There is no doubt any car can be abused and it will show it. There is also no doubt if one takes meticulous care of a car it will show it, for the most part.
I wanted a Mustang when I was shopping for a new car. I was excited by the prospect of having one, but I did not get one. I did not even drive one. I sat in one, then after 1 minute of looking it over, I got out of it and walked away. I was really disappointed in it. The interior is cheap. It shows.
The engine selection is terrible. Either a V8 (not a bad engine at all mind you, but not for the economy minded either), or a pathetic 4.0L V6 (a freakin truck engine!!!) with enemic power. What are these people thinking?
So I end up with a 2.5L V6 producing 50% more horsepower than the Ford V6, and getting over 31 MPG in a car that weighs several hundred pounds more than the Mustang. It did cost more, but I will pay for something I think is a good value. I keep cars 10 years, so cost of ownership is a big deal to me. And the sound system in it is superb. The Mustang sound system was pathetic.
I also drove a Corvette. I liked it too. More than ample power, but the dang thing was already squeaking and rattling before I pulled off the dealership lot for the test drive.
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I had a set of criteria for my new car and was not going to settle for anything less. I wanted a car that handled well (read, sporty), got good gas mileage, had a nice sound system, rear wheel drive, and was quiet (getting older, I enjoy listening more to music than exhaust notes). All other points were optional, within some limits. Pretty simple criteria as far as I was concerned. Look around though. Not many cars met that criteria and no American made car was close.