(12-30-2013 03:32 PM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(12-30-2013 03:09 PM)subflea Wrote:  My last two cars have been Korean. Had a 2000 Hyundai Elantra that made it 12 years before I got rid of it. Never had any issues other than replacing an ignition coil once. Currently I am driving a 2007 Kia Spectra that just went over 180K with (knock on wood) zero mechanical issues.

You guys may laugh about Korean cars, but they are inexpensive, mechanically sound, and get great gas mileage.

Kia's are made in Georgia now, and produce some really nice cars. My GF was in the market to get rid of her 2010 Altima Coup and her final three choices came down to the 2014 Mazda 6 Grand Touring and the loaded 2014 Kia Optima/Cadenza.

Which is why I would be hesitant to buy one. I read that the Toyota's made in the south have a crappier build than when they were built in Japan. I suspect the same being the case with the Kia. When you have guys walking in off the streets to work and no experience building cars, it can't be a good thing.

Still shocked at how few European cars there are...

(12-30-2013 09:20 PM)WPDAWG08 Wrote:  

(12-30-2013 07:34 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(12-30-2013 06:54 PM)Smaug Wrote:  A competent mechanic you trust is worth his weight in gold.

Same with the appliance repair guy. My dude recently told me to buy a new dishwasher instead of him coming out to fix it.

Either that or he is lazy. Not really sure.

That or he truly dislikes your company..

Or he saw Stanley's wiener last time he was there and feels awkward now.

(12-31-2013 12:48 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(12-30-2013 03:32 PM)LSU04_08 Wrote:  

(12-30-2013 03:09 PM)subflea Wrote:  My last two cars have been Korean. Had a 2000 Hyundai Elantra that made it 12 years before I got rid of it. Never had any issues other than replacing an ignition coil once. Currently I am driving a 2007 Kia Spectra that just went over 180K with (knock on wood) zero mechanical issues.

You guys may laugh about Korean cars, but they are inexpensive, mechanically sound, and get great gas mileage.

Kia's are made in Georgia now, and produce some really nice cars. My GF was in the market to get rid of her 2010 Altima Coup and her final three choices came down to the 2014 Mazda 6 Grand Touring and the loaded 2014 Kia Optima/Cadenza.

Which is why I would be hesitant to buy one. I read that the Toyota's made in the south have a crappier build than when they were built in Japan. I suspect the same being the case with the Kia. When you have guys walking in off the streets to work and no experience building cars, it can't be a good thing.

True, but I think it's all just an assembly line and I test drove a Kia and the ride was amazing. Not enough for me to get into a car, but enough to give it the okay.

let's see.. I've had a '78 Chrysler Lebaron (that baby was a TANK on the road), a 72 VW Beetle (My only Non-North American car I ever bought, well it was a pair of Beetles, but we couldn't save the Super Beetle convertible, as much as we tried.), a 85 Pontiac Grand Prix, a 87 Geo Metro (Canadian made across the board), a 91 Saturn (back when they were GOOD cars from Spring Hill, TN), '01 Mazda Tribute (was US made, so doesn't count as Japanese), and now a '04 Chrysler Pacifica

So one non-North American and two non-American cars...

Quote:1. Get a $15 OBDII scanner from Amazon
2. Read the code, Google the code with your year/make/model. Read the related message boards and determine what is actually wrong.

Sometimes the CEL will light up for something as simple as a loose gas cap. Then when you get gas again, the light goes away.

Or you just take it to Autozone for a free scan, with no buying pressure...

(12-31-2013 06:29 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  let's see.. I've had a '78 Chrysler Lebaron (that baby was a TANK on the road), a 72 VW Beetle (My only Non-North American car I ever bought, well it was a pair of Beetles, but we couldn't save the Super Beetle convertible, as much as we tried.), a 85 Pontiac Grand Prix, a 87 Geo Metro (Canadian made across the board), a 91 Saturn (back when they were GOOD cars from Spring Hill, TN), '01 Mazda Tribute (was US made, so doesn't count as Japanese), and now a '04 Chrysler Pacifica

So one non-North American and two non-American cars...

Quote:1. Get a $15 OBDII scanner from Amazon
2. Read the code, Google the code with your year/make/model. Read the related message boards and determine what is actually wrong.

Sometimes the CEL will light up for something as simple as a loose gas cap. Then when you get gas again, the light goes away.

Or you just take it to Autozone for a free scan, with no buying pressure...

Yea, I said that.

It's still often worth having.

(12-31-2013 08:10 AM)VA49er Wrote:  How are we classifying a Honda/Toyota made in an American plant? I'd go with Japanese since Japan is were the profit is going back to and all the parts surely don't come from the US, etc.

The title asks where your car came from. My Tacoma was made here, so I consider it American made.

(12-31-2013 12:59 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Still shocked at how few European cars there are...

