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Which Automaker Do you Prefer?


monsoon

Which Automaker Do you Prefer?  

53 members have voted

  1. 1. Which Automaker's Products Do you Prefer?

    • General Motors
      10
    • Toyota
      14
    • DiamlerChrysler
      6
    • Ford
      5
    • Volkswagen
      4
    • Honda
      10
    • Nissan/Renault
      2
    • I would not own any of them
      2


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  • 2 weeks later...

I can't speak for any other imported marques, but our Toyota was nothing to brag about in reliability. I think they've gone a little too bonkers with the gee-whiz technogadgetry of late, meanwhile neglecting the basics. Our '04 Sienna had numerous defects from the factory and developed several more within the 19k miles we had it. None were really major to the point of rendering the vehicle undrivable at all, but on a new car, and one with such a stellar reliability reputation, it struck me as merely mediochre. While I wouldn't characterize it as unreliable, I certainly didn't find it lived up to the hype.

Meanwhile, I have a dear friend with a '94 Celica, which even with 140k miles has impeccable body integrity with no rattles or squeaks, runs great (albeit with not a whole lot of power, but that's something else entirely), and still gets excellent fuel economy, even with a maintenance record that's...well, it's lacking. It's not much of a car, really, but it is solidly engineered, and I can appreciate that. You have to wonder what Toyota let slip in those ten short years since that Celica rolled off the line.

In any case, I don't really look at import vs. domestic vehicles, although the vast, vast majority of my favorite vehicles do happen to be domestic marques. Rather, the split I look at the most is new cars (that is, cars since ~1980) vs. classic cars. I still don't see a huge impression of quality in today's cars. All the plastic that's used, even in the "good" cars just comes off as cheesy to me, I miss the interiors that made use of real, solid materials such as steel. Not to mention the computerization in these things these days really saps the personality from the cars + for do-it-yourselfers like myself, servicing a whole extra system, let alone one as complicated as the electronic engine control systems, is a real pain in the butt. The extra sensors and the like are also an added expense. Reliability seems to be a draw for the most part, in my experience new cars aren't really any more or less reliable than the classics - but there is a difference in the ease or cost to fix the problem when there is one. There's also less of the smog stuff to worry about, making them easier to modify. Plus, from a financial point of view, these cars are not what I would call a good investment, but they are far more financially sound than buying a new (or used) car, inasmuch as they at least tend to hold their value rather than depreciating. From a personality POV as well, I prefer being unique, and driving a '58 Chebby down the road certainly sets you apart.

In short, I see no compelling reason for myself to ever buy a new car again. Having a classic certainly isn't for everybody, but new cars, no matter the marque or country of origin, just don't make a solid case for themselves as far as my dollars go.

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I am in favour of Honda and Toyota.

I purchased a 2001 Honda Civic which ran excellent with no problems until a relatively minor front-end collision in 2004.

Pros:

1. Excellent MPG,

2. Fun to drive, especially on curvy roads,

3. Quality of the exterior, safety and reliability,

Cons:

1. Radio/CD player with speakers could have been better. I upgraded to an after market MP3 player and new speakers,

2. Seat comfort. No lumbar support and the cushioning was horrible - in comparison to the 2006 models.

3. Interior dash was a low-dim orange and was hard to see.

After the accident in 2004, I lost the transmission. It was replaced with a used one but I had some trouble out of it for a bit. It's all fine now and my mum drives it daily.

In March 2006, I purchased a Toyota RAV4 Limited - the new model.

Pros:

1. Excellent MPG. I average 24 city, 28 highway which is better than nearly all SUV's.

2. Excellent off-road. I take it on dirt and rock roads whenever I can and its been a blast. It also does steep hills and low-water crossings very well,

3. Excellent interior. The quality of the parts is on par with Lexus IMO. I test drove many Lexus models for fun, and the fit and trim of the RAV4 was very similar.

4. Optitron gauges. Bright white gauges. I can see them very well and they look bbbbeatufiul!

5. Seat comfort. These have lumbar support and are comfortable - I can attest to that, I take many long road trips :)

6. 4-cyl is all most need. I can tow 1500 lb. with ease. The V6 can tow more than that, up to 3000 lb. with the tow-prep package. The acceleration and peppyness of the 4-cyl is very good and better than other SUV's in the range.

7. MP3/aux player with 6-CD changer. It also has an excellent sound system once you tweak the settings a bit.

Cons:

1. Headlights could be more... bright. For the limited model, I was expecting HIDs.

2. To get the sunroof you have to purchase some odd package deal. I hate package deals altogether.

3. Annoying seatbelt beeping sounds! I can put books or heavy objects in the passenger seat and it will go off, forcing me to buckle it up in order to keep the damn vehicle quiet!

