The car question: Honda Accord? Nissan Altima? Or something else?

The car in my family we will have to replace next (probably within a year) is Alice's 2003 Subaru Forester. Here in New England, it's good if one of the family's cars has all-wheel or four-wheel drive. This is not a product category (not monster truck 4xD) where I'm familiar with many U.S. entries.

 

If you're pro union the lines aren't blurred.

 

I'm pro "car starts every damn time and gets a minimum of 200,000 miles before I even think about maybe replacing it in another 2 or 3 years."

The labor agreement about how that car gets built has zero of my concern.

 

Buy 'Murrican!

 

Take a wider view of it in "dollars spent" for cars.

Buying some makes - and I'm thinking Pontiac, Chrysler, Chevrolet - means that, when you get to 100,000 miles, you are more likely to think about shopping for another car than if you have a Honda or a Toyota.

I drive an old Toyota and haven't had a car payment in years.

Instead of spending that $300 a month on a shorter-lasting vehicle where the money goes - each month - into the pockets of the Big Three, the UAW, local tow truck drivers and auto mechanics, my $300 a month goes elsewhere. It still gets spent domestically and/or locally. Eating out. Activities for my kids. Perhaps a vacation once a year.

It sure doesn't go to endless repairs. My wife had a Dodge Neon that fell apart at 42,000 miles. I watched my parents drive Oldsmobiles and they were constantly in the shop. The Big Three didn't take the long view back then. An entire generation of children spent hours in Big Three dealerships as Dad's car would break down at 35,000 miles and the message resonated for the future: "These cars are pieces of crap. I'm NOT buying one of these when I grow up and have the money."

So I didn't.

Supporting the UAW sounds fine until you find yourself on the side of a 100 degree highway on a hot summer day with a steaming radiator of your 102,000-mile Pontiac. Especially while you see Hondas and Toyotas zoom on by.

 

Correct. The Big Three can spend the extra pennies on not cutting as many corners. They've gotten by on brand loyalty for far too long ... if more of those consumers are ever willing to look at other viable options, it won't be pretty for the Big Three if they don't continue to improve.

And for those of you trying to play the nationalism card ... how many of the Big Three's vehicles are built in the U.S.? Keep in mind that North America is not necessarily the United States.

 

The shitty reputation of the Big 3 was certainly earned. I just find it astonishing that posters on this board rail on companies that try to become profitable at the expense of American jobs, (or at the very least at the expense of union jobs) then turn around and proudly flaunt buying habits to the contrary.

Yes, I'm being a little obtuse in playing devil's advocate, but the observation is still there.

The reality is the marketplace has decided this argument for many of the posters. Not a bad system at all.

 

I bet if you're on the side of the road, Pontiacs go by, too

 

I won't buy an American car because I believe they are inferior products.
The fact that I'm not supporting the UAW is just a bonus.

 

Well, there are a couple of additional variables at work here.

--- Many of the "jobs" are still American, as the cars are sold here and many are built here. Your major gripe/observation was that a hunk of the money for the purchase went overseas.

--- A $23,000 vehicle from Japan is a little more important purchase than a $7 Walmart shirt from China. Making a good/bad bad decision on a vehicle can have major quality-of-life consequences.

--- Working conditions at the Japanese auto plants are probably substantially better than those at the shops where the Walmart shirt from China is made. So at least there is not that guilt.

 

THIS in spades.
Poorly designed and engineered. And I think they use cheaper parts than Japanese cars.

What American car is regularly on the road without major engine or transmission work after 100,000 miles. And costs less than 30k?

 

I drove a '90 Mustang GT Conv. for 8 years, got 125k and then rear-ended a truck while I was playing with the radio. Sucked but it was spinning like a top and still had many miles to go. And this was when Ford was not having the greatest rep.

Had a 2001 GT Conv and drove for about 5 years as well, sold at 80k, really thought it would go another 100k easy.

I just met my college buddy who works at a Ford dealership for lunch and he was in a Ford Fusion hybrid. Really a nice sedan with everything power, nav; he said at worst its 38 mpg and usually around 43 or so. A used one with about 25k mileage is $20,000 or so. That sounds like a pretty damn good deal.

Don't know about Chevys or Chryslers but Fords are not bad.