I find it interesting when people list things like 'panel gap' as a reason they won't buy a car. I grew up in Detroit and honestly it's pretty embarrassing the stuff that goes on with most Big 4 cars. Case in point - my sister worked from one for ~30 years and still gets a 'green sheet discount' so she loyally buys their brand still. it's comical how every time she gets a new car something pretty significant goes wrong within 6 months. This time, her 3 week old Jeep bricked itself because the key fob wouldn't communicate with the car and refused to start. The emergency break also suffered a software failure that refuses to unlock the break. The panel gaps though were spot on. Whew.
Panel gap matters because it is a clear indicator of manufacturing precision, and it also affects weather proofing. It is a very strong signal (but not the only one!)
Most people buy cars based on brands, and also a very substantial amount of car purchases are impulse purchases.
Anecdotally, I rented a jeep a few months ago (compass) and it was truly abysmal.
