I'm on 3 fakers at the moment.
As far as real Rics go, I've only ever owned basses in the 4000 range, so I don't have much to say about the guitars or other models. Also, I've never bought a new one, so I've not had dealings with the company. So I don't see myself as a defender of the brand in particular.
As far as car parallels go, I would suggest the Rickenbacker bass is like a Lotus, in that they hit on a winning formula and have kept that DNA in the product throughout their history and have not bowed to pressure to conform with other brands.
They're difficult to get into for some and the ride can be a bit hard, but by heck in their element they are fun!
You’ve even got to take the cover off to enjoy it at its best.
It’s just folklore, spread by people who don’t understand why they’re not a Fender, to whom the answer is - go buy a Fender!
Do people blame Gibson because the bridge isn’t a Strat one?
I think I've only bought two basses new, ever; one was my 1st, a Columbus Jazz, and the other was an Aria Pro II SB700 in the early 80s.
TBH, I think you can get good, bad, and mediocre from any brand.