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Some of our car experiences:

  • 1973 Mazda RX2 - bought used, rotary engine car, engine & transmission fine, everything else broke on that car. Once a big cloud of smoke came out of the dash and I had to stop and get out and wait for the smoke to clear. Got back in and drove off. Never found out what that one was about. It would backfire causing everyone to duck as people thought someone fired a gun. (a common occurance in the places I lived at in those days)

  • 1982 Peugeot 505 - bought used, there is a reason the French don't sell cars in the USA anymore and this car is one of them. On the rare day that it would run, it was a joy to drive, but mostly it it broke down. Died in a big cloud of smoke.

  • 1980 Toyota Tercel - bought new. Fine basic car. It was cars like this that made Toyota the powerhouse it is today. Only issue with this vehicle in 150K miles on it was that it needed a new water pump at 100K and a new resistor in the fan. Otherwise it could be counted to run forever.

  • 1982 Chevy Impala - bought used, 350 V8. Built like a tank. Didn't get particularly good gas mileage, but ran without problems for 100K miles. It's probably still on the road somewhere.

  • 1987 Honda Accord LXi - bought new - Despite Honda's reputation, I had trouble with this vehicle. Fuel injection system was problematic, starter fell out of it once, hell on tires, engine required a lot of maintenance and it was impossible to change the oil filter yourself as it was located where you could only get to it with the car on a lift. Engine was a rats nest of cables, pipes wiring, etc. Otherwise, a nice car to drive.

  • 1985 Mercedes 450SEL - bought used - A rocket built like a tank with endless room inside. Stomp the gas and the car would accelerate to amazing speeds very quickly. Surprising for such a heavy car. Nice trip car. Unfortunately it also liked great amounts of premium fuel. Expensive to fix.

  • 1985 Nissan Sentra - bought used - Fairly reliable car but it did not ride well and it got bad gas mileage for such a small car. Engine sounded like a revved up lawnmower.

  • 1985 BMW 530i - bought used - Powerful vehicle. Lots of annoyances. Clock needed a tool and a college degree to set, another $100 tool needed to change oil properly. If something broke on this vehicle, and it did a lot, miminum of $500 to fix. Hell on brakes.

  • 1992 Chrysler Lebaron Convertable - bought used - This was a fairly trouble free vehicle as it had a Mitsubishi engine in it. The rear view mirror would constantly fall off of it and the roof leaked some. There was a Chrysler executive that lived in the neighborhood who expressed surprise when informed that we actually liked this vehicle. At 100K miles it showed signs of impending mechanical failures so we got rid of it.

  • 1993 Ford Taurus LX - bought new - A disaster of a car. If there was an american version of the Peugeot 505, this would be it. Every single device and contraption on this car broke at least once. Like the Peugeot it was a nice riding car when it worked, but it tried to commit complete suicide twice and the car had to be junked by 90K miles. Even the Peugeot lasted longer than this. This car is one of the reasons that so many people hate Ford.

  • 1994 Mazda Miata - bought used - Like riding in a coffin. Did not keep it long.

  • 1995 Infinity J30 - bought used - IMO the only decent looking vehicle that Infinity has every made. Certainly better looking than the gaudy designs they have today. The only problem with his vehicle is the engine was too small for its size.

  • 2000 Mazda B2500 - bought new - This is nothing but a Ford Ranger pickup with a different grill. Manual xmission model. Good basic transportation. No significant problems, and I believe it is still running around on the streets. Like many Fords though it was a deathtrap. Glad we don't have it anymore.

  • 2001 Mercedes ML - bought new - Like most new Mercedes, is delivered with a number of quality issues that have to be fixed by the dealer. Needed a new fuel pump at 30K miles. Beyond that it has been pretty trouble free.

  • 2004 Passat W8 - bought new - 8 cylinder VW. Buying this car was a mistake. It had tremendous low end torque so it was fun to drive, but like most modern VWs it was plagued with issues. VW only made this car for about a year which is about as long as we kept it.

  • 2003 Mercedes SLK320 convertible - bought off Ebay - Great car to drive around it. Didn't keep it long enough to experience any problems as it was sold for a profit to someone who saw it at Walmart and offered to buy it on the spot.

