Rear drum brakes - why?

Your sig does say you make bad choices ...

 

Brakes can be frustrating.
It appears that I'll get somewhere around 100,000 on the fronts. By then, the calipers may need replacing because of rust. We live in the rust belt.
Our 07 HHR we reached about 41,000 miles on the fronts and only becaues the rotors were warped and I let them go until they were metal on metal. Should I've changed them sooner, yes. Still have the vehicle.
The 03 Jetta we had, about 100,000 mile on the front pads. The rear pads, about 60,000 mile. My understanding VW biased the rear brakes to help control nose drive during heavy braking. They should have beefed them up then. My step-son got nearly 130,000 miles on his 04 Jetta brakes, more highway miles, but got about the same mileage on his rear pads.
87 Rangers I had, about every 40,000 front pads and may be rotors and calipers. In the nearly 200,000 miles I never touched the rear drums. Ended up driving the one to the junk yard and the other I gave it away because the gas tank sprang a leak and It was too rusty to be trusted anyway.
One time I replaced the pads on a Dodge Shadow and they only lasted 6000 miles, lessoned learned no more economy pads for me. Normaly about a 35,000 mile or so pad replacement.
It got me to thinking why one manufacture will set-up brakes to last 100,000 miles while an other will only get about 35,000 mile out of there brakes pads. The cost can't be that great a difference to put lasting brakes on. Has to be the bean counters pinching pennies.