Originally Posted By: ekpolk
I hope you mean that, seriously. From your postings, I suspect you're not the type of person who'd be easily beaten into submission by the likes of me. FWIW, that would never be my intent either.
IMO, the domestic makers did allow themselves to fall behind their overseas competition, in a rough window of time starting in the very early 70s and ending somewhere in the range of the mid or late 90s. The times must necessarily be vague since this is such a complex question that times can't be nailed down with any precision. For example, GM automatic transmissions have ALWAYS been a model of mechanical superiority, reliability, and good function. I've loved every one I've owned (though they could have moved on from 3 and 4 speeds a few years earlier...). By contrast, GM switch gear and electric windows were total fecal rubbish for a long, long time.
Anyway, in the last few years, it has become increasingly clear that the domestics have admirably pulled themselves back into the game. Perceptions, however, may be slower in catching up. Much of the pro-import "bias" we see here and everywhere comes from a young generation that has been "conditioned" to the idea that they simply would not entertain buying a domestic. Over on ToyotaNation, you see such youngsters referring to American cars as "duh-mestics". I vehemently oppose such nonsense.
For me, please don't be misled by my signature block. Many see me give the domestics a deserved hit, and coupled with my signature block, assume I'm a domestic hater. I'm not. But somehow, my criticisms of imports seem to go unnoticed. Hey, my Camry has developed an annoying rattle in the driver's side B-pillar. I'm P-O-ed with Toyota about the oil pipe replacement we received for my wife's 07 Avalon. And so on. Please take note.
When I see nonsense or less-than-top quality, I call it -- from wherever it comes.
No worry I seriously mean it.
I will admit the domestics took a dump in quality in the early 70's to mid 90's also...It was mostly 4 bangers and 6 cyl cars...Most of the full size V8's though seem to stay on track for some reason except for the V8-6-4 and the HT4100 engine in the Caddy....I never really had a issue with my 70 Pontiac GTO with the 400 engine or any of my 70's Caprice/Impalas [305 &350 engine],Caddy's with the 472 and 500 engine and Ford LTD/Crown Vic/Town Car with the 302 engine...All those cars were awesome and I had no issues with them and put on over 150K miles on all of them...The 88 Town Car [302 engine] I finally sold at 300K miles...I never had a overheating issue with any of my 70's cars...Even in gridlock traffic with the a/c on....Though the 4 bangers and 6 cyl cars would be overheating all over the place as soon as traffic came to dead stop.
I do not hear people complaining anymore on their new or late model domestics.
If Toyota treated their customers like human beings [in South Florida] I would have some respect for them...The dealer down here [King Toyota] left my sister in tears everytime she went there...They did not even change the oil in her 07 Camry when she took it in plus they were rude and arrogant....She traded it in on a slightly used 07 Grand Marquis 6 months after she got it so just so she did not have deal with Toyota...The other Toyota dealers in Broward and Miami were no better...She used to deal with Green's Toyota in Lexington Kentucky and they were awesome!!. They kept here 94 Camry running [with nothing major being done] for 250K miles..So there are some good dealers Toyota dealers around...Just not in South Florida.
