

Toyota Prius Brand Reputation: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2011 | 4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.8L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
made in japan, high quality control see full Toyota Prius review |
2010 | 4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.8L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
The past reputation of the Prius as rated by such groups as Consumer Reports and the PriusChat online forum. see full Toyota Prius review |
2010 | 4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.8L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
Every Toyota I have owned have been flawless and completely dependable. see full Toyota Prius review |
2010 | 4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.8L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
Despite the recent "runaway car" incidents -which everyone should know that they need to put their cars in neutral whether it be a Toyota or a Ford, I think that all the foreign car makers "get" it when it comes to reputation and image. see full Toyota Prius review |
2009 | 4dr Hatch 76-horsepower 1.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
Sends a message to automakes that advanced green technology is something people really will pay for, and find attractive in a car. see full Toyota Prius review |
2009 | 4dr Hatch 76-horsepower 1.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
Toyota quality see full Toyota Prius review |
2008 | 4dr Hatch 76-horsepower 1.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
High resale / reliabilty see full Toyota Prius review |
2008 | 4dr Hatch 76-horsepower 1.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
Once again, toyotas rule the road. The dealership is also very good at helping out with repairs (from past experience, 2001 4Runner). see full Toyota Prius review |
2008 | 4dr Hatch 76-horsepower 1.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
Toyota has had a great reputation for reliability. see full Toyota Prius review |
2008 | 4dr Hatch 76-horsepower 1.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD |
The image of the Prius as being enviro-conscious fits in well with my own practices ("going green"). see full Toyota Prius review |
Mercedes-Benz GLK Brand Reputation: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2013 | The smaller the Mercedes, the more heavily it tends to trade on the three-pointed star. So the #1 reason to consider a GLK250 carries over from the GLK350 review (text from the previous review in italics): I don't personally put much stock in brands, with cars or anything else. But each time I have a Mercedes-Benz for a week the continuing power of the marque has been unavoidable. Audi and BMW now command similar prices, but haven't yet acquired the same mystique. They probably never will for people born before 1980. Until the final years of the twentieth century, Audis were largely ignored as troublesome, modestly upgraded VWs and BMW was mostly known for the compact, still semi-affordable 3-Series. Neither could hold a candle to the company that invented the mass-produced automobile and that has been strongly associated with large, top-shelf automobiles ever since. Gayla (the site's programmer, my wife) is not a car person. Her take on the GLK: "Of course it's a good car, it's a Mercedes." Some of my friends who are more into cars--and who own competing makes--similarly employ a different tone when asking about "the Mercedes." They could afford one, so why don't they own one? Partly because the brand's mystique cuts both ways. They're not interested in making such a strong status statement. Can even a compact crossover make a strong status statement? Mercedes-Benz has done its best to make this so--check out the size of the three-pointed star on the GLK's grille. see full Mercedes-Benz GLK review |
Mercedes-Benz GLK Brand Reputation: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2010 | 4dr SUV 268-horsepower 3.5L V6 7-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
Trickle-down reputation from the more expensive M-Bs. see full Mercedes-Benz GLK review |