18th Nov 2008, 01:49
Also, when I had the Maxima, the original head and tail-lights and brake lights were all the same until DECEMBER 2007 (20+ years) when I changed them. My 2004 Nissan was Americanized and I'm sure won't last as long as my old car. Had more problems with it after four years than I did the Max after 10. ;)
18th Nov 2008, 11:16
"Hondas require maintenance like any other vehicle. No one said they were completely problem free. They are good ONLY if service is performed at the regular intervals"
Well, in my case the Honda we had our worst nightmare with got exactly the same service as our domestics and proceeded to totally disintegrate before 100,000 miles. At 40,000 miles the CV joints were hammering and the brakes were gone. (The earliest I've ever replaced brakes on a domestic is 70,000 miles), At 60,000 miles it was burning a quart of oil every 3 weeks. No domestic we've owned has ever required an engine or transmission repair before 325,000 miles (the longest we've kept one).
I'm a mechanic and ALL my cars get immaculate care and service. No car from a Japanese or German auto maker has ever held up as well as our domestics. That includes those supposedly "superior" Japanese cars that were built in Japan. Every Ford, GM or Chrysler vehicle we have owned has been sold or traded in great running condition with never on single engine or transmission replacement. This includes several with well over 200,000 miles and the one Ford that was traded at 325,000 miles. This also includes cars going back to the '70's. The myth of unreliable domestics is just that... a myth.
19th Nov 2008, 16:55
The transmission on my first Nissan was original out of the factory from Oppama, Japan. I only changed transmission fluids and belts at recommended intervals. The GM constantly had axle, ABS, alternator, timing belt, slipping transmission, head gasket issues that cost me tons. I could've purchased a new vehicle almost with the amount of money I put into that piece of crap truck. I also followed the service schedule with it but as soon as one thing was fixed, something else was tearing up on that piece of crap.
24th Dec 2008, 14:05
"How many 30-year-old Honda's or Toyota's are still used as daily drivers?"
I have two cars... a 2004 Honda Accord LX coupe, and my little commuter car... my 1976 Honda Civic cvcc 5-spd. That little orange monster has a 78 Accord engine in it that my mom had put in back in 1979 because the previous owner didn't put oil in it. We kept track of the mileage through the years... and my 76 Civic now has 511000 miles (give or take a hundred or so)
It runs like a champ, still climbs hills like it has something to prove, and darned if that little monster doesn't win the occasional green light to red light race!
Mechanically, since 1979 when the Accord engine was put in it, we replaced the starter once in the 80's and once 1999 when I got it. I have had the belts changed, and the alternator replaced in 03. That's IT.
I have kept the car for sentimental value, but I have to say that as a commuter, and a fun little novelty driver...it's a great little car! As for my 04 Accord coupe, its heaven at 70000 miles. there is a rattling in the glove box, which I am going to fix, and I have one CV joint clicking a lil bit, but it's a cheap fix and I'm not concerned at all about the engine. I have the 165 hp VTEC 2.4 4cyl engine and it is smooth, strong, and fast! My tranny shifts seamlessly with little to no shift shock, almost like a CVT. I love Honda.
I have had 4 Honda's (83 CRX, 92 Accord, 76 Civic, and 04 Accord), 1 Toyota (87 Celica), 1 Ford (89 Thunderbird), 1 Plymouth (97 Breeze), 1 Pontiac (96 Sunfire) and 1 Chevy (86 Camaro) and I have to say that there was something to love about every car, the Chevy had over 200k miles, the ford had 249k when the tranny went out, the Toyota died at 287k miles, but in all of them, The Honda's were always the worry free, thrifty, easy to own, and fun cars.
So I say, if you want to make the economy easier for yourself to deal with, buy whatever vehicle that is going to have the lowest operating cost for you and your budget. For me, it's my Honda.
26th Dec 2008, 21:13
We spent more on our Honda in repairs in 100,000 miles than we have spent on ALL of our domestic vehicles COMBINED in the last 20 years. No more Japanese vehicles in THIS household!! We have better things to do with our money!!
18th Nov 2008, 01:44
With the exception of truck and SUV offerings from the big 3, domestics are crap. The only reason those work well is because a large portion of their sales depend upon it. I'd rather pay for an old import than be given a domestic vehicle any day.
Hondas require maintenance like any other vehicle. No one said they were completely problem free. They are good ONLY if service is performed at the regular intervals.
A cousin owns a 2002 Ford Taurus, the transmission caught fire twice, he refuses to let it go.
My 1987 Nissan Maxima gave me 21 years of service and 363,509 miles. I had alignment and brake work done on a routine basis, but other than that, my car ran PERFECTLY even earlier this year when I used it on a 120 mile commute 3 days a week. It NEVER left me stranded. The only reason I don't own it now is because it was totaled in an accident. I would've trusted my old Maxima on a long trip over any new domestic.
On the other hand, I had a 1996 GMC Sonoma pickup that nickel and dimed me for 225,000 miles; things were constantly wrong, stayed in the shop and always leaving me wondering when it would die on me again.
Also, import vehicles were relatively rare in the U.S. until the late 1970's and 1980's when gas prices began rising and consumers began looking for a more economic means of transportation. Domestics USED TO BE more reliable, that is not the case today. They consistently rank lower than imports in resale value, dependability and long-term costs of ownership.
It's no secret why the big 3 is wanting a portion of the bailout money. Whether you choose to accept it or not, domestic makes for the most part are crap and led to the demise of Oldsmobile, Plymouth and why Mercury is currently hanging on by a thread.