Automotive

Why buy American...

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  • Mar 4th, 2005 7:08 pm
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Deal Fanatic
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Nov 18, 2002
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BC Interior

Why buy American...

Let's hope this one doesn't get out of hand. Let's throw in some opinions on decent and not so decent domestics.

A real stigma about the abilities of US cars in Europe (came over 4 years ago from the UK) and sad to admit but they (Europeans) are in many ways spot on.

Have driven (rented) a number of major US cars here and here's my take. I'm not including former European manufacturers now owned by US giants.

Have driven the following:
GM: Pontiac, Chevy (Grand Am, GTP, Venture, some buick)
Chrysler (Sebring, Intrepid, Caravan)
Ford (Taurus, Windstar, T-bird, Mustang V8)

Impressions:
Most Domestics are packed with features (at least the Canadian editions).

Handling is simply atrocious on most (my old cheap Fiat could out corner most).

Only one that I came close to liking was the Sebring (purely for its more taut handling characteristics and peppy engine).

Was not too impressed by dynamics/handling of mustang either. Meant to be driven fast in a straight line.

What happened to manual (stick) shift?!?

By far the worst cars I have driven (same holds true in Europe) is Ford (with exception of Focus which isn't bad). I have a particular passionate hatred for the Taurus and Windstar that I can't seem to shake each time I go into Avis.

Interiors are still built for those of us who still dream of driving a tank.

On the Pro side:
They're cheap(er)
They don't break down as often as I had been informed
They're fine for any place without corners and large pot holes due to an apparent oversight in the shock absorber category.

Lets hear some ramblings then..
89 replies
Sr. Member
Jun 17, 2003
739 posts
Cheap cars to maintain, especially Chrysler's, if you go to an independent mechanic.

For example, for a 1990's model Camry, a new engine runs you about $2500 (rebuilt) whereas a Dodge Caravan engine will be like $1200.

Also cheaper to insure. Typically you can get a V6 American car loaded for the price of a V4 japanese car base model (i.e. Pontiac Grand AM vs. Toyota Corolla).

That being said, Japanese cars are almost always a "solid" build. But if you get a lemon Japanese car, you are SCREWED. My friend got a new corolla a couple of years ago, so much warranty work had to be done on it over 3 years, so they traded in it for LOL Toyota Matrix (which is a Corolla with a new body).
Deal Fanatic
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Mar 24, 2004
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V4's aren't in cars. They're in bikes among other motor vehicles. You're thinking of Inline 4.

Anyway, American cars are cheaply built. Parts are easier to find. Insurance is lower. It's much easier to make big power. Small block chevy is one of the best motors out there.
Deal Fanatic
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Jul 18, 2003
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Where cars are concerned, cash is king because the depreciation is too high. I don't get emotionally attached to cars (ie. don't worry about getting best gas, oil etc. and don't bother washing it much) and I don't need one to make me feel good about myself. So I just get the cheapest that'll last me 200,000KM without problems.

I get GM points. So it saves me a couple of grand every time I buy a car.
Deal Addict
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Apr 8, 2001
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Like all other brands of vehicles, you get some good ones and some bad ones. I don't believe all GM or North American cars are as bad as they were in the past though. I guess I'm lucky since my 1990 V6 cavalier z24 is still going strong with almost 200 000 Km. For the z24, the 1990 was apparently a good year and there are lots of them still on the road here in Vancouver.

I do find that interior fit and finish is better in european and japanese makes though. Most of the time, a GM car will have that 'plastiky' look and feel to it in addition to having a poorly fitted interior.

The main problem that I see in many GM cars is that they seem to have poorly designed alternators that need to be replaced every 4 years or so. In comparison, my wife's 1990 CRX has never had an alternator issue. The only upside to this is that parts are relatively inexpensive and widely available. The most recent problem on my car involved a busted windshield wiper motor that cost me $92 for the part (rebuilt from Lordco) and another $89 to install it.

