Automobile preference survey - how deep the love/hate runs for the Big 3

[Vic]

Originally posted by: alchemize
You need to get past 2005 Hyundai makes very good cars now with great warranties (10 year/100K miles).

I still have trouble forgiving them for their past junk. Good luck on that warranty claim too when the clutch goes out at 25k miles because idiot Hyundai engineers designed an integrated pressure plate/TOB.

 

[Zebo]

I only buy American. I tried a 93 4-runner back in the 90's and a 2005 Titan recently and both fell apart quick (broke a-arms axels motor mounts etc) but I am very rough on stuff. I actually tow heavy pontoon boats, trash though woods etc and the heavy duty American trucks hold up better. e.g. F350's Rams and most recently a hemi durango. Americans build very good trucks.

I don't like American cars though compared to lexus/BMW but I can get a one year old Town Car for $20K while 750 il costs 3 x that used and I like big cars.

I am loyal as long as competition is close and I believe it is when price/performance matrix is used. My oldest gets his license soon so I will get him a Focus or Fiesta? both seems very good sub-compacts.


My next car would have been Chrysler 300 but I don't fit in it comfortable so I bought another used TownCar (2007). I hate center console and tight fighter pilot bucket seats (almost all cars).


Dream Car: Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Continental GT

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: alchemize
You need to get past 2005 Hyundai makes very good cars now.

You can easily substitute Hyundai for GM or Ford here.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Zebo
I only buy American. I tried a 93 4-runner back in the 90's and a 2005 Titan recently and both fell apart quick (broke a-arms axels motor mounts etc) but I am very rough on stuff. I actually tow heavy pontoon boats, trash though woods etc and the heavy duty American trucks hold up better. e.g. F350's Rams and most recently a hemi durango. Americans build very good trucks.

I don't like American cars though compared to lexus/BMW but I can get a one year old Town Car for $20K while 750 il costs 3 x that used and I like big cars.

I am loyal as long as competition is close and I believe it is when price/performance matrix is used. My oldest gets his license soon so I will get him a Focus or Fiesta? both seems very good sub-compacts.


My next car would have been Chrysler 300 but I don't fit in it comfortable so I bought another used TownCar (2007). I hate center console and tight fighter pilot bucket seats (almost all cars).

I had a '93 Toyota 4x4 pickup (more or less the same thing as a 4-Runner) for ~15 years and ~150k miles and that thing was the Rock of Gibraltar of reliability. It still looked and drove like new when we sold it earlier this year, and it sold on Craigslist in like 15 minutes and for more than our asking price.
My only real complaints about it were that it was underpowered but still got pretty crappy gas mileage.

 

[GroundedSailor]

Originally posted by: Mursilis

Originally posted by: GroundedSailor
If you do a TCO (total cost of ownership which is calculated over a five year period) domestics equivalents have consistently come out ahead of Camry & Accord. Domestic quality has come a long way but the myth persists. Recent JD Powers surveys show Buick Cadillac at the top with Lexus. Honda is close but Toyota is lower. It's hard to change perceptions that have taken so long to take hold.

I believe you regarding domestic quality, but the myth still affects things like resale value. When we were looking to sell our '01 Windstar last year, I was shocked at the depreciation, especially compared to an Odyssey or Sienna of similar age. Then again, we also got it new at a considerable discount from those others, so you're probably right that the TCO wasn't much different for the domestic vs. the import, at least in the minivan market.

TCO takes depreciation into account. The total costs are divided by 60,000 miles and the comparison is done by the cost per mile. I did it for a series of cars and domestics came out ahead. Bottom line - over a 5 year ownership period domestics are a better bargain.

But like I said - its all about perception, and as we know from politics, perception is reality.

 

[Genx87]

Dad's 1990 Chevy Astro van finally died after 14 years and 760,000 miles on the original engine and 2 transmissions.

