Why I spurn American Cars

That is like 200% correct. Have you seen the new F150...! it is like a
dream, much BETTER that most cars in the US today, domestic or import. Only
one problem for. I am not a truck guy. But this one I love, with out
question.

 

Research of what? Newer body frame designs? Build me a
small car can compete with a Honda or Toyota and I'll consider
that the big 3 wants to build cars *and* make money.

MH
"alot is not a word"

 

About the wasted space.. I agree with you 100%. many of the SUV I see here
are mostly occupied by one person...they can not even use the HOV lanes. In
addition I consider SUV gas hogs. People love to say SUV are safer, but the
real truths is many of our gals and guys don't know how to drive properly,so
they need that big hulk around them for protection. They think going really
fast makes they a good driver, but all they end up doing is killing
themselves and others. Next you come south, visit a driver testing facility.
You might be shocked as to what passes for driver testing. It is nothing
like where you are or in the UK. Like I said the Big 3 have all the "know
how" to make darn good cars. However the short term profit is now king. With
that, they have abandoned their one time leadership role and have now
become followers. When this love affairs for truck ends, as it surely will,
they will be left high and dry unless the start putting some research
dollars into other areas...

 

After 3 Jap cars, I say never again! Plastic everywhere, shoddy construction
and very cramped seating. My new 03 Corolla had the door handle fall off,
and the seat belt won't retract. The engine started pinging, so it went back
to the dealer, and I'm back to an american car.

Now, what were you saying about american cars?! I must have missed
something....

 

Well, up here in Southern Ontario the first accumulation of snow
will throw the SUVs off the road first, you can bet on it. It
seems to me they believe that AWD, 4WD, ABS or knobby
tires will keep the box on the road when the traction has gone
away. They tell you they feel safer, but when the ABS is
pumping at the right foot, they are more than likely
staring at the road 10' in front of them. The driving lessons
may be tougher here, but it doesn't teach 120 lb. 18 year
olds how to drive 5000 lb. trucks.

Anyway, nice discussion. What out for other guy, where ever
you are.

 

What? The concept or the spelling?

 

us cars
- use the most fuel
- offer least road handling
- are unable to park
- have expensive imported parts (in europe)
- are way behind japanese or european cars

marcel

 

Hi,

isn't that interesting!!
I am a German and I live in Germany. For the same reasons you mentioned I
bought another American car (Trailblazer) after driving around with a 98
Ford Windstar for the last five years.
I had just about enough of the rattling, squealing, shaking European and
Japanese vehicles I owned so far (4Fords, 1Honda, and 2Audis). I still own
two Fords of European build. Now they are of better quality than the years
before.
Yet, I paid thousands of Euros on repairs.
I did not have any trouble with the 98 Windstar and (God behold) I don't
have any troubles with my Trailblazer 2002. Perfect finish. No flaws. No
problem so far.
Can it be that export cars are checked more thoroughly than domestic sales?

Andreas


etc. I own two European cars both of which are free of the things I

 

They suck hairy moosecock.

 

Well, for one thing, they suck more than a two dollar whore.

--
__________
==\ /================================
===\ /==You know how dumb the average==
====\ /===guy is? Well half of everyone==
=====\ /======is even dumber than that=====
======\/====================================

http://31337.pl

 

I'm English, and I have to say, I like some US cars. Not many though,
I like Corvettes, but they don't handle as well as the European rivals, and
they depreciate like hell. But they sound GREAT
I like old late 60's muscle cars, GTO's etc, but they rust, and they don't
handle
I like early 70's Cadillacs, because they're just funny. They are nice and
quiet though.

With the exception of the new GT40 and Mustang concept cars, I think US
domestic auto design has died. The US market is the only one in the world
that's truly managed to make a Focus look hideous with the big bumpers. I
was in the US a few years ago (mid 90's) I was amazed at the things the big
three were trying to sell you. Chrysler only had the Dodge Viper that looked
interesting, Ford had the Shelby Mustang, and GM didn't have anything at all
I'd drive out of choice. Apart from the GMC Cyclone.. I'd avoid all the
"trucks" as well.

