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Hubby grew up with everything "made in the usa" including his parents cars.
My parents (we are from overseas) always drove Japanese or German cars.
Hubby wonders why his made in the usa car, though new, is always falling apart.
I got a new Japanese car to replace my old one last year.
Now all of a sudden, he is constantly driving it and sees why I only buy Japanese cars. Because the quality is there, unlike in his american made. Why buy something that is not quality just because it is made locally- makes no sense to me...and now he agrees to.
Base price was NOT 12,500. My top of the line was $21,000. I wanted a roomier car, with luxury amnenities and great gas mileage. Domestic makers do not have ANYTHING to match. If you want small gas sipping car, you had to go with a under powered Focus, a packed like sardines Cavalier, or nothing from Dodge/chrysler... they did not make a small car that year. (as my husband who works for Dodge said... teh dummies stopped making the Neon without a replacement model for year 2006).
Oh and BTW, NONE OF THEM COULD MATCH THE 36 - 39 MPG that I get with my Civic. Now if you are looking for luxury... try smooth ride (many people call my car a little cadillac), Navigator, sun roof, voice activated controls, AC, 2 tier dash, satellite radio, just everything was well made, fit and finish was A+. Now I did pay top dollar for a "little car". but it doesn't drive like one, isn't cramped like one, and has luxuries of a much more expensive car.
Car of the year 2006. Made Toyota hold releasing thier new Corolla because they KNEW Civic would blow them out of the water.
Everytime someone asks about my car which looks really sharp, I tell them, don't listen to me, go to Honda and test drive the car... all 4 of them promptly bought a Civic.
When GM, Ford, and Dodge stopped spending their money internationally by outsourcing to foreign companies... then talk to me about where to spend MY money.
Actually, the best small car on the market is a Ford to some degree. It's the Mazda3 - which Ford has the controlling interest. (Ford would own 100% of Mazda if it wasn't for the tax whammy that the Japanese government would levy on Mazda if their foreign ownership went above a certain percentage.)
As you say go drive one and you'll see. Sites like Car and Driver and Edmunds have picked the Mazda3 as best-in-class several years running.
The malibu seemed comparable in size, comfort and finish inside. The Prius is slightly more high tech. The malibu LTZ is much nicer but costs $8k more than a prius.
A Civic costs $12,500? I did not know that they were so cheap.
My friends who have prius's (Priae?) get about 55 mpg on average for combined driving. A company that I work with regularly just bought them for all their employees and they all seem to get about the same combined milage.
I looked at the Focus and the Chevy Cobalt. Both were too small inside and obviously cheaply made. Their actual combined mileage was not very exciting. The Prius at least appears to be better quality and has more room. I could not find anything comparable at Ford. The Malibu seemed the closest at Chevy. Maybe I should just wait for a swatch car.
I may just look for a honda Insight. They are tiny, but 70-80 mpg would be awfully nice. I might have to do yoga to get into one though.
As far as I can discern the Prius is the only well made, economical car that is suitable for a large person commuting daily that is available. I will have to look at the Civic. I always hated the Corolla/Prisim, maybe they improved them recently.
$7,500 is the average difference in price between a Civic and a Prius from 2007 calendar year registrations. This data is from RL Polk. (I work "in the biz" and have access to this sort of data.) Maybe people generally equip the Prius with more equipment on average than a Civic but $7,500 is a legit number from a reputable source.
A Prius gets, on average, 40-44MPG. Anyone who says it's more than that is either calculating incorrectly, inflating the number because of a self-fufilling prophecy, or just happens to have one of the 1% of those cars that may actually do that. (Did I mention I work in the biz? My company has road tested a fleet of 20 of them for the past several years and 40-44MPG is what every single one of them got. They were not all the same model year, either, and some have 200K+ miles on them now.) In addition, Car and Driver, Edmunds, etc who also road tested the car will support the 40-44MPG number.
