OT: I need a new car. Help me out... foreign or domestic?

[Saint John]

I'm the grandson of a Pearl Harbor veteran. My grandfather would roll out of his grave and put his size 15 shoe up my ass if I ever bought a Japanese car...but he has nothing to worry about.

[Enigma869]

Police departments drive fords or chevys , and who drives at a higher rate of speed than them?? I don't agree that they don't have safety standards just because they are American cars. Do you have actual statisitics on all of these American cars on the roads causing all of these deaths and injuries?

A couple of points. First and foremost, I'm a bit of a Crown Vic expert. I used to be a police officer and have owned at least 6 Crown Vics over the years. They have ALWAYS been one of the safest cars on the road, PERIOD! I can't remember the last time a Crown Vic didn't rate 5 stars in the Insurance Institute's Crash Test. The car is a freakin' tank and as long as it isn't hit by a Hummer or a semi, it will hold up as well as anything on the road! As for what most police departments are driving these days, there has been a shift to the Dodge Charger, because Ford no longer makes the Crown Vic. As far as Chevrolet goes, a Corvette is probably the only model I'd ever buy. I think the rest of their lineup is pure junk and has been for many, many years!

[Behshad]

Police departments drive fords or chevys , and who drives at a higher rate of speed than them?? I don't agree that they don't have safety standards just because they are American cars. Do you have actual statisitics on all of these American cars on the roads causing all of these deaths and injuries?

A couple of points. First and foremost, I'm a bit of a Crown Vic expert. I used to be a police officer and have owned at least 6 Crown Vics over the years. They have ALWAYS been one of the safest cars on the road, PERIOD! I can't remember the last time a Crown Vic didn't rate 5 stars in the Insurance Institute's Crash Test. The car is a freakin' tank and as long as it isn't hit by a Hummer or a semi, it will hold up as well as anything on the road! As for what most police departments are driving these days, there has been a shift to the Dodge Charger, because Ford no longer makes the Crown Vic. As far as Chevrolet goes, a Corvette is probably the only model I'd ever buy. I think the rest of their lineup is pure junk and has been for many, many years!

I can hook you up with a 2008 or 2009 Crown Vic , whenever youre ready . They still make them, bro. They dont make the Mercury version for 09 (the Grand Marquis)

[strangegrey]

The only problem if they shed their pension obligations is that would fall to the PBGC. Although that is not taxpayer funded, if they have to take GM or all Big 3 pensions, they may eventually need additional revenue to fund that i.e. taxpayer money. Good for them, bad for us.

Thats not entirely true. renegotiating the pension obligations is a possibility as well...and I think that would more likely happen. The auto companies were ill-accounting for rediculous pension obligations since the 70s. They were forced to account for them in better ways in the mid-90s...the only reason why american car industry didnt crumble under the resulting pain from having to account for PO's back then...was the surging Sloppy Oversized Vehicle market.

Once the bottom fell out from that, they were fucked.

By feeding money into an industry that's been fucked for 30 years + is assinine. They dont deserve this bailout and shouldn't get it. Corporate contraction is a necessary part of life...

[Melissa]

Police departments drive fords or chevys , and who drives at a higher rate of speed than them?? I don't agree that they don't have safety standards just because they are American cars. Do you have actual statisitics on all of these American cars on the roads causing all of these deaths and injuries?

A couple of points. First and foremost, I'm a bit of a Crown Vic expert. I used to be a police officer and have owned at least 6 Crown Vics over the years. They have ALWAYS been one of the safest cars on the road, PERIOD! I can't remember the last time a Crown Vic didn't rate 5 stars in the Insurance Institute's Crash Test. The car is a freakin' tank and as long as it isn't hit by a Hummer or a semi, it will hold up as well as anything on the road! As for what most police departments are driving these days, there has been a shift to the Dodge Charger, because Ford no longer makes the Crown Vic. As far as Chevrolet goes, a Corvette is probably the only model I'd ever buy. I think the rest of their lineup is pure junk and has been for many, many years!

The dept my husband works for is moving to Impalas now too, and my husband HATES the one he drives now, plus it's a huge pile of crap too, lol, esp. the electronics, it can't handle all the stuff a patrol car has to have, his has gone down several times. He'd much rather have a Crown Vic. again.

