Most cars... Premium or Basic .. all end up in the scrap yard after 12 or 15 years. I don't see thousands more VW Golfs from the 1990's for example still running strong, even though they sold many times more of those than Fiat did Bravo's etc. so the damped grab handles and softy feeling plastics, and "more expensive" (rather than better quality?) parts don't seem to add anything to the life of the car. You pay that premium just for the privilege of scrapping something that was once expensive.
On the other hand.. a cheap/basic car may be easier/cheaper to fix.. that must work in its favour and increase its prospects of survival..?
Ralf S.
I think there is a lot of what you may choose to see rather than what is the case.
There are loads of 1990s VWs check out eBay and you'll see dozens of old golfs from that period. If you do the same with fiat then all you'll find is lots of old motor homes that need a lot of work.
A poor example of the bravos and bravas, these did have soft texture rubber door handles that literally fell apart as the rubber degraded and cracked.
A main factor in the longevity of a car is when the cost of repair out grows the value of the car.
If a very cheap car and the repairs are cheaper then this doesn't really make any difference, someone will still scrap the car if the costs of repair grow larger than its value.
Old golf's still have a following in the VW scene especially kids who want a very for a first car but can't afford a beetle or a camper, so an old polo or golf will do, this keeps the prices up, there isn't the same following for fiat so and old fiat sadly ends up on the scrap heap.