Toyotas and Chevys Are Holding Up Better Than Most Luxury Brands
Automotive EE here.<p>In the last 5-8 years there has been a DRAMATIC change in the way vehicles are tested and released. Everyone has become much more focused on electronic features - while at the same time almost everyone is completely outsourcing electronics design and firmware. Cars hit the lots with 10 new flashes waiting. When I started, it was a BIG DEAL if you had a lot held up somewhere in Detroit because of a pending flash.<p>I&#x27;ve worked with two of the big three, and right now, neither own their traction control, radio, trans, body, ignition, steering, etc controllers. Basically anything. Even engines are being outsourced. I don&#x27;t just mean the module, but the code on it. One of the mfgs, their engineers can&#x27;t even SEE radio code or anything much more than general documents. They used to have compiler access to most things, now it&#x27;s extremely rare.<p>The mfgs wanted to outsource the development, and now when they need an adjustment to traction control it&#x27;s a $50, 100, 250, 500,000 charge, BUT, they&#x27;ve also moved the responsibility to the mfgs like Bosch, ConTevis, etc.<p>Short version is everyone is playing the game to get hot new electronics in cars, to make them seem as advanced as phones - but the work is not being put in besides surface level customer view. I&#x27;ve found obvious glitches in zero mile vehicles this year, but none I can think of from 2000-2013<p>I would not purchase a 2019 anything right now. I&#x27;d allow for two-three years worth of flashes before considering a new car. And that doesn&#x27;t mean you&#x27;re &quot;safe&quot; with your old car. You think your 2001 Subaru Outback is going strong? Well, surprise, you&#x27;re likely to fall victim to a different issue.<p>As to the article, yes, luxury cars are worse. Most people that don&#x27;t realize you can&#x27;t leave your touring Ferarri in the garage not hooked up to a trickle charger, or also picking on Ferarri that the LaFerarri when runs battery dead may require to be loaded on a truck and shipped to a dealer before it&#x27;ll charge again, or that the new Range Rovers will attempt to void your battery and electronics warranty if they find a radar&#x2F;laser detector hooked up because THAT is how finicky the electronics system is.<p>It&#x27;s funny to me the amount of work that your average Toyota or Chevy vehicle gets relative to lux models that skirt by with less engineering and more features.<p>As to Cadillac and Lexus, those are just GM and Toyota, all the same things plus some. So fundamentally they&#x27;re the same, but yes, add features add problem areas.