[StevePerryHair]

I'm the grandson of a Pearl Harbor veteran. My grandfather would roll out of his grave and put his size 15 shoe up my ass if I ever bought a Japanese car...but he has nothing to worry about.

He wore a size 15 shoe

[Saint John]

I'm the grandson of a Pearl Harbor veteran. My grandfather would roll out of his grave and put his size 15 shoe up my ass if I ever bought a Japanese car...but he has nothing to worry about.

He wore a size 15 shoe

He was a giant next to me when her was in his 70's and I'm 6'3 and 230 pounds.

[StevePerryHair]

Police departments drive fords or chevys , and who drives at a higher rate of speed than them?? I don't agree that they don't have safety standards just because they are American cars. Do you have actual statisitics on all of these American cars on the roads causing all of these deaths and injuries?

A couple of points. First and foremost, I'm a bit of a Crown Vic expert. I used to be a police officer and have owned at least 6 Crown Vics over the years. They have ALWAYS been one of the safest cars on the road, PERIOD! I can't remember the last time a Crown Vic didn't rate 5 stars in the Insurance Institute's Crash Test. The car is a freakin' tank and as long as it isn't hit by a Hummer or a semi, it will hold up as well as anything on the road! As for what most police departments are driving these days, there has been a shift to the Dodge Charger, because Ford no longer makes the Crown Vic. As far as Chevrolet goes, a Corvette is probably the only model I'd ever buy. I think the rest of their lineup is pure junk and has been for many, many years!

The dept my husband works for is moving to Impalas now too, and my husband HATES the one he drives now, plus it's a huge pile of crap too, lol, esp. the electronics, it can't handle all the stuff a patrol car has to have, his has gone down several times. He'd much rather have a Crown Vic. again.

Yes, Mike says the Fords are great and he loves them. BUT, they are now buying their used Ford police cars from a neighboring agency, can't remember who. That police dept. only wants them one year now and then they sell them to another dept. and our dept has been buying them. Mike just got issued one of those now, with his schedule change, and he loves being back in the Crown Vic. I have a feeling the dept will start getting rid of the Impalas. They are too small.

[StevePerryHair]

I'm the grandson of a Pearl Harbor veteran. My grandfather would roll out of his grave and put his size 15 shoe up my ass if I ever bought a Japanese car...but he has nothing to worry about.

He wore a size 15 shoe

He was a giant next to me when her was in his 70's and I'm 6'3 and 230 pounds.

Wow!!!! What size shoe do you wear Dan??

[Saint John]

I'm the grandson of a Pearl Harbor veteran. My grandfather would roll out of his grave and put his size 15 shoe up my ass if I ever bought a Japanese car...but he has nothing to worry about.

He wore a size 15 shoe

He was a giant next to me when her was in his 70's and I'm 6'3 and 230 pounds.

Wow!!!! What size shoe do you wear Dan??

13

[Rhiannon]

(I hate ALL Jeeps)

How'd I miss this? You just like everything good and pure about the world?

Storytime: I started learning how to drive when I was about 9 or 10 (I was 5'2, could reach the pedals.) and my Daddy owned two old Jeeps, one he'd take hunting and fishing and the other was his actual vehicle. The first was a '74 CJ-7, and I can't remember if it was 3 in the column or 4 in the floor... and the other was an '89 Wrangler 5-Speed. At first he'd take me up on the top of Buck Mtn in Grayson Co., VA and put it in double low and make me drive up and down the mountain... which was scary until I got a feel for the clutch. Anyhow, b/c of that I LOVE Jeeps... and will til the day I die. I've owned Jeeps and as long as they're not automatics (Jeep auto trannies suck)... they'll run like the wind.

Back a few years ago, Alan Jackson put out a song called drive, and the last verse pretty much sums up all that nostalgia for me:

"It was just an old worn out Jeep
Rusty old floorboard, hot on my feet
A young girl two hands on the wheel
I can't replace the way it made me feel
And he'd say, "turn it left and steer it right,
Straighten up girl, you're doing just fine"
Just a little valley by the river where we'd ride
But I was high on a mountain
When daddy let me drive"

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

What does he do?

he has a commercial janitorial service--banks, office, mini malls, etc. and the one of the only green certified cleaning companies in our state.

my daughter is an auditor with a big 4 accounting firm. their child is my granddaughter.

