[Shotimes] Foreign vs. Domestic (was: Who the Hell Knows)

[Jonathon Beisler]

I'm sure no one wants to here my .02 cents, but I'm gonna spout off anyway....
I will never buy another American "made" product unless maybe I buy a Ford truck.  The quality, dependability and resale value of American name brand products is just plain freaking scary.  And I speak with experience.  I owned a Ford Ranger, didn't have any problems with it but a year after I got it, it was worth less than half what I paid for it.  I took a bath on it when my financial situation changed.  :(  At the same time, I had an Acura TL 3.2 with Navigation.  I bought it in 2000, kept it through last year, put 50,000 miles on it and I swear, if you covered up the odo, you would have thought it just came off the lot and I covered the loan when I had to sell it.  My Ranger had squeaks three months into my ownership, but I wasn't expecting much as it was a truck.  The TL has no problems and Acura sent out a letter stating that they had had above normal problems with the 5 sp. auto tranny so they extended the drive train warranty to 100,000, doubling the regular warranty.  Anyone who had paid to fix their tranny was compensated.  I've never seen any American brand own up to that kind of responsibility (cams anyone?).  The Civic that I traded in on the truck had over 60,000 miles on it.  I replaced a O2 sensor on it.  I think it went ten thousand miles on one oil change when my wife was driving it.  Because of it's lack of power, I redline shifted that thing out of first 9 times outta 10.  It never complained.  I never worried about it starting.  Before that, I had a Saab.  200,000 miles on it.  Replaced the turbo at 120 ish.  The fuel filter, plugs, and wires were original at 140,000 miles when I finally changed them.  Never worried about it starting or getting me where I needed to go.  Brake job all around cost 80 bucks.  It was an 87, before that I had an 86 that I rolled six and a half times and walked away from.  Sadly, I'll never buy another Saab because it's a GM car with a GM motor now.  My brother has a 2002 Trailblazer.  A month after he got it, it was in the shop for a month! with computer problems and the dealer couldn't fix it.  My neighbor has a Grand AM, pure POS, seats don't work, AC buttons break, the radio can't pick up a 100,000 watt radio channel ten miles from our house.  I could go on and on and on.
As to jobs and money, those profits that all these "foreign" manufacturers "drain" from this county?  Not long ago, Mercedes was contemplating building a 700 million dollar complex here in Jacksonville to build vans.  That would have meant American jobs not only at the factory but also to build it.  Were are talking 700 million dollars into America by foreign investors.  It would have meant 1500 jobs for Jacksonville.  And in this economy!  They got a better deal in Georgia, I think, but it's America!  Not Mexico or Canada were a lot of Big 3 products come from thanks to NAFTA and cheap labor.
I only bought the SHO because of it's motor and because I needed a car that I could afford as my fortunes have changed.  I love it.  I love the thrust and engine sounds.  I turn up the radio to drown out the rattles and squeaks, clunks and groans and wind noise coming from the sun roof.  If this car was to croak would I buy another SHO?  Probably if I could find one decent enough, but it sure as hell wouldn't be because of the body.  As you all know, it would be because of that Yamaha heart beating under the hood.
I'm truly sorry for this rant, but the big 3 are dead if they don't fix themselves.  Honda Pilot's are selling for three grand over sticker here because everyone wants one.  Ford has nine thousand dollar rebates on some of its Exploders!  Steve T, look at the Acura MDX if you are looking at the Pilot.  Honda says the Pilot's bigger but it isn't.  They have the same interior room and with the mark up's I can get an MDX for less than a Pilot.  The only thing the Honda has is a third seat belt on the back row but it's the same size otherwise.
Let the expletives fly!
JB