Wife drives a 325 BMW, buts it's 11 years old now. It really has been a good car. My only complaint is that you get bent over and raped on the repair end mainly from the cost of parts. Had a Volkswagen - I'll never buy another. Too many parts failing way too soon.

At least in my experiences, the Japanese cars have been the most reliable and cost effective.

Just traded my 9 year old Acura TL in (which hit 140K miles with only motor mounts being replaced, and held its value well), for the Audi A4.

(12-31-2013 09:32 PM)Crebman Wrote:  

(12-31-2013 12:59 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  Still shocked at how few European cars there are...

Wife drives a 325 BMW, buts it's 11 years old now. It really has been a good car. My only complaint is that you get bent over and raped on the repair end mainly from the cost of parts. Had a Volkswagen - I'll never buy another. Too many parts failing way too soon.

At least in my experiences, the Japanese cars have been the most reliable and cost effective.

I had great luck with my BMW 325 and, then, I bought a VW Passat. Yep. I won't buy another Volkswagen. I spent $8,000 in repairs the final year I owned that auto. My experience was so bad, I bought a Honda so I would not have to deal with any repairs.

My parents have had German cars for most of my childhood and such. They always had great luck with them, until recently.

My father just recently was forced to Lemon law his BMW 550. Just before that they had to ditch an SL550 over a host of issues. They thought I was nuts when I bought two British cars after my Grandfather's experience with British Leyland era Jags, XJS. Both of those cars were/are better than those German ones.

I've had no experience with Swedish cars but I know they inspire a lot of devotion from their owners.

(01-01-2014 03:31 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I've had no experience with Swedish cars but I know they inspire a lot of devotion from their owners.

There are two eras for Swedish cars:

1) When they worked without any outside help
2) When they started working with Ford and GM

It was when era 2 started that things started falling apart.

(01-01-2014 05:11 PM)smudge12 Wrote:  On a somewhat related note, FIAT announced today that it's buying out Chrysler. So Ford, GM, and Tesla are the last major American car manufacturers left (in addition to tiny companies like Panoz).

Good news is that there are a few left. If it were up to you, there wouldn't be any left.

I felt that Chrylser should have been put to sleep and GM saved but even though it didn't happen I have nothing against either company.

My Cadillac was a good car and my Wrangler is phenominal.

(01-01-2014 06:48 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I felt that Chrylser should have been put to sleep and GM saved but even though it didn't happen I have nothing against either company.

My Cadillac was a good car and my Wrangler is phenominal.

Are you thinking about getting a used Dodge Magnum?

(01-01-2014 06:48 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I felt that Chrylser should have been put to sleep and GM saved but even though it didn't happen I have nothing against either company.

My Cadillac was a good car and my Wrangler is phenominal.

I'd have said let both of them go under... if they can't make it on their own, then ... they don't need to be there.

It'll be interesting to see if FIAT can do something with Chrysler. FIAT's a decent company, but they have gone through their lulls as well.

(01-01-2014 06:07 PM)smudge12 Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 05:51 PM)RobertN Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 05:11 PM)smudge12 Wrote:  On a somewhat related note, FIAT announced today that it's buying out Chrysler. So Ford, GM, and Tesla are the last major American car manufacturers left (in addition to tiny companies like Panoz).

Good news is that there are a few left. If it were up to you, there wouldn't be any left.

Why would you say that? Three of my family's four cars are American, with one being a Volt (great car with some quirks, although I find the center stack cheesy). I have nothing against any American car manufacturer and generally agreed with the bailouts.

If I had the money, I'd love to purchase a Tesla. More so, I love the fact that they're doing well because they represent American ingenuity.

Robert would say that because he is a Putz. That, and he never gives a well thought out response - just Trolls. He is best ignored.

(01-01-2014 06:49 PM)oklalittledixie Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 06:48 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I felt that Chrylser should have been put to sleep and GM saved but even though it didn't happen I have nothing against either company.

My Cadillac was a good car and my Wrangler is phenominal.

Are you thinking about getting a used Dodge Magnum?

Negative.

The Daimler Chrysler days saw that company reach new lows in just about every way. They were the American Beitish Leyland.

(01-01-2014 06:50 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

(01-01-2014 06:48 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I felt that Chrylser should have been put to sleep and GM saved but even though it didn't happen I have nothing against either company.

My Cadillac was a good car and my Wrangler is phenominal.

I'd have said let both of them go under... if they can't make it on their own, then ... they don't need to be there.

It'll be interesting to see if FIAT can do something with Chrysler. FIAT's a decent company, but they have gone through their lulls as well.

If they had there would have been no American auto industry in the next 20 years.

Ill bet money that Ford faces major issues in that period. The only reason they weren't bailed out was because they leveraged everything. To this day the company is still under a lot of long term debt.

GM got that off their books and their future is fantastic.