The funny thing is he contacted a sales manager at Chevy about maybe doing a commercial when he was approaching 500K. The guy was apparently embarassed one of his vehicles lasted so long.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Zebo
I only buy American. I tried a 93 4-runner back in the 90's and a 2005 Titan recently and both fell apart quick (broke a-arms axels motor mounts etc) but I am very rough on stuff. I actually tow heavy pontoon boats, trash though woods etc and the heavy duty American trucks hold up better. e.g. F350's Rams and most recently a hemi durango. Americans build very good trucks.

I don't like American cars though compared to lexus/BMW but I can get a one year old Town Car for $20K while 750 il costs 3 x that used and I like big cars.

I am loyal as long as competition is close and I believe it is when price/performance matrix is used. My oldest gets his license soon so I will get him a Focus or Fiesta? both seems very good sub-compacts.


My next car would have been Chrysler 300 but I don't fit in it comfortable so I bought another used TownCar (2007). I hate center console and tight fighter pilot bucket seats (almost all cars).

I had a '93 Toyota 4x4 pickup (more or less the same thing as a 4-Runner) for ~15 years and ~150k miles and that thing was the Rock of Gibraltar of reliability. It still looked and drove like new when we sold it earlier this year, and it sold on Craigslist in like 15 minutes and for more than our asking price.
My only real complaints about it were that it was underpowered but still got pretty crappy gas mileage.

Yea it was underpowered I only had the truck for about 14 months before insurance totaled it out (rolled end over end) and I bought it as salvage for a dune buggy motor /tranny it was 3.0L - they put a 4L in later. Going up grades in California's coast line unloaded was very painful. Anyway Like I said I'm rough on trucks and ruts with speed really tears up a-arms. I went though 3 on that 4-runner while similar driving on F350 has only caused alignment shop visits.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Elfear

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
Haha, I'm not surprised to see Chrysler with so many votes for "Worst Car Manufacturer." What do they have that's in any way good? Their minivans are and always have been pretty poor... innovative perhaps, but always poorly made. Their mainstream vehicles are all terrible. Even the new Jeeps are bad. All I can think of that Chrysler has going on right now are the new Dodge Ram and the Dodge Viper (which has always been a cool car). Oh, and I guess the PT Cruiser isn't too bad either. But is there any reason to buy a Chrysler when you can just buy a GM, Ford, Toyota, or Honda instead?

Ah come on. Did you you forget the Challenger? That is one sexy car and RWD and V8 to boot. What about the 300s? I had a chance to drive one and they are very solid. Also RWD and V8. Their minivans (contrary to your statement) are actually pretty good. The early ones weren't all that great but in later years they compare favorably with the Odessey and Sienna. Couple that with the fact that you can find a used one for much cheaper than a comparable Japanese minivan makes them a great bargain.

lol, yeah people love to hate Chrysler but they forget they created the minivan and led the innovations we see in them today. Sure, their mainline sedan isn't flashy but if you get into the more luxury price range they are competitive with others. Their trucks are in line with the other trucks. If you throw jeep into the mix you have the SUV portion covered(durango blows and doesn't count )

But all that being said, I'm done with Chrysler unless I go with a 300 to replace my old town and country. Likely it'll be replaced with something other than a Chrysler though...

 

[Balt]

In my experience and that of my friends and extended family:

I trust Toyota and Nissan to be reliable. That's all I personally care about at this point in a commuter car. I like my Maxima and hope it continues to last me for quite a while.

I don't trust Chevy cars (trucks are okay but I don't need or want one).

VW products are absolute garbage, at least electrically.

 

[Vette73]

^^

They did not create the minivan. There have been "minivans" for alomost as long as cars have been made. The Volkswagen Bus would be a more current history type version of what is out today.

Chrysler has not "created" anything for a long time. They Have reworked some stuff, like the minivan, to sucess. But were unable to build on that and have sunk down.

That and they are now a private company. So they should be allowed to fail, esp when the CEO will not even say what his pay is yet he expects the taxpayes to give up Billions to him.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
^^

They did not create the minivan. There have been "minivans" for alomost as long as cars have been made. The Volkswagen Bus would be a more current history type version of what is out today.

