Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: 1K3 on August 22, 2006, 12:50:17 AM
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No American cars made it on the 2006 Top 10 Consumer Report survey.
Anyway...
The Best American made cars today...
Cadilac Escalade: Fuel consumption aside, this is the quickest and the fastest SUV on the market thanks to sophisticated 400hp V8. The interior is upscale (the only GM car with such quality interior!), and finally its got that BLING prestige!
Buick Lucerne: Boooring car but upscale interior and Quiet Steel is a huge plus for this car. The Chinese love this car!
Other great American cars but needs improvement...
Other Cadilac lineup: They're all good but they need the Escalade's upscale interior quality.
Corvette: Needs more refinement in interior, transmision, and rear suspention. This car uses rear leaf springs for rear suspension... c'mon that's Middle Ages technology!
Ford Mustang: Great car but plagued with cheap plastic interior.
Chrysler 300C: Best BLING sedan out there but the interior is just like all US cars (jeez Chrysler almost got it perfect but they missed on interior!)
Dodge Charger: A Chrysler 300C for rednecks, great everyday car but it's got the cheapness of the 300C's interior
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Anyone who buys any American gas guzzling car in the future is either very wealthy, or completely out of touch with reality.
A few years ago, your biggest handicap about buying an American car was that it would next to never outlast a Japanese vehicle. Now you've got a limited selection that can match them for fuel economy, and likely still have the former problem.
I hate to say it, but I don't see myself ever buying an American car again (at least until I hit the lotto).
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Originally posted by 1K3
Best American made cars today...
Cadilac Escalade: Fuel consumption aside, this is the quickest and the fastest SUV on the market thanks to sophisticated 400hp V8. The interior is upscale (the only GM car with such quality interior!), and finally its got that BLING prestige!
Not any more. The Grand Cherokee SRT-8 is the fastest and quickest. The Vette is a cheap Ferrari ripoff, the 300C has been plagued with problems since it's introduction.
The US Auto Industry is now twitching. The Horse died, but how long will it lay on it's side and breathe?
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Originally posted by 1K3
This car uses rear leaf springs for rear suspension...
That's just sad ... truly, leaf springs?
I went to the Corvette Museum one time - there's a special parking area there for 'vettes only. Of course, some guy parked one there as I was walking back out to my rentamobile - damn Corvette sounded like it was steam powered.
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Originally posted by Scherf
That's just sad ... truly, leaf springs?
I went to the Corvette Museum one time - there's a special parking area there for 'vettes only. Of course, some guy parked one there as I was walking back out to my rentamobile - damn Corvette sounded like it was steam powered.
yes and that's the same shiet used on horse carriages back in the Middle Ages!
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"Anyone who buys any American gas guzzling car in the future is either very wealthy, or completely out of touch with reality."
Obviously, the 22-24 MPG my Buick gets is horrible compared to the 28 MPG the EPA says the Honda Accord gets. Hmm, actually that isn't a huge difference, scratch that. The Buick is also bigger, safer, more comfortable, vastly more powerful, and can carry more. I can also fix the Buick on my own easily. A recent suspension repair cost me $4.75 and about an hour's time.
People who hate American cars are usually stuck living in the 80's, or they think it's trendy and cool to hate them. One day, we'll be stuck with nothing but junky little garbage cars like Hondas. Congrats on moving the standard of living backwards.
When it comes to technology, the important question is: Does it do the job it needs to do? Making something needlessly expensive and complex for its own sake isn't necessarily a wise decision.
J_A_B
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Originally posted by J_A_B
"Anyone who buys any American gas guzzling car in the future is either very wealthy, or completely out of touch with reality."
Obviously, the 22-24 MPG my Buick gets is horrible compared to the 28 MPG the EPA says the Honda Accord gets. Hmm, actually that isn't a huge difference, scratch that. The Buick is also bigger, safer, more comfortable, vastly more powerful, and can carry more. I can also fix the Buick on my own easily. A recent suspension repair cost me $4.75 and about an hour's time.
