-brand-report-card/

I don't put that much value in these surveys/reviews/scorecards, but still....ouch for the brand.

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[Wbino]

The list backwards is the most fun to drive list.

 

[Htfan]

Seriously, this list CANNOT BE based on real world experience.​

​

Mini is 3rd... Really!? And I've owned an Audi.. There's no way ​

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Jeep rates low due to the the fact that FCA/Stellantis doesn't support their dealer network well. Most complaints you see here have more to do with the quality, or lack thereof, of service. The build quality is more in the average category in my opinion.

Secondly, a certain degree of dissatisfaction has to do with how some Wranglers are used, the damage that occurs from that and then finding out that warranty doesn't cover abuse. Combine that with a lower age demographic, who tend to be harder on vehicles, and it's not hard to see why Jeep consistently rates low.

Generally, a vehicle is only as good as it gets treated. My theory is that part of the reason brands like Toyota and Honda are rated higher is due to the type of practical people who buy them new. Yes, there are better and worse built vehicles, but the gap isn't as wide as these reports would make it out to be. Generally, vehicles built by UAW workers, with parts sourced from all of the same subcontractors, are all about the same inital quality. Where the difference comes to play is how well the vehicle and it's components were engineered in the first place, and where the bean counters came in to cut costs/maximize profits.

And on that particular list, BMW and Mini being at 1 and 3, takes all the legitimacy out of it.

 

[Heimkehr]

Chasing clicks has gotten so bloody pervasive that it's really difficult to put much stock in online reviews & ratings.

It's arguably worse than when print publications would veer their article content a bit toward their advertising dollars. At least they knew that consumers still had skin in the game (via voluntary subscription payments) and so maintained their place at the table. Not anymore.

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...a certain degree of dissatisfaction has to do with how some Wranglers are used, the damage that occurs from that and then finding out that warranty doesn't cover abuse. Combine that with a lower age demographic, who tend to be harder on vehicles, and it's not hard to see why Jeep consistently rates low.

I wonder if the average age of Wrangler owners will increase as the vehicle prices themselves continue to shoot for the moon. Soon enough, even comically long loan terms (which are already here) won't compensate for mortgage-like vehicle payments.

 

[gato]

Seriously, this list CANNOT BE based on real world experience.​

​

Mini is 3rd... Really!? And I've owned an Audi.. There's no way ​

You know that Mini is owned by BMW, and the Mini Countryman is basically a reskinned BMW X1, and the MIni is a 2-series. If BMW is first, why wouldn't Mini be third? It is the same vehicle

 

[Chupacabra]

This is Consumer Reports, and they factor in "road tests", which fails their criteria horribly. I know it's for Jeep overall, but the Wrangler probably drags that "road test" score down considerable as they hate how it rides.

 

[gato]

P.S. the list is from Consumer Reports, not Autoblog. Autoblog is just reporting on it. Somehow the CR logo got cut from the picture I posted.

 

[rayzjeep]

Buick lol....why are they even still around...

 

[The Last Cowboy]

I wonder if the average age of Wrangler owners will increase as the vehicle prices themselves continue to shoot for the moon. Soon enough, even comically long loan terms (which are already here) won't compensate for mortgage-like vehicle payments.

The thought crossed my mind as I was responding to the thread that @aldo98229 made about trading his current Jeep, and also as I typed my response to this thread. Will the Wrangler become the next Corvette? Meant to be youth oriented, but priced so far out of range that only those who have earned well can afford them. Then it gets the de facto image as a mid life crisis/old folks vehicle. Creature comfots and tech gizmos will take the place of dedicated heavy duty/performance options. Wait, I think the Wrangler has damn near reached that point.

 

[aldo98229]

Buick lol....why are they even still around...

Indeed. We stopped pretending to care about the Chinese market years ago.

 

[aldo98229]

You lost me at “Consumer Reports...”

 

[sentience]

Ha! Take that Land Rover!

(Jumps back into rental minivan while JL is day 20 in the shop, again.)

 

[gato]

Will the Wrangler become the next Corvette? Meant to be youth oriented, but priced so far out of range that only those who have earned well can afford them. Then it gets the de facto image as a mid life crisis/old folks vehicle. Creature comfots and tech gizmos will take the place of dedicated heavy duty/performance options. Wait, I think the Wrangler has damn near reached that point.

Will it?

It has already. Who do you think bought all those 392s with 10K markups?

Who do you think will buy the anniversary editions topping out at $113K MSRP?

Young people can't afford new Wranglers, but they still aspire to buy a used one and "make it their own" for adventures. In that sense, I think that moving the Wrangler more mainstream, means that more and more will be available in the secondary market.

The real question is - will anyone be able to financially afford to run a JL out of warranty off road? Are all the sophisticated electronics going to hold up? What about all the diesel emissions equipment?

There is a real risk that a young middle-class person buys a Wrangler out of warranty, tries to have some fun with it, and ends up with unaffordable repairs.

What is the annual price to keep a 20year old 4.0L TJ running vs a 10 or 20 year old 3.0D JL running. I think it will be an order of magnitude higher.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

When Jeep drops the entry level base Sport and no longer offers a manual transmission, then I will agree with you. But as of now, you can still get into a Wrangler for just over $30k if you can do with a soft top, no power windows, locks or AC.

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