  • 2005 Chevy Tahoe - bought new - used for towing. Nicest car seats that I have ever sat in. Very smooth and competent drive train. Dash was a confusing mess of switches, buttons, knobs and control posts. However it was trouble free and very inexpensive to maintain. Got plenty of power on regular gasoline.

  • 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK 430 Convertable - bought off ebay auction - A hotrod of a car that is also one of the best driving cars that I have ever driven. Step on the gas and it starts going places fast. Came with the typical issues that plague Mercedes these days but fortunately it still has warranty coverage. Probably will be problem prone in the future like most convertables.

  • 2006 Lexus LX470 - bought new - One of the very few global vehicles that Toyota actually sells in the USA. Only vehicle we every owned delivered in perfect condition. Toyota will soon be #1 in the world and this vehicle is an example why.

There are probably some others in there that I don't remember at the moment. My opinion is that you can't go wrong with Toyota, and GM will be trouble free if you like their designs. I am not that keen on Honda but I have only owned one of them. Their designs don't thrill me that much as they mostly go after the soccar mom crowd. Mercedes Benz is a lot of fun but cost a lot of money for what you get but at least that money buys you some safety. Nissan and BMW are OK but be prepared to be annoyed by them. Ford and VW scare me. I would not consider one these days.

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Family cars I remember:

1983 Pontiac Sun Bird Safari small station wagon--Not that much problems with it. But had to sell due to moving to another state.

1969 Murcury Monteray - The big car that never died. Bought the car which already had 190k on it. But its 400 cubic inch V8 ran like a top and had loads of power and the car rode like a dream. We loved it. The only problems we had was that at one point we droped the mufflers which we solved by replacing them with a pair of cherry bomb mufflers and we had to replace the alternator during a trip to Chicago. Sadly in '89 after putting another 200k on the ol' Murc. Some bimbo delevering pizza rear ended the car. Thus it was off to the Great Junk Yard in the sky for the Murc.

mid 1970's Ford Tourino - The worst car ever. We bought it at an auction for 500 bones. Radiator leaked. Starter didn't work right. Engine was iffy. It was a winter beater that didn't last long.

1976 Ford Crown Victoria Station Wagon - Big green car. Not much problem with it. But died in an auto accident on K'zoo Ave just north of 52nd street

1977 Plymouth station wagon - Had a giant 500 cu. in. motor. But the body looked like crap complete with the fake station wagon wood finish on the sides. Nothing worked. So it was affectionately dubed "The Meat Wagon" Dropping the drive shaft took that P.O.S. out.

1977 Ford Tourino - Had that car for a short time. The most memberable thing about that car was that my Mother turned my older brother and I loose on it with cans of spray paint. So we painted logos of our favorite Heavy Metal Bands all over the car. We sold that car for 500 bucks to a guy that competed in demolition durbies.

1978 Buick LeSaber - Big car. Rode nice. But the six cylinder engine was too small for the car. After driving it for two years it died when the timing chian snapped and a death shroud of smoke enveloped the car and made it look like a comet going down Willson Ave.

1978 Plymouth Cordoba - Was an okey car until it droped the drive shaft.

1981 Plymouth Arrow - Looked like a poor man's Dilorian. Sold to some teens as a winter beater.

1983 Chevrolet Citation - Had all sorts of problems. So we renamed it the "Chevy Situation". It was junked.

Mid 80's Datsun - Ran nice until the front strut towers rusted out. Sold.

1981 Ford Futura - Solid body but the four cyliner engine was grossly underpowered. I remember having to get out of the car and push it up the hill on the Lake Michigan Dr. at the I-196 over and under passes. Had to replace the motor after the engine block cracked. The second moter blew it cylinder heads shortly there after. That car was thankfully junked.

1979 Chevy Camero - Suprisingly, it made a good grocery getter. Though we had just about every cop in the state following us. That car meet its demise when a lady driving a Ford Econoline van broadsided the car. Mother suffered from whiplash and some bruises. The accident could have been far worst if it hadn't been for cross beams built into the doors.

1978 Murcury Marquis - Big car. Sucked gas. Mechanical problems ended that car's life in a junk yard.

1985 Chevy Caprice Station Wagon - Good running car. Sold it.

1978 Lincoln Continental Town Car - This car was an effin' land barge. But its 460 cu. in. Windsor V8 was rock solid and powerful. Plus with lots of room and a cushiony ride it made for a great long distance highway car. Raising fuel prices forced us to sell that car off.

1986 Chavy Caprice Station Wagon - Pretty much the same story as the 1985 caprice only the timing chain broke on that car. Sold it as a handyman's special.

