24th Jul 2009, 19:21

I will spend my hard earned money in the way that best serves my family, nobody has the right to tell me otherwise.

I drive a Jeep, but if I chose to drive an import, that is my right as an American.

25th Jul 2009, 04:08

Some want to preserve quality of life and decent standard of living. That's a right as well but requires a group effort. Not an individual choice I got fed up on being burned having low resale over carfax reporting all my major import repairs. My right was to quit buying so left.

25th Jul 2009, 13:09

Agreed 100%. I have NEVER had a costly repair with an import, with my 1987 or my 2004. The 1987 was perfect for over twenty years.

25th Jul 2009, 18:13

"I drive a Jeep, but if I chose to drive an import, that is my right as an American."

This is true. Just as it is your right as an American to walk by a starving child, look out your window and watch your neighbors being evicted because their domestic auto-related jobs were lost, or root for another country to invade us. We have lots of freedoms. Some are hurting us.

25th Jul 2009, 18:20

I took another friend who drives an Accord out today to test drive a new 2010 Fusion. While riding with him I explained how buying domestics helps 90% of our citizens in auto related jobs in the U.S., and how buying a Honda, Toyota or Nissan helps only 10% or so of that same group. He had no idea, and thanked me for sharing the truth with him. Like most Americans he had been brainwashed with the line that "Honda is made here" without ever being told just how FEW people they actually employ. He is trading for a beautiful red Fusion SEL V-6. He said it makes his Accord feel like driving a tin can. I have to agree.

26th Jul 2009, 01:00

19:20.

Everything you say may be true. Then again it may not be. However, I must make purchases I feel are wise at the present time. I cannot live today counting on retiring in 30 years or even being alive for that matter. If I have had better luck with imports and you have better luck with domestics, let it be. Please do not try to direct where I should spend my money.

26th Jul 2009, 06:02

19:21... people can certainly buy whatever you want. And also whatever your priorities are.

But it's also wise to be informed and prepared down the road for whatever choices you make.

Here's an analogy. My roof needs a $16,000 replacement and I can save money this year buy not buying a replacement. If I wait a few years I may face far greater than that with the consequences damaging the structure underneath. Maybe not the exact comparison I am attempting to make, but it has a point. If you look long term and see where profits remain and are not shipped by many others overseas, it's a plus. Our economy needs the business. If you are getting nice cars and twice the warranty, why give money away to corporate offices overseas?

I am doing almost 3 peoples work and no raise. I am considered lucky by my friends and family. But again people can buy whatever they want and not care about the economy.

I saw no significant gain on both repairs and resale with our last import. I took a real big hit when I sold it over Carfax drivetrain issues being reported... 1/3 of originally selling price in 4 years! The bad thing is you think you had an isolated incident and buy again when you had many before... I quit that concept. Maybe the ones driving 10 year old plus imports are better off keeping them... our newer ones were trouble prone. We have had mixed import/domestic ownership many years and now 100% domestics. The added plus is the current economy assist as well as less headaches lately with repairs-resale. We sell every few years.

26th Jul 2009, 13:09

And we have had over a dozen new Hondas and they were more trouble prone for us after 2000. We quit buying, drove a lot, and bought every few years That's a lot of cars; more than most.

26th Jul 2009, 13:31

I keep seeing the word "import" to describe may of the cars. But, MOST of the cars made by Honda and several of the other "import" companies are actually made here in the USA. I and my family have owned more Fords than any other make. I always liked them, but the love was not always returned (like the Focus that cracked a piston at 65K). But the Hondas that I've owned have ALWAYS run 200K+ without a hitch. (I currently have a Ford Truck and a Honda Accord). After a time I have come to realize that the domestics throw money at you because they have to, in most cases. I just hope that the (not so) Big Three have finally learned that people will pay for quality and reliability!!!

26th Jul 2009, 14:32

I find the myth that Japanese cars are (or were) more reliable than domestics a very odd phenomenon. My 80's and 90's domestics were far more reliable and much better built than our 80's and 90's Japanese cars and returned more on resale too. I realize most people now agree that modern domestics are better, but I can't figure out where this gross misconception came from that imports were EVER better.

26th Jul 2009, 14:43

If I cracked a piston, I think I would go in with my

100000 mile warranty to the Ford dealer with 65000 miles on the clock. If I did that in a Toyota or Honda I would stay home. I did destroy a piston once due to nitrous being applied, but it was honestly my fault.

26th Jul 2009, 16:18

18:13 - Don't you think that is a little extreme?

You are not helping your case when you practically blame a person (who drives an American car) for the economic situation in the USA - starving children, evicted families, just because he says that it is his right as an American to drive whatever he chooses to.

That's way over the line in my book.

26th Jul 2009, 20:06

"We have lots of freedoms. Some are hurting us."

Yes, and we have lots of opinions - some are downright scary.

26th Jul 2009, 22:08

I am a salesperson at a dealership that sells both Hondas and GM's. Most of our Hondas are made in America by Americans. Most of our GMs are built in Canada by Canadians.