It makes no sense to buy foreign cars

[Murloc]

I don't know about the quality but all most people here buy are either european or japanese or korean.
US cars are mostly ugly (the pt cruiser and the ford ka are butt ugly even) and have a reputation for being cheap. Also the few mustangs I see must be imported by collectors because I don't think they sell them here. The american aesthetics and needs don't match with the european ones generally. For example I know americans like to ride huge boats or SUVs and don't like the rougher ride of german cars.
Ford is doing okay though, several of those arounds, and the fiesta looks like a normal car.
Chrysler and FIAT are the same thing really so it doesn't make any sense to talk domestic vs foreign about that, some models are just rebranded chryslers.
VW and Audi don't have a bad rep here, actually better than the french or italian mainstream brands I think. Most people would probably agree that japanese cars are more reliable but at the end of the story most people just buy what they know and like.

 

[Vic Vega]

I don't know about the quality but all most people here buy are either european or japanese or korean.
US cars are mostly ugly (the pt cruiser and the ford ka are butt ugly even) and have a reputation for being cheap. Also the few mustangs I see must be imported by collectors because I don't think they sell them here. The american aesthetics and needs don't match with the european ones generally. For example I know americans like to ride huge boats or SUVs and don't like the rougher ride of german cars.
Ford is doing okay though, several of those arounds, and the fiesta looks like a normal car.
Chrysler and FIAT are the same thing really so it doesn't make any sense to talk domestic vs foreign about that, some models are just rebranded chryslers.
VW and Audi don't have a bad rep here, actually better than the french or italian mainstream brands I think. Most people would probably agree that japanese cars are more reliable but at the end of the story most people just buy what they know and like.

More Mercs and BMs are sold in the States than in Europe.

The Ford Ka is a UK car, never sold in America.

PT Cruiser hasn't been made in quite some time and was a low production car to begin with.

 

[A5]

What about the high paying white collar jobs? A typical plant only employs 3000 employees.

Honda has a significant R&D operation in Ohio, for one. I don't know about the others.

 

[sdifox]

Eh, historically Japanese cars have been boring but reliable, while American cars had creative designs but had problems. Case in point: PT Cruiser.

But over the past few years I've gotten the impression that American automakers have seriously gotten their act together.

That is a creative use of the word creative. PT Cruiser was not creative...It was recycling.

 

[hans007]

It makes plenty of sense. I have never owned an American nameplate car. Most of them just aren't all that interesting from a driving dynamics point of view or aren't competitive in some way . In some segments that just aren't competitive. Hell I generally like fords but they don't make a single compelling luxury car. Not one for example. Same with Chrysler . None of them make a decent sports car either. And only ford makes a decent hatch (focus)

Last year i went car shopping and at least sat in an ATS which at least was worth maybe looking at. That was before I got basically told to leave the dealership because I wasn't going to buy today. Not to mention the interior and cue system were terrible. And its probably the most compelling american car on the market.

If I'm buying a truck I'll go American. They win that segment

 

[PhoKingGuy]

Last year i went car shopping and at least sat in an ATS which at least was worth maybe looking at. That was before I got basically told to leave the dealership because I wasn't going to buy today. Not to mention the interior and cue system were terrible. And its probably the most compelling american car on the market.

This happened to me too, I showed up with a buddy of mine at the Caddy dealer in Sarasota and got told to leave because we werent going to buy today. Sales guy didn't even want to answer our questions or let us drive anything.

I was legit interested in an ATS. Compare that to BMW that basically let me take a 335i out by myself

 

[KentState]

I guess I have the opposite opinion. There are only a few niche American cars that I would ever buy and anything else would be Japanese. For those few cars, I can overlook the common complaints, but I would never put my wife or parents in anything American if I could help it.

 

[nerp]

I wish it was. Saw a 08 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon at 35k miles was falling apart. Never once off roaded. While your generally right among the american auto mfgs they are last in perceived quality.

08? Old. That was still Daimler era.

 

[nerp]

ANyway, yeah, Chrysler has a long way to go to improve brand reputation. And people saying Chryslers from the 90s, or even 2010 are not talking about the same cars being sold today. It's a totally different company and since 2011, the cars are vastly improved and different. Give it a few years. I agree they made garbage for years. You can blame Daimler for a lot of that. But I can assure you the issues with Chrysler products will fade away over time. Today, people say Ford is "on par" with Honda, Toyota. Well, a few years ago, Ford meant Fix or Repair Daily. Not that long ago, actually.

