QOTD: Does Brand Experience Matter When You Buy a Car?

A week or two ago, a friend dropped me a line on GChat (oh sorry, it’s Hangouts now). She told me she and her husband were expecting their first child and they were going to trade one of their cars for a crossover/SUV. She wanted my recommendations.

I tossed out the usual suspects in the two-row and three-row categories (and in the $20K-$40K price range), based on what I’ve driven. I also mentioned a few models I have yet to drive that have been highly recommended throughout the automotive press.

I was intentionally a little vague because, as I told her, the final decision would come down to variables unique to her and her husband – what they feel is best for their finances, how they both like driving each individual car, their styling preferences, what features they want, et cetera. But a day later, something popped into my head. I realized I hadn’t considered a key factor: the brand, or more accurately, the brand/dealer experience.

My friend had mentioned maybe shopping for an unspecified Lexus (probably the RX) in passing, and I started thinking – if a car buyer is shopping along the price line that divides “mainstream” from “entry luxury” and “luxury,” does the perceived experience of owning a luxury car matter?

I don’t just mean image – most people would rather say “I own a Lexus/Acura/Infiniti” instead of “I own a Toyota/Honda/Nissan.” I’m thinking in terms of the actual customer service experience. Dealers that represent luxury brands tend to offer more perks in the service department (such as putting greens at some Lexus shops), and often have a reputation for being friendlier/more honest/more customer focused/whatever than the “mainstream” brands. And some “mainstream” brands have better reputations for same than others.

It’s a tricky question. Dealers, of course, operate independently of the OEMs they rep, and the experience can vary vastly even among dealers that rep the same brand and/or are located near each other. Not to mention many car buyers never visit a dealership for any service that isn’t warranty-related and never interact with the dealer or the OEM once they take possession of the car.

Note that I’m not necessarily talking about a brand’s reputation for reliability and quality here, although that’s obviously a factor, too. Same goes for tangible offerings such as maintenance plans – obviously, these may factor in, but I’d like to dig deeper into the overall relationship you may or may not have with your brand and its dealers as a vehicle owner.

So, I am asking you, Best and Brightest, does the brand experience matter to you after you’ve done your shopping and signed the papers? If so, why? Is it just about image? Are you concerned about reliability? Or is it just about how you’re treated when you return to the dealership (assuming you do) and/or have to deal directly with the manufacturer regarding some sort of issue?

What say you?

[Image: Lexus]