1987 Lincoln Town Car - Ran good. Had to replace the ignition module. Sold it.

1988 Lincoln Town Car - Ran good. Same as Above. But the car died when the engine caught fire on 36th street in front of the GM plant. Junked it.

1989 Lincoln Town Car - Ran good until somthing went wrong with the vacuum return lines. Sold it.

1997 Murcury Grand Marquis - Okey car. Sucked Gas. Sold it before mechical problems became a burden.

2001 Jeep Grand Cherakee - Runs like a top and continues to serve us well. Couldn't ask for a better vehicle.

2000 Lincoln Contental - Packed with all sorts of bell and whistles. Runs great. Still serving us. Fuel Economy could be a bit better.

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Family/Personal car remembrances

1968 Pontiac Bonneville - an absolute tank of a car. Never had any major repairs performed, only a couple of starter and alternators. Gas mileage was non-existent. The car rode great, definetly built for the interstate. Started getting rust issues and parts were getting hard to find (even for routinely replaced items.) Sold it as a handyman's special in '92 and was still being driven in '96.

1969 Chevrolet Silverado - Dad's farm beat about truck. This truck was definetly beat from the moment I first remember it. He took it off-road and performed auctions off of it. The engine died at 150K miles and had the motor rebuilt (why, I don't know, the body was so beat.) Drove until '93, sold it to my uncle who managed to blow the motor in 2 weeks. Otherwise, it was also reliable.

1978 Ford LTD Country Squire Wagon - Bought used with 78K on it. It had some issues, but nothing major. A lot of cheap plastic. Travelled well on the highway. Traded it on '85 Caprice Estate. A guy who played bluegrass bought it and drove it for 3 years before wrecking it.

1985 Chevrolet Caprice Estate Wagon - Bought used with 36K on it. Some transmission issues by 60K. Otherwise, never had any problems. Drove it til' the car had 140K. Sold it as a handyman's car. Still driven around town, new owner hasn't reported any problems. Actually got 26 mpg on multiple highway trips in this car even with a V-8.

1992 Chevrolet C2500 Silverado - Bought used in '93 with 9K on it. Major transmission issues by 25K miles. After that was put to rest, a reliable vehicle. Constantly gets 20mpg (diesel engine) and has plenty of power (turbo). Drove vehicle til' March of '06 and it had 120K. Sold it to my cousin as part of estate sale, still driven daily, no problems.

1985 Peugeot 505STi - Bought used in '90 with 55K on it. While it ran whenever I wanted it, finding qualified mechanics in NC was a MAJOR issue. Would have to take it back to the mechanic multiple times for same repair. Car rode great and handled well. If you had qualified mechanics that you could have confidence in, it could have been a great car. However, that being said, was the victim of an engine fire with 116K on the clock.

1986 Oldsmobile Delta 88 - Bought used in '91 with 60K. Transmission problems probably related to trying to get around in the blizzard of '93 (torque converter went out in transmission right after blizzard.) Otherwise, no problems, good gas mileage and comfortable. It just didn't quite fit my persona as a college student.

1988 Chrysler LeBaron Coupe. - Bought used. BIG MISTAKE. Had the Chrysler turbo engine. Nothing but problems, got rid of in three months.

1993 Ford Taurus - Bought Used. Mysterious electrical problems and a strange tire wear pattern on front right tire. Found out it had been in a major accident (pre-carfax being available everywhere) after coming across an old oil change receipt behind the glove box which had the previous owner's info.

1996 Plymouth Breeze - My first new car. Steering problems at 25K and transmission went out at 72K. Both were covered by warranty and the dealerships treated me like gold. Otherwise no issues, a good riding car and good gas mileage.

2002 Nissan Maxima - Bought New. Computer problems at 11K which required some module to be replaced. Sold car to my insurance agent (he offered me WAY above retail value, and I needed out of the payment at the time)

2000 Dodge Durango - Bought Used. No problems. Kept about a year and a half. Bad gas mileage.

2005 Dodge Durango - Bought New. No problems yet to report. Only 15K on it so far. Tripped the check engine light once, but the code said I hadn't put the gas cap on tight enough! :blush:

1997 BMW 328i convertible - Bought used. No problems yet. Just drove to Cleveland, OH over the holidays. A little disappointed in the gas mileage, I average about 25mpg in it. I thought it would do better. Build quality is excellent.

I have owned others, but these are the main ones. I lean towards Chrysler products mainly because I have been extremely pleased with the dealership experiences after the sale. However, the little BMW and it's build quality is impressing me quite a bit right now.

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