My first car was an American car - Democratic Underground

orangecoloredapple

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Sat Aug-16-03 02:32 AM
Original message

My first car was an American car

and I bought it because it was American - but it was crap.
Since then, I've bought only foreign cars.

What American car today is worth buying - dependability and gas mileage?

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cprise

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Sat Aug-16-03 02:40 AM
Response to Original message

1. I had a 91 Plymouth Sundance

Edited on Sat Aug-16-03 02:40 AM by cprise

..same as a Dodge Shadow, and it only broke down once in over 5 years. That was a good car! I heard it was designed by Mitsubishi for Dodge.

I drive a 2001 VW Golf TDI now, my favorite car so far.

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orangecoloredapple

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Sat Aug-16-03 02:42 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Japanese

damn them. and the VW won't be as good as it's touted to be. I work with two people that own BMW's, and they have had to work on them almost constantly while my little korean car runs circles around them.

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orangecoloredapple

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Sat Aug-16-03 02:45 AM
Response to Reply #1

4. Obviously, Honda will also have the best resell value

so it pays to buy a Honda.

don't fall for the American dealers telling you that you are getting 1500 dollars cash back. When you try to sell it, it has depreciated so much that it might as well be junk.

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sujan

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Sat Aug-16-03 03:29 AM
Response to Reply #4

8. you forgot toyota

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Swalker24

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Sat Aug-16-03 04:30 AM
Response to Reply #1

10. And I have a 1989 Dodge Shadow

that I bought last August. First all the hoses for the cooling system had to be replaced, it was a old car and I expected to put some work into it. Then in October the head gasket went, this wasn't expected, and I wasn't happy. Then in March the starter went, so I had to replace it. After that in April the car started cutting out, so I had it checked out and the volatge regulator was shot, and the computer was fried so I had that replaced. Not even a week after I got the car back the damn thing started cutting out, in a different manner then before, so I called it quits, parked the damn thing then went and bought a new car.

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leftofthedial

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Sat Aug-16-03 02:44 AM
Response to Original message

3. I like Saturns

Have had four of them and all but one (A discontinued model) has been reliable, decent mileage, well-designed . . .

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orangecoloredapple

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Sat Aug-16-03 02:46 AM
Response to Reply #3

5. Saturns are really toyotas, aren't they?

good cars.

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leftofthedial

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Sat Aug-16-03 02:49 AM
Response to Reply #5

6. the company was originally autonomous

but funded by GM to be a US "Honda killer"

They really tried to match the quality and reliability of Hondas.

Since, GM has moved Saturn more closely "into the fold."

They are pretty comparable to Toyotas I think.

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FireHeart

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Sat Aug-16-03 03:30 AM
Response to Reply #3

9. We have two Saturns

and found them to be very reliable. My daughter's car has about 80,000 miles on it and the only thing we have needed to do was a brake job (and normal maintanence, of course) and a lock replacement.

Very good cars.

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Dulcinea

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Sat Aug-16-03 05:16 AM
Response to Reply #3

12. Another vote for Saturn

I was happy with mine. I only traded it in (for the full Kelley Blue Book value!) because I needed a bigger vehicle & they didn't make them back then. Economical & they seem to hold their value well.

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SmileyBoy

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Sat Aug-16-03 03:26 AM
Response to Original message

7. Plymouth Dusters in the late-70's to early-80's were the shiznit.

My folks had one (1978 model) in the early-80's. They bought it used for dirt-cheap, and she worked like a dream. I heard that Chrysler Co. took them off the line after they noticed that they were building the car so good, people were keeping them for years and years on end with only routine maintenance. That's when Chrysler and other American companies started going the route of planned obsolesence.

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Droopy

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Sat Aug-16-03 04:59 AM
Response to Original message

11. I drive an '89 Isuzu p/u

It still runs good. I've had to do a few minor repairs but nothing major. I've had it for 7 years and it hasn't left me stranded on the side of the road, yet. (Knocking on wood). I've owned several cars, domestic and foreign, and this little Isuzu is the best one.

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mrbill

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Sat Aug-16-03 05:42 AM
Response to Original message

13. my first car was a 1949 ford flathead.

Uncle George bought a lottery ticket from a high school spirit club for a quarter and won a car painted like a tiger. Tiger stripes, a face on the front grill and a tail from the gas tank.

He was an Oldmobile type guy and sold it to me for 25-cents.

The neighbors weren't sure how to deal with this car.

A few months later upgraded my image and bought a 1962 austin healy sprite with the proceeds from the summer night job at the golf course.

After that the "tiger car" only came out on special occuasions.

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izzie

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Sat Aug-16-03 06:56 AM
Response to Original message

14. If your my age, 68, that is really a funny statement.

When I grew up every one is the world wanted an American car but I guess the King and Queen of England who drove around in Bentley and Rools. But why would any one buy something not Am even now? I drove my last car 326,000 miles with just 2000 dollars in repairs and that was the aircon. and I am working on 100,000 on this one and only had one large repair bill at about 200 dollars. This is a much cheaper car but so be it. I guess from habit I will stay with as much Am as I can.

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harper

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Sat Aug-16-03 07:13 AM
Response to Original message

15. Ha! My first and only American car was a Vega

That's right folks...a 1976 Chevy Vega. My uncle sold cars and got me a deal. After that debacle it was Japanese all the way. Currently I have a 2003 Toyota Corolla that I love.

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Walter_Bowman

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Sat Aug-16-03 07:24 AM
Response to Original message

16. Gas mileage doesn't matter to me a lot

If I could afford a car, I'd buy an M240 Storm or an H1

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