People who hate American cars are usually stuck living in the 80's, or they think it's trendy and cool to hate them. One day, we'll be stuck with nothing but junky little garbage cars like Hondas. Congrats on moving the standard of living backwards.
When it comes to technology, the important question is: Does it do the job it needs to do? Making something needlessly expensive and complex for its own sake isn't necessarily a wise decision.
J_A_B
Safer?We cant really say wich vehicle is safer without crash test:)
Honda most likely stops,accelerates(v6 i'm sure does),holds the value much better,plus Honda very good with reliability and warranty of it's products.
Buick will cost half of what you paid for it in 1-2 years,if you finance or lease it......you'll owe more than it's worth.
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Originally posted by J_A_B
People who hate American cars are usually stuck living in the 80's, or they think it's trendy and cool to hate them. One day, we'll be stuck with nothing but junky little garbage cars like Hondas. Congrats on moving the standard of living backwards.
J_A_B
Japanese Big 3 cars of today are bigger compare 10-20 years ago... specifically to target North American consumer.
2007 Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord are as big as Buicks. I'm also surprised that Buick sized Nissan altima can handle like a sporty compact car at corners.
Heh even the so-called compact sedans like Honda Civic (North American version) should be re-classified as mid sized sedans.
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kudos for GM's Caddilac lineup for BLINGness, improving and upscale the interior look and feel,
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"2007 Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord are as big as Buicks."
I said I drive a Buick; I didn't say I drive a brand-new one (my car has 53K miles atm) My car weighs 4200 pounds and has a chevy LT1 engine. It's a model that's no longer in production because GM wanted to build more SUV's instead (how's that for stupid?). I consider it utterly superior to any family car built by any company in the last ten years, exept perhaps the Chrysler 300C mentioned earlier. My wife's Grand Marquis feels like a piece of junk in comparison, although it is itself a pretty decent car. The Hondas several of my buddies own all feel like the flimsy underpowered tin cans they are.
Originally posted by KgB
Honda most likely stops,accelerates(v6 i'm sure does)....better
You might be surprised. The stripped-down, manual 2-door V6 Accord is about equal; the 4-door has no chance regardless of engine. Neither Honda has any towing capacity to speak of, and neither will float along on the highway at 70 MPH and 1600 RPM
I know very well how well an Accord fares in a traffic collision, seeing as I tore the front end off one a couple years ago when he pulled out in front of me. The only reason I didn't keep my still-driveable Cadillac was because parts cost too much (a common problem with Cadillacs) and I found a great deal on my current car. It's worth noting that my Buick is far larger and heavier than my Cadillac was, so...you be the judge.
Anyway, my point is american cars are perfectly good and have been for quite some time. Instead of worrying about the brand, it's a better decision if you buy what you like regardless of what its name is.
J_A_B
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Originally posted by Scherf
That's just sad ... truly, leaf springs?
Actually it uses a single transverse mounted carbon fibre leaf-spring. A very innovative and space saving design, which apparently works very well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_leaf_springs
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Originally posted by J_A_B
"Anyone who buys any American gas guzzling car in the future is either very wealthy, or completely out of touch with reality."
Obviously, the 22-24 MPG my Buick gets is horrible compared to the 28 MPG the EPA says the Honda Accord gets. Hmm, actually that isn't a huge difference, scratch that. The Buick is also bigger, safer, more comfortable, vastly more powerful, and can carry more. I can also fix the Buick on my own easily. A recent suspension repair cost me $4.75 and about an hour's time.
People who hate American cars are usually stuck living in the 80's, or they think it's trendy and cool to hate them. One day, we'll be stuck with nothing but junky little garbage cars like Hondas. Congrats on moving the standard of living backwards.
My first car was an American one... Nice ol' '97 Taurus SHO. Pretty safe, ran ok, for about 85k. Guzzled gas, etc. A nice fast car which let me be the "good ol' American" who didn't own the "rice rocket."
Now I'm going on 130k on a '98 Camry, just as safe, almost as comfortable (I do miss the bucket seas ;) ), vastly more reliable, and much better gas mileage.
