7th Apr 2007, 13:16

The best new car for 2007 is the Saturn Aura and the best truck is Chevy Silverado in 2007. Way to go U.S.A.!

7th Apr 2007, 15:39

And FORD did not even come close to that HAHAHAHA.

7th Apr 2007, 15:55

"I see plenty of Fords on the side --- must be their transmissions."

Funny you should mention that when Honda is well known to make some of the worst automatic transmissions in the world. Ford has actually had a pretty good track record with their transmissions especially with their 4 speeds. Ford's newer 5 and 6 speeds have been very good as well.

7th Apr 2007, 16:28

Yes indeed, I'm not sure if the Fusion was actually designed in Japan, but that's a good bet. The Fusion is the same car as the Mazda 6. The whole "domestic vs. import" thing isn't so black and white. "Domestic rules all!!! whoo hoo!!!" meanwhile you drive off in your Mazda 6-- err, sorry. Fusion ;)

7th Apr 2007, 18:55

Ya I would say Americans are pretty gullible. Toyota is laughing all the way to the bank making $15 billion in profits each year and almost all of that goes back to Japan. So what if the Camry in assembled in the states and the Fusion in Mexico, that's a very small part of the economical benefit of a car. Look at all the Americans that are being laid off at the big three, Toyota isn't giving all those guys jobs with its few new assembly plants.

7th Apr 2007, 19:48

This commenter fails to realize that the Honda Odyssey, Acura TL, and a few V6 Accords had this problem, not all Hondas between the 2001-2004 model year and it was sourced to a transmission plant in Ohio (To know my car is actually designed and built in Ohio and not in Mexico makes me feel good). I personally own a few Honda cars with automatics and I have to say that they run just fine and dandy and shift very smooth and the grade logic feature makes it even better. I hear of a lot of people complaining their pants off about four-speed automatics in Ford vehicles so you lost me there when you said they had a good track record. I know of Tauruses, Contours, Windstars, F-150's that had 4 speed automatics that are not on the road anymore because they had failures before 100,000 miles. I don't know much about the five speeds trans and I know that GM helped build the 6 speed in the Edge.

Sorry, but you are going to have to try harder if you want to unseat Toyota and Honda. Sitting here and thinking you are the king of the hill because of the Fusion will bring more failure to Ford in the future once new cars such as the 2008 Accord debut next year.

7th Apr 2007, 21:24

I think you have it all wrong. I'm not trying unseat Honda and definitely not Toyota or any other car manufacturer, my family an I rather enjoy our Prius. We also love our Ford Crown Victoria and have yet to find a better car for long highway runs. And we most certainly got out money's worth out of our 1974 Volkswagen type 1 aka. Beetle. My point is however that every reputable car website points out Honda's poor track record with it's automatic transmission while there is rarely a complaint about Ford's automatic transmissions. And by the way, I'm sitting here like I'm the king of the hill because I feel like it =).

8th Apr 2007, 10:49

Wait, wait, wait. Let's look at the logic here. The DOMESTIC manufacturers are the ones who are outsourcing jobs, and it is NOT the fault of the Japanese. Saturns aren't even going to be built here anymore.

And why should the Japanese be responsible for employing every single person from failed companies? Maybe if GM, Ford, and Chrysler (not even an American company) built QUALITY vehicles instead of cost-cutting crap they would not be in this mess.

And remember, this is ALL due to the domestic manufacturers REFUSAL to accept the concept of quality as defined by Dr. Deming, an American. But the Japanese KNEW that quality would sell, so they gladly put in quality, just in time, and other processes that have them where they are there.

I am sick and tired of people scapegoating the Japanese, Koreans, and other manufacturers when the reality is the American industry CAUSED its own downfall.

Why do you think Americans prefer imports over domestics? After all, logic would dictate that the CHEAPER product (the domestic vehicles) should gain market share. But that little niggling thing called reliability and quality somehow became part of the equation.

Just look at the 1970's. In the midst of the then-worst oil crisis ever they come out with gas hogs like the Eldorado, Lincoln Mark V, and so on. What type of intelligent planning is that?

8th Apr 2007, 10:51

Too funny. Yeah, keep praising the Saturn since the Spring Hill plant doesn't' even build Saturns anymore, the Aura is a rebadged EUROPEAN model, and GM's intent is to have EVERY Saturn built OUTSIDE the US.

Way to go USA!

9th Apr 2007, 08:26

When looking at new cars we avoided Honda totally because of all the bad transmission publicity. We did drive a Toyota and Nissan, but were not even remotely impressed with anything about them. We bought a Ford. We love it.

9th Apr 2007, 18:47

We opted to not even LOOK at Hondas when test driving SUV's because of all the news about bad transmissions, as well as people we knew who got stuck with them and ended up with lots of trips to the dealership.

Where there's that much publicity the problem MUST BE big, and not just a "very few" as the import crowd argues.

We bought domestic. 60,000 miles and nary a problem. It's also faster (WAYYYY faster), smoother, more reliable, more comfortable, more luxurious AND gets better mpg than the Honda Pilot OR the Toyota Highlander (which we did drive. It was a dog).

10th Apr 2007, 21:07

There is not a statistic that says any domestic SUV is more reliable than the Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander. My Accord has 150,000 miles on its transmission and has no trouble. I think you should know that the new Hondas have no problems anymore with the transmissions save a few screwballs who change fluids every 200,000 miles and I wish you luck with your Ford: problem is you will have as much fun with that Fusion as a Ford Taurus and you are going to want to get rid of it after 60,000 miles anyway... but good luck getting anything for it.

11th Apr 2007, 12:49

Over 70% of statistics are made up on the spot. The other 30 or so % are paid for.

11th Apr 2007, 17:06

Comment 12:49 says it ALL.

I recommend a nifty little book entitled "Lying With Statistics". It was used in a class I took on persuasive writing. It shows very clearly how you can make ANY situation fit ANY set of statistics you want them to. The Japanese are MASTERS at this, with everything from the myth that their cars are better to the (HILARIOUS) myth that their tiny little tin death traps are SAFER!! The money earned from selling their cars at full list allows plenty of profits to buy any "statistics" that suits them.

As for Pilot and Highlander, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!! The Pilot leaves people stranded in the fast lane of the freeway in front of semis with broken down transmissions, while the Highlander has a laundry list of MAJOR problems so long it would take several PAGES, but for starters try defective air bags, faulty brakes, faulty steering, defective transmissions (I guess they buy them from HONDA), faulty suspension, bad electrical problems, poor interior finish, oil leaks, coolant leaks, and such underpowered engines that even the V-6 makes merging onto a freeway a real white knuckle experience (and YES, I HAVE driven one, so I do know what I'm talking about).

I think a quick browse thru the negative comments from OWNERS of the Camry, Highlander and Tundra are in order, as well as a brief scan thru the Honda and Acura reviews listing the defective transmissions in these vehicles.