04-09-2009, 10:11 PM
I'm not trying to start any kind of an us-or-them flame war, but I'm off the big three pretty much for good. I started driving in the early 80s and the cars I owned or drove were all GM, Chrysler, or Ford brands. And, inevitably, each one was a piece of junk. They all spent considerable time in the shop, either the dealer or an independent, trying to figure out what was wrong with each of them.
A week after I got my first post-college job, my car -- a late 80s Buick Regal in damn nice condition -- was stolen and wrapped around a phone pole. I didn't have a lot of money, had a lot of college debt, and didn't get much insurance-wise for the car. On a budget, I had to settle -- for a 1990 Nissan Hardbody King Cab pickup. It became one of the best automotive purchases I ever made; never had a single problem with it.
And though I no longer own it, it's still running. I drove it for about 200,000 miles, then sold it to my uncle, who drove it about another 150,000. He then sold it to another uncle, who lived in Arabi, Louisiana, across the street from Holy Cross High School. If you don't know the area, that was one of the completely submerged areas of New Orleans. The truck was under water for, what, a week? When my uncle made it back to the house, the truck was still there. He dried it out, cleaned up the engine, and is still using that truck. It has a little over half a million miles on it.
After that (flashing back to the late 90s, meaning after the Nissan truck), my wife and I got a Honda Odyssey and a VW New Beetle. Both were company leases. I went through two Beetles in a few years; they were not great. Much trouble with the electrical systems. I eventually traded it in for a Honda Element, which sat in my driveway in Metairie when Katrina roared through (we had left for Little Rock, Arkansas, in the van). When we eventually got back to Metairie -- about a month or so -- to retrieve things, the Element started right up.
Today, we have two Hondas: a Civic and an Odyssey (a different one, though; long story re/the company lease). The Civic is a good car; reliable, but noisy at higher speeds on the interstate. The Odyssey is practically bullet-proof. Both are Honda leases (another Katrina-related story) and will have to be turned in this year. We'll likely stick with Honda -- another Odyssey but a change from the Civic. Maybe a CR-V, maybe an Accord. Maybe another Element. Don't know yet.
I wish I could trust the American nameplates again. I really do. I see a few GM's (the aforementioned Malibu) and a Ford or two (the new Flex, and the Edge) that catch my eye. But I can't bring myself to invest, per se, in one of them, due to both my past with them and my stellar track record with their competitors.
YMMV, as always.
A week after I got my first post-college job, my car -- a late 80s Buick Regal in damn nice condition -- was stolen and wrapped around a phone pole. I didn't have a lot of money, had a lot of college debt, and didn't get much insurance-wise for the car. On a budget, I had to settle -- for a 1990 Nissan Hardbody King Cab pickup. It became one of the best automotive purchases I ever made; never had a single problem with it.
And though I no longer own it, it's still running. I drove it for about 200,000 miles, then sold it to my uncle, who drove it about another 150,000. He then sold it to another uncle, who lived in Arabi, Louisiana, across the street from Holy Cross High School. If you don't know the area, that was one of the completely submerged areas of New Orleans. The truck was under water for, what, a week? When my uncle made it back to the house, the truck was still there. He dried it out, cleaned up the engine, and is still using that truck. It has a little over half a million miles on it.
After that (flashing back to the late 90s, meaning after the Nissan truck), my wife and I got a Honda Odyssey and a VW New Beetle. Both were company leases. I went through two Beetles in a few years; they were not great. Much trouble with the electrical systems. I eventually traded it in for a Honda Element, which sat in my driveway in Metairie when Katrina roared through (we had left for Little Rock, Arkansas, in the van). When we eventually got back to Metairie -- about a month or so -- to retrieve things, the Element started right up.
Today, we have two Hondas: a Civic and an Odyssey (a different one, though; long story re/the company lease). The Civic is a good car; reliable, but noisy at higher speeds on the interstate. The Odyssey is practically bullet-proof. Both are Honda leases (another Katrina-related story) and will have to be turned in this year. We'll likely stick with Honda -- another Odyssey but a change from the Civic. Maybe a CR-V, maybe an Accord. Maybe another Element. Don't know yet.
I wish I could trust the American nameplates again. I really do. I see a few GM's (the aforementioned Malibu) and a Ford or two (the new Flex, and the Edge) that catch my eye. But I can't bring myself to invest, per se, in one of them, due to both my past with them and my stellar track record with their competitors.
YMMV, as always.