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237 Comments
- davecachia, on 07/03/2008, -15/+127Heres why:
QUALITY
When we can start building cars that are as efficient and reliable as imports, perhaps they will sell. - Suneet67, on 07/03/2008, -14/+73The mantra of American cars for the last two decades has been to create a poorly designed, big-engined platform with a shelf life of 5-8 years so that consumers will have to purchase another vehicle within a decade. American Car Companies are responsible for destroying US Automotive Hegemony developed by Henry Ford and worse are culpable for the environmental damage their idiotic monstrosities with terribly low gas mileage are creating.
Foreign Cars most specifically German and Japanese Cars are better designed, go through better quality checks, are generally more dependable, and most of all smoke the American competition in gas mileage vs. power ratio.
Silly American consumers continue to buy Silly American Cars and as result have prevented the innovation necessary to keep them competitive in the global market place.
That said--i love the Corvette. - Ourcellardoor, on 07/04/2008, -6/+64You know what really grinds my gears?
People up in Michigan telling me to buy American. Ford has parts companies in China and Assembly plants in Mexico. Whereas, a "Japanese" automaker like Honda or Toyota has most of their plants on American soil.
Happy Fourth, and F**k American Auto-manufacturers. - WordsnCollision, on 07/03/2008, -2/+42But when something DOES break, prepare to pay LOTS...
- ScottyDontKnow, on 07/03/2008, -16/+55FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily
- allaboutdatiki, on 07/03/2008, -7/+37I review cars and I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised by some of the American cars I've driven over the past months. Now I'm pretty lucky in that I get to drive all kinds of stuff ... even the things that we can't buy in America yet, so please know that I'm not blowing smoke.
I'm not going to write a novel ... I'll stop with just three vehicles ...
1. The Saturn Astra is a wonderful little hatch, designed in Germany, built in Belgium. It's the second best selling car in Europe, or something of the like, where it's sold as both an Opel and a Vauxhall. The American version could be absolutely fantastic if GM stuck a decent engine under the hood ... say a high-torque, high-MPG diesel like the stuff they have over there.
http://www.mpgomatic.com/2008/06/01/saturn-astra-r ...
2. Okay, so I was really surprised by the V6 Ford Fusion. When they initially booked the Fusion, I wasn't enthused ... but this car won me over within minutes of rolling out of the Ford dealership in NYC, when I stomped on the gas at a stoplight and the stealthy little beast lit up the tires.
http://www.mpgomatic.com/2008/06/29/ford-fusion-re ...
3. One more ... and an SUV at that. The Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD. This soul of this monster is unmistakably Jeep, but it has the heart of a Mercedes-Benz ... 3.0 liter V6 diesel. You want something to tow with that gets decent mileage, this just might be it. It does need a better transmission, to make better use of the unending torque and to get the best possible mileage.
http://www.mpgomatic.com/2008/03/14/jeep-grand-che ...
Wishing everyone a safe and fun Fourth of July. Get out there and blow something up! :) (just kidding) - inactive, on 07/04/2008, -7/+31Care to wager on that? German cars tend to not only break more than GM cars, but cost WORLDS more to fix.
- The_Wallbanger, on 07/03/2008, -2/+24According to Consumer Reports, automobilie reliability is rated as:
1. Japanese
2. American (domestic)
3. European
http://car-reviews.automobile.com/news/do-european ... - MCA2142, on 07/04/2008, -1/+23I agree with davecachia.
While Japanese automakers are run by engineers, american counterparts are managed by businessmen that put too much emphasis on marketing.
Just look at the difference in quality and innovations between them. While foreign car companies are innovating with new looks and new technologies, American companies are ACTUALLY GOING BACK IN TIME with their current "retro look" kick.
When I buy a car, it's a big investment, and I do my research. And everything from looks, power, handling, and luxury... American cars I'm afraid, have lost their way. - xNIBx, on 07/03/2008, -0/+20Except european Ford's cars are very popular and reliable. Then again those ford cars(ka, fiesta, focus, mondeo) arent sold in the US. You know that you get crappy cars in the US, when even an american company wont sell their best models there.
