Yes, I'm a traitor- I bought a foreign auto

[Blacksocialite]

While I'm Pro-American, I'm also Pro-my-pocket.

I've had my Toyota Camry for 11 years, have dogged it at times, and have had only two 'major' service/maintenance issues - both of which were paid for by the company (they were recalls).

My A/C and heat work great and have never 'given up the ghost.'

I've had Ford cars from my former company and they weren't as good on gas or maintenance.

My next vehicle will more than likely be a hybrid Toyota, Volvo, or BMW.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by Blacksocialite

While I'm Pro-American, I'm also Pro-my-pocket.

HAHAHA, here here!!!

I've had my Honda Civic for 2 years (it's an '06), and it has never done me wrong. It gets great mileage and has never broken down once. I think the only thing it needs right now is new windshield wipers. I can see myself having this car for another 10-15 years, easy. My mom had a Ford when I was very small, I barely remember it. All I remember is her taking it to the shop every five seconds. That's how I first learned about Enterprise Rent-a-Car. She traded it in for a VW and that was the end of that.

[ladygreek]

I have a Volvo S40. Love it. Had a Ford for years.

[Benzgirl]

Where I grew up, GM supported the tax base in our school district.

We always bought GM, but the cars were a piece of crap. I was the first defector in the family....I bought a Honda and drove it 13 years and 180,000 miles with the most expensive repair being $400. (since then, my mother has purchased nothing but Hondas and it's been 20+ years) I have since driven Mercedes (3 of them), BMW (piece of shit) and a Nissan.

Since I now have a Ford factory supporting the tax base where I now live, I wanted to buy a Ford. But, it was too much of a hassle at the dealership. You buy the base model and need to tack on a bazillion extras to roll out with a sticker nearly double what you were expecting. I ended up with a Ford-owned Land Rover. The biggest problems that I have had in the first 8 months were the staff at the dealership that couldn't hook up an XM Radio if their life depeneded on it.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have left the Ford tax-support at the curb and would go back to Mercedes

[nate2512]

I've had no problems with Ford. I just recently hit 18,000 miles and only one minor problem that it was shipped with but I haven't the time to have it fixed.

[cheerfulgreek]

I guess I'm a traitor too. A few months ago I traded my old car in for a Mini Cooper. I love it.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

If I had to do it all over again, I would have left the Ford tax-support at the curb and would go back to Mercedes

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Being born and raised in Detroit I always thought I would buy only American cars, but since most American cars are built in Canada or Mexico, does it really matter?

Not to me. How can it be un-American when you're doing that most American of things -- letting the capitalist system work by buying what, for you, is the better product.

But what do I know -- I've got a Ford and a Jeep (both of which have done quite well). I've had VWs though, and really liked them.

[AGDee]

GM paid our mortgage, bought my clothes, put the food on the table, paid my sorority dues and partially paid for my degree so I'm pretty loyal. But, I can honestly say that I've had many GM cars, always drove them to at least 150,000 miles with few or no problems. Shoot, my last Cavalier had the titanium spark plugs that I NEVER replaced and I didn't have to replace my brakes until I had 75K on the car. I was impressed. Although many foreign cars are made here now (or have formed alliances with US car companies like the Mazda/Ford deal), ultimately, when you buy foreign, your money is still ending up overseas. I hear people brag about their foreign cars but I've had the same good luck with GM cars. And, I'm not the best about making sure I do regular maintenance (like oil changes) and I drive my cars hard with a long commute to work. My dad told me, the last time I bought a car, that I didn't have to buy GM, but I did anyway. I probably always will. It does help that I get the GMS plan so the prices really can't be beat for me.

OTW: The Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe are pretty much the exact same car as they are both a GM/Toyota affiliated model.

[jojapeach]

After years of being let down by Chevys, my family turned into a Honda family in 1998. We all have had a Honda at some point, and someone always will.

I have had my '96 Accord since 2000, and the most major thing that's happened is the O2 sensor. Therefore, nothing major, and the car has been reliable as long as I've maintained the little things. She's at 202K miles, and she's gonna ride for a long time...or at least until some kid in the family is dying for their own car sometime around 2016.

