It doesn’t make sense to engineer the engine to last 300K+ miles and body that never rusts and a transmission that is a crap shoot after 150k. Makes no sense. If new car buying public wants to know why cars depreciate so quickly well there’s your answer - the auto trans.
Modern 6+ speed transmissions are not a crapshoot after 150K. You sound like my dad, claiming that Hondas fall apart after 150K. Sure, they did in the 70s, but it isn’t the 70s any more and the 70s aren’t going to be back for a while.
“transmission that is a crap shoot after 150k.”
As opposed to a clutch that has to be replaced every 30,000 miles or earlier for about $1,000 a pop??
I’ll take an automatic transmission with a maintenance interval of 120,000 miles. That’s right: Dodge Rams have a 120,000 maintenance interval as do most transmissions. It’s called synthetic oils and precision engineering and manufacturing. They all work wonders.
As I said earlier, stuff rusts. Maybe not in the south, but up north it sure as heck does.