 

[hans007]

This happened to me too, I showed up with a buddy of mine at the Caddy dealer in Sarasota and got told to leave because we werent going to buy today. Sales guy didn't even want to answer our questions or let us drive anything.

I was legit interested in an ATS. Compare that to BMW that basically let me take a 335i out by myself

I actually ended up buying a 328. The caddy dealer seriously need to learn to treat people. They will never get the 30 something crowd with the bs they are used to pulling

 

[Doppel]

On the whole foreign-owned are still higher quality (Japan vs US). The gap is closing, but what's more foreign, a Toyota built in the US or a Ford Fusion built in Canada?

I bought a Sienna recently. Looked at the Dodge competitor, but it wasn't much cheaper (if leasing it was no cheaper at all) and their quality sucks, as does resale. Wasn't interested.

I buy on price, features, and my perception of quality. To date I've never owned a domestic brand car.

 

[KentState]

I actually ended up buying a 328. The caddy dealer seriously need to learn to treat people. They will never get the 30 something crowd with the bs they are used to pulling

It really depends on dealership. The one where I got mine was awesome. Let me take a V out for an extended test drive, transported the one I wanted in for free, also gives me tickets to Road Atlanta races and so on. The BMW dealer across the road is a completely different story. The sales guy was pretty ghetto and really wasn't too helpful.

 

[JulesMaximus]

It makes plenty of sense. I have never owned an American nameplate car. Most of them just aren't all that interesting from a driving dynamics point of view or aren't competitive in some way . In some segments that just aren't competitive. Hell I generally like fords but they don't make a single compelling luxury car. Not one for example. Same with Chrysler . None of them make a decent sports car either. And only ford makes a decent hatch (focus)

Last year i went car shopping and at least sat in an ATS which at least was worth maybe looking at. That was before I got basically told to leave the dealership because I wasn't going to buy today. Not to mention the interior and cue system were terrible. And its probably the most compelling american car on the market.

If I'm buying a truck I'll go American. They win that segment

I'd probably buy a Tundra. Those are really nice trucks and good looking too. Plenty capable for me.

 

[desy]

I don't really worry about brand
I more look for features and the utility I want for the price
If i get new I'll get Japanese cause they are competively priced and good resale, if its used I'll go NA because I can get the depreciation discount
The best car I ever had for reliable Chev Corsica , worst Toyota Corona
Favorite Ford Bronco 2, least Chev Astro
Current Altima and Flex
4 Fords
3 Chevs
2 Nissans
1 Honda
1 Toyota
1 Dodge

 

[phucheneh]

I buy on price, features, and my perception of quality. To date I've never owned a domestic brand car.

Domestics can offer a good value, to be fair. Because of terrible resale.

 

[madoka]

You could hardly have chosen a worse vehicle to use as an example of something "creative."

desura comes up with a idiotic/trolling thread and just digs himself in deeper with his ignorance.

 

[Arkaign]

I'm far from being an automotive expert but I did have the luxury of driving a lot of different foreign and domestic cars over the three years I worked as a car jockey at a rental company.

In terms of the big three here's what I've taken away with.

Ford: Their current line of cars are solid and reliable as any Japanese car. Their trucks (including SUVs) on the other hand still have issues, but are improving. Most of Ford's current domestic line are in fact European cars. They just put bigger engines in them for the North American market.

GM: Their line of trucks such as the Silverado and Savana are rock solid vehicles. Virtually indestructible. Their cars however still have a lot of quality issues that date back over a decade. GM likes to use a lot of cheap material to cut costs and their cars show it. The Cruze/Cobalt/Cavalier still has that lower control arm issue apparently. Malibus never stay in tune.

Chrysler still has major quality issues across the board with their vehicles. They're unreliable and often require costly repairs. Transmissions still being the biggest problem. I'd hesitate to call them a domestic automaker anymore since Fiat SpA has majority ownership. The advantage here is that Fiat has a strong automotive pedigree to tap into, such as Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia. The Multiair is a solid engine and 500s are flying off the lot. Fiat has started to shed its "Fix it again Tony" reputation, and that will help Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep a lot. Maybe they'll start actually making cars people want to buy. They would have gone out of business ages ago if it hadn't been for the Caravan.