22mpg compared to 28mpg might not seem like alot to you, but I put on about 30-40k miles in any given year. It means an awful lot to me, and if I go with your idea, my standard of living will very much be moved backwards ;)
The next car I get will likely be another Japanese midsize sedan... Hopefully in the 40-50 or even 60mpg range (though that might be a dream) by the time I buy it.
Don't get me wrong - if there were a comparable American car out there, I'd get it. But from what I've seen from most people I know who have owned American cars (excluding trucks), they're not reliable, and not worth it.
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Originally posted by mora
Actually it uses a single transverse mounted carbon fibre leaf-spring. A very innovative and space saving design, which apparently works very well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_leaf_springs
Thanks.
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"Guzzled gas, etc. "
Blame the poor quality of the Japanese-built engine. The 3.4 litre V-8 in the late 90's Taurus SHO was assembled by Yamaha. It was known for reliability issues. Had you bought a normal Taurus, you'd probably still have it. My father-in-law owns a 1993 model that runs fine with 200K-plus on it now.
My wife had a similar bad experience with her 1991 Lincoln Continental--its engine was crap. Neither of us took that experience as an indication that all american cars are junk.
If you like your Toyota, though, more power to you. I can't get in one without feeling cramped and vulnerable.
J_A_B
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Originally posted by J_A_B
"Guzzled gas, etc. "
Blame the poor quality of the Japanese-built engine. The 3.4 litre V-8 in the late 90's Taurus SHO was assembled by Yamaha. It was known for reliability issues. Had you bought a normal Taurus, you'd probably still have it. My father-in-law owns a 1993 model that runs fine with 200K-plus on it now.
My wife had a similar bad experience with her 1991 Lincoln Continental--its engine was crap. Neither of us took that experience as an indication that all american cars are junk.
If you like your Toyota, though, more power to you. I can't get in one without feeling cramped and vulnerable.
J_A_B
I'm aware the V8 was a Yamaha. There was no problem with the engine.... The transmission, and various other little oddities OTOH...
Maybe CT just has awful dealerships? Seriously... Not too many people around here that I personally know who buy American cars end up happy for long. If you're having better luck, power to you though.
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Originally posted by Vudak
Now I'm going on 130k on a '98 Camry, just as safe, almost as comfortable (I do miss the bucket seas ;) ), vastly more reliable, and much better gas mileage.
22mpg compared to 28mpg might not seem like alot to you, but I put on about 30-40k miles in any given year. It means an awful lot to me, and if I go with your idea, my standard of living will very much be moved backwards ;)
The next car I get will likely be another Japanese midsize sedan... Hopefully in the 40-50 or even 60mpg range (though that might be a dream) by the time I buy it.
I just don't see how you can do it. Every import I have ridden in seems like the hardest most unendurable ride I have ever had.
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The truck market is still owned by American companies for the most part. The importers haven't been doing horrible with cars, why shouldn't they try to go for the gold with trucks and match the S-10s and Silverados?
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LOl.. do you even know what kind of leaf springs are on the vette? they aren't your grandpas leafs.. and... what ferrari of anything else for even twice as much money comes close to outhandling the vette.... well.... none actually.
the vette is 525 hp and gets 26 mpg. It will pull over a g on the skidpad without even getting better tires... It runs low 12 sec quarters and will do 200 mph.
Nothing else comes close.
I have no interest in front wheel drive cars that are tiny inside and have no trunk and ride like crap when it comes to a sedan... My Lincoln Town car gets 25 mpg and is night and day better riding than all the jap cars except a lexus maybe that I have driven... it also is bigger inside and has a better trunk. I haven't had a bit of trouble with it. following jap cars through the mountains they seem to be having a hard time cornering while the Lincoln is very composed.
I would by another.
lazs
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Corvette: Needs more refinement in interior, transmision, and rear suspention. This car uses rear leaf springs for rear suspension... c'mon that's Middle Ages technology!
You know they may be leaf springs but get it right bub! Transverse Carbon Fiber Leaf Springs are not middle ages!
Its a proven system that works very good. The car handles just as good or better then some of its counter parts. I'd take a Vett, that is reliable over the "Prancing Horse"!
