It’s long been a characteristic of the auto industry’s manufacturing behavior to design one car then create spin off models that make use of similar parts and production methods. This saves money and time, both at the factory and in the design room.

So why do you care if a Buick is a Chevrolet?  Because it can give you choices in design and provide some leverage for you in the buying process. Consider the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix. General Motors and Toyota co-engineered the functional parts of the vehicle(s), but each company separately devised body styling, performance tuning and interior. Overall, the vehicles are very similar and have long warranties. So if this case, if you are pleased with the general behavior and performance record of one car or the other, you have actually multiple choices ar your disposal.  In the event you’re shopping at multiple dealerships, you have even more flexibility in decision-making.