- swordedge, on 07/03/2008, -10/+28correction, perception of quality. Just because you think the quality isn't there doesn't mean it isn't. I remember reading years ago that there is little actual quality differences between the makes. That doesn't mean that the Japanese aren't better at making cars people want (they are IMHO)
- bproven, on 07/03/2008, -12/+29He's right (however rude) - VW, Mercedes, BMW are the bottom of the barrel as far as quality and reliability are concerned
- rz8472, on 07/04/2008, -2/+18The whole "supporting the American worker" argument is irrelevant since all these companies are outsourcing to other countries as well - including Japanese manufacturers who are outsourcing jobs to the United States.
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -5/+21heres why:
GAS PRICES
we like to buy small cars instead of those huge GMC SUVs you see douche bags driving - blackhappy, on 07/04/2008, -0/+16A lot of Ford's european models are awesome, to bad they don't offer them in the US (look at Ford UK website). Also GM's european brand's and models aren't bad also!
- solidus636, on 07/04/2008, -3/+18Just because they start making better quality cars, doesn't mean Americans will automatically start buying them. Why, you say? Reputation, that's why. American cars are known to be of lesser quality, so even if they are better than the imports, doesn't mean they will sell as well.
- iPirate, on 07/04/2008, -3/+18American automakers design their cars by committee. "How can we create a new model that uses all of the parts we have already?"
- ph1sh55, on 07/04/2008, -3/+17my dad always says "Found on Road Dead"
- rpi22, on 07/03/2008, -9/+22American cars are made in china
- aelias, on 07/04/2008, -10/+231.)They all look like ***** below 60K.
2.)They all drive like *****.
3.)They cost way too much.
4.)They feel like a high-schoolers model kit on the inside.
5.)They don't last.
The kicker is, they would fail even if they suddenly started selling 20% more cars across the board. They can't sell enough to pay their pensions, CEO's AND pay cost of living wage increases for already bloated salaries. The cars WILL get *****, because they need more and more profit out of each unit, period. It can't last. None of them have an alternative energy platform that's worth a damn. Why one of them hasn't outright purchased Tesla is beyond me.
If you can afford it, buy German. BMW, Audi, Benz. They really aren't ***** around. If you can't afford German, just do yourself a favor and go buy the nicest Honda you can. Amazing value and bulletproof reliability. - eggsovereasy, on 07/03/2008, -1/+13You are so creative and witty!
- nedzeve, on 07/04/2008, -1/+13Which socialist country are these German cars being manufactured in?
- mtownand1, on 07/03/2008, -2/+14Pretty lame comment. Buried.
- BPL710, on 07/04/2008, -4/+16I guess somebody has never read a consumer reports yearly car report before...
- Suneet67, on 07/03/2008, -6/+17Perception of quality differences does not empirically cause American Cars to have more problems, worse gas mileage, and shorter life span.
Their are tangible quality differences between the Ford focus (intentionally lowercased) and the Honda Civic. - nedzeve, on 07/04/2008, -3/+14And GM also makes more models of cars that get < 10 mpg than toyota, honda, nissan, suzuki, mazda, hyundai, vw, kia, and peugeot combined?
- Rbstr, on 07/04/2008, -0/+11It's not the same Focus. The euro focus is a generation ahead.
- richnojutsu, on 07/04/2008, -1/+12Eh, I've owned a Focus since 2000 and have only had to send it in to a shop once. The Accord I had before that was horrible, even though I ran it beyond 200K miles. My first car though was a Probe and I was constantly repairing SOMETHING on that damned thing. So I guess it's all luck of the draw.
- ElTomacco, on 07/04/2008, -4/+14Read comments above. If you're talking about how the car looks and feels, you're right. If you're talking about reliability, you're completely wrong. German engineers these days seem more concerned with designing doors that give you that solid "thunk" sound when you close them than designing cars that will go 100,000 miles without any major mechanical failures. American and Asian cars go wrong too, but any reputable statistics that you're likely to find will show that they're generally more reliable than the European offerings. Oh and by the way, Chrysler is by far the worst American car company when i comes to any measure of quality.
- inactive, on 12/07/2008, -7/+17The guy posting the links to his blog about 'decent' American cars is funny...A Jeep? A ***** Jeep? They had horrible reviews from consumer reports. The only American car that did any good was Mercury. Honda, Toyota, Nissan...there's no comparison...why would you buy an American car w/ cheaply designed interiors (and they're all cheap on the inside) with a crap-ass warranty when the Japanese cars are obviously constructed better and more well thought out in design? Patriotism can only go so far!