On a trip to Oregon, we rented a Buick Century and it was quite comfortable for 4 persons and held all the luggage and stuff we purchased without any problems. Surprisingly, it was also very good on gas since we did most of our driving on the highway. As previously mentioned, my only complaint was that the interior looked very 'plastiky' and had poorly fitted parts. It wasn't as roomy as a Camry or Accord, but it had a very smooth ride and lots of power. There was no rattling or shaking even at spees of over 80 miles per hour. If I was in my late 50's, I would probably get one of these. :)

Personally, I think that North American cars are improving but my next car is going to be japanese since they seem to be better engineered and have demonstrated that they are very reliable in general.
Deal Addict
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Dec 2, 2002
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It all really depends on the segment. The compact car market the Japanese have ruled for the past 20 years. The Cavalier, Focus, and Neon didn't do much in this area.

But for the rest of the car market the Americans (GM & Chrysler mainly) have remained competitive. There interiors are still atrocious save a few; but reliability and dealer service has improved as of late.
Deal Expert
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Jun 14, 2003
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American is cheap to own. Japanese is expensive.

More features than the Japanese in the same price range. And, Japanese does not (or did not) even have the feature.

For example, cut out the battery N minutes after the key is removed is a standard feature in GM car. I always smile when I see all those new Japanese cars have their head light turn on in the parking lot. And, the feature was not offered by Honda (may be it is now).

Turn on the head light automatically when it is dark is the standard feature of the 2 GM cars I own recently.

It is cheap to maintain. My Honda Civic really killed me in maintainous. In the last 8 years as owner of 2 GM cars (3 year for a lease Malibu and then 5 years and going for a Montana), my total maintainous cost of 8 years is the same as 1 bad year of my Honda Civic.

GM after sale service treats you like king. 2 way shuttle. Send me a taxi when the shuttle could not pick me up in time and what I did was a oil change.

Honda treated me like dirt. It was 1 way shuttle.

GM dealership told me not to fix something that I think I should.
Honda dealership told me to fix something that I did not think I need to.
Deal Addict
Jul 21, 2001
4327 posts
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Calgary
Reliable 3800 V6 engine, have them in all three of the vehicles family owns (1985 Bonneville, 1991 GMC Safari, 2003 Oldsmobile Intrigue).

For those who drive their cars to the ground, depending on the domestic you choose, buying used has its value (since it's already taken a huge depreciation hit).

GM service varies depending on which dealership one goes to, so no comment there. When you're dealing with humans and customer service you're due to run into both good and bad service no matter which manufacturer you go to.
Jr. Member
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Nov 24, 2004
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Vancouver
New offerings from GM looks pretty promising these days. The Chevy Cobalt / Pontiac Pursuit are worthy competitors against the likes of Corollas and Civics. (Whether the public agrees with that is an entirely different matter.) Wrinkles in the Ford Focus have also been ironed out for the most part, and the Focus is a capable handler. And then you have the upcoming Pontiac Solstice / Saturn Sky.

-Rick
What God has united, let men not divide.
Heat
Jr. Member
Feb 14, 2005
197 posts
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Correct me if I am wrong...

I've been thinking about this and it would make more sense to buy a new domestic car if you are planning to drive a lot for your job/travel/leisure because you would be driving some new (with all the warranty) for the short term. I am thinking this make sense because it a lot cheaper than buying an import.

The imports are great if you are planning to keep it until it dies. I did some calculations whether or not to buy a Jetta Diesel and I figure I needed to over 140 000KM before I break even with a domestic. Meaning it is after the 140KM then the Jetta Diesel would be more of a value. I bases my calculations on gas millage consumption and maintain schedule unto the timing belt change.

Any thoughts on this?
Deal Guru
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Oct 17, 2001
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I'd get a Japanese model if I was really worried about the hassle of maintenance. From our family's experience with domestics, they haven't been very good once the 3 year mark has passed (Chrysler and Ford). Gone thru the following model lines: Taurus, Windstar, Caravan, and Durango.
We're always thinking: "what now?!!" after every bad experience at the dealer or some recall or other.
Service has been great but the fact you have to go for service so much has put us off domestics for the next little while.
However, I was shopping for a crossover vehicle and had to decide between a Matrix and a Vibe. Sure they're practically the same vehicle but looks are different and pricing was different (thanks to stupid Toyota ACCESS).
I went for the Vibe. LOoks nicer. Cheaper thanks to GM incentives. So far so good. I only went with this thanks to Toyota's heavy involvement :)
Sr. Member
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Oct 11, 2004
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If you've no expectation out of a car, then American made should fit you very well.