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

Probably sells MKM Products. (MaryKay for Men),,,,or as SteveW would say Mary Gay Ass {if you know what I mean}

get the brand right if you're gonna prop me!

It's MKMen.

I have beautiful gift baskets for Christmas--100% guaranteed for you in case you are a dork and pick out something she hates. free shipping. (shameless plug)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<ducking>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Ehwmatt]

All the American cars in my family have driven anywhere from good to outstanding. That's not the problem. The problem is when you have a Bonneville that needs $3k pumped into it just to keep the damn "Service Engine Light" off just so the damn car can pass an e-check - even when 2 dealers and 2 repair shops couldn't find a DAMN thing wrong with the car other than the computer liked to turn that fuckin light on. Add the 3 other cars that haven't lasted past 80k miles, you start thinking an American car is a shitty investment.

I think the reliability factor has gotten MUCH better in the last several years from what I've seen, but for too long they pumped out shit cars and they're reaping what they sowed.

[Behshad]

All the American cars in my family have driven anywhere from good to outstanding. That's not the problem. The problem is when you have a Bonneville that needs $3k pumped into it just to keep the damn "Service Engine Light" off just so the damn car can pass an e-check - even when 2 dealers and 2 repair shops couldn't find a DAMN thing wrong with the car other than the computer liked to turn that fuckin light on. Add the 3 other cars that haven't lasted past 80k miles, you start thinking an American car is a shitty investment.

I think the reliability factor has gotten MUCH better in the last several years from what I've seen, but for too long they pumped out shit cars and they're reaping what they sowed.

$3000?????
I have a much cheaper solution, man. Take out the YELLOW light bulb behind the "servcie engine soon" .

[Tito]

What does he do?

he has a commercial janitorial service--banks, office, mini malls, etc. and the one of the only green certified cleaning companies in our state.

ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Don]

What does he do?

he has a commercial janitorial service--banks, office, mini malls, etc. and they are one of the only green-card certified cleaning companies in our state.

ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!!!!!!!!!

They're legal, Tito. Reread it.

[Gordon from Edinburgh]

I am getting ready to turn in my Cadillac Escalade after paying the last lease payment. I need to get into a new vehicle by December 11 when I drop off the Escalade. Things have slowed down for my business a little, so I am not going the Escalade route again. I have been looking at a Chrysler Aspen or a Dodge Durango, but with the fate of the Big 3 in limbo right now, I'm wondering if I would be better off buying a Nissan, Toyota, or Honda. I mean, how do I know the U.S. companies will even be around to service my vehicle? I'm sure I am not the only one who is waiting on a vehicle purchase to see if the U.S. automakers go bankrupt. This is probably hurting their sales even more.

What would you do?

Buy a Mercedes - best move i ever made.

[Ehwmatt]

All the American cars in my family have driven anywhere from good to outstanding. That's not the problem. The problem is when you have a Bonneville that needs $3k pumped into it just to keep the damn "Service Engine Light" off just so the damn car can pass an e-check - even when 2 dealers and 2 repair shops couldn't find a DAMN thing wrong with the car other than the computer liked to turn that fuckin light on. Add the 3 other cars that haven't lasted past 80k miles, you start thinking an American car is a shitty investment.

I think the reliability factor has gotten MUCH better in the last several years from what I've seen, but for too long they pumped out shit cars and they're reaping what they sowed.

$3000?????
I have a much cheaper solution, man. Take out the YELLOW light bulb behind the "servcie engine soon" .

And then not know when the damn thing's about to "blow up?" No thanks. $3k wasn't just for the light, I was misleading, it was all the little things that kept going wrong with the car post-65k or so. Took damn good care of that thing too, regular oil changes, didn't drive it excessively hard, blah. FWIW, kept the car til the transmission was close to going and got a hell of a good trade towards buying my next car. I miss driving the thing.

[Behshad]

All the American cars in my family have driven anywhere from good to outstanding. That's not the problem. The problem is when you have a Bonneville that needs $3k pumped into it just to keep the damn "Service Engine Light" off just so the damn car can pass an e-check - even when 2 dealers and 2 repair shops couldn't find a DAMN thing wrong with the car other than the computer liked to turn that fuckin light on. Add the 3 other cars that haven't lasted past 80k miles, you start thinking an American car is a shitty investment.

