6th Jul 2008, 16:55
"5th Jul 2008, 08:58.
11:29 I'm an American too, and gladly. I never claimed that I wanted to see American industry of any kind fail. Too bad it already has.
If I'm 'spouting venom' at the Big 3, it's because they don't care enough to make vehicles of the same quality as the imports I've owned. They should be embarrassed as a whole at the kind of cars and trucks they made through the 80's and 90's, which were just an embarrassment next to what Toyota and Honda were and are offering."
I remember when you first started commenting. You keep claiming that all domestic vehicles of the 1980's and 1990's were so terrible, but I seriously doubt that you have driven any of those vehicles. I'll be glad to fill you in on the "terribly unreliable" domestic vehicles from that era that my family owned.
* 1980 Plymouth Volarè station wagon: purchased for $1,200 with 60,000 miles and driven to 180,000 miles before selling it to a family friend who needed a good car.
* 1983 Chevy Cavalier station wagon: purchased for $350 with 100,000 miles and driven to 210,000 miles when it was sold in favor of something with more room.
* 1984 Plymouth Reliant station wagon: purchased for $1,500 with 65,000 miles and driven to 215,000 miles before being sold to an uncle who continued to drive it until he died.
* 1985 Dodge Ramcharger: purchased for $2,500 with 163,000 miles and driven to 260,000 miles when it was sold to somebody who needed a dependable plow truck.
* 1989 Chevy Van: purchased for $5,000 with 75,000 miles and driven to 190,000 miles when it was sold, in perfect running condition, for $4,500
* 1990 Pontiac 6000 station wagon: purchased for $700 with 120,000 miles and driven to 220,000 miles, at which time the transmission locked up.
* 1994 Cadillac Seville: purchased for $1,600 with 150,000 miles and still running perfectly with 200,000 miles on it.
* 1997 Mercury Sable station wagon: purchased for $6,000 with 40,000 miles and still running perfectly with 190,000 miles on it.
Oh yes, those lousy domestic cars of the '80s and '90s are clearly sooo unreliable and expensive to maintain! It's just a wonder that we haven't flocked to the preciously perfect imports! Give me a break! No doubt you'll reply with some reference as to how "Car and Driver" didn't like those cars.
6th Jul 2008, 11:17
"This country as a whole loves to tell the rest of the world how we are the only superpower and how much better we are than everyone else."
We are talking about cars here, not politics. If you have problems with our/your country's policies, voice your concerns to your elected officials. Do not go bashing your country on an international forum.
You should also know that the government's positions (which I am not implying you accurately characterized) do not necessarily correspond with the views of the American people. You disagree with them...or at least your own interpretation of them. This country gives you the freedom to do so, if you happen to still appreciate that. Do not paint with such a broad brush.