Traitor? Nah. Just know a good value of a good automobile. Plus, I can change my own oil literally.

[PM_Mama00]

I think "being a traitor" when you live near Detroit has a different meaning. By buying from the Big 3, we're supporting a large majority of our friends' and families' jobs. Everyone I know gets some kind of employee plan from one of the 3. Personally, I would feel guilty buying foreign, but that's just me. I'm not gona get on someone because they bought foreign.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

I think "being a traitor" when you live near Detroit has a different meaning. By buying from the Big 3, we're supporting a large majority of our friends' and families' jobs. Everyone I know gets some kind of employee plan from one of the 3. Personally, I would feel guilty buying foreign, but that's just me. I'm not gona get on someone because they bought foreign.

I agree. That's why I got on Pika... The others, I read them and thought "yeah, but you're not in Detroit so it doesn't count"

[BuckeyeTriDelta]

My Pontiac was built with all US parts right here in Ohio. That was a big reason why I bought it; I was supporting works in my own state. Since then, I have had to have Fuel injector #4 replaced and my wiper motor replaced this was all before 32,500 which is where I am at now.
I'm not opposed to buying "foreign," I just got the best deal money wise from a US automaker. Both my mother and father drive Mercedes and my fiancé drives a Honda, but between my sister and BIL we actually equal out US and foreign cars (they also drive Pontiacs).

[AOII_LB93]

My first car was an '84 Honda Civic hatchback..when I got it it had 104K(in 1992) on it, when I sold it it had 200K(in '99). The only problem I ever had was replacing the clutch once. In '99 I got the Civic EX. I've got 135K on it now, and will drive it until I need a new car. Never had one problem with it. I love my hondas, too bad the new ones just aren't nice looking.

My husband has driven American(Chevy El Camino, and 2 Ford Exploders- yeah yeah, Explorer, but whatever) until his most recent car, a Toyota 4-Runner LTD. I asked him if he would ever buy another American car and he said "No way, German or Japanese engineering from here on out."

My mom also has had ridiculous problems with every American car she has owned (Chevy Citation, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, Ford T-bird, Pontiac whatever it is). The only car she ever truly enjoyed and had few problems with was her BMW. She liked her Toyota a ton too...she's had it with American cars.

[PeppyGPhiB]

I bought my '99 Honda Civic new in Dec. 1998 and will be celebrating its 10th birthday this year. It's finally coming up on 100,000 miles and it drives almost like it's brand new. AND even the exterior and interior are in practically the same condition as when I bought it, despite the car spending almost two years in sea-salty Malibu and plenty more uncovered in rainy/blustery/sunny/snowy Seattle. The only work I've had to have done on it is routine maintenence, other than the exhaust manifold cracking at around 65k miles which the dealership covered under the standard warranty! The back brakes still have 60% left on them, and I just replaced the timing belt at 96k miles just because I didn't want to chance it. I will drive that car until it no longer drives, which will likely be another 100k miles. I always took it to the dealership up until the 80k miles mark, because I knew various systems were covered under the Honda warranty up to that point.

By contrast, my boyfriend, who grew up in Michigan, interned at Ford, and got his engineering degree from U. of M., drives a '99 Ford Mustang, which he bought because he had a sentimental attachment to it (it was the first car he ever learned to repair). Though our cars are the same age, you would never know it. His dashboard is coming loose, his driver seat came off the tracks a while ago, and now the knob that controls the back of his seat broke, so his seat reclines flat unpredictably. And it's had all kinds of mechanical problems. It is a pathetic excuse for a vehicle, and it costs a fortune to have the shop do work on it because of how poorly everything is laid out under the hood. He marvels at how clever Honda's engineering is. He is deciding now on whether to buy a Honda or Toyota and has decided he will never again buy an American car, even though he grew up in GM's/Ford's backyard. His first car was a Toyota, but he wanted to give Ford a chance, and they blew it.

We stopped at a Honda dealership the other day because we wanted to check out the new Accord and Pilot, and I looked up where the Pilot was made - 100% assembled in ALABAMA. The salesman told us that almost all Hondas sold in the U.S. now are majority assembled in the U.S.