First, shoppers are not monolithic. Generalizations will lead you to incorrect conclusions. Perhaps you could say, "The majority of auto buying consumers are such and such." In the case of many consumers, it makes no difference what they want, they'll take whatever they can get financed. Cars are super reliable? Check the recent recall numbers. Check the extreme angst of consumers who experience technology difficulties, some real, some imagined. When it costs a consumer $400 to get a key replaced, the term "reliable" doesn't exactly fit. When it costs $95 to have your dealer tell you your engine light is on because your gas cap isn't on tight, I'm not sure the term reliable even applies. There is a lot of bitterness in retail land from consumers about their cars. How many are driving around with warning light staring them in the face?
Second, OEMS do not inspire universal confidence. Some are better than others. We have a group of people who want to buy American, but won't buy GM or Chrysler. We have some who won't buy American under any circumstances. The vast majority aren't in a position of ultimate choice, they are in a position of relative choice dictated by their credit score, their degree of negative equity, and their cash position.
Only about 20% of auto buying consumers are in a position of ultimate choice. If all one wants to do is to appeal to those consumers, one's job becomes very easy. It might not be particularly profitable, and you might have a lot of grief from your OEM, but you can set up all sorts of systems and processes to give them what they want and do it quickly........ if that is your objective. The question is why would anyone want to do that?
