Yeah, sometimes even VW finds it hard to get some love over here. MB and BMW and to a lesser extent Audi dominate this place. Porsche is almost universally loved but are a brand apart, due to its price and their cars being rarer.
Opel is a brand apart perhaps due to its cars being much less rare, and never really even pretending to have luxury pretensions. Who would go around saying that they
like Hyundais? (no offense if you do
) But many people buy them, and I would say that it's not always because they're forced to. It's just that it's often the best choice, for that person.
IMO, same with Opel. I have no real previous experience with them, as in generations ago, but our family has had (Holden badged versions, since in Australia there is no Opel) a TS Astra, a Zafira (before the new, current larger one) and we currently have a ZC Vectra 2.2, auto. I like the car for what it is. We haven't had any major, and barely any minor (if that), problems with it, for what that's worth in relation to claims of reliability. The interior has an ambience that still speaks of Europe and not Japan or Korea, which I appreciate.
Opel might not be the most aspirational brand, but I don't reckon it can be so bad to attract the antipathy sometimes shown it. Their newer cars have some sort of style of their own, at least.