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I have an 05 Nissan Titan and a 06 Ford F350 Super Duty and honestly like both allot. I would recommend either one of those trucks to anybody looking to get a new one.
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American, German or Japanese, many are just that in name only. Mercedes built in Alabama, Hondas in Ohio, Toyotas in Texas.
I guess that would make the Cadillac Escalade (which means "climbing," The Cadilac Climbing. Catchy name...) a French car and the Buick Lucerne a Swiss car? A car you drive around in Lucerne?
Come to think of it, the problem could be all the French words American car companies use to make their cars sound fancy. I say use some words Americans can associate with, like, "The new Cadillac Democrat," or, "Introducing the new 2007 Buick Republican." Even the 'Buick Guzzler' sounds better than the Lucerne.
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300C...best bling sedan? got to be joking..thing is ugly.
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BigGun I agree 100%, that is 1 smurfy looking car
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Originally posted by J_A_B
"Guzzled gas, etc. "
Blame the poor quality of the Japanese-built engine. The 3.4 litre V-8 in the late 90's Taurus SHO was assembled by Yamaha. It was known for reliability issues.
That V6, which was built and designed by Yamaha's Marine division was a rock. Significantly smoother than any V6 of the day, in any other automobile. There were no realibility issues with it at all.
The rest of the driveline sucked. The transmission was notchy and difficult to shift with any authority. The clutch was extremely weak and wore out very quickly if you did anything other than nurse it. Oh, those components were built by Ford.
If the engine guzzled gas, it was due to people not keeping thier foot buried in the accelerator. I had one and it consistently got 28MPG on the highway.
As far as longevity of Japanese engines go, you must have been sleeping under a rock, or still stuck in the 80's yourself. A well maintained Honda engine will typically go 180K miles before needing an overhaul. Come back and talk about your engine when you have that many miles on it.
It's not uncommon for Nissan's V6 to go for over 150K miles without laying a wrench on it.
My Wife's last Infinity I30 had 135K miles on it when we sold it, and the engine ran like new. Her current Volve S60 has 117K mles on it and the engine is still like new. We never even had to replace water pumps on those two cars.
My neighbor's Mitsubishi has over 200K miles on it and has never had any engine work done. It does not burn oil, still sounds solid, and runs very well. Matter of fact, that car has not ever been in the shop. Brake shoes have been replaced, oil changed, coolant changed, and spark plugs have been replaced once.
You really have no idea the level of sophistication Japanese engines have attained.
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Domestic American cars are awful - fact. There are exceptions of course, but if they were generally any good, would Ford and GM be in the trouble they are now? They bet the house on low-tech trucks and truck-based SUVs and now - with gas prices shrinking those markets, they're left with inferior products no-one wants.
If it wasn't for Middle-America's patriotism, they'd already be dead. Chrysler are in only a slightly better position after being bailed out by Daimler.
As much as patriotism demands you think America is the best at every endevour it undertakes, this is one area where, clearly, the Japanese and certain Europeans are better engineers and have better marketing. There is only one segment - trucks - where America can even consider to be the best and that's probably only because few Europeans or Asians would ever consider owning a truck for private use.
In no other segment is there a domestic American product comes close to the best European, Japaneese or even Korean offerings.
The annoying thing is, its not like GM and - particularly - Ford don't know how to make great cars. For example, the European Focus Mk 2 and Mondeo Mk 3 are two of the best handling front-wheel drive cars on sale anywhere - superior to anything Japan has thus-far produced. But for whatever reason, Ford chooses not to sell them in North America.
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Originally posted by wooley
Domestic American cars are awful - fact.
I'm sure you actually meant to say "opinion" and not fact. There are thousands upon thousands of people, myself included, that would disagree with your assessment.
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Originally posted by wooley
Domestic American cars are awful - fact. There are exceptions of course, but if they were generally any good, would Ford and GM be in the trouble they are now? They bet the house on low-tech trucks and truck-based SUVs and now - with gas prices shrinking those markets, they're left with inferior products no-one wants.