As far as comparable Ford's there is a Fusion Hybrid and also the Mazda3 to consider. The Insight has been cancelled by Honda so I would't suggest you get one of those. (When something goes wrong good luck getting parts.)
Dh and I both drive foreign cars. I've got a Honda and he's got a VW. Often times, Dh swears that people at the gas station give him dirty looks when he's done nothing to deserve it. He's most certainly not a uber sensitive person so it's funny that he would comment on this.
So do you think it's possible he's being shot sideways glances because he doesn't drive "American"? And I put that in quotes because to be honest, I don't buy that crap. I looked at a Ford before I bought my Honda three months ago and the salesman touted that one good thing is that I would be buying "American" (I told him I was also looking at Hondas too). I looked right at him and was like, buddy, let's be real here. I saw the sticker on that car out there and it was made in MEXICO.
Mods-- Oops, I meant to post this in the main MI threads, not the city forum. Please move when you get a chance. Thanks!!
You must live in redneck-ville to be getting funny looks for driving a "foreign" car.
I drive an American car....an Ohio-built Honda Accord with 70% US parts (compared to those "American" GM and Ford cars built in Mexico with barely 40-50% US parts).
...it's like eating Florida oranges in California. It's like smoking Cuban cigars in North Carolina, going to New York and cheering for the Red Sox. It's just bad form, and it's very insulting.
Personally, when I see foreign cars on the road, I don't extend courtesies to them that I do for others, such as moving over when they want to pass, letting them merge into my lane etc. You'll recognize me on the highway, because I'm the one who points towards the other lane when you're tailgating me, waiting for me to pull over so you can pass.
Oh get off, if you purchase a car you're going to choose the one you like the best in your price range. Reasons for why you might prefer it to another car may differ from other peoples'. It could be its looks, how it handles, the quality of the interior, the size of it, etc. I fail to see how if someone purchases a foreign auto because they like that particular one the most, it is an insult. Please don't take this the wrong way but if you honestly would buy a car which is of lower quality or that you do not like as much as another, simply because it is American, then I seriously believe that you are one of those people who looks for things to moan about because its petty and ridiculous.
...it's like eating Florida oranges in California. It's like smoking Cuban cigars in North Carolina, going to New York and cheering for the Red Sox. It's just bad form, and it's very insulting.
Personally, when I see foreign cars on the road, I don't extend courtesies to them that I do for others, such as moving over when they want to pass, letting them merge into my lane etc. You'll recognize me on the highway, because I'm the one who points towards the other lane when you're tailgating me, waiting for me to pull over so you can pass.
[quote=4WDGreg;3235464Personally, when I see foreign cars on the road, I don't extend courtesies to them that I do for others, such as moving over when they want to pass, letting them merge into my lane etc. You'll recognize me on the highway, because I'm the one who points towards the other lane when you're tailgating me, waiting for me to pull over so you can pass.[/QUOTE]
Thank you. You just proved that it IS true that there are people out there that are so stupid and ignorant that they JUDGE people based on the car they drive. So if I'm in my "bmw" instead of my "chevy" you would cut me off? The lives INSIDE the car don't matter because they are simply in a "foreign car". Because of YOUR stupidity and IGNORANCE you just may very well cause a family to be killed if you make it impossible for them to merge when they need to and force them into an embankment or such. Your smart. NOT!!! Some people................ grow up.
We have always only bought US cars but after buying our Explorer in 2000 and dealing with so many recalls on it, we switched.
I am now in my 50's and drive a Toyota. If I am going to pay for a car, I will pay for quality no matter where it is made.
...it's like eating Florida oranges in California. It's like smoking Cuban cigars in North Carolina, going to New York and cheering for the Red Sox. It's just bad form, and it's very insulting.
Personally, when I see foreign cars on the road, I don't extend courtesies to them that I do for others, such as moving over when they want to pass, letting them merge into my lane etc. You'll recognize me on the highway, because I'm the one who points towards the other lane when you're tailgating me, waiting for me to pull over so you can pass.
If the rest of the state's like this, I'm cancelling my trip to Michigan.
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