I have long been a strong advocate for quality over quantity.

Sure, there was a time you could get a Hyundai XG 350 with all the toys for just a bit more than a Honda Accord, but the XG 350 was lacking badly in areas of driving dynamics.

Its Kia cousin Amanti — similarly loaded — was downright frightening in its lack of stability in curves.

Nothing said disingenuous quite like passing off anything with a four-speed automatic transmission — at a time when six-speeds were coming into vogue — as “luxurious.”

I would then have rather taken the Accord, with its double-wishbone suspension, independent rear suspension, known Honda reliability and powerful V6 engine over cheap leather and heated seats.

Well, a funny thing happened on the way back to the buried pot of kim-chee. The dynamics of what had been the cheaper carmakers has approached that of the more-established brands.

And it’s been a bit of an eye-opener for the Toyotas and Hondas of the world. Consider that you can get a Kia Rio with heated seats and automatic climate control and a bunch of other toys for the price of a topped-out Toyota Yaris, which even when topped out still lacks heated seats.

The cautious at this point might say they would like to see cars such as the Kia Rio and Hyundai Elantra (the new ones) go through at least one product cycle before passing judgment on reliability.

They might have a point. But where some cars such as Yugo or Lada (and early Hyundais) offered visible clues to dodgy reliability (switches that felt cheap, tinny sheet metal, exposed wiring, etc.), the new Koreans show none of those traits.

And, it should be noted, where once these carmakers would pay for those ‘toys’ with substandard build quality or low-grade steel, these days, it’s currency conversion that pays, considering the Korean won is substantially cheaper in Canadian dollars than the Japanese yen.

The dynamics of what had been the cheaper carmakers has approached that of the more established brands. — Kelly Taylor

Of course, as the quality gap narrowed, so too did the price gap. Kia’s Optima plays in the same snack bracket as Toyota’s Camry, and while the Optima is the drop-dead sexier of the two, that Camry has elevated its game in both looks and driving dynamics (particularly the SE) gives it a strong competitive edge when you compare Toyota’s reliability record and the Camry’s retained value.

Retained value is still something that some of the newer brands have to deal with, and if they maintain a good record of reliability and their designs don’t become too fad-ish that they fall out of fashion too quickly, retained value will improve.

If you’re interested in which vehicles retain their value the best, check out CanadianBlackBook. There’s a lot of information there, including which vehicles win awards for retained value.

There’s still value in choosing quality over quantity, but the rising tide of the automotive harbour has closed the gap considerably. If there’s one piece of advice I would give now, it’s use facts to help you make a decision, not preconceived notions.

These days, if you find a car you like — and absent any bad news from safety testing or reliability monitors such as JD Power or AutoPacific — it’s hard to go too far wrong. If you want to lessen your risk, lease.

Leasing offloads the risk that the bottom will fall out of your car’s used-vehicle market onto the finance company and manufacturer.