BS: How good/bad is your car?

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 02:27 PM

Interesting so far - car ownership of imports seems somewhat high amongst folkies it appears , and we like to drive our cars for many years with lots of mileage. ( Maybe not a good marketing sign for the Big 3 )mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: kendall
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 01:51 PM

I've had everything from a 1928 Dodge to a couple of Cadillacs and even two Mercedes Benz. Right now we are driving a 2001 Hyundai, and I have to say I find no fault with this car. 32 mpg, snappy, and well worth the price which is much lower than a Toyota.

We also have a 1997 Chevrolet pick up that is like driving my recliner. Only one serious problem so far; the fuel pump. It's inside the tank and when it went to hell it cost me $700.00 to fix.

I'm hoping that Detroit will be forced to learn how to build quality cars as they did way back when.This antique Chevy we have is a good example of what they used to build. Solid and comfortable.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 01:46 PM

2, 7, and 9 series Volvos (redblock, ie 4 cylinder). Change the cambelts, change the oil, clean the oilbreather, they go for ever. Turbo 2.3 litres and the twincams go fast for ever! Estates - for the man who has everything, and wants to take it with him!. But thirsty. Best I ever get is 25 to the UK gallon. I have a lead right foot.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 01:35 PM

My ancient Nissan Micra is wonderful. Very fuel efficient 50mpg and so far no major costs beyond the odd tyre and minor repairs.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Ed T
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 01:08 PM

1999 Toyota Solara, an excellent car all around...150 k
1999 Subaru Legacy, same as above...226 k, (like a snow mobile in snow)
2002 Acura (Honda) RSX, (130 k)m good, but not up to the standards of those above.

I gave my daughter my 1990 Toyota Celica in 2000, with 150k on it. Mechanically it is still fine at 236k....and was driven every winter on salty roads since 90.

My neighbour has a 1994 Toyota Celica with 590 K on it, did only regular maintaince on it... and it still works and looks fine.

Caution, Japanese cars can be good, but you have to rust proof them every year....unless you live in really warm/dry environments.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 01:05 PM

Quality varies so much by model year that we can no longer "buy with brand loyalty." Today's biz environment has removed the reasonableness of brand loyalty in favor of the big-box marketing approach.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 01:01 PM

Hard to tell. My 1991 Honda Civic Si is just about broken in (189,000 miles) and my new (1994) Mazda Miata is positively virginal at 87,000. I'll let you know when something breaks.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: number 6
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 11:46 AM

Currently I have a Subaru Forester .... Love these cars, for their quality, practiblilty, and reliability.

This is my 3rd after previously owning a Subaru Outback, and another Forester.

Great cars ... remind me of the old Volvo 240's.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 11:40 AM

After years of adequate but uninspiring Saturn wagons, I defected three years ago tomorrow (happy early anniversary, honey!) to a Mini Cooper. It's one of the newer BMW Coopers; I haven't time or money for the required maintenance on a classic British car, and having had a Triumph 2000 years ago I speak with some authority on that subject.

But anyway,how I love my car! I haven't regretted it for a moment. To get to work, I have to cross a mountain range on a highway that's notorious for its accident levels, and I've never felt safer than in my Mini. It really grabs the road. Plus, the mileage is great, and with the included maintenance, we felt that the price was quite reasonable.

And while it's small, my son and I found room to take a 2-week car-camping road trip to Montana in it a couple of years ago. We were packed to the rafters, but that was part of the fun.

Claire

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: ranger1
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 11:22 AM

Charmion, haven't had the chance to put them on yet. Kind of like the guy with the leaky roof, you know?

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: GUEST, heric
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 11:14 AM

My Accord is perfection in engineering and artistry.

Bought it new in 1988. Twenty years this month and 247K. Maintenance costs next to nothing. Paint is still deep shine black. I want to be buried in it.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Charmion
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 11:08 AM

Without snow tires, Tammy? In Maine? Are you nuts? Or just very, very daring?

I'm a Volkswagen lover. I like the design, fit and finish; I know what to expect from them; and they come with Diesel engines. I really, really like Diesel cars -- as long as you keep the body in good shape the engine just keeps going and going and going. Also, I like passing fuel stations.

I've had only one VW lemon: a 1980 Rabbit that suffered from mysterious water leaks that tended to soak the fusebox. I drove a 1986 "classic Diesel" Golf for 17 years, and sold it to a guy trading up from a 1982 Rabbit that his wife wouldn't get into any more.

We now have two cars. Number 1, Indigo Jones, is a 2003 Jetta TDI station wagon (yes, a Granddad car) that comfortably hauls us and all our stuff -- including any God's quantity of instruments -- wherever we want to go, with a range of more than 1,100 km on one 50-litre tank of fuel on all-season radial tires. Number 2, Eric the Red, is Edmund's new 2009 "clean Diesel" Jetta sedan, which has yet to make a long trip but has already proved itself an excellent winter-handling car despite its silly special windscreen wipers.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Becca72
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 11:02 AM

Currently driving a 2002 VW Passat and it's the best car ever! 130K miles and nothing major wrong with her. It's comfortable, rides like a dream and has a ton of features. I bought it from the original owner about 3 years ago and I hope it lasts forever. The only drawback is when things to break it's more expensive to repair, but it's worth it! I'd like to shake the hand of the man who invented heated seats, too!!

My previous vehicle was a 1998 Jeep Cherokee. I got rid of it when, at 200K miles, things started to go. Exhaust system was rattling and such. If I'd been willing to put the time and money in she probably would have gone another 100K miles.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: ranger1
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 10:51 AM

I have a 1999 Subaru Outback station wagon and I love it! I bought it used from my boss a couple of months ago and it already has allowed me to drive in road conditions that I never would have dared with my Chevy S-10 pick-up. And this is without the snow tires!

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 10:47 AM

We had a Ford Escort Estate on which the electrics would go with monotonous regularity.

We now have a Toyota Yaris (the tall, estate model, you know, a Grandad car!) in cherry red and it's lovely. So far, had it about 20 months and it's not had a mechanical thing wrong with it.

Even the stereo is fantastic. My only complaint, no sun roof, but hey, with electric windows, air con and a great stereo, who needs one?!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 10:28 AM

2000 Ford Winstar with no problems. Have always had good luck with Fords and for some reason I sit more comfortably in them.

Worst nightmare - a Chevy with a faulty catalytic convertor (a company car) which I finally abandoned on Queens Blvd in NYC. It was less than six months old. Damn thing would shut down - no power steering/no power brakes with no warning. Nearly got me killed.

Subject: RE: BS: How good/bad is your car?
From: Amos
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 10:15 AM

My RAV4 is perfect.

My previous car, a 2004 Toyota station wagon, ran steadily for 150K miles and had no problems except a bad case of psoriasis (the paint peeled).

I had a Chevy Cavalier before that and it stopped dead in the middle of rush hour one morning because a lousy capacitor went out on a circuit control board for the battery.

I had a wonderful big Chevy Van with a V8 engine before that, and it generally ran very well, but the carbon sensor on the throttle control got coated and it suddenly started limping and choking and going no more than 30 mph until we had the damn sensor replaced.

Before that I had a Toyota 4WD pickup truck that always ran perfectly.


A

Subject: BS: Rate it - How good/bad is your car?
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 16 Dec 08 - 10:06 AM

I've had the following cars: Ford Econoline van - Poor quality ( would never buy another Ford ), Dodge Neon - Poor quality, Chrysler Caravan - fairly good quality (although many others have chronic transmission failure problem ), Toyota Corolla - Excellent quality and reliability.