Geezzz, then why did I get rid of my Toyota Avalon. What a horrid car I can't believe I even owned that car for 3 years. It was a nightmare to own, always breaking down. My happiest day was it being totaled from a car accident!
I can say that my DOMESTIC AMERICAN MADE! Cadillac CTS which is two years old has never left me stranded yet!
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Originally posted by lazs2
following jap cars through the mountains they seem to be having a hard time cornering while the Lincoln is very composed.
"Japanese cars having hard time cornering @ mountains"? Japanese cars specialises in that area! Ever heard of Touge? Drifting?
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My 1995 Buick skylark V6 had 180,000 miles on it, did a spark coil once, brakes and junk, had a radiator hose get a hole once (the radiator got a hole in it 6 months ago from a rock from a dump truck so that doesn't really count) and my dumb-arse went to a jiffy lube for 3 years a while back, and they never lubed a certian spot in the suspension like they were supposed to, so that part went (trusted family friend mechanic showed me what they missed it was even in the manual)
so except for a few minor things, the car has been great. buick has for a few years been #2 or #3 in most reliable cars. :aok
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Friends don't let friends buy domestic. Doodoo on wheels.
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Consumer Reports has for years given the Corvette bad marks for RUST. Nevermind the fact that the Corvette is FIBERGLASS, and always has been. The frame has been aluminum for quite some time. Consumer Reports has been full of horse crap for decades. ESPECIALLY concerning the automotive industry. I made my living working on cars for the general public for two decades. What Consumer Reports said about vehicles failed to hold true in the REAL WORLD about 95% of the time.
The TRANSVERSE leaf spring in the Corvette is not only composite, but has been for about two decades. That suspension system happens to be VERY refined and well developed. You do not HAVE to have coil over shocks to have excellent handling. And in fact, the transverse leaf spring not only provides the weight bearing capability of a spring, but also the anti roll capability of a sway bar. The Corvette is a true world class sports car, for a lot less than you'd pay for a Porsche, a Ferrari, or anything like it, provided you are comparing REAL sports cars with plenty of horsepower and torque. Do not forget that the Corvette won the Rolex 24 sports car race at Daytona.
Drifting is a JOKE. Try SCCA, in any class. Try REAL road racing like Daytona or LeMans. Try Pikes Peak. Drifting is for ricers and "Fast and Furious" wannabees.
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Manly American men like myself scoff at foreign cars. We don't need fru-fru interiors for the same reason we don't use "product" in our hair... because we are manly. We don't care if the interior is loud, because we are manly and drive with the windows down and the stereo turned up. We like to hear our engines, because engines are cool and manly. We don't care if something in our car is a little rough, because we are a little rough around the edges ourselves, and we know that anything in this world that works hard is a little rough too. We don't mind looking under the hood, and we like to see our engines and not some nancy plastic shroud to keep the dirt off and make changing the spark plugs impossible. We laugh at dealers and automakers who want us to believe that we are too helpless to work on our own cars. We think tachometers are cool, we know how to use them, and would never consider buying a car that doesn't have one.
Only American cars satisfy these criteria. Some see it as a shortcoming, but they're the same people that think "cowboy" is a putdown. There is no substitute for an American vehicle.
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Skuzzy--The V6 made by Yahama for the mid 90's SHO's (you mentioned a V6) was a good engine. The 3.4 litre V-8 they made for a few years was known for camshaft failure. If you don't believe me, feel free to look it up yourself.
My father-in-law owns two Fords with close to 200K miles (a '93 Taurus and a '94 Ranger). If you take care of a car, it'll last, pretty much regardless of what name is stamped on the hood.
To those of you who love imports: show me all those Japanese family cars that are superior in all aspects to my Roadmaster. $45k luxury cars don't count, either--keep it under or around $30k (my car was $25k when it was new). Come on guys, link me a few Japanese-brand family cars built in the last 15 years that have all of the following:
more power/more torque/better performance/larger cabin/more towing capacity/larger trunk/better mileage
'Some' don't count. I want to see a Japanese car that's totally superior to my Buick. Heck, my car is just an ordinary yank-tank, so it sucks, right? If Japanese cars are so awesome, that should be easy for you guys to find a bunch of models which are superior in every way.