Yes, VW had a small van(vanagon), but the minivan as we know it today started with the '83 magic wagon.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
^^

They did not create the minivan. There have been "minivans" for alomost as long as cars have been made. The Volkswagen Bus would be a more current history type version of what is out today.

Chrysler has not "created" anything for a long time. They Have reworked some stuff, like the minivan, to sucess. But were unable to build on that and have sunk down.

That and they are now a private company. So they should be allowed to fail, esp when the CEO will not even say what his pay is yet he expects the taxpayes to give up Billions to him.

Add to that, as one Senator pointed out, its parent company has plenty of cash, it just won't spend it.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
^^

They did not create the minivan. There have been "minivans" for alomost as long as cars have been made. The Volkswagen Bus would be a more current history type version of what is out today.

Yes, VW had a small van(vanagon), but the minivan as we know it today started with the '83 magic wagon.

Technically speaking, the VW's were all buses, microbus, minibus, etc, not minivans. Splitting hairs, I know, but they were rear-engine pushers.

 

[ponyo]

The problem is I need a cargo van for work and only the big 3 seems to offer it. Actually only the Big 2 offer it now that Chrysler sells the Mercedes rebadged Sprinter van which only comes in weak V6. If Big 3 goes out of business completely, I will have to buy the crappy Mercedes Sprinter or find an used Ford or GM van. Neither option is very appealing.

 

[Eeezee]

Ford makes great trucks, and unfortunately that is why they are in the red this year (poor fuel efficiency)

I drive a '95 Camry that I got 2 years ago. It's great.

I'm waiting for Tesla to release a sedan. Go go gadget electric car

 

[OrganizedChaos]

Owned a Ford, nothing worked reliability, everything leaked.
Owned a Jeep, had electrical problems, dealer couldn't fix them.
Currently own a Saturn, has numerous design flaws. There's a Technical Service Bulletan for every problem i have with it.

If i could afford an import I would have bought one already.

 

[SniperWulf]

I've owned 6 VWs in my lifetime. Lost 2 to car accidents, still own 2 and sold/traded the others. I've also owned 1 mazda and 1 toyota (for about 4 months), but thats about it. Would never buy anything from the big 3 if i could help it. Although they have come a nice little way since the 90s, their products still aren't as compelling as their foreign competitors

 

[Schadenfroh]

I have never owned anything other than a Ford and most of my extended family uses Ford cars. This is mainly due to a relative of the owner of a local Ford dealership being associated with a family member. I am sure if they were a GM dealership, most of my family would be using GM vehicles.

 

[crownjules]

My first car was a used '98 Hyundai Tiburon. It had 72K when I got it and close to 100K when I got rid of it nearly 4 years later, at which point it was basically falling apart. I'm sure it would have been fine with proper maintenance, but a college student doesn't have that as a priority for his small amount of money.

I'm now leasing an '08 Mazda3 and love it. I've had it 3/4 of a year and it's got about 5500 miles on it so far. Great gas mileage, handling, enough power, and everyone who I take around in it comments on how nice of a car it is. It's a fun car to drive and so far been reliable with no problems, but it is new so I wouldn't expect any. By the time the 2-year lease is up, I won't have more than 15K miles on it I expect.

Growing up, my parents drove mostly Ford and Mercury cars (this was in the 80s and 90s). Never seemed to have too many problems with them, but this was probably before they began to degrade in quality.

 

[Robor]

Currently: Volkswagon GTI VR6 (worthless POS by the way)
Next: Honda or Toyota
Dream: Other
Recommend: Honda or Toyota
Current Style: Coupe (3 door hatchback)
Next Style: Wagon? (considering a Honda Fit)
Best Made: Toyota, etc
Worst Made: Volkswagon x infinity

 

[brencat]

I run cars into the ground. I'm in my 30s and have only owned 2 cars in my lifetime -- both Audis. Bought a 6yr old Audi 4000S with 88k mi my junior year in college and had that car for 10 more years until it died with 180k mi on the odometor. Currently drive a 9yr old Audi A4 with 90k. Still drives like new. And my next car in about 3 yrs will probably be an off-lease low mileage A5 coupe (have you seen these things?? effing sweet!)

