Domestic Cars vs Imports

[landmammaldolphin]

I am kind of forced to buy "American" because trying to get into a domestic automakers parking lot with a foreign car is like trying to use your elbow to pick your nose. If I drove a Toyota to their plant I would have to park a mile away and walk. Of coure driving a GM into a Ford plant is a no-no as well, but there's less chance of getting vandalized if you at least have a UAW manufactured vehicle.

I have to say though, after working on multiple vehicles and working at an auto salvage stripping parts off of cars, I will never own a Ford. They are my biggest customer but their engineering is bass ackwards and I simply can't stand working on them.

[Torque]

You must have never been to the south in the 80's.... you could have seen plenty of this...

Sorry, I meant to restrict that observation to newer Camaros ('99+)

When I worked in the auto parts industry we got a lot of guys coming in with (then) brand new/late model Dodge trucks (1500's and up) that were just going to hell. Fuel pumps, water pumps, sensors, you name it it was burned up or just quit and boy were they pissed. Some of it seemed to be due to where/how the part was installed, the rest just died with normal wear/tear after only a few thousand miles.

[menschon]

My 1997 Ford Ranger XLT 229,000 plus miles and had only 42,000 at purchase.

Repairs of a major level: clutch and timing belt this past month.
Minor level replacements: battery.

Whether American made or foreign - the best vehicle I have owned yet to date.

To be fair, all 3 of those things you quoted are wear items, thus not really "repairs" (unless they broke a month after putting them in, etc).

[mkpjwp03]

the hondas and toyotas are far better quaility than domestic vehicles..but they are goverment subsidized so they can produce superior products and sell them for a good price, unfair to domestic companies trying to compete...I am all for american products and industry and try to purchase made in the usa when ever possible. Maybe we should have outrageous tarrifs on the imports, it would be painful for a while but it would jump start the industry and in time it would bring back the good paying industrial jobs and make the economy good

[chevsscamaro67]

Potaytos, pototos. I'll take my Chevy mullet mobile (Camaro) and repair the shit out of it over and over again to keep it on the road before I buy a Honda. It's nothing against Honda, as everyone knows, they make great cars but it's just not me.

I'd take your car over 50 hondas any day. And just so you know, I've never seen a person with a mullet driving one, well at least a V8. Hell half the guys I know that have one get their hair cut more frequently than me, and wear more expensive clothes

haha yea I stay pretty buzzed.

[plungerhand]

haha yea I stay pretty buzzed.

Been hanging with Dr Stupid?

[chevsscamaro67]

haha yea I stay pretty buzzed.

Been hanging with Dr Stupid?

No but shit that's a degree I could easily achieve.

[jhines]

Don't even start on their minivans...those STILL look terrible...but they are mini-vans, and no one cares about them anyways.

GM and Ford both stopped production of minivans a couple years ago due to low sales. They instead increased the production of crossovers and SUV's. Maybe they shoul dhave seen teh writting on the wall and started making a car someone wants to buy.

I can't agree with you more. The only way they have been coming out with stylish cars is by retroing past muscle cars.

[jhines]

Don't even start on their minivans...those STILL look terrible...but they are mini-vans, and no one cares about them anyways.

GM and Ford both stopped production of minivans a couple years ago due to low sales. They instead increased the production of crossovers and SUV's. Maybe they shoul dhave seen teh writting on the wall and started making a car someone wants to buy.

I can't agree with you more. The only way they have been coming out with stylish cars is by retroing past muscle cars.

you dang right and who ever put the Chargers name on that car should be slapped

[rabbidgirl]

When was it a good thing to buy just because a label.. Don't we need to start driving the market towards good vehicles.
Like right now, we need cheap vehicles that get good gas mileage.. We bought a yaris because of the price and mpg. Too many people drive trucks, when they do not need a truck, too many suv's to tote kids, too many luxury cars when all you do is sit in them to get you from one place to another..
people are too sold on label, status, and advertising.

[Torque]

Iksdabooty: I agree, the only semblence to a real Charger is the slightly reminscent lines of the haunches, and thats purely cosmetic. Not that the 6.1L hemi wouldn't smoke my car...

Rabbidgirl: I totally agree with 90% of your statements with just one exception: not everyone wants or can even fit in a teeny little great mpg boasting car.

Some people don't see cars as just a vessel to get from point A to point B, they want power/acceleration for merging (and more importantly for recreational driving), and if the government pushes car makers to just put out little gutless cars that only come in automatic, there will be a sector that will rebel, and I will be one of them.

I love my car because it's solid and safe as hell, has surprising torque, gets 38/hwy, is fun to drive, has plenty of leg room for my lankiness, and came from the far gone era where the Volvo label meant something.