I’m not really looking to buy a car, but if I was, I’d get a used car. So just by virtue of not existing on the market before, Chinese brands wouldn’t ve on my radar.

My main reasons are price and longevity.

In my eyes, all the new cars are more plastic than metal nowadays, which probably negatively affects longevity.

Another concern is privacy: old cars don’t really sell driver info.

But, if I were to want a new car, I’d likely choose a Chinese brand.

There are a few reasons. Firstly, they’re cheap. Secondly, they’re probably more repairable (although parts may be hard to come by… For now).

Finally, I think getting a Chinese car as a Canadian is better for privacy, because:

a) Domestic espionage is probably more important than foreign, at least on a mass scale. Mostly because of the potential fallout if it were discovered, so Chinese manufacturers may even cut out that part out of the equation.

b) Domestic services (and rules) probably protect from Chinese privacy intrusions as well.

c) Finally, even if a) and b) are moot, Chinese companies have less power over me than theur Canadian and US counterparts. The odds Canadian insurers have contracts to buy driving profiles to up premiums is smaller than for any other type of car.

d) Chinese cars, mostly owing to a combination of a) and b) are also less likely to get bricked if some parts the owner deems ubnecessary were to be removed.

And as you said yourself, most modern American and European cars are SUVs or any other category, but bordering on SUV. Chinese offers may break that homogeny.