I think the reliability factor has gotten MUCH better in the last several years from what I've seen, but for too long they pumped out shit cars and they're reaping what they sowed.

$3000?????
I have a much cheaper solution, man. Take out the YELLOW light bulb behind the "servcie engine soon" .

And then not know when the damn thing's about to "blow up?" No thanks. $3k wasn't just for the light, I was misleading, it was all the little things that kept going wrong with the car post-65k or so. Took damn good care of that thing too, regular oil changes, didn't drive it excessively hard, blah. FWIW, kept the car til the transmission was close to going and got a hell of a good trade towards buying my next car. I miss driving the thing.

Its called sarcasm. You should look into it sometimes.

[Ehwmatt]

Its called sarcasm. You should look into it sometimes.

No, really?

I still felt like clarifying

[Enigma869]

Buy a Mercedes - best move i ever made.

In my opinion, Mercedes has the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye vehicles of all manufacturers. Their syling is SUPERB! That said, they simply don't compare to Lexus, or even BMW when it comes to reliability. They consistently rank at the very bottom (usually only Land Rover is worse) of all automobile industry reliability lists. I personally owned a 2004 ML500 that was such a hunk of shit, that Mercedes had to buy it back from me! I think BMW makes a nice car, but the fact that every single one of their models looks the same from the front and back has always annoyed me. The only way to tell the difference between a 3 series, 5 series, or 7 series is to look at it from the side, which is simply goofy!

[Enigma869]

I'm 6'3 and 230 pounds.

I think I weighed 230lbs as a fetus

[Melissa]

Probably sells MKM Products. (MaryKay for Men),,,,or as SteveW would say Mary Gay Ass {if you know what I mean}

get the brand right if you're gonna prop me!

It's MKMen.

I have beautiful gift baskets for Christmas--100% guaranteed for you in case you are a dork and pick out something she hates. free shipping. (shameless plug)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<ducking>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

MK rocks The sparkly lip glosses are awesome stocking stuffers I LOVE my MK lipsticks and lip glosses...and hubby says they taste good too lol.

[Melissa]

Oh I forgot to mention that ONE of our domestic cars was actually awesome, but only that one, lol. The rest we had horrible, horrible luck with. But the best was a Jeep Cherokee we had for over 10 years, ran great with just a few minor problems here and there over that time, as opposed to the major problems others we owned had in much shorter amounts of time and much less mileage.

[Enigma869]

Boy, has Hyundai come a LONG way. This car is getting VERY good reviews. From what I've read, it gives the 5 series BMW a run for it's money and has far more luxury items.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Tru ... 240%3A1318

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

Probably sells MKM Products. (MaryKay for Men),,,,or as SteveW would say Mary Gay Ass {if you know what I mean}

get the brand right if you're gonna prop me!

It's MKMen.

I have beautiful gift baskets for Christmas--100% guaranteed for you in case you are a dork and pick out something she hates. free shipping. (shameless plug)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<ducking>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

MK rocks The sparkly lip glosses are awesome stocking stuffers I LOVE my MK lipsticks and lip glosses...and hubby says they taste good too lol.

fragrance free but with a subtle vanilla flavor. oops. marketing schutt. pardon. hehehe (thanks)

[stevew2]

Boy, has Hyundai come a LONG way. This car is getting VERY good reviews. From what I've read, it gives the 5 series BMW a run for it's money and has far more luxury items.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Tru ... 240%3A1318

I bought a Sonata for $12,000, with 30k. its the nicest car. I ve ever owned,they make the fuckers here,in kentucky of all places. A new malibu cost 25,000 to 27,000. Why would somebody[other then Tito buy such a heap at that price?. No wonder the big three are takin a big heave

[Ratgirl]

Boy, has Hyundai come a LONG way. This car is getting VERY good reviews. From what I've read, it gives the 5 series BMW a run for it's money and has far more luxury items.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Tru ... 240%3A1318

Hyundai builds decent cars, it's too bad their service department isn't worth shit.

[Saint John]

I'm 6'3 and 230 pounds.

I think I weighed 230lbs as a fetus

lol...how much do you weigh now???