Ford & Honda: Best domestic and foreign car makers
- Thread starter LouDawg
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Honda being a foreign company is getting a bit fuzzy. Their last couple of rounds of funding came from American banks along with the designs for their plants and production facilities. The tax credits they have accepted and the structure of their current business operations sure make them look more American than anything else, maybe a bit Canadian, too. I wonder how many Fords are made elsewhere and imported into the US?
With more and more vehicles being made either in the US, or not in Japan, the line becomes blurred. However, in the end, it all boils down to the theory/principles/actual manufacturing practices each maker uses in the factory. Just because a Honda is built here or a GM is built in Mexico doesn't automatically mean it's junk or will last forever based on the country. It's the standards that the parent company puts in place that decides the future of the car while on the assembly line.
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Personally, I think it all depends upon how one defines "best". Another way to put it would be that "best" depends substantially upon what characteristics a particular consumer sees as being the most important. Each manufacturer, domestic, foreign, or cross-bred; has demonstrated strengths and weaknesses, as do their individual products. Now, threads of this ilk are not necessarily a problem in and of themselves, but the more general the question, the more likely they are to quickly descend into domestic v. foreign fisticuffs (followed quickly by entertainment quashing mod action...). Conversely, the more specific the point, probably the better the discussion.
DING DING DING.... we have a winner.
And, Old Coot ain't sucking up to a moderator-type entity, either.
Just wanna' add my oft-used mumble, "subjective opinion."
For fun and giggles let's add "lack of scientific replicability" or some fancy term similar but with the same general meaning.
Buy a Ford and be adored?
What rhymes with Toyota?
/bored in the shanty
Join the (status) quota, buy a Toyota??
Top three foreign car makers in order:
1. Toyota
2. Honda
3. Subaru
Top three American auto makers in order:
1. GM
2. Chrysler
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3. Ford
1. Toyota
2. Honda
3. Subaru
Top three American auto makers in order:
1. GM
2. Chrysler
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3. Ford
BTW, GM's quality seems to be improving incredibly fast.
That's because you can't fall OUT of a hole!
Just kidding...I know some people that have 250K miles on GM products, and still going strong.
and the most boring, and the most lacking in personality
What intake leaks and piston slap? Thats GM's official position and they are sticking to it. They take responsibility for nothing and thats a good thing for me. I'm eyeing a new Tundra and those GM intake leaks are helping pay for it so lay off GM's "supposed" quality problems.
Best domestic car maker= TOYOTA
Best import car maker = HONDA
Two piston-slappers and one puking intake = one 2007 Yamaha 700 Grizzly for me
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What intake leaks and piston slap? Thats GM's official position and they are sticking to it. They take responsibility for nothing and thats a good thing for me. I'm eyeing a new Tundra and those GM intake leaks are helping pay for it so lay off GM's "supposed" quality problems.
Best domestic car maker= TOYOTA
Best import car maker = HONDA
Two piston-slappers and one puking intake = one 2007 Yamaha 700 Grizzly for mePlease,no GM bashing. They have been good to me.
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What intake leaks and piston slap? Thats GM's official position and they are sticking to it. They take responsibility for nothing and thats a good thing for me. I'm eyeing a new Tundra and those GM intake leaks are helping pay for it so lay off GM's "supposed" quality problems.
Best domestic car maker= TOYOTA
Best import car maker = HONDA
Two piston-slappers and one puking intake = one 2007 Yamaha 700 Grizzly for mePlease,no GM bashing. They have been good to me.
Moki I hope you're wearing your flame suit!
He dosen't need one on here, (remember where you are?), this is import/TOY central. IF he did, his SMUG sarcasm is thick enough to protect him.
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What intake leaks and piston slap? Thats GM's official position and they are sticking to it. They take responsibility for nothing and thats a good thing for me. I'm eyeing a new Tundra and those GM intake leaks are helping pay for it so lay off GM's "supposed" quality problems.
Best domestic car maker= TOYOTA
Best import car maker = HONDA
Two piston-slappers and one puking intake = one 2007 Yamaha 700 Grizzly for mePlease,no GM bashing. They have been good to me.
Moki I hope you're wearing your flame suit!
I got past being everyone's friend a long time ago. I do sincerely think this constant Toyota/Honda bashing that takes place on here is very unproductive. After all is said and done,they still have a greater desire to give the customer the quality that they deserve. Yes, they have had their problems but have demonstrated a much higher level of customer service as well as fixing the problem that existed.
I have no blind loyalty to any particular brand of car. If Toyota/Honda ever start building junk like GM I hope they suffer the same fate as GM.
Over and over people post on here that once paid their hard-earned money for a GM or Ford only to be treated like #@$%! as well as having a repair-hungry vehicle that would leave you beside the road in a minute. They brag constantly about the excellent service their Civic or Accord has given them and some inbred knucle-dragger calls them everything from stupid to unpatriotic.(Same mentality that GM has).
I have worked on them both for many years and am not afraid to relate what I as well as many of my tech friends have seen concerning car quality. Ther will always be a few shade-trees that know more than anyone else but thankfully the new vehicles are eliminating them more and more every day. The shade-trees as well as the charlatans are quickly disappearing due to the cost of doing business today.
If you want a reliable,well built car that will be worth something after 5 years Toyota/Honda have a great lead over most of the domestic offerings. It's been established over and over again. It's sad that GM and Ford refuse to give the customer their money's worth but due to the pressure the Camry and Accord has placed on them they will be forced to do better if they want to survive.