J_A_B
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Thanks Savage, I agree 100% with you on the Vette, its 1 of the absolute best sports cars on the market and has been for 50 years. There is no other car that you can buy stock off the lot for under 60,000 dollars that will even come close to the Corvette... In short, corvettes rock !! :aok
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ik.... LOL... "drifting" sheesh... we invented drifting in the 60's all them old muscle cars were "drifters".
Drive what you want. I won't own a front wheel drive car or one that doesn't have a frame under it and a V8 in front. That limits my choices.
I don't really like any jap cars. They are still as ugly as they can make em and 99% front wheel drive and sound just horrible.
I guess you could put up with that on a car you used to take the family around in but... they don't even ride nice still weigh close to 4000 lbs... they have no room in em and ya feel claustraphobic.
If you step up to the luxury ones they cost an arm and a leg.
I will stick with old detroit iron or mustangs and such for hot rods and a Lincoln or caddy for a cruiser.... maybe a hemi.
lazs
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Originally posted by nirvana
The truck market is still owned by American companies for the most part. The importers haven't been doing horrible with cars, why shouldn't they try to go for the gold with trucks and match the S-10s and Silverados?
I believe they've already made that move.
Toyota Tundra
Toyota Tacoma
Nissan Titan
I have a friend with a 2005 Tundra, my next-door neighbor drives a 2006 Tacoma, and my brother in law drives a 2006 V8 Titan.
They're all good trucks, comparable to any of the light duty pickups built by the big three, IMHO.
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Originally posted by J_A_B
To those of you who love imports: show me all those Japanese family cars that are superior in all aspects to my Roadmaster. $45k luxury cars don't count, either--keep it under or around $30k (my car was $25k when it was new). Come on guys, link me a few Japanese-brand family cars built in the last 15 years that have all of the following:
more power/more torque/better performance/larger cabin/more towing capacity/larger trunk/better mileage
J_A_B
ummmm
NIssan Altima with VQ35DE engine. VQ series is widely considered to be the world's benchmark V6 engine for its combination of smoothness, reliability and high power output.
Let's not even go to brakes, suspension, and transmission because it will only put the buicks to shame.
the Altima 3.5 and even the SE-R is priced below 30K
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Originally posted by J_A_B
Skuzzy--The V6 made by Yahama for the mid 90's SHO's (you mentioned a V6) was a good engine. The 3.4 litre V-8 they made for a few years was known for camshaft failure. If you don't believe me, feel free to look it up yourself.
The Yamaha V8 you mention had camshaft issues, but the camshafts were supplied to Yamaha by Ford. It was a process issue with the, then new, design where Ford was pressing the lobes onto a hollow shaft, and the lobes were not holding in place. Ford had problems with these camshafts in other models.
The previous models of the SHO had a Yamaha V6 (3 and 3.2 liter).
Today, the Volvo XC90 uses the 4.4 liter V8 from Yamaha, as it is the only V8 they could find to fit, longitudinally, in the engine bay. And it is still from the Marine division of Yamaha. This engine is pure Yamaha and has been rock solid for Volvo.
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"ummmm NIssan Altima with VQ35DE engine. "
1K3--The Altima is a decent car, but it has lower horsepower, much less torque, a smaller interior, and a much smaller trunk than my Buick. The top-end Altima is a little quicker in the 1/4 mile, but has lower towing capacity, and vastly less crash resistance owing to its weighing roughly 1000 pounds less. As I said, it's a decent car, but it's definately not superior in all regards. It seems like an even tradeoff at best, IMO.
J_A_B
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Originally posted by Captain Virgil Hilts
Drifting is a JOKE. Try SCCA, in any class. Try REAL road racing like Daytona or LeMans. Try Pikes Peak. Drifting is for ricers and "Fast and Furious" wannabees.
Amen
Import trucks still have nothing on Domestic's though. In my not so humble opinion, the Titan sucks, it's like the Chevy Avalanche and H2, all about big beefy looks.