Japanese cars I find to be pretty consistent quality wise across the board. They're solid built with no major issues. Toyota had a bad patch a couple years ago, but the media blew it way out of proportion.

Korean car makers Kia and Hyundai have improved quality dramatically over the years. Hyundai is as good as the Japanese automakers now. Kias still have their quirks but are getting better.

For German cars, Mercedes and BMW are both solid performers. Volkswagen on the other hand has a lot of mechanical issues. It's a popular pass time for car guys to pick on VW but it's not wholly undeserved. VW and Audi are notorious for electrical problems.

I can't really comment on the French, Indian, or Chinese automakers since the don't sell in North America. Citroen and Renault seem to be doing some interesting things but I can't speak about their quality.

Yep

 

[Doppel]

Domestics can offer a good value, to be fair. Because of terrible resale.

Yeah I agree, I would buy one but just haven't seen any that did it for me yet.

If by "creative" you mean "cartoonishly overdone veneer atop a wholly uninspired chassis" then I suppose, but the PT Cruiser was never even remotely close to being a good vehicle. There was no innovation in the vehicle at all; it was empty, synthetic style. And that's not even mentioning the absolutely abysmal crash test ratings...

You could hardly have chosen a worse vehicle to use as an example of something "creative."

You're far too negative on the PT Cruiser. How many other vehicles made in this millennium had an optional wood trim? I mean that shit looks HOT.

It was touted as a big advancement (by Chrysler) back in 2000 or so when it came out because, I guess, the US had given up on station wagons and it kind of is one. I assume that's why. Honestly, it was always a sinfully ugly vehicle.

 

[phucheneh]

...station...wagon? It's a Dodge Neon.

 

[videogames101]

The pt cruiser is the worst car I have ever seen or sat in or driven.

period.

 

[KentState]

The pt cruiser is the worst car I have ever seen or sat in or driven.

period.

What's funny is that Car and Driver put it on the ten best list and Motortend gave it Car or the Year. These are the same magazines that are enamored with everything European.

 

[NutBucket]

And look, despite it being complete crap Chrysler managed to sell boatload of them. But of course, different doesn't always work. Look at the Aztec. Then again, Chrysler was also brave enough to build/sell the Prowler. I give them points for taking that risk.

 

[phucheneh]

The pt cruiser is the worst car I have ever seen or sat in or driven.

period.

...never driven a Cobalt, HHR, or Aveo?

GM's cheapest pieces of shit seem to add a certain indescribable objectionability to the general terribleness they have in common with Chrysler's. You don't just feel like you're driving a bad car- you feel like the car defecated on your mother.

 

[KentState]

...never driven a Cobalt, HHR, or Aveo?

GM's cheapest pieces of shit seem to add a certain indescribable objectionability to the general terribleness they have in common with Chrysler's. You don't just feel like you're driving a bad car- you feel like the car defecated on your mother.

I would lump the Corolla and Sentra in with those. That was a terrible car to drive when compared to the Mazda 3 and Civic. Not familiar with the current generations however.

 

[randomrogue]

I've owned a little bit of this and a little bit of that. There was definitely a turning point in the last 15 years or so where American cars were actually worth buying again. Ford specifically has really made some decent vehicles that I can't complain about. The problem though is that some of the worst cars I've ever driven were American. The PT Cruiser and just about anything by Chrysler is just god awful. For some reason car rental places like to stock these. Horrible, horrible cars. I honestly can't come up with a worse and more sluggish car than a PT Cruiser. I had the horror of having to drive one of those through the streets of San Francisco and it almost didn't have the power to make the hills. Even something as simple as driving through Arizona where they have those flash flood ditches the car felt like it couldn't handle the incline. The Cobalt was another one that concerned me but it was so much better than the PT Cruiser that I was ok with it when I was trying to rent a cheap car on business trips.

Now I noticed that someone mentioned Car and Driver and all that but I honestly can't imagine that it's correct. Someone fact check that. Was it the turbo? Reminds me of the old MR2. If you drove the turbo it was great fun but if you drove the regular version it was one of the worst cars on the road.