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My brother's driving a Toyota Corolla he bought used. It now has more than 200,000 miles on it (he has a long commute) and he's never had any repairs that couldn't be done in a day at BrakeMasters.
I'm driving a 1999 Chevy Prizm (essentially the same car) and while I don't have nearly as many miles on it, new struts have been my only serious expense in 15 years.
Everybody keeps telling me not to buy an American made used car (trucks are a different story, as american trucks tend to be very reliable). It seems like American cars get to about 100k miles and start to have major problems, especially transmission issues. I rarely see used american model cars for sale with 200k miles, also. However, you see alot of Toyota and Honda and other foreign cars with that type of mileage all the time.
If that was true then why do critical emergency services rely on "american" cars? Do you see Toyota or Honda police cars on the road? Do you see Toyota or Honda ambulances on the road? What trucks do most contractors rely on? The big 3 a very small amount use Toyota pickup trucks.
Even the big tractor trailers are made in america. Why doesn't toyota or honda tap into the big rig market? because they can't build truck engines that are reliable and will go a million or more miles.
Honda and toyota stick to what they know best lawnmowers and econoboxes.
I never had a Detroit 3 vehicle that I could stand to keep for 100,000 miles. Too many niggling problems with all of them. The worst of the bunch was my FINAL Detroit vehicle, a 1990 Plymouth Acclaim LX that literally caused problems from the day I drove it off the showroom floor, until I unloaded it five years later.
I have had my 1993 Nissan Pickup (American Made) for 22+ years. It has needed only a starter, radio, and windshield washer motor besides normal wear items (brakes, shocks, tires and batteries) in the time I've owned it. I have never even had to add freon to the much used air conditioner!
My 2005 Toyota Corolla (American Made) has had NO problems. It has only needed 2 sets of tires and two batteries in the ten years I've owned it.
I have owned Japanese built cars, and they were great, too.
As someone that currently owns a ford, chevy and toyota.....anyone that thinks that vehicle quality is still the same that it was back 25 years ago should think long and hard about it while watching their favorite movie on VHS.
Seriously, look around at various quality reviews and reports.
The gap has closed considerably and the "quality premium" on some vehicles is no longer warranted imo.
If that was true then why do critical emergency services rely on "american" cars? Do you see Toyota or Honda police cars on the road? Do you see Toyota or Honda ambulances on the road? What trucks do most contractors rely on? The big 3 a very small amount use Toyota pickup trucks.
Even the big tractor trailers are made in america. Why doesn't toyota or honda tap into the big rig market? because they can't build truck engines that are reliable and will go a million or more miles.
Honda and toyota stick to what they know best lawnmowers and econoboxes.
you think cops use American cars because there built better? I think its a little more involved than that. America definitely makes the best big rig engines, that just shows they could make cars much better as well, but the dedication to quality hasn't been there for a long time now. when I owned a landscaping business I went back & fourth with the big 3, when I finally got fed up and turned to Toyota I saved many thousands of dollars a year. If they had more models and different specs to choose from they would also dominate that market.
you think cops use American cars because there built better? I think its a little more involved than that. America definitely makes the best big rig engines, that just shows they could make cars much better as well, but the dedication to quality hasn't been there for a long time now. when I owned a landscaping business I went back & fourth with the big 3, when I finally got fed up and turned to Toyota I saved many thousands of dollars a year. If they had more models and different specs to choose from they would also dominate that market.
Well if foreign cars are better why haven't they ever been used in these services? Surely tax payers would want better reliable vehicles to cut expenses on repairing the fleet.
And it's funny i was going to say the only contractors who really buy toyota pickups are landscapers. Landscapers don't usually haul heavy loads and work in rough construction sites. For the most part they haul employees and tow a box trailer with lawn equipment in it. So a Toyota tundra or whatever can handle the light to medium duty work.
Now construction companies are hauling lumber, bricks, concrete, towing heavy equipment etc. and driving in harsh contruction sites. So they usually go with gmc, chevy ford and dodge.
There's a Chevy Blazer sitting in my driveway right now with over 320,000 miles on it. It's had routine maintenance (at a quality level), a new ignition lock, and a new driver's side seat. There was some little inexpensive gizmo in the transfer case for the 4WD that had to be replaced last spring. It cost about $200 for a transmission shop to do it. The car hadn't stopped running, but it was making a noise, so it got fixed.
The Blazer has a big engine and it will go like scalded cat. I miss the big Detroit powerhouse engines.
I usually put about 270,000 miles on a car, but they have all been American made pickup trucks which OP seems to think are better built (as do I).
One point, though, is that the cars with 250,000 miles on them weren't made this year. Everything gets flimsier and thinner. The new computerized everything are probably going to end up causing a lot of repair problems due to computer glitches.
97 Mercury Villager...at 207K a valve went finally.
Bought another one at 50K...it was like new to me...
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