The Tacoma and Tunda i'll give you as valid work trucks.
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My partner's son-in-law works for Nissan, and bought a new Titan last year. It got WORSE gas mileage than my 1981 Chevy C-30 crew cab dooley with a 454, automatic, and 3.73 gears (no overdrive either).
The new GM trucks with the DuraMax or the 8.1L Vortec are the best towing and pulling light trucks on the market. Having driven every version of the Ford and Dodge in both gas and diesel, for towing and comfort, the GM trucks are the ticket, period. More power, better mileage, and better ride, not to mention more stable.
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Originally posted by J_A_B
"ummmm NIssan Altima with VQ35DE engine. "
1K3--The Altima is a decent car, but it has lower horsepower, much less torque, a smaller interior, and a much smaller trunk than my Buick. The top-end Altima is a little quicker in the 1/4 mile, but has lower towing capacity, and vastly less crash resistance owing to its weighing roughly 1000 pounds less. As I said, it's a decent car, but it's definately not superior in all regards. It seems like an even tradeoff at best, IMO.
J_A_B
You mentioned you got a Buick Roadmaster. What's the engine specs? Are they stock or upgraded?
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I drive a 1995 Roadmaster sedan. The 'official' engine specs are: LT1 V-8 350 cid, 260 HP @ 5000 RPM, 335 ft-lb torque @ 3200 RPM. Interior space is rated at 115 cubic feet (sort of small for my preference), trunk is rated as 21.6 cubic feet.
In all fairness, this car isn't exactly representative of the "typical" US model, as when it was being built (along with its Caprice and Impala SS siblings) it was generally regarded as pretty much the best traditional car built by the US automakers in many years. I dislike imports, but I think most domestics suck too; just in my case, I think they suck more or less equally.
J_A_B
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umm .. I've owned a few different cars. Not gonna mention the ones I dint put a lotta miles on.
'87 CRX honda bought new right off the showroom floor .. it was just like drivin a go-cart. 87k miles on it when a v-dub totalled it in an intersection.
Light car .. the honda bounced.. it spun around, came to a stop on the other side of the intersection, engine still runnin.
'88 Honda civic hatchback replaced the CRX. Both were used for back an forth to work commuters .. the CRX saw weekend duty in C-stock SCCA aka 'Gymkhana' now an then. 187k miles on the civic when it spit a rod thru the side of the block IDLING in the Driveway .. grr.
'69 383ci Roadrunner .. owned for almost 9 years.. 120k miles on it when I sold it. I changed out the 383 to a 426 wedge about a year into owning it.. ran across too good a deal to pass up. The wedge was a '64 model year motor .. 11.1 compression, stock motor. With the 3.91's I had in the back, she useda cruise at 75-80 and get 17mpg. Had two carter AFB's on it ..750CFM each. It was our family car for a lotta years. The only thing I didn't care for was the steering .. they kinda wander a bit without much feedback. It never broke a thing .. was a blast to drive. Was a 4-gear car.. wore out a Zoom clutch plate about once a year ..and throwout bearing every 2 years like clockwork. (I just changed clutch-plate and bearing every year after first set wore out)
The 2000 model Durango is my 1st 4wd vehicle. It's a dodge truck underpinnings with SUV utility. 360ci, 3.92's in the back, 4.10's in the front,
the stock 'big tars' all around ..gets 17-18mpg on the highway at 70mph.
Driven some fire roads back in Virginia that would have been tough on a dirt bike .. was a hoot .. in first-Low-4wd that thing will go up anything as long as it has traction. (it kicks into 3rd gear at 10mph in 4wd-low)
I think if I parked it next to a building it would just dig a hole till it rested on the frame rails tryin to push the building :)
More room, more power, more truck than a Toyota Highlander. Only has 67k miles on it so far .. been run into by two Toyota Camry's ..totalled both of 'em .. 3 more and it's an Ace. Only major repair to date was the power brake booster . . went strange a month or so ago .. had to be replaced.
Towed a 4500lb trailer across country at 70mph .. -shakes head- .. I had to remind myself it was back there 'cause it did not effect the Durango at all except for longer braking distances and a little longer to pass on a 2-lane.