- ThaDRD, on 07/04/2008, -1/+11lol...unions have absolutely helped destroy the American car manufacturers. UAW have held the big three hostage and its finally blowing up in their face. BTW, the Toyota factories in the US are union free and they have zero problems finding workers.
- inactive, on 07/04/2008, -2/+12***** Only Runs Downhill.
- BelatedHero, on 07/04/2008, -1/+11I remember reading an article somewhere about the Toyota Matrix & Pontiac Vibe. They're essentially the same car built on the same line. The difference was that Toyota checked like 1 out of every 5 for quality control and Pontiac checked 1 out of every 30 (I may have these numbers wrong, but there was a significant difference). That being said, even if American cars have gotten better quality-wise and it's now just a perception problem, they're still some of the ugliest vehicles on the road. I'm not saying American car manufacturers need to hire Pininfarina to design their cars. But at least TRY to come out with some attractive models with a consistent styling trend between all of them. Ford is the worst offender in this respect.
- petewhite, on 07/03/2008, -35/+45I tend to buy German - best quality cars.
- cire9753, on 07/04/2008, -2/+12just got a civic today actually.
holds its value like no other - sinurgy, on 07/04/2008, -0/+9#2 has to be one of the dumbest comments I've ever read...talk about lower class!
- ThaDRD, on 07/04/2008, -2/+11Unions have helped destroy the American manufacturers, holding them hostage for years while Toyota and Honda built factories in the US which use non-union labor. They have no problem finding people who would love to work in these factories either. American car makers end up moving to Mexico, leaving these union dopes jaded and hating imports when they should be looking at themselves.
- p3ngwin, on 07/04/2008, -0/+9i think it's sad when one of America's best industries was the proud ability to make their own cars (and by that i mean make ALL the car), and fuel it with their own fuel.
fast forward to now when most American cars are either entirely foreign or made with foreign parts fueled almost exclusively with foreign oil..... - reginaldino, on 07/04/2008, -2/+11Japanese, i.e. Toyota, are the best quality. Mercedes has had QC issues of late.
- ConanTL, on 07/04/2008, -2/+11There's nothing more socialist than huge mulitnational corporations.
- byelobog, on 07/04/2008, -1/+9The biggest problem with american cars: DESIGN
Sure there are the unique : Corvette, Mustang, Viper, Ford GT. But most american cars are bland, boring, etc. in design. Very conservative Designs. Japanese and Euro are more aggressive and contemporary.
However, from personal experience, the quality of american cars easily rivals and in many instances outshines the jap/euro alternatimes.
Name a car make, there is a high likelyhood that I have either owned it or spent significant time behind the wheel of it.
Anectdotal, but my own personal experience is what I rely on best. - Ricky81682, on 07/04/2008, -1/+9One problem is that the UAW union that GM and Ford have to deal with is so virulent about fighting every single change that the company basically is scared to really take a risk. Is there the American car company equivalent of risking creating a Scion or a Yaris? Read about Toyota's manufacturing changing from a huge 21-ton assembly item for its engines to a 2-ton version (required weeks of retraining), and ask if American unions would allow the change without making a huge fight over it.
- waydee, on 07/04/2008, -1/+8Corvette isn't a supercar...
- Premier, on 07/04/2008, -6/+13American car interior design are pathetic
- Nitrolinken, on 07/04/2008, -5/+12I smell a cloud of smug coming from San Francisco.
- WordsnCollision, on 07/03/2008, -0/+7They will be when Wal-Mart starts selling them. And they will.
- TheGroje, on 07/04/2008, -0/+7"A really bad car doesn't just happen. It starts with an incredibly dumb design..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEPxc3RW4js - lukemann, on 07/04/2008, -0/+62000 Ford with 160k on the clock and no major issues. I'm going to be taking it right up to 200k. My coworkers Jetta just blew a head gasket at 90k.
- Badandy127, on 07/04/2008, -2/+8I have a 2005 V8 Mustang. Least expensive 300+ HP car on the market. It's scary fast, it's a manual, it has a great retro interior, great exterior design....and it doesn't need to be fixed all the time.
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