Team-BHP - Poll: What are you willing to pay for a Car of The Year and why?

Hi all,

I would like some information about how the Indian Automotive Buyer views the purchases he makes of product and services. This way of thinking may change how you look at these things. It did mine.

When I was stateside, the Camry and the Accord alternately won Car of the Year awards, with a few years where the Tauraus was top dog. This situation was explained by the fact that the Japanese cars consistently got their owners to the work on time, a huge consideration as any owner of cars in America tell you: if your car started on a cold winter morning and your neighbours didn't , you could almost take it for granted that your car was Japanese and his was not!

Now, the Indian business person is mightily hobbled by government policies, as seen in the Fuel Filling Station business scene. The poor guys cannot charge a fair price on the product because of price control, and some of it is due to changes in the situation AFTER the business is started, as seen in the problems faced by Shell.

Taking into account the huge investments made by busineses, it's tempting for them to take shortcuts. When I had a problem with my vehicle, I found out that the personnel used by the dealers were inadequately trained, a clear sign of costcutting. I ended up doing the diagnostics and problem solving by myself, an option not opened to everybody. I knew the GM of A. S. S. and could climb down under the vehicle ramp and take apart the faulty component myself.(Even visits to Shell shows a deterioration in the level of the service).

Here's the thing.

Would the buyer be willling to put a rupee value to the product and service they are getting, in order for them to judge the benefit they get from their purchase? For example, a Ferrari might be a great purchase, but if it spends more time in the workshop because of it's temperamental mechanics, it's obviously not going to get accolades from the commuter whose goal is to get to work on time. IOW, the Accord/Camry gets the vote because the buyer can assign a cost of getting to work and was happy when his ends were achieved after making the required investment. This applies also to the attendant fuel purchases, service purchases, etc.

IOW, if you had your druthers, would you rather squeeze the product and service provider for every paise you could and muddle through with the kind of cost cuts he made and the subsequent under delivery of value, or would you be willing to assign a budget for the same and then be happy when you received the benefit? (Something that's now achievable with some of the pay only for "Purcahse price and fuel" deals we are beginng to get).

Take the poll and see what others think.

1) I would like to pay less and assign resources (time, legal fees, threat of badmouthing, etc) to make sure I get value for my money.

2) I am willing like to pay a planned amount and get the expected benefit.