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1. 1989 Cherokee Jeep. Owned it until 2000. I put it 250,000 miles on it. The most maintenance it ever required was a new clutch.
2. 2000 Plymouth Grand Voyager Van. Wife put 150,000 miles on it. It lasted until 2008. When the transmission failed, I got rid of it.
3. 2002 Ford Explorer. I sold it in 2010 after I put 200,000 miles on it. Vehicle required minor repairs over the 10 years I owned it.
4. 2008 Saturn Vue. All repairs covered under warranty and loaner car provided during repairs by GM.
5. 2010 Ford Explorer. Wrecked in an accident in 2013. Excellent vehicle with no repair issues.
6. 2013 Ford Explorer. I love the vehicle, but its too early to tell how good it will be.
Moral of the story? Maybe Japanese cars are better. But, they couldn't be much better than the experiences I've had. I guess if there are people out there dying to get a car that is 2% better than an American car they have that right.
I've had one good Japanese car, and one not-so-good Japanese car.
Two good German cars - one was built in the U.S.
I have had no (out of two) good American cars - although, to be fair, the last American car I drove was purchased in 1983. Not the U.S. auto industry's finest hour.
I choose my cars based on value and projected reliability, not on their badge or origin.
Sorry to say most German cars especially VWs have very poor projected reliability. This also includes American made Mercedes.
Sorry to say most German cars especially VWs have very poor projected reliability. This also includes American made Mercedes.
Whatever. This thread is about Japanese cars, not German cars. But since you asked, both of mine were driven for 8 years and 149,000 miles and 9 years and 180,000 miles respectively. You tell me if they were reliable or not.
I will never forget Datsun B210? was the first car I knew of. Mom paid 2k new in 70? the thing was invincible. My Mom never maintained that car, got into a good accident when the car was over 10 years old, BS banged it out, never changed the oil, she sold it 17 year later? for 500, good investment.
Compare that to the subpar quality coming out of America at that time, gawd those POS K cars from Dodge.
Quality has improved so much, I would consider a Ford.
I won't beat a dead horse, but yeah my 96 Corolla costs me maybe $300 a year in maintenance was paid off 12 years ago, and just keeps on ticking at 216k. I almost feel bad about getting rid of her. Such a loyal companion. Drove right over the Rockies again and back to CA.
When I was leaving the state I ran across a guy with a Toy PU from the 80's with over 300k and the orig 22RE engine from Toy, bullet proof.
03 Camry only minor complaint is trans jerks once in great while, but once again nothing major at 80k, almost no maintenance cost per year.
I am sure it's urban myth but I asked a mechanic why he thought Japanese cars are so good..........he said look at their Samurai swords, they know metallurgy .
The problem with the Detroit built cars is the UAW. Unions have killed most of the industry in the United States with their greed, shoddy workmanship, and corruption. Thank goodness the Japanese have proven to the world that Americans CAN and DO build great products in their non union plants.
Your anti-union rant is way overstated. Actually, the GM-Toyota joint venture, NUMMI, in California, until its closure, was a UAW shop, and was well-known for its high quality products produced. They built Corollas and light trucks.
I've owned a number of Japanese vehicles, basic to luxury. All of them were technically competent and fairly reliable. I liked them better when you could glance at a Toyota and know it was a Toyota or a Honda, a Honda. These days, the blantastic vehicles they are churning out don't appeal to me at all.
Hahaha...I like the design of exactly four modern cars:
The Mini Cooper
The Fiat 500
The VW Beetle
The Porsche 911
Otherwise, I just think cars are generally pretty ugly. Having grown up in a car crazy family, I never really got bitten by the car bug. But I love a lot of classic car designs with the fins and whitewall tires. Modern cars don't get me too excited. And the interiors are so BLAND on most cars.
You only like cars with round headlights
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