Some of you have mentioned FEATURES that the American brand included. In my opinion they are just there to make the spec sheet looks nicer, how many of those features are actually quality built and functional? Ie. GM's ABS vs BMW's ABS??? The difference is obvious even by jumping into a Gran Am, turn on the speakers then try it on a Mazda3, or sentra respectively.

But cars are all personal, like woman. Some like Asian and some like white. LOL
Simple is nice.
Jr. Member
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Nov 24, 2004
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Vancouver
[QUOTE]The difference is obvious even by jumping into a Gran Am, turn on the speakers then try it on a Mazda3, or sentra respectively.[/QUOTE]
In case you didn't know, Ford had a heavy hand in the development of the Mazda3. From chassis to engine, the Mazda3 has a lot of components shared with the MkII Focus (which we don't get here in N.A.) and the Volvo S40.

-Rick
What God has united, let men not divide.
Heat
Deal Expert
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Jun 14, 2003
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wong8egg wrote: Some of you have mentioned FEATURES that the American brand included. In my opinion they are just there to make the spec sheet looks nicer, how many of those features are actually quality built and functional? Ie. GM's ABS vs BMW's ABS??? The difference is obvious even by jumping into a Gran Am, turn on the speakers then try it on a Mazda3, or sentra respectively.
Actually, the FEATURES I mentioned was not adverstised in their spec sheet at all. I found them out one by one myself. In fact, I found out yet another one today (after I own the van for 5 years). May be it is common for all car because I did not think about that. For whatever reason, I turned off the engine when the gear was still in 'D' this morning. My Montana disallowed me to take out the key until I moved the gear to 'P'. I think it is a nice feature because obviously I was not thinking straight at that moment. ;)
Jr. Member
Jul 15, 2001
172 posts
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I find american cars are big and roomy.. and comfy.
Banned
Jan 11, 2004
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gman wrote:Actually, the FEATURES I mentioned was not adverstised in their spec sheet at all. I found them out one by one myself. In fact, I found out yet another one today (after I own the van for 5 years). May be it is common for all car because I did not think about that. For whatever reason, I turned off the engine when the gear was still in 'D' this morning. My Montana disallowed me to take out the key until I moved the gear to 'P'. I think it is a nice feature because obviously I was not thinking straight at that moment. ;)
this is a standard feature in all cars with autos..i think its required by law
Deal Fanatic
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Apr 8, 2004
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gman wrote:Actually, the FEATURES I mentioned was not adverstised in their spec sheet at all. I found them out one by one myself. In fact, I found out yet another one today (after I own the van for 5 years). May be it is common for all car because I did not think about that. For whatever reason, I turned off the engine when the gear was still in 'D' this morning. My Montana disallowed me to take out the key until I moved the gear to 'P'. I think it is a nice feature because obviously I was not thinking straight at that moment. ;)
My 12-year-old volvo has that.
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Nov 18, 2002
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gman wrote:Actually, the FEATURES I mentioned was not adverstised in their spec sheet at all. I found them out one by one myself. In fact, I found out yet another one today (after I own the van for 5 years). May be it is common for all car because I did not think about that. For whatever reason, I turned off the engine when the gear was still in 'D' this morning. My Montana disallowed me to take out the key until I moved the gear to 'P'. I think it is a nice feature because obviously I was not thinking straight at that moment. ;)
That's standard alright and the law for North America. In the same way manual shifters won't let you start the car without depressing the clutch first. (Found that out to my embarrassment after coming over from europe).

Having said that I did discover than my Chevy Venture starts beeping if I leave the indicator on for longer than a minute. Was quite fearful that engine would implode when I heard that warning beep driving in the middle of the night.
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Jun 14, 2003
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ichpen wrote: Having said that I did discover than my Chevy Venture starts beeping if I leave the indicator on for longer than a minute. Was quite fearful that engine would implode when I heard that warning beep driving in the middle of the night.
What indicator? Do you mean turning signal?

Talking about turning signal (again, I don't know if this is standard for all cars or not), the turning signal ticking sound of my 2 GM cars would tick faster if one of the turning signal light bulb burn out.
Deal Guru
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Jan 11, 2004
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I like the GMC safari vans and chryslters...


the GMC van that my parents drive is still in going strong...

thye had it since I was born. lol.

so the van is about 25 years old. lol.
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