Warning for GM owners

Out of curiosity, I'd like to ask how you know so much about this?

 

I've had the opportunity to deal with people who mixed the two, on the theory that "coolant is coolant is coolant." It isn't.

My 2002 Camaro has never had anything but Dex-Cool, with no problems whatsoever.

 

That's why I only do leases, 3 years and it's buh-bye, just before the bumper-to-bumper warranty expires.
For the record, I had a 1998 Chevy Blazer, had to replace the brakes a month before I turned it in, which sucked.
My last 2 vehicles were Ford Explorers which ran well, no major issues.
Just leased a 2008 Mercury Mariner which I like. For me, since I have 2 little girls, safety is important, it has side air bags and automatic traction control and some doohickey that is supposed to stop rollovers.
The audio input jack is even cooler. You can directly plug in an iPod or in my case, my XM Skyfi3.
The AIJ will be a standard feature on all cars by 2009, 2010 at the latest. Bet on it.

 

My last six vehicle purchases have been domestic: Four Chryslers (my wife is on her third Dodge Caravan) and two GMs. The only one with which we were the slightest bit unhappy was my '95 Dodge Neon, and that was after 95,000 miles. Granted, we don't keep cars much beyond 100,000 miles -- not that we NEED to get rid of them, but we usually WANT to get rid of them by then. I do not argue for a second that Japanese-brand cars are not of superior quality, because they are (my Nissans and Mazdas were all fantastic). I've had remarkably good luck with my domestics, and have happily pocketed the 10-20 percent price difference between the domestic and the comparable Japanese brand. Looking now for some wood on which to knock ...

 

I guess I've been fairly fortunate in that the two cars that got me through the last 10 years (a 91 Buick Regal and a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee) held up fairly well despite being a regular on the used car to run the fuck away from list by Consumer Reports.

I got into the 175,000 neighborhood in my Buick, and had the tranny not gone south, I might have gotten into the low 200,000s with it. And if people wouldn't run stop signs, I'd probably be driving the Jeep for the next seven years.

That said, I'm looking at a mix of import and domestics. Everyone in the family drives Fords (one uncle worked at a dealership, and the dad of an aunt used to work at a plant, thus getting their sweet "A Plan" prices for their immediate family. But I'll be damned in the ass if I become the sixth Explorer owner in the extended family.

 

Then don't get an Explorer.