I agree that if you like it, you drive it .. take care of it and it will last.
(most of the time)
Those who think american cars are junk .. guess that Trans-Am/Z28/SS/'Vett that blew yer doors off left an impression eh?
Or you've never driven any of the above.
-GE (I took apart a '59 283ci chebby ..250k miles on it .. that had been taken care of ..regular oil changes etc .. it wasn't even burnin any oil.. intended to rebuild it ..LOL .. there wasn't even a ridge at the top of the cylinders ..it just needed to be honed so the new rings would seat. I chose to put 10.1 pistons in it ..and I put some 2.02 camel-hump heads on it, was gonna stuff it into my '64 nova stationwagon ..but .. guy offered me a rectangle-port head 396 motor for it so I did the trade .. the 283 went into his '57 chebbie 4-speed car with 4.10's inna back.. and it worked *great*)
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the only jap car I ever bought was a datsun pickup for my first wife when they first came out. Really hated that car.
Have never rode in a jap car or front wheel drive car that I could stand but they are ok for other people I guess... good for people who don't like cars.
Haven't had many newer cars... 69 big block el camino and 55 small block chevy Healey.. and... A late model Lincoln Town car.
The Lincoln seems great. My son recomended it after he did a couple of years as a part time chaufer and said that the Lincolns were unkillable even as limmos... Seems to be about correct.
He is a tire and susspension guy and says that most jap cars have junk susspension... most of the jap cars on the road are really in need of work... most have bent or worn out susspension.
He says that the cars that come in with the best shape susspensions are the mustangs.. they never seem to wear out. The german cars last allmost as long but cost about 4 times more for parts.
lazs
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Name a Jap car that has 300hp, runs the 1,320 in 13.5 bone stock, and gets 22 (ACTUAL) mpg yet still costs only $25K. I'd consider buying one if you can.
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Originally posted by Edbert1
Name a Jap car that has 300hp, runs the 1,320 in 13.5 bone stock, and gets 22 (ACTUAL) mpg yet still costs only $25K. I'd consider buying one if you can.
Do you often go to the race track, or why do you need such a car?
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Originally posted by mora
Do you often go to the race track, or why do you need such a car?
Welcome to the American culture..
:D
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Originally posted by mora
Do you often go to the race track, or why do you need such a car?
In America, we buy what we want cause we can, he doesn't need a need. Just like with guns.
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The 97 to 2006 Jeep Wranglers are very good vehicles for what the were designed to do.
If they were cars they would be one of the best lol;)
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I have been in the automotive industry since 1980. I have sold parts and repaired cars for 26 years. Half of these posts are pure opinion another 1/4 are just plain wrong. Just about any late model car properly maintained will go 200k. If you drive your car into the ground never check the oil never change the oil etc it will die a quick death. Yes even your honda or toyota. As far as ride and handling are concerned its all a matter of personal preference. Things like mileage skid pad numbers acceleration braking etc can be recorded and compaired but mean little in day to day driving. If you treat your car like a piece of crap it will be.
Anyone saying my car is better because its American,Japanese,German etc etc well thats just your opinion.
P.S. Everyone knows American cars are the best. Whens the last time you have seen a 20 year old honda,toyota,datsun,bmw etc etc on the road.
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Originally posted by mora
Do you often go to the race track, or why do you need such a car?
I do go to the racetrack a couple of times a year, but not with the car I just described. The one I described above is my daily-driver commuter car, the recreational car has almost $20,000 just in the drivetrain and suspension, and it does sub 12-second runs on street radials.
Nobody said I "needed" a car like that, it is about what I "want", and so far the Japanese automakers have nothing to offer, neither do the Germans, the Italians, the British or the Swedes. Don't get me wrong though, all of those foreign automakers have very nice and very high performance cars on the market, nicer and higher performance than my lowly 2005-GT. They just cost a fortune to buy and maintain, I simply cannot get the price/performance quotient even close to even with a foreign car.
Edit to add: The recreational car will be 40 years old in a few months, yes I know it's birthday :D