People should be able to discuss their preferences for Toyotas and Hondas or any other "import" on here without someone accusing them of being un-American. Thats pretty shallow.
I personally hope GM has an upswing in sales as well as Ford. There are alot of toys that I don't have yet and the constant repairs these cars require will help me get them.
I feel good and will sleep well. I've got a S-10 thats on the schedule and it's literally dripping with needed repairs! Life is good
Yes, to reiterate a point I made earlier, and to which no one responded, the name-calling and bashing goes both ways. The ones who "bash" the Toyotas and Hondas get offended if someone "bashes" the GMs and Fords. I personally don't think I bash either way...I just try to state my view of the facts based on the information I have available and the research I've done. At the end of the day, that's the most I can offer. But I won't base it strictly on my own ownership experiences, though I don't dismiss those out of hand. To be well-informed, it behooves us to value what other credible sources have to say, too, e.g. the myriad surveys, expert reviews, customer reviews, maintenance/repair data, performance reports, etc. There's so much to be learned if we are willing to remove our blinders.
I've had relatively good luck with both my Acura (made by Honda in Japan) and my Nissan. In the 2 years and 4 months i've owned my Altima, i've had to replace only a gasket seal and the alternator/battery. Not too shabby considering I did pretty much no maintenance what-so-ever, except for the 30/60/90 at 120k. I didn't even know the history of the car before I bought it. It was a previous rental car and the lady before me didn't even know when the oil was changed last (probably explains the gasket seal that was leaking when I got it!). Still going strong though. If I had to rank them though, i'd probably place the Nissan above the Acura. The Acura is constantly having little things with it. (Thermostat, warped bumper, rear fender rust, etc.) even though it was babied by a 73 year old lady all of its life.
Hello LD ,
Call it just a hunch ,but we are about 7 months out so some things are shaping up . In general , looks like so far a strong start for everyone but toyota . I think the two of the surprise winners for 2007 are going to be GM AND Hyundai( KIA ? ) - very strong contenders for most improved - may end up really high in overall standings
Still thinking/guessing outloud ..... toyota is going to be equally surprising in the other sense ; treading water or going down . Long shot that is now feasible ; this is the year Hyundai starts to goes past toyota in a visible way .Really about toyota coming down as well as hyundai going up . This isn't quite as surprising as it sounds ; everybody has already lapped the camry at least 3 times with only 5 laps driven .The misery is still growing on that one with no relief in sight .
All the rest including Honda and Ford ?
Its tough when you think of a whole product line esp. with what we have to work with but it just " seems " - like a whole lot of them are quietly going about their business and fixing what needs to be fixed - so I expect the lower end in general to improve more rapidly .
Overall , 2007 looks to be better than 2005-2006 .
Watch , now that I said all this we will have 5 big recalls in the next ten days , 2007s will become the year to forget and 5 years from now we will be finding out that everybody goofed their piston ring choices for all these hot headed - skinny ringed , Sm oiled engine combinations that look so sexy on paper . One thing I do like about Ford/Honda - on many of their engines where I have seen something specific they appear to be relatively conservative on this ( and some other things as well ) in a way I find appealing .
Don't remind me of what I said here 7 years from now unless it looks really good . I'm really holding back here - just can't get comfortable with some of the choices being made in regards to engine technologies and the specifics of the applications . Esp when they throw 6 or 7 new things together while bragging about large cost reductions .
If I was buying a new car from a main stream provider I'd be looking for three things in the engine ; simplicity , low specific output , conservative and or old design features .
I don't think I've ever said that before .
Call it just a hunch ,but we are about 7 months out so some things are shaping up . In general , looks like so far a strong start for everyone but toyota . I think the two of the surprise winners for 2007 are going to be GM AND Hyundai( KIA ? ) - very strong contenders for most improved - may end up really high in overall standings
Still thinking/guessing outloud ..... toyota is going to be equally surprising in the other sense ; treading water or going down . Long shot that is now feasible ; this is the year Hyundai starts to goes past toyota in a visible way .Really about toyota coming down as well as hyundai going up . This isn't quite as surprising as it sounds ; everybody has already lapped the camry at least 3 times with only 5 laps driven .The misery is still growing on that one with no relief in sight .
All the rest including Honda and Ford ?
Its tough when you think of a whole product line esp. with what we have to work with but it just " seems " - like a whole lot of them are quietly going about their business and fixing what needs to be fixed - so I expect the lower end in general to improve more rapidly .
Overall , 2007 looks to be better than 2005-2006 .
Watch , now that I said all this we will have 5 big recalls in the next ten days , 2007s will become the year to forget and 5 years from now we will be finding out that everybody goofed their piston ring choices for all these hot headed - skinny ringed , Sm oiled engine combinations that look so sexy on paper . One thing I do like about Ford/Honda - on many of their engines where I have seen something specific they appear to be relatively conservative on this ( and some other things as well ) in a way I find appealing .
Don't remind me of what I said here 7 years from now unless it looks really good . I'm really holding back here - just can't get comfortable with some of the choices being made in regards to engine technologies and the specifics of the applications . Esp when they throw 6 or 7 new things together while bragging about large cost reductions .
If I was buying a new car from a main stream provider I'd be looking for three things in the engine ; simplicity , low specific output , conservative and or old design features .
I don't think I've ever said that before .
I hate to break this to you but Daimler Chrysler is a German company......
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