Impala article in NY Times
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Posted by Olefam: ![[Mad]](images/icons/mad.gif)
quote:Respectfully, you need to dig a bit deeper on that cost thing. As I'm painfully finding out, my Infiniti G35 is proving enormously expensive to keep on the road. Things that $75 at a domestic dealership cost $300 at Inifiniti. A pair of drive belts, worn out at only 40,000 miles, cost almost $200 to have replaced -- sorry, not covered by the wyt, it's a "wear and tear item". Air filter, $25. And my favorite so far, as mentioned above, Automatic Trans Fluid at $12 per quart (yes, twelve dollars). Any one of those items can be had, along with a pretty nice car, at a GM dealership for far less.
{snip}I'll stay with the cars that for the past 45 years have continually been less expensive to operate,{snip}
quote:
By GM standards Toyota is doing everything wrong. Toyota is opening plants in the US. GM is closing them. Toyota is building quality into cars. GM is building stylish cars. Toyota pays cash for new plants, GM finances everyting. Toyota does not know that it's impossible to make cars in the US and that you can't possibly make a profit making small cars. In fact Toyota is so stupid that they only have three lines of cars, cheap, regualr and expensive. They are so stupid that they don't even make models that compete with each other. And the worst mistake of all. Toyota is going to make big pickups and sell them to Americans. Why, they are even building the pickup plant in Texas. You know, if Toyota keeps on making these stupid mistakes GM executives will be in the same unemployment lines
![[bowdown]](/forums/graemlins/bowdown.gif)
The ONLY GM I'd buy is a Saab. ![[Wink]](images/icons/wink.gif){kind=icon}
I know I'm gonna get flamed for this but, anyway. Cousincletus, there is no point in arguing with the anti-domestic's, even if you are using true and valid points; they've been drinking the Kool Aid too long. I use to drive only J ap imports until I stopped drinking the Japanese Kool Aid and realized that it was costing me more to own those J ap traps due to higher maintenance costs then the so called inferior domestic. I quit discussing this with those types because it's just a waste of time. As long as they keep drinking the J ap Juice you'll never get through to them.
ekpolk:
"my Infiniti G35 is proving enormously expensive to keep on the road"
Infiniti must have just about THE highest parts pricing anywhere. Formed rubber PCV hose, about 3" long, $45. Trunk strut, $120ea, you need two.
Toyota is nearly as bad sometimes.
It was refreshing to find out how reasonable BMW parts pricing is by comparison. Though a quart of special Shell tranny fluid for the 740i will set me back $25+, 8-12 quarts for a good flush.
If I didn't like small sporty cars I'd probably drive a Buick with the Series II (or III?). Good mileage, durability, parts prices, and a perfectly decent car.
- Glenn
Labman wrote
![[Eek!]](images/icons/shocked.gif)
quote:Labman, deceptive is too strong a word, as I think you just misunderstood my intent. What i was talking about is if you are concerned about "domestic" factors as they apply to things like the jobs of your neighbours, or sensitivity to local needs, and if one company is closing factories in Michigan and opening them in Mexico while another is opening new plants in Ohio and Alabama then who is really doing more for the domestic autoworkers and community and even the local market. My point was not about the implications of averages (hey, that is still valid, it just was not my point). And I had a great grandfather who was a probably only 5' 10" but drowned in about three inches of water after falling off a horse. Oh the irony
''1. We really have to rethink what is "domestic" and "foreign". What is more "domestic" a GM car assembled in Mexico where 35% of the parts were made in Korea, or a Toyota assembled in Ohio using more than 65% parts made in the US. I have two "Japanese" cars. A Mazda made in Japan and an Acura made about an hour's drive from my home.'' Bong, bong, bong, bong! Deceptive statement. GM's average domestic content is 85%. The best foreign company is Honda at 49%. Of course there was the 6' statistician that drowned in a stream averaging 3' deep. It does vary from model to model. Perhaps we need percentages on the label like fiber content of clothing.
Posted by Glennc:
quote:Funny that you say that. My wife has decided that she no longer needs all the space in her 2001 Sequoia (that has only 40k miles on it), and has further decided that she just loves the look of the new Buick Lucerne. She wants trade. At this point, I've got half a mind to trade in the G35, and take the Sequoia off her hands. In four years, the only non-routine expense we've had on the "Tree" has been roughly $350 for a redo on the rear brakes (partially wife inflicted). The G35's new belts and a couple other "small" things have cost almost as much in ~16 months. When you factor in gas prices (Sequoia burns 87, G needs premium) and mileage, the fuel cost is, believe it or not, almost the same. Hmmmmmmmm. I'm suddenly seeing myself driving a leftover SUV. . . Oh, and it's an early Sequoia with the 4-spd auto which uses good old Dexron ATF -- none of this hypercost ruby juice that for which my G thirsts.
If I didn't like small sporty cars I'd probably drive a Buick with the Series II (or III?). Good mileage, durability, parts prices, and a perfectly decent car.
I stopped at a Chevy dealer today while the wife was at the mall. The new Impala is very nice and I would buy it before an Accord. Honda annoys me with all their proprietary fluid recommendations and the fact that their quality is heading south while their prices are heading north. Now Toyota is another story-still great cars. The best bet is to wait a year or two and buy a used GM when depreciation has made it a heck of a value.
FWIW, Toyota Matrix is one of the best all-around cars out there...and GM has the equivalent, the Vibe. Kinda ironic.
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