28th Nov 2013, 13:16

$300 is only labour on any car - even a Japanese Daihatsu 3-cylinder car - to get to the odd components, which could only cost a small amount.

Parts cost is heavily biased on where (which country) you are in. Writing in from New Zealand - we haven't got many American cars here, but even owning a Japanese car can make your eyes water if you can't buy parts from a wrecking yard. Without converting currency, how's $850 + GST (15%) for the fuel pump of a Mitsubishi Galant, vs. $600 for an Audi 3.0? Or a $250 coil (one piece!) for a Mazda 323 vs. $75 for a BMW 3-series?

Sure, a Japanese car will break down less often - but once the car hits 10 years old, every car breaks down. And Suzuki or Mercedes, it's not going to be cheap even for a sensor.

The North American market also has the disadvantage of having only the top-shelf (therefore more complicated) versions of these cars; the rest of the world may seem foolish in buying a 318i or an Audi A3 1.6 or the like, but these simpler, less powerful engines are pretty dependable, and with no complications like electric memory seating or having normal non-climate control air con, easier and cheaper to maintain.

You buy the car that suits the market - if parts/repair are extortionate for a certain type of vehicle, go for what is mainstream. But certainly, though no Toyota, BMW is mainstream in many parts of the world, and it can't have become that if it were a bad car. And the perception of prestige is relative - anything common enough is not that much of a status symbol. Especially in places where Mercedes or Audis can run around with hubcaps.