 

[evident]

VW = Audi no?

 

[Robor]

Originally posted by: brencat
I run cars into the ground. I'm in my 30s and have only owned 2 cars in my lifetime -- both Audis. Bought a 6yr old Audi 4000S with 88k mi my junior year in college and had that car for 10 more years until it died with 180k mi on the odometor. Currently drive a 9yr old Audi A4 with 90k. Still drives like new. And my next car in about 3 yrs will probably be an off-lease low mileage A5 coupe (have you seen these things?? effing sweet!)

I love the look of Audi's but after my 1st 'Made in Germany' Volkswagen I'll never buy another Euro car. Despite the claims (at the time) that VW's quality was on par with Japanese models it is by far the worst care I've owned. It is extremely unreliable and like all modern VW's it's not designed well, difficult to work on, and expensive to fix. Many repair shops wont even work on them - you either go to the dealer or shops that specialize in Euro cars. Replacement parts are expensive and many times dealer only (so even more expensive). Here's a list of why I hate my Volkswagen...

Covered by dealer...

5 x (yes FIVE times) the window regulator clip breaks causing the window to fall inside the door - all covered due to known design flaw
2 x passenger rear window replaced due to bad seal causing leaking
Drivers door seal replaced due to leaking

Not covered by dealer...

2 x window washer pump failures
All 4 factory brake rotors warped @ < 25K miles (was told this was 'normal' by the dealer)
Secondary water pump failure
A/C compressor failure and expansion valve failure
Primary cooling fan failure
Secondary cooling fan failure
Both lower control arm bushings failed and required complete replacement because bushings aren't serviceable
Motor mount broke
Oil pan (aluminum and no skid plate protection) cracked on a bump in an intersection
Thermostat stuck causing overheating
Thermostat housing cracked
Radiator cracked and leaked
Glove compartment hinge broke
Rear seat latch stuck so seat doesn't release (can't go down)
Auto-dimming rear view mirror fluid drained out ($400+ to replace because rain sensor is integrated)
Cup holder broke ($300+ to replace and not covered)
Foam insulation in A/C system dry rotted and blocks or blows out the vents
The 'VW' logo center caps on rims have fallen off so many times I stopped replacing them @ $25 each
Cloth headliner falling down
Drivers door handle cracked

Yeah, some of this is nit-picky and expected in a car that's almost 9 years old but many of those repairs are serious $$$.

/rant

 

[BoomerD]

Your pole sucks...it doesn't give options for multiple vehicles, nor do you give the option for vehicles owned over the life of the owner.

MOST of my life, I was a MOPAR fan, but also owned a handful of Bimmers over the past 35 years. GREAT cars, just maintenance intensive.

My last Dodge pick-up, (96 Dakota) pretty much killed my fondness for MOPAR vehicles, and in 2005, when I went looking for a new truck, The Dodge offerings didn't impress me, so for the first time in my life, I went to a Ford dealer.
I LIKED the new Fords...I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for on any of the lots within 100 miles (during the "Employee Pricing Event of 05) so we ended up with an Expedition King Ranch. VERY impressed with the overall build quality and reliability of the truck.

For most of my career, when I worked on cars/trucks for extra money, I used to tell people, "My wrenches don't fit Fords, nd refused to work on them...(except company vehicles where I didn't have that option)" In 2005, I bought new wrenches...

My next "NEW" vehicle purchase will be a Ford pickup...probably an F-150 but MAYBE an F-250. (unless I relent and get some high MPG vehicle, but I don't fit into any of the current ones, so...)

 

[piasabird]

I dont know what I will buy next. My current choice is a Buick Century (Smaller version). Whatever, I do buy will have to get good gas milage. May be another used car. My daughter has an old Nissan 300zx, that gets 30 miles to the gallon. I dont much like that either, because I am a large man and dont like to drive laying down.

At 51 and about 300#s I need some back support. Dont care for SUV's either.

I kind of like the Carver 2 person 3 wheeled car/Motorcycle. I wish they would catch on in the USA.