Everything seems to be terrible quality hard shiny plastic, fake chrome
where it doesn't belong, printed wood, and nasty fake stitching the Japs
gave up in 1979. Other than that, they were all just as bad apart from some
had more cupholders than others. This kind of quality lapse is comical, and
not much worse, in my 1970 Buick Riviera (given to me, not bought) it's a
bit more serious in a new car.

The US built Mercedes M-Class is the worst built Mercedes in history, I
wonder why?

The BMW Z3 was the worst built BMW.... guess where it was built?

All the safety laws and daft emissions regulations strangled the US motor
industry. Every car I drove in the US apart from the 2 I brought home had so
many beeps, bings, bongs and safety warnings on it drove me insane just to
drive them. Seatbelts, doors, lights, brake, transmission.. everything was
bleeping or bonging at me. Or had a big label saying "if you do this, you'll
die!" Hmm.


Although my comments may seem scathing, I'm just as bad when I rant about
the demise of the UK car industry. We killed our car industry in the 70's
with similar ideas to the ones the US industry has now. We gave up designing
interesting, fun to own cars because they weren't built well enough for the
public to want them, the ones we did design were great, we just couldn't
build the things. Rover SD1, Range Rover, Jaguar XJ6 all great cars, built
to the lowest possible standards.

All still better than driving a truck though.

Pete M

 

I'm still driving my 1985 Pontiac Parisienne Wagon.
Just replaced the water pump for $65. Ooooooh that
hurt. 300400 km. minor rust, overdrive transm. keeps
the long drives affordable. The latest Impala looks pretty
good.

 

Grow up people!!
It's all just an opinion...........lighten up!

 

BTW- On most Hondas I think that you STILL must remove the CV drive
shaft to replace the alternator, It cost me $ 350 to have my 88 Accord
done 2 months ago.

 

I suppose the classic argument would now be - compare
the 2 for reliability/service after 4-5 years. The Honda will have
a higher resale, but not 8,000 bucks. I'd be interested in seeing
the long-term record of a typical new Accord and Taurus. Maybe
that's why so many people lease...

MH
"alot is not a word"

 

Besides the obvious price gouging on imports, it's the price of the
replacement parts and insurance that really gets you on imports
(espically Honda and Toyota). I figure that I'm going to keep a car
long enough to need lots and lots of things and the price differences
can be huge.

 

Union man, are you? This mantra was true 25-30 years
ago and is still true with the German product. However, I can
get almost anything for my 2 imports by a 3rd party (Bosch)
at a considerably less price than OEM.

I'll always pay for quality, unlike my parents who made
the mistake of buying a Taurus to have the transmission
fall out of the car once and require a $2000 rebuild. They
now own a Honda.

MH
"alot is not a word"

 

<big snip>

Honestly, who uses a word like "spurn" anyway?
English teachers that really like Shakespeare?

Jay S

 

After several new Japanese car brands, the supposed long term
reliable of Japanese cars to me is a red herring. My son, like
the average new car buyer in the US, buys another new car in
three to four years with 45K to 60K on the clock, not 4 or 5
years. As I pointed out he had several problems with his
Accord. A leaky tranny and a recurring problem with the front
brakes. Everyone thinks the brand they bought is the best, that's
why they bought it. Personally I buy new every two years. I
owned three Lexus V8's. In 2000 I switched to the Lincoln LS V8
for nearly $25,000 less than another Lexus V8.
It only cost me $9,000 to drive home another new Lincoln LS in
2002, less than half of what it was costing me to buy another
Lexus ever two years. The Lexus was a fine automobile but in
my opinion it is not worth $25,000 more than the Lincoln LS.
In fact I saved enough on the Lincoln purchase that I was able to
buy a 1999 Mustang GT convertible with the money. I never had a
problem with any of my Lexus' or the Lincolns or the Mustang
which I replace with a 2003. But hey it's your money spend it
were you wish



mike hunt

 

Don't start any crap about " language and use of words.." Spurn
means.."reject with disdain, or, treat with contempt."
Things are bad enough as it is in our public schools. And I see it carried
onto the shop floor everyday, OK. I have seen quite a few cars screwed up
by guys who were too proud to ask